Wolverines Q&A: Hoke on Maryland, Ohio State
11/24/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
By Steve Kornacki
Michigan football coach Brady Hoke and Steve Kornacki talked Michigan football each week this season on MGoBlue.com. On Sunday (Nov. 23), the two discussed the 23-16 loss to Maryland and Saturday's (Nov. 29, noon) game at Ohio State.
Q. What makes "The Game" one of the best rivalries in all of sports?
A. I think the passion that both Ohio people or Michigan fans bring. There's such great passion, and the atmosphere of this game and the respect that both teams have had for each other. With Bo (Schembechler) and Woody (Hayes), that was a very respectful game, and that's part of it. It's the stadiums -- they are second to none. And overall, you always know it's on that last Saturday in November. You can feel the bigness of it; it's a special game.
Q. Jon Jansen, the captain of the 1997 Michigan national champions, said on the radio pre-game show on Saturday that the physicality of the game with the Buckeyes that year was unmatched in any of the record 50 games he started. Can you describe the intensity level of these games?
A. I was watching the Big Ten Network feature on the 1973 game (10-10 tie), when they didn't really have great sound and you could hear it, you could feel it -- the intensity both teams come to play in this game with. There's no question that it gets ramped up. This game is that way -- Michigan State, obviously, that's a great rival, Notre Dame, you can hear hitting in that game. But this one seems to always be a little different.
Q. It's interesting that you rooted for Michigan as a young boy growing up in Ohio, near Dayton. What do you remember about the rivalry from back then, when the Bo and Woody games were called "The Ten-Year War" and there were so many great players and games?
A. With my buddies, you picked teams to play tackle football in the church yard or a backyard. And one was going to be Ohio, and the other was going to be Michigan. And they always wanted to be Ohio, and I always wanted to be Michigan. I remember the biggest one, the one in '69 with Bo (a 24-12 U-M win), watching it with my dad at home, downstairs watching football. As much as anything, I remember (All-American tight end Jim) Mandich getting carried off the field. And then being able to meet Jim for the first time in 1995, when Lloyd (Carr) brought him in. That was pretty neat.
Q. But back to this year. Your team rushed for 292 yards against Maryland, with Drake Johnson leading the way with 94 yards. What did you like most about your ground game?
A. We thought we could run the ball in that game, and you look over the last two games and we're averaging over 200 yards rushing (219.5). I think the line's come together. Drake really did a nice job of taking the ball up in there, north and south. I think (quarterback) Devin (Gardner) being healthy finally. That had a big part to do with it. Some of those rushes obviously were scrambles, but he made some really good runs.
Q. Devin had 14 carries for 82 yards and a 15-yard touchdown. How much of that came on called runs and how much of it was Devin going on his own?
A. It was probably four or five called plays. And when he doesn't like what he sees downfield, he goes. It was just him feeling comfortable and being healthy. We hadn't had that since he got hurt (ankle injury) in the Penn State game (Oct. 11). He had the ability to stick his foot in the ground and make positive yardage. That was huge for us.
Q. The fake punt call on the first drive of the game, which had fullback Joe Kerridge going 52 yards, really energized the team. Can you talk about the excitement it generated on the sideline and what went into the call?
A. It was fourth-and-one, and we were going to go for it. But we had a penalty. And we'd liked what we had seen from some of the things on their punt team, and try to always have some sort of fake every week. Sometimes you use the fake, and sometimes you don't. And this one we thought was going to be there for sure. When we went to fourth-and-six, it was the right place on the field (Michigan 40-yard line), it was the right look. Joe can call it off if he wants, and he did a great job.
Q. The defense hasn't given up a touchdown in the first half of three consecutive games. How pleased have you been with that unit early in games?
A. The defense has really been the strength of our team right now. And the kids have gone out there and done a nice job.
Q. How do you think your defense has responded to "sudden change" situations this season?
A. I think that with their backs to the wall, they've really become very confident in those situations. I think they're a highly-competitive group and they're really a group that, from the aspect of being a team, they know they have a job to do and a role to play ... And no matter what circumstance you're in, you've got to play at a high level.
