Press Conference Comments from Michigan Head Coach Lloyd Carr
11/24/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Press Conference Comments from
U-M Head Football Coach Lloyd Carr
Reviewing Ohio State (Nov. 22) and 2003 Regular Season
Opening statement ... "I want to begin by publicly apologizing to Todd Harris of ABC and the entire ABC crew, Keith Jackson and Dan Fouts, for my rude behavior. It was inexcusable. I also want to thank our student body for the way they conducted themselves on the field after the game. I'm sure there were isolated incidents, but I think our security and the police force in Ann Arbor and everybody concerned. It's something we can all be proud of.
"There were a lot of heroes in this game for us. The greatest concern I had going into the game was the kicking game. I think Ohio State had the ability to play a field position game, and I think we ended up doing a great job in the kicking game. We provided our kickoff team, they did a wonderful job on coverage and we made some great plays there that gave our defense field position. I think our punt return team did a great job. They downed the ball inside the 10 once on a great kick, and B.J. Sander is as fine of a punter I've ever seen. I think we did a good job. We had one 33-yard return by Steve Breaston on a great play that was aided by a block by Calvin Bell. Adam Finley had a tremendous day. He punted the ball as well as he's ever punted. The protection that he had was excellent. The coverage was good there, so we didn't give up any big plays. The kicking game in that phase of it -- we blocked an extra point. A great individual effort up front even though it was good, it could have been a decisive point (in the game). We had two very good returns. Breaston brought one out, and Jeremy LeSueur got up front and had a good block. Then Scott McClintock's after the kickoff return by Breaston to start the third quarter was really a big play, gave our offense great field position. So, I want to commend all of our guys on special teams. They played a vital role in our victory.
"Offensively, we played extremely well. Going into the game, my biggest concern was obviously running the football. But I was equally concerned about how well we could protect the passer, and I think our offensive line was outstanding. Kevin Dudley did a great job. Defensively, we found a way to get it done late. So it was a great victory. We had a number of guys who stepped in and really made some good plays. Carl Tabb came off the bench to replace Jason Avant and made two big catches. Tyler Ecker made a great play on a big third down, maybe the biggest play of the game for us. John (Navarre) made a great throw for us, but Tyler is a young guy that made a big play there. A number of our receivers and backs are young. Our young backs went in. Pierre Rembert, Jerome Jackson and David Underwood all got some snaps in that game. It was a total team victory and I give all the credit for the turnaround of this season to a great coaching staff and a great group of senior players."
On the team's schedule leading up to the bowl season ... "Our coaches are recruiting today, and then we'll have our first time off in the last four months. I think we're all excited to spend Thanksgiving. I think the greatest thing about Big Ten football is the fact that the athletic directors and commissioner have followed the wishes of the coaches in this conference to set our schedule so that every single player in this conference, after a long season, will be able to spend Thanksgiving with their families. It's a long season. The demands on these kids are unbelievable. I want to say that because it is a tradition. What I appreciate is that on Thursday I'll be able to be with my family, and I'll be able to watch someone else play, I'll be able to watch someone else on Friday, and I'll be able to watch someone else play on Saturday. I think that's a wonderful thing that we have in this conference. I hope we can maintain it. There's always one year out of six or seven that you have to play after Thanksgiving, but I really appreciate that part of Big Ten football."
On the schedule for the bowl game ... "The difficult thing about the game is that we don't know where we're going to play, and we certainly don't know who we are going to play. I certainly would love to know, and so we're going to make some guesses and try to do some preparation as best we can. There is the uncertainty of it. You would rather know, but that's just the way it is."
On the hype built around the Ohio State game ... "I tried to tell our team on Sunday that there were going to be a number of distractions. One of them being the 100th game, the other that we were going to honor our seniors in a different way on the field for the game. Tickets and requests are always things you worry about, and certainly we knew it was going to be the greatest collection of former Michigan football players probably ever assembled at one time in the history of this program. I tried to tell them they were all wonderful things, but the important issue was to try to enjoy them when it happens, but none of those things are going to help you win. They did a good job dealing with all of those things. But to have so many guys come back and be a part of it and cheer us on, certainly as you went through it, you had to be amazed by the number of people down there. It was a special feeling."
On U-M making its second BCS bowl appearance ... "I think we had a great football team at the (2000) Orange Bowl, and we were playing the SEC [champions]. In 1997, there was so much riding on that game, and it was obvious to all of us that an opportunity like that doesn't always come along. This team hasn't been to a BCS bowl game in awhile. They understand first of all that they're going to play a great football team. Whoever the opponent will be very formidable. I think based on where we ended this season and representing the Big Ten as the champions of this conference, I hope that will be the motivating factor."
On plans for the rest of the year ... "We'll have our Football Bust on Monday the first (of December), and we have a similar event in Chicago where Tony Pape will be honored by the U of M Club of Chicago. The most important thing is that the players will be getting ready for final exams. We'll give them a schedule a week from today on the lifting and conditioning. We'll probably have a couple of practices here before we leave. Our plan is to follow the same type of plan we followed in 1997 by going out before Christmas and acclimating them getting back to football. The most important reason for doing that is that it allows our players to concentrate entirely on their final exams, but I don't have a practice schedule here during those final exams. I think that's something our players have really enjoyed and it's been very positive academically and athletically for us."
On personnel coming together in unique situations ... "I think our coaches since the middle of the season have done an incredible job pulling together because we did have a difficult personal tragedy. So our people responded in a wonderful way. I think the credit belongs to our coaches and our players."
On the changes made to special teams and Jim Boccher's status ... "Well, it's a health-related issue, and I don't feel qualified or that it's my place to say any more. I'm not going to."
On former assistant coach Bobby Morrison ... "Bobby has always been a guy that watches the games and comes to practices occasionally. He didn't do anything officially. He's still around because he's known a lot of the players that he recruited."
On Chris Perry in the Heisman Trophy race ... "Of course I don't have a vote in the Heisman Trophy candidacy. That's probably with good reason because I don't have an opportunity to see all of the players throughout the country on a basis that would give me a fair evaluation. Based on what I know, I think Chris Perry is certainly one of the great football players that I've had the good fortune to be around. He is not only a great ball carrier, what he's done for this team as a receiver and pass protector has been tremendous. In the locker room and on the sidelines he's been a great leader. His teammates love him because he is unselfish. I don't want to get into the Heisman thing except to say that Chris Perry is certainly one of the nation's greatest football players."
On the halftime situation with the ABC reporter ... "I always tell players that every time you have an opportunity to go and deal with the media or public we're all held to a higher standard. Regardless of the circumstance, you want to be able to deal with it in a way that reflects positively on you, your community and the university. There is no excuse for the way I handled it."
On his thoughts regarding quarterback John Navarre this past week ... "I thought a lot about John during the week. Friday night I didn't sleep very well. Normally I do, and I didn't sleep at all that night. I want to say this to those of you who cover John on a daily basis. I hope you did not misconstrue my comments at the end of Saturday as a reflection on you. I did not mean that. More than anything else I was talking about some of the things on the Internet and the letters that have been written by people outside of the media. The media has a job to do and I hope you understand I wasn't criticizing you there. But this kid has suffered. It's a great ending. It's not over, but he's endured."
On how he'll remember this team ... "I try to look at every game on its own merits. That's hard to do. It's hard to look at a game objectively after a loss. It's easy after a win to look at it and be just as objective. The key to helping a team get better from a coaching standpoint is to address the issues and reality of performance. I truly believe that in the Oregon game we played well enough offensively and we scored enough points to win. We played well enough defensively. It was really the breakdowns and big plays in the kicking game. The same was true at Iowa. Nevertheless, at that juncture to come back the way we did in the Minnesota game, I think, was obviously the turning point for this team because they faced almost certain defeat. They faced almost certain elimination from the Big Ten championship. And yet someway they found a way to come back and have a great victory. I think that really changed the momentum. Just like in every game there are always times when momentum is against you. They had whatever it took to change the momentum in that game and I think that changed the season. Whatever happened I don't know. The important thing for us now is to understand that this season is not over. There is great euphoria and excitement about a great season in winning a championship. I've always looked at a bowl game as a new season. It's a one-game season. They are not through. We all need to understand that it's our ability to refocus and remember that nothing that happened in this last season and last game is going to do anything for us in our bowl game. We need to go into it and prepare hard and do it one more time because the legacy that they can leave is much greater than it is currently. I know they understand that so hopefully we all do."
On if the team would rather be playing in the Sugar Bowl against Oklahoma ... "I can remember in 1997 everybody wanted to know if we wouldn't rather be playing Nebraska. The truth is that the BCS and everybody wants to say your goals aren't high enough. Our team's goals for as long as I can remember have always had the national championship included. From an emphasis standpoint, you only have one thing under your control and that's the Big Ten championship. The BCS is a vote. It's a poll. You don't have any control over that. Whoever we play we'll be excited to play. The competitive part of you is hoping that certain things happen and it would be great if it does. If it doesn't then we still have a great game to go to."
On defensive end Alain Kashama ... "I've always said the coach-player relationship is ongoing. It's sometimes wonderful and sometimes it's not so wonderful and sometimes there are some bumps in the road. I was disappointed in Alain's performance and I was very frustrated at one point with his effort. I think he was frustrated with the way his season went. Things went downhill. I took some disciplinary action with him. I talked to him last Sunday night and I said to him, 'Alain, are you willing to do the things that we ask you to do as a coaching staff, and if so are you interested in helping this team' Dealing with things when they don't go your way is the greatest measure of who you are and if you can mature as a young person that the greatest adversity really gives you an opportunity to prove something and accomplish something. To Alain's great credit, he is a wonderful human being. In the course of those several weeks I talked to his parents and they were extremely supportive. Things worked out and I'm sure he will always be appreciative that he did in our biggest game have an opportunity to come back and make a contribution to his team. I couldn't be more delighted because as a coach there is nothing worse than having a senior end his career on a bad note. I'm delighted the way it's worked out and he still has a game to play. I think you'll get a chance to talk to him and see that he's redeemed himself. That's one of the great things about athletics."
On playing Kashama in the Ohio State game ... "I knew Alain could be a factor if he would do what he was asked to do. I talked to our coaches Sunday night and I told them I want to know if you feel like you can give him a role in this game where he can help us. We met later and they said that if he's willing to do what they ask him to do they did have a role for him. That's what happened."
On the type of disciplinary action Kashama received ... "He was out of practice for I don't know, you'd have to ask him (how long). He was held out of some games. He didn't dress. I can't tell you exactly how many days it was. It was a difficult time for Alain and me."
On wide receiver Jason Avant's injury ... "The more serious part of it is he sprained his knee. The knee sprain is slight and the ankle sprain is a little bit worse. I don't know how much work he'll be able to get done before we go to the bowl site. I talked to Paul Schmidt, our trainer, this morning and he's very optimistic that by the time we get to the bowl site he'll be ready to practice."
Media Contacts: David Ablauf, Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423
