UNLV head coach Barry Odom met with the media on Monday to discuss his program's week and Michigan being the next opponent.
While his comments about the Wolverines are brief, electing to focus on his program instead, below is everything he said about the U-M program ahead of Saturday's game.
On Michigan
They’re explosive on offense. Obviously, they have got the skill and the scheme to stress you in every area. Run game, pass game, play-action, moving the pocket, quarterback run game. They do it all and they do it at a very, very high level. They’ve obviously recruited really well, they’ve got great coaches, great players, and their scheme is tough. We've got to do a tremendous job of getting our guys in position, understanding there's going to be times that we make a call that they counter that and have a good call as well. The goal doesn't change in trying to eliminate explosive plays. We've gotta be good against the run, we can't allow there to be chunk yardage in the run game and through the air. Their quarterback is a special player. We've got to do a great job in our coverage, we've got to have tremendous eye discipline. We've gotta understand and be able to change zone and match up man concepts. Also, we've gotta be in a position to be able to load the box to try and stop the run. If they’ve got a weakness, I haven’t found it yet. They’re really solid and a great team.
On what he tells his team to motivate them to play Michigan
We are going to take the approach every single week and I know it's boring and it sounds like coach talk but it's a nameless, faceless opponent just like last week was. We've got to prepare, we understand and have great respect for our opponents but it's how we prepare. The approach we take on from the time the game was over on Saturday to getting ready for a Monday practice, which we had a really good one today and trying to build a gameplan in all three phases to give our kids a chance to be successful. You get into the arena and you should be so prepared and so ready to go play there's not a pregame talk or a motivational tactic that our team needs. Our motivation is built intrinsically throughout the week on how we prepare. Our motivation is to play our best and to be the best versions of what we can be. And then we want to go play at a high level and take the opportunity we have in front of us and go make the most of it. Obviously, we have got a lot of respect for our opponent. It’ll be a great atmosphere to play in. I’m happy for our student-athletes to be in that environment. We know that it’ll be loud, 110-plus, which is awesome. I have got a lot of respect for Coach Harbaugh and the program he has built.
On preparing for the Michigan Stadium atmosphere
We'll treat it home or away, outside of the communication pice with our offense and our punt team, we'll have some of that tomorrow in practice with noise periods. You think about third downs and the way you've got to communicate in that environment, how important that is. We'll spend some extra time on that. Other than that, we'll have a normal, really good physical Tuesday practice. A Wednesday practice, Thursday we'll have our kicking script and go through situational ball. I want to get to the hotel the same time on Friday than we would if it were a home game and we lock into our normal Friday night routine. Obviously excited to play at a historical venue in Ann Arbor and I know our kids will be excited to go the road for the first time this year.
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