Alamo Bowl Press Conference Comments from Michigan Players

Player Comments Previewing
2005 Alamo Bowl Game vs. Nebraska

Sophomore Tailback Mike Hart

Can you talk about the frustration you've felt ... "It was nothing new for me but just part of the struggle and I think it's going to make me a better player. I think it will make me a better player because everyone gets hurt."

Where are you at right now ... "Got to ask Coach Carr. (Laughing)."

Would it be a situation where you could delay your recovery more and it might not be worth playing ... "Maybe. I'm not sure. That's why we're waiting to see how it goes, see how it feels this week. As we get to that point, as we get towards that point, if it keeps bothering me then we'll see what happens. But like you said we're just going to have to wait. It's probably going to be a game day, game-time decision that game week."

Dealing with an injury like this, it's not like a broken arm where you know it's broken, is it like toughing through pain ... "I think that's the tough part because it's like, you can't say you have a broken bone and you're in a cast. It's like, oh, you have a sprained ankle, you missed this many weeks. It's tough. It's hard. I wouldn't rather have a broken ankle at all. But it's just like sometimes people look at you like, oh, this kid, he's not tough, but it does come down to we do what's best for the team. And me out there playing injured is not the best for the team."

Do you think that some people in the public will think that maybe you could suffer through it ... "I think so, definitely, definitely."

Are you able to practice Are you practicing ... "I don't know. (Laughter)."

Are you able to run ... "I can jog and stuff like that."

Is there a difference from three weeks ago to how it feels now ... "It gets better and better every day. We don't want to chance anything right now so I'm not sure. It's going to be a game-week decision."

Is there something you would have done differently in terms of preparation or recovery this year ... "Not really. You know, when I got hurt, I got all the treatment I could and I got down there more than anybody asked me to. The trainers told me it just takes time. During the off-season, I worked hard, get in shape, do all that stuff. So I think I did everything that I could. It just didn't -- I came back when I could. In other words, I did everything possible."

Is it hard to balance the feelings of wanting to be out with the team with not want to go risk a long-term injury ... "Yeah. You know, I'm not worried about -- it's not really a long -- strained ankle, it really can't be a long-term injury, the way I look at it. So when I'm ready to go, I'll try to get out there as fast as I can and I just want to help my team out and do what I can. I'm not worried about my future. I'm not worried about long-term right now. I'm worried about right now and we want to win and I want to win right now and I'm doing everything I can to get out on the field and do it."

When is the last time you felt 100 percent ... "With the ankle Before I hurt it, the Iowa game, Iowa week. I hurt it third play of Iowa game, but ever since then it's been bothering me."

Is there a danger in trying to sort of push yourself to essentially set yourself back again ... "That's why we have to be smart about it and that's why we're smart about things. I can't just go out there and keep practicing and keep bothering it keep hurting it, that's not good come game day. That's why you have to be smart about it. I do what I can, so that's why I do what I can, and if it bothers me I'll stop doing it and everybody realizes it. They know, I'm not the type of person that's not going to be, oh, I don't feel like doing this, just not to do it. I'll try everything and if I can't do it I won't do it."

Is it a pain or is it speed How has it limited you ... "Just my flexibility. It doesn't bother my speed, just when I go to cut, and I cut a lot, obviously, and so I think that's what set me back so much. If I was a straight-ahead runner, I would be fine but that's not my style of game."

Is the atmosphere different around campus going from a Rose Bowl to an Alamo Bowl ... "We're not going to the Rose Bowl but we look at it as just another game, just like last year, Texas was another game. Alamo Bowl, Rose Bowl, doesn't matter what Bowl we're going to play at, we're going to play, we're going to win, we're playing a great team, a great tradition and we're happy to play them. They are a good team. They're coming out real strong at the end of the year. They are just like us, they are trying to get ready for next year. And this game is going to decide that. This game is going to jump-start the season for next year. So both teams are going to come out and play hard and to win."

Chad said that nobody wants to be the team that loses five games for the first time in 26 years, how much of a motivation is that for you guys going into this game ... "It's a big motivation. I can't say I don't want to lose five games but it's like if we were 10-0 right now, I still would not want to lose. Or if we lost eight games, I still would not want to lose. Doesn't matter what our record is, we don't want to lose at all. So going -- that's harsh, that's bad, but I don't care what our record is. We want to go in there and win, like I said, to jump-start next year."

Why has it been hard for Kevin Grady and why has it been a transition ... "I think he had a great year. He didn't have too many 100-yard games but he went in and did a great job. A lot of people expected a lot out of him because he's a high-profile recruit. I think he came in here and did a lot for the team. The offense here was hard for him, not hard for him, but it was complex. And I think him coming in here this year, he had to learn a lot. And when I went down, a lot of pressure went on his back to carry the team and stuff. I think he handled it great and I think he did the best he could. I think with our line shuffling all the time, we just had a lot of injuries this year on the offensive line. So I think he didn't run behind the same offensive line every week, he was ready though. I think if the line was 100 percent every game, I think he would have had a better year."

About this team and working to improve during the bowl preparations ... "I guess it's a whole new year. You take a month off and it gives you a month to prepare for one game. We're preparing for one game for a month, so it's like a whole new season. I think getting ready for next year, getting better this year, it's like it's going to prove how good we are next year. I think this game -- what I want to say is this game right here is going to show us what we have coming in, what we are going to lead to next year, what we're coming to next year. So I think we have to win. We have to win to get our confidence back so we can have great confidence in spring ball knowing we're going into next year with a great team. We lose some people next year, but we have a lot of our team coming back so I think it will be a great confidence booster."

Do you view it as much of a beginning to next year ... "That's the way I view it. I view it as the beginning to next year, the young freshmen, they are coming along this month and we get to see what they do. You just get to see a lot, what people have learned during the year. It just shows you about next year."

Sophomore Quarterback Chad Henne

What have you been working on ... "Just pretty much we've been working on leadership and trying to take the team -- when we would be down, try to get in there and say a few words to the team. It's just boosting the team up. And of course, some of those times we were down in the game and we needed somebody to step in and say something and Coach Carr would kind of be the person to do that. We're kind of pushing toward me to do that and take ahold of this team."

How do you work on that, just discussions with you and Coach Loeffler, do you do role-play ... "He's set a guideline for me and I just try to help me in the practices that we had this past couple of weeks. It's tough at first because you really don't know what to say, and just try to be clear and decisive, I guess, and just have an attitude about yourself that winning is the most important thing."

Can you talk about your emotions as far as the feeling going into a Bowl game this year as opposed to last year ... "We just get what we deserve. We didn't have as great a season this year as last year, but we're just happy to be in a bowl. The Alamo Bowl is a great bowl and to play a great tradition like Nebraska, just to finish off the season will be a great game."

How much will a win or a loss here affect your view of the season ... "We definitely don't want to go down with a loss. We want to try to send out the seniors with a bang and hopefully get a win underneath their belt at the last game. And also just looking forward to text year, just try to get these younger guys to play and get the experience of a bowl game."

Is there a big difference between being 8-4 and 7-5 ... "Yeah, definitely. Nobody wants to have five losses. And plus, I don't know how long it's been, it's been a while since we actually did have five losses, and we don't want to be the team that had five losses."

How difficult was it to go back and look back at the season and think that basically you were 30 seconds away from 10 wins ... "It's definitely difficult. I mean, three points there in one game and then, what, six points in another game It's just hard to take down. We just need to execute. We kind of stabbed ourselves in the foot and we just need to execute better later in the game and hold on to the ball a little bit longer and get first downs."

Looking at the offense and trying to analyze the past season, what do you see with problems with execution and personal performance, and how do you look at that and try to make sense of what's reality with this offense ... "The reality, we do have a great offense. We just didn't exploit the aspects of it. I think that it was just a team effort. You can't point your finger at one guy. I mean, sometimes here and there were things. Sometimes we wouldn't be on the right page with the receivers; sometimes we wouldn't get protection; sometimes we wouldn't be able to run the ball. I mean, you see glimpses here and there in the games that we can perform at that ability and capability that we have. But we just need to put it all together in this last game and try our hardest just to come out with our 'A' Game and just execute as an offense."

What do you see in the Nebraska defense ... "They have great sack numbers, I think it's 26 sacks. It show that they have a great pass rush, and we're going to have to protect and also we're going to have to run the ball. We had 36 yards against Ohio State -- we can't just go into the ball passing the ball all over the place. We have to keep a balance and try to keep them off-guard."

Can you talk about what you learned this year, after a great freshman year and then this year up and down, can you just talk about what you learned this year ... "Definitely just how to deal with adversity. I really never had a season with four losses like we had this season. With all of the critics out there and saying you're not as good as you are, definitely puts a role in your mind. Pretty much how I handled it is just ignore it and the teammates back you up and the coaches back you up and just lift you up. It's been a tough road but I'm still standing. I'm just trying to keep -- just keep improving in my game, mentally and physically and just try to go out there and be the best quarterback I can."

Is there a process you go through as the losses start to mount You're not used to losing twice, three times; when you get to four, is there a mental process that you go through ... "Not really. I mean, a game -- when the game ends, there's a winner and there's a loser. If you're on the losing end, of course you're not going to feel as good as you are on the winning end, but you've got to put that game behind and you it's just like each play in the game. If you make mistakes, throw an interception, you've got to put that play behind you and with that loss, just put it behind you, and when we went on that streak, I think we did put those -- when we had three losses, put that behind us and moved on to the next upcoming, that's best for us."

As far as the maturation process, the game plan for you has been a little different from last year, did you find yourself going up against a different type of scheme or going up against teams that were better educated to what you can do ... "Last year as a freshman they were pressuring me a lot. That's what you do with a young quarterback, pressure you as much as you can, try to get your route. This year they tried to do that, but if we had protection schemes that we could slide our offensive line into that, we would pick it up and we would start making plays with the pressures and then they would back off a little lit. It's just how old you are and what the defense thinks of your abilities and how you handle pressure and just different situations."

Being away from football, the mental break, was it a chance to recharge ... "I think you always need a break. When I went home after the game, kind of just relaxed with your family and get your mind off the season. Then just coming back here, getting timing back together with offense. It's been an experience and I'm just glad to be back on the field and just be around my teammates for one last game this season."

Junior Right Tackle Jake Long

Did it seem possible that you'd play -- Coach had pretty much ruled you out of the bowl ... "I went to go have surgery on it Tuesday (after the Ohio State game), and they told me that it was an old injury and that I did not have to have surgery on it so I didn't have to get it repaired."

How is it possible ... "Well, it was somewhat, but they said I did it in high school, so having surgery would just make it worse."

What was it ... "Just like a sprained ligament in my foot."

How is it now ... "It's feeling a lot better, had a lot of the rest and rehab and I'm moving well."

Were you actually on the table when they figured it out ... "Actually, I was passed out and they looked under with a fluoroscope, moved it around and they came to the conclusion that I didn't need the surgery."

So you woke up and did not know ... "They said it was going to be a 50-50 chance I would wake up with screws in my foot or not, and I didn't, so I was pretty happy. (Laughter)."

Did you have any pain Can you push off with that foot ... "There's really not much pain and it's doing pretty well."

Pretty big turn, going from potentially being out of the bowl game with screws in your foot to feeling pretty good ... "Yeah, if it does need surgery, then I'll be able to play and it's just feeling good."

Any idea what you can do up there ... "Not really. I'll see a little bit when we go light in practice, but everything else I do."

How much of a difference is it for you to you go from missing this game to all of a sudden being back in the bowl ... "It feels great. When they told me before the Ohio State game I needed surgery, it just hurt having to miss another game and when they told me I didn't need it, it was awesome. I'm going to go out there and try to do what I can to help my team."

Is it a chance for you to show that the season is not a total loss for you; you only played a couple of games at the end and not at 100 percent, is it your chance ... "Yeah, absolutely, because I was hurt all four games I played and I didn't play like I could have. I really think going into this game I'm going to be 100 percent and I'll be able to show what I can do."

Coach was very unhappy with a lot the running game after the Ohio State game, how many conversations have been about that and what has been done about that ... "Michigan tradition has always been to run the ball and we haven't run the ball like we wanted to this year, and especially the Ohio State game. Our practices we're definitely focused on running the ball and getting back to running. All this game, we're going to be focusing on running and try to run the ball down the field."

Is it an adjustment to the injury or something else When you look at it what do you see ... "You can't blame it on injuries. As an offensive line, we haven't played like we should have. I don't know, I think injuries play a little part of it but you can't blame it on that. I think this game, we'll be ready to go."

Is there a big difference between 8-4 and 7-5 ... "It's a huge difference. If we can win this game and play well, we'll leave the seniors with a good win and get us ready for next year."

Mike said this is almost the start of next year, is that how you see it or is it more this season wrapped up ... "I think it's both, because bowl practice is a big way to get the freshmen and the younger guys a lot of practice and get ready for next year. Then we're still preparing for a game, so this is like a whole new season, a one-game season and we're going out there and try to send the teams out on a good note for this season and also prepare for next season."

Do you feel that the general public is down for this game ... "Absolutely not. San Antonio, I hear it's a good place, a fun place to go. And Nebraska is a good team and it's going to be a good game. We're not worried about what the public says. We're just going out there and play our game and try to win."

Is there disappointment about not being in the BCS, not playing on January 2nd ... "We always try to play our best and either win a championship and play on either January 1st or 2nd. That's always a goal we have. I know it was disappointing, the season we had. You know, we had a good season. It just didn't go our way. The Alamo Bowl is going to be a good game and it should be fun."

Is it sort of a wake-up call, there is a lot of parity in the Big Ten, the fine line between being an undefeated team ... "It's a wake-up call showing us that yeah, we are competing for the Big Ten and we are we don't get it and we're not guaranteed the Rose Bowl and we can go anywhere. We just need to focus on getting back to winning the Big Ten so we are guaranteed that Rose Bowl spot."

About not meeting some of your goals ... "Every game we have personal goals and team goals. We always set most of our goals but our goal is to win the Big Ten and go to a BCS game and we didn't fulfill that. We did hit goals, but next year, we'll definitely have our mind set on the Big Ten."

Fifth-Year Senior Defensive Tackle Pat Massey

What do you see against Nebraska ... "They are a team that does it all. They definitely want to spread you out but at the same time, they have two backsets just running right down the middle. So definitely, they do it all, they do it all."

They haven't been able to run the ball well this year and something I know they wanted to do, but have you seen what's going on with them ... "If you look at the last couple of games, they have definitely gotten better. Throughout the year they are definitely a team that's improved every single game and their running game was one of the biggest improvements. Toward the end of year, they are kind of a different team."

For you, how do you view this game and why is it important, what's important to show in this game ... "I could go down the list of why this is such a big game for us. First of all, we still have a lot to prove, especially the defense; just momentum going into next year for the young team, I think it means a lot for those guys. As a senior it's important to go out on a winning note. This is my last game with Michigan so absolutely want to go out on a winning note."

Talking about next year, what it means to them, seems to be a theme, why is everybody really embracing that, that this is the beginning of getting off to a good start for next year ... "You want to leave a winning legacy for those young guys. You want to keep that tradition going. I've been parts of teams where, you know, the next year -- I've been a part of a team where we've lost a bowl game and won a bowl game. Looking back on those years and comparing the differences, it definitely helps when you win your bowl game for the next year."

Is it a mental thing ... "Yeah, just a mental thing, going through winter conditioning, it's just real important to have that confidence and have that winning taste in your mouth."

What have the practices been like so far What's been the point of emphasis ... "They have been intense practices. We're going down to win and we know to beat a good Nebraska team, we are going to have to prepare. We've had good physical practices. Defense, kinds of been stressing the same things all year. They have been tough practices."

Where you ended up, a lot of people thought it would be the Outback, do you do you look at that ... "The way I look at it as every team in the country besides Texas and USC is a little disappointed and wants to be playing somewhere else. So, yeah, of course we had high goals and we would love to be playing in the Rose Bowl or BCS, as are most teams. We're looking at it right now as we've got a huge opportunity. This is a huge game for us and there's not a guy on the team who is not excited to be playing down there."

Going back and watching the Ohio State game, what do you see ... "I thought we played a tough game. I mean, we made some mistakes, but overall, the biggest thing as we all know is we just didn't finish out the game. It just came down to those last two drives. And it doesn't matter how well you play early in the game, if you don't finish, it just doesn't matter, you throw it out the window. So, yeah, just it was a matter of us as a defense not finishing out the game."

Have you been able to pinpoint something or find a way to work on accomplishing that in future games ... "I think right now, the biggest thing is just getting into that mentality where no matter what, we've just got to stop them. We've got to have just desperation to get them off the field."

Senior Punter Ross Ryan

Talk about your value as a kickoff specialist, will you approach this game any differently ... "I go out there every game with the mentality that I'm going to put the ball in the end zone. That's what Coach DeBord asked me to do. So I just go out there, I don't think I really do anything differently. I try to not think about the crowd, not think about all of the hype around me and just focus on the ball and do my best to put it in the end zone."

Can you talk about the weather being a factor ... "I'm not going to have to worry about the weather as being a big factor. Coach Carr, Coach DeBord and some of the specialists kind of make fun of me sometimes because I usually know what the weather is going to be like about a week before each game. So it will be nice not having to worry about that."

Do you ever pay attention to the opposing team's specialist, going into it with the mind of trying to outdo that person ... "Before the game, the specialists go out and warm up earlier before most of the other guys so we get a chance to kind of observe the other team and see what kind of kickers and punters they have. Every game, we challenge the other team, obviously, to see who comes out with the better kicking game at the end of the day and we grit it out and it's fun."

Do you know anything about the Nebraska specialist yet ... "I know that they have an excellent punter. I think he averaged around 45 or 46 yards this year. They also have an excellent return game, so it's definitely going to be a good competition down there."

With the long break, for a kicker and punter, is that stuff not a big deal ... "It is kind of tough having a couple of weeks off. We just started practicing about a week ago and it took a while to get our legs back. But they are coming back and it will be nice it get down there and get used to the 'dome and we're going to be ready to go."

Junior Kicker Garrett Rivas

Have you ever been to San Antonio ... "My senior year in high school I went to the All-American Bowl. I enjoyed it. It was a good time."

Do the players tie into the whole National Championship thing, people talk about it ... "Not really. That was so long ago and really we're focusing on the 2005 Alamo Bowl and our season this year. 1997 is not even an issue."

Do you agree with what Mike said, that the bowl game sets up for 2006 ... "Every time you go to a bowl game, it's a chance to get better and really, like if you win that game, it sends you into the season on the right foot."

For the kicker and punter, it can take awhile to get your legs back and get ready for a game situation; what's your mentality ... "Just rest, really, like a week or two. I kind of didn't do anything as far as kicking goes. It's like a noticeable difference when you come back, but you've got more of a pop on the ball, a lot more strength in your leg. I don't know exactly how long, I took like two weeks off and I was ready to go after that."

Is there a big difference of a team that's 7-5 than 8-4 ... "You're really going in, you don't want to lose any game. We're definitely tired of losing and we're going to go to San Antonio with the mentality that we want to win that game."

Senior Wide Receiver Carl Tabb

Talk about the difference between going into next year 7-5 and 8-4, and is this something that can catapult you into next year, is that how you look at it ... "This is an important game; one, for the seniors; and two, for the team for next year simply because you use a game like this, that being a bowl game of any kind, as a catapult into the following year. If you take the Bowl preparation seriously, it's nothing more than an extended season, which is why it can almost be viewed as a separate season and allows for actual development of a lot of things that you would not get the opportunity to develop if you did not have that time."

Can you talk about the team's growth on special teams ... "Well, just start with myself. I've certainly grown since my first game on special teams. Coach DeBord does a great job of letting us know what he wants to do and coaching us on how to do it. That being said, the guys that I came in with, they have also improved and I think we have gelled as a team; and the people who are on the special teams unit together, are really just that, a team. And everything that we did this year, we did together and it made all of our jobs so much easier."

Would a win make you look at your senior year a little differently When you look back, how much would a win mean ... "A win would make a difference because I don't like losing. With that being said, it would not matter if this was my first year, second year, third year. And the fact that it is my senior season just adds even more of a desire to win to it. I know that all of my teammates feel the same way, and we are going to do the best that we can to ensure that we don't have to endure another loss. That's not something that any of us likes and it's something that we have all been fighting all year."

Looking ahead to next year, is that development getting more players, getting more involved ... "The development I'm talking about is yes, it's true that you do try to get your younger players on the team some opportunities to actually practice where they may not have had those opportunities. But also, the development, the further development of the current team, because it's real easy to look to next year but we still haven't made it out of this year yet. And with the attitude of looking at next year's season, it would be really easy to lose this game."

Looking at Nebraska's defense, what do you see there ... "I think Nebraska has a very viable defense, a very comparable defense. They are a defense that can stop people. They have an offense that moves the ball, which helps the defense, because if you don't have to play defense as long, then you're not forced to give stops. And the offense is keeping the ball because they can possess it, which causes problems for the other team's offense because now it becomes a scoring battle of who is going to get the most points. Nebraska's defense is definitely a threat to our offense because they have the ability to stop us, and we have to make sure that every one of our drives counts."

Is there something to be said for momentum They have won a couple of games and they were kind of on a roll at the end of the regular season, and obviously you guys didn't end with a win, is there a difference there, or after such a long period of time it doesn't matter ... "Whether you win out or not, and I believe I've said this before, when you're approaching a football game, you can't worry about streaks, you can't worry about runs, you can't worry about outside issues or forces.

"This being said, the fact that Nebraska has been on a winning streak means absolutely nothing towards this game. You can say that it helps their confidence. But I'd argue they have to approach the game the same as they are going to have to approach any game, and the same holds true for us. You could lose every single game and then all of a sudden win the last game and people could say, well, the other team was on a run, how come they didn't win.

"Being on a run has nothing to do with actually playing on that day. And when we actually go off to the Alamo Bowl, it's going to be a matter of us and them and who prepared the best and who gave themselves the best chance to win and who wanted it more."

Have you been to San Antonio ... "Never. Believe it or not, before I actually came to Michigan to be a student and an athlete, I had never been on a plane and the extent of the states I had been to were states that I was visiting for actual visits and Florida. But outside of that, I had not been anywhere."

Fifth-Year Senior Rush Linebacker Pierre Woods

Do you know much about the team yet ... "We've been watching film on them. On their tackles, I guess they have got a lot of young guys, older guys, so they put a lot of guys in. It's kind of hard to really get a good grade on tackles but overall they are good."

Do you have expectations, with all of the bowl talk, were you disappointed ... "Disappointment is Tennessee. They are not going to a bowl game, I guess in the last 26 years, so I'm not disappointed. None of the team is disappointed. I'm happy. You know, we're excited, we're excited. We're getting a chance to play Nebraska. Everybody is talking about in 1997, Nebraska and Michigan should have played, so now we get the opportunity to play them and it's going to be fun."

If so, who would have won (in 1997) ... "Michigan would have won in 1997. Michigan would have won. But it's a new year so we're going to go out and work hard, practice hard and prepare for them and hopefully come out with a win."

Have you heard from any of those guys on the 1997 team ... "No, I haven't heard anything. We have just been practicing and right now, that's what we're doing, just trying to get ready for them, prepare."

In practice, is there a different feeling, is it more spread out ... "No, it's basically the same. The only thing, going to a Bowl game, it's a one-game season, so I'm pretty sure Nebraska is telling their players the same thing. Both teams want to send the seniors out with a win, so it's going to be a battle. Regardless of how people look at it, I guess, I think it's going to be a battle."

On Nebraska's offense ... "Their style of offense, I think is a West Coast-style offense from Bill Callahan, and it's different. It's different. They motion a lot. It's like our offense a lot, a lot of shifts, a lot of motions and everything. But they want to run the ball, and with their running backs, they try to throw, pass it behind."

Is there a different mentality going into a December bowl instead of a January bowl ... "No. It still feels the same. It still feels like it's a January bowl. It's just a couple of days early. We'll go in there and it will be like a New Year's Day Bowl and prepare the same way. It's a shorter time to prepare, but we're on it. We're on it."

Do you look at the Alamo Bowl -- do players think about the exposure of the Bowl, to showcase ... "It's definitely a showcase. It's a game at night, down in Texas, so it's going to be fun. We're preparing for this. Everybody will be watching and it's going to be fun. We've got to go out there and handle our business."

How big of a difference will a win make going into next year ... "It will be a big difference in the spirit of how our team starts out next year, going out with a win, and especially for the seniors, we need to win. We need to win. It would be great, especially for the team for next year, it's going to be great for them."

Media Contacts: David Ablauf, Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423