Michigan Wolverines football redshirt freshman right tackle Jalen Mayfield and junior cornerback Ambry Thomas each appeared on Jon Jansen's 'In the Trenches' podcast this week to discuss U-M's 40-21 win over Middle Tennessee State last weekend.
Mayfield mainly focused on how he thought he performed in his first career start, while Thomas provided some background info on when his colitis illness began and how long it took to get over it.
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Jalen Mayfield:
"The first thing that went through my mind [prior to the game] was to have fun. [Senior right guard Mike] Onwenu told me earlier in the day to just not jump offsides and I'd be alright.
"We had a position meeting [beforehand], and Coach [Ed] Warinner looked at me and [redshirt freshman left tackle] Ryan [Hayes] and was super excited for us. We both tried so hard for this moment, and it was really exciting to see it pay off.
"My mom was pretty scared and a little nervous [when she found out I was starting]. She told me she'd hear about it from a lot of people if I messed up, because she's on Twitter.
"Throughout winder conditioning, we really made an effort to build off of what the guys did last year, and take another step. We were close to something special, and if I did play, I didn't want to be the part that let everyone down — that really drove me.
"I knew that if I brought that same intensity, I'd fit in just fine.
"I played with great intensity and came off the ball well, though there are a lot of things we still need to work on as a team and personally.
"We left a lot of plays on the field, but those can be easily fixed. I'd like to trust my technique better, because there were a few times where my emotions got the best of me and I was too in the moment, and not relying on what I do best.
"Whenever we see a blitz outside, we alert the center. [Junior center] Cesar [Ruiz] listens and looks out there and gets the protection re-directed either way.
"With our tempo, we like to get on the ball, get set and roll. We usually get set as fast as possible and the communication starts from there, so that's when we go through our assignments and get things changed at the line.
"For being such a big guy, Big Mike is one of the most athletic big guys I've ever seen, because he moves like he's 310 or 320. It's kind of scary to see how fluent and strong he is, especially on double team blocks. He knocks guys back and makes my job a little easier.
"We knew we had big play capability coming into the game, and to see the reaction of the crowd after the first big play … it was pretty wild, and I was the first one down there.
Looking ahead to Army…
"They're a hard-working group who knows what they're doing, seeing as how they gave Oklahoma a tough shot last year.
"If we just play up to our potential, I think it'll be a good night for us."
Ambry Thomas:
"I got diagnosed with colitis and my symptoms started happening at the beginning of June, and it had me out all of July and half of August. I was in the hospital for a month.
"With [team nutritionist] Abigail [O'Connor], I just watch certain foods, and she'll fix my plate and help me out. I have a good grasp on which foods I can and can't eat, and she knows too.
"I knew I couldn't get too jacked up [leading up to the game], because I didn't even know I'd be ready by then. My physical appearance probably wasn't the best.
"My energy level and strength felt great, and I was so excited I was going to play in the game. I was more worried about my confidence level so I was trying to build that up, because it was super high coming out of spring.
"It felt good making plays out there. I'm finally stepping into the role I've always wanted to play here — we want turnovers, especially as defensive backs.
"Man coverage is meant for PBUs and breakups, so it's a huge thing when you can get an interception.
"We got on [senior cornerback] Lavert Hill immediately [after his dropped pick] — he saw the end zone and we all saw the end zone for him.
"He was on one side and I was on the other in high school too, so teams would pick and choose. I want that challenge, because that'll get me up there.
"This secondary can be one of the best in the country — we contest throws and are going to be in your face all game.
"We have a nice rotation and can get some fresh legs in there, because we have a lot of depth.
"I like man coverage, because it presents a challenge to say you're better than the guy in front of you. Coach Don Brown does a good job of getting those blitzes in there and not having us cover all day long, so hats off to him."
Looking ahead to Army…
"Our eyes will win us this game, because their triple option is pretty good. Everyone needs to be doing their job and in their gaps, because they'll hit a big play if we blow an assignment."
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