Postgame Quotes: Michigan 34, Miami (Ohio) 10
9/13/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
Michigan Head Coach Brady Hoke
Opening statement ... "Number one, it was great to play back at home, first and foremost. It was great to win the football game. We needed to come back and move forward. It's always better to move with a win. I think from an offensive standpoint, we did some very good things. I think the second half obviously we took care of the football, didn't turn the ball over, and completed some drives that we had. I think the running game, where we wanted the run the ball the whole game, but the second half I think we stayed away from some negative plays that put you in bad situations, and we were able to run the ball. I thought Derrick (Green) and De'Veon (Smith) both did a nice job. The offensive line worked very hard. I think the guys on the perimeter did a nice job.
"Defensively holding them to 2-of-12 from third down perspectives, getting your defense off the field, more opportunities for our offense. The rush for the second week, in looking at our defense, we played that very well, the front seven did, or if we were in nickel situations, the nickel, when he was involved. Those were the positives of it. We only got the one pick as far as a turnover. We've got to do a better job there. I think we harassed the quarterback. I think Brennen Beyer on the one sack really made just a great play, in my opinion, because he finished the play, and how he finished it. It was good to be at home, like I said. We've got to go to work. Utah is a good football team. They're a tough football team. They've had that mo(mentum) for a long time. I think Kyle (Whittingham), coaching against him in the Mountain West, playing against his teams, they're always a physical group. We'll have our hands full."
Q. Is that about what you wanted to see, aside from the five minute stretch in the second quarter?
COACH HOKE: Yeah, number one, our guys came out with energy. I think part of that was the crowd I think when the game started. I think part of it also is they are a very close team in a lot of ways. So them coming out, playing hard. Would we have liked to have had a better first half and taken care of the football? Yeah.
Q. Devin Gardner and his receivers, what kind of versatility and depth did you see in the absence of Devin Funchess?
COACH HOKE: I think the addition of Jake Butt helps, getting him back and healthy. We kind of picked our spots with using him in some ways.
But (Amara) Darboh and (Jehu) Chesson are both very talented. (Dennis) Norfleet gives you a great spark. Freddy Canteen is starting to get back to where he kind of was last spring. Having some depth there helps.
Obviously Devin Funchess can be a difference maker because of his athleticism and size. But I think the other guys did a nice job.
Q. Do you expect Devin Funchess back next week?
COACH HOKE: We'll see.
Q. Talk about the role that Ryan Glasgow and the noses played in limiting that run.
COACH HOKE: I said this to Ryan before the game. I thought he had his best week of practice, his best week of football that I've seen from him in all areas.
He played that way. I think between (Bryan) Mone, (Ondre) Pipkins, him and Maurice Hurst, which all four of them played in there, it's a good group, and it's a growing group. It's a good group to be around.
Q. How concerned are you about the slow start to the running game? It's on the verge of getting there, two steps back, another step forward.
COACH HOKE: I think you're always concerned about it. Would we have liked to run the ball better in the first half? No question, at the start of the game. But at the same time if you go through, and it will be interesting to watch the tape, the first series of the game, some of the things that we wanted to try and establish from a formation standpoint. You're trying to get your feet wet a little bit to see how people are going to defend you as a team.
But we need to run it better. That will be a main focus this week.
Q. Brady, Devin Gardner throws that pick in the first half, then looks nervous the rest of the way. How did he play?
COACH HOKE: Maybe you thought he was nervous. I didn't. I didn't think he was. I think the ball he threw, it will be interesting again, you only see it once, to me it was a little high, but it was on target. I don't know if Jehu (Chesson) got a chance to try to go get it either.
Q. Thoughts on the cornerback play, particularly Jourdan Lewis coming back with an interception, and Jabrill Peppers defending.
COACH HOKE: I think the guys we played, we rotated through Blake (Countess) and Jabrill (Peppers) and also Jourdan (Lewis). I think they played tighter coverage. We did a few things different with some of the blitz things as far as we played some zero coverage, which we don't play a lot of, but thought we could play it -- lining up at the sticks, those kinds of things. We'll watch the tape, but I think they all did a nice job in there.
Q. You mentioned being able to use the crowd to jump back from last week, and it helped early. I'm sure you heard some of the boos at halftime. What is your level of concern about the team having to deal with that?
COACH HOKE: You know what, we got great fans. You know what, they've got high expectations like we do.
As far as the players, they know they can only control what they can control, and that's playing the best Michigan football we can.
Q. You allowed eight first downs and 33 yards rushing. Overall how satisfied are you with this defensive performance?
COACH HOKE: We played pretty good rush defense so far. Now, I think the schedule continues to get tougher. We'll see what kind of defense we are as we go through it. Thirty-three yards, yeah, you're happy with that. How many attempts did they have? Twenty-four. They weren't going to try and run it much. But I do think Chuck tried to run it enough to keep us a little more off balance.
Q. Brady, if you could talk about two of Derrick Green's runs, what you saw, what you liked about them, one being the touchdown where he sprinted left, another being a third and short.
COACH HOKE: Yeah, again, I'm going to say this, Ryan Glasgow had a great week. Derrick Green had a great week of practice. Probably as good as I've seen from him. I think (Doug) Nussmeier would say the same thing because we've both kind of said it together. He had a great week. He was finishing runs, he was really coming out the other side. It will be interesting to see how he felt he played. If he missed a read there, sometimes that happens. But I thought he played a nice football game.
Q. Brady, turnovers are usually amplified in a loss, maybe less so in a game like this.
COACH HOKE: Yes.
Q. What is your concern level? I think it's seven now.
COACH HOKE: Really concerned. Seven in three games. One in three games you don't want. It's the ball security issues that we've got to do a better job with from top to bottom.
Q. Brady, Jabrill Peppers, is he bringing what you expected?
COACH HOKE: Without watching the film, without watching him every play, not being able to judge fundamentals and technique, I think he played well. He's gifted. I think we all know that. He's got makeup speed. He can be wrong once in a while. He kind of makes up for it. He's got an attitude that he plays with. I'd say him and Dennis (Norfleet) are two guys who, during fall camp, they were at each other's throats every day. They're so much alike that way, competitive wise.
Q. Can you talk about Dennis Norfeet's impact on special teams.
COACH HOKE: Dennis, number one, he brings so much to our team in a lot of ways. His energy, the way he goes out to practice, the way he challenges guys. I think that's special. But him on the kicking game, where he makes most of his mark right now. Last week he had 33 plays that we were trying to establish, and established pretty well. But he's a guy who has a lot of energy.
Q. Then Jake Butt's impact today?
COACH HOKE: Obviously Jake is getting healthier every game. I don't think he's probably where he would feel being 100 percent yet. He's a big target. He's a physical guy. I think he always will have an impact.
Q. Brady, can you tell us what you think Wyatt Shallman was thinking on that play?
COACH HOKE: Well, here's what happened. Justice (Hayes) was communicating mine, mine, mine, and Wyatt didn't hear him. The one thing I think we can do a better job at is making sure he understands, we do it every Thursday, that he can fair catch that ball. But I think the way we had lined up, we knew how we were lining up, we had Justice up enough, we were hoping he would be able to field him without a fair catch. He just didn't hear him.
U-M Fifth-Year Quarterback Devin Gardner
On the performance of teammate Derrick Green ... ?"He played really well, but a lot of credit goes out on the perimeter. He doesn't get those runs if our receivers don't block the way they did, taking out safeties and things like that. The offensive line played really well too. Their linebackers were flowing really hard so we adjusted and called different plays and our offensive line responded."
On his comfort level with the offensive system ?... "I feel really comfortable. Today, even though we weren't converting on third down in the first half like we wanted to, I didn't press. Last week I pressed a little bit and that hurt us. This week, I kept with the game plan and the fundamentals and the things I've been taught to do. If I do that every game I feel we will be fine."
On teammate Jake Butt's touchdown and his health ... ?"It was a play we have been working on in practice since camp, so we were finally able to call it in a game situation and we executed. Jake hasn't shown me anything that would say he's not the healthy Jake Butt that he was before his injury. I feel he's been playing real well and he has worked so hard all off season and during practice to get a chance to play. He's only going to move forward from here."
U-M Sophomore Running Back Derrick Green
On finding rhythm as a running back ... "As a running back you want to keep getting the ball because you have that extra energy going up and up so you're running harder, and when you have an offensive line like we do, the holes will be there. You just have to hit them."
On the message from running backs coach Fred Jackson heading into this week? ... "Just to stay focused, keep the offensive line up and have a great week of practice to bounce back. We can't focus on the last game, just keep going and play it game-by-game."
U-M Junior/Sophomore Wide Receiver Amara Darboh
On stepping up with the injury to teammate Devin Funchess? ... "As a wide receiving core we always compete. Coach Nuss has us playing different positions. We're always competing and playing every position, so it was just like any other week. Even when Funchess is playing, he will demand extra coverage sometimes so we try to run the best routes possible."
On the way the team responded after turnovers ... "Devin (Gardner) was great in the huddle, especially towards me after the fumble. He kept our heads up and told us to move on. He said, 'Things like this are going to happen during a game. We have to bounce back,' and I think that helped us a lot."
U-M Fifth-Year Senior Linebacker Jake Ryan
On getting back on the field after last week ... "It was good. Last week is over. You have to move on and play the game you know how to play."
On being prepared for and stopping Miami's quick passes ... "Just preparing every single day and watching the film. We knew that they did that, and we worked to stop that on every single play. The secondary played really well this game, and they are going to keep doing what they do. They had a great week of preparation."
On the success of stopping the run game ... "Every single week, that is what we have to do as a defense and stop the run. We have to help our secondary out. Every single day, we come in and prepare. We did a great job this week, and we came out with under 200 yards. That was great for us."
On what he saw from the defense ... "I think there was more togetherness. We came together as a defense and said that last week wasn't going to happen again. We came out on top."
U-M Sophomore Defensive Back Jourdan Lewis
On his interception ... "It was a great play. We were in cover-four, and I just saw the quarterback eyeing his man down. I saw he was coming my way."
On what it means after last week ... "Last week doesn't have anything to do with how we cover this week. We were going to prepare and come out and do what we needed to do."
On whether the secondary had something to prove this week ... "We have something to prove every week, and I think that we did that this week. We only allowed 10 points, and we are just trying to progress."
U-M Junior Linebacker Joe Bolden
On how the crowd can affect the team ... "To be 100 percent honest with you, we're all so into the game, we really don't hear much. We communicate with each other, we're able to talk, but what matters is really on the field and being able to communicate. I personally am so focused on that. I hear the fans, but I was really focused. "
On his big-play saving tackle ... "You know your responsibility, you think of your responsibility prior to the snap of the ball and as soon as the ball is snapped, you are going to play football. You are going to make the play however you need too. I don't necessarily think the outside situation had any effect on it. The ball snapped, and I'm supposed to make the play, I'm going to make the play."
U-M Sophomore Tight End Jake Butt
On his first touchdown of the year ... "We had a bluff screen where I kind of bluffed the defender and leak. I got the chance to go in there, broke down like I was going to block, the safety came flying up, and I leaked. Devin lofted the ball up there, I caught it and scored. It felt great."
On how he feels health-wise ... "Each week it gets better and better, but I feel great right now. I'd say I'm getting closer and closer to 100 percent. In a way I feel like my full self right now. When the adrenaline starts pumping you are just out there playing football. You don't think about your knee, you don't think about little nicks and bruises, you are just out there playing football."
On if he ever thought about his knee out on the field ... "I have always been a positive person and a hard worker. I know that with the work I've put in since surgery and my mental outlook on everything I really haven't thought too much about my knee."
Miami Head Coach Chuck Martin
On today's game ... "In the first half, I thought our defense was outstanding. We really did a good job in the run, which cost us later in the game when we didn't do a good job with it. I thought we tried to match their physicality. They've got big guys up front, and they've got some big backs. I really thought our kids competed. The turnover early, (it was) bad by our quarterback and bad by our receiver. The ball shouldn't be on that side of the field, it should be thrown versus one high. When you make poor choices bad stuff happens.
"We put our defense in a situation where we're down 10-0. We battle back get it to 10-10. A couple of great turnovers by our defense, and we cash in, get a field goal, get a touchdown. They drive down; it's 17-10 at half time. You're feeling pretty good, you feel like you're in the game. Our kids have a lot of confidence, and you're hopeful that Michigan is getting a little bit nervous that we're hanging around. Our kids felt settled in and the speed of the game, they could handle it. It's 24-10, we've got the ball, we have a fourth down. We got the call we want, and we have seven guys blocking for it. Rokeem (Williams), who is a very inconsistent route runner, runs a great stinking route, sticks the corner outside, the corner bites, and he breaks to the post. He's wide open, and it should be 24-17, but we can't block seven on four. Credit to Michigan obviously, but it's sad when you're blocking seven on four, you've got a guy running for a touchdown, and you don't have a chance for a touchdown. It should be 24-17 heading into the fourth quarter, you've got momentum, and your defense has energy. You've got a shot to win a game. Then from there, our compete level went down. We stopped run fitting things. Our mental compete and our physical compete level went down. Guys that were making tackles early starting getting run over. We didn't fit plays right, and Michigan ground us into submission from then on out, and that's the outcome."
On the pooch kick that Miami recovered early in the game ... "We were trying to do some things to keep it away from (Dennis) Norfleet. Since high school, he's been dynamic every time he touches the ball. We were just trying to do some different things to keep the ball away from him."
On how he settled down the team after falling behind 10-0 ... "We were okay. We were excited to play, we were excited to be at Michigan, there's no doubt. Our kids had energy. This place brings out the best in you. Michigan people know that. People come in here and play pretty hard when they get into the Big House. Our kids were in a good mind frame, but you've got to execute. We can't throw the ball to the other team. We can't run crappy routes. If the coverage tells you to go up the field, you can't go to the boundary. Bad things happen."
Miami Junior Linebacker Kent Kern
On how the team played ... "As a defense we played aggressively and came out with a lot of energy. We played our assignments well at the beginning of the game and through the first half. In the second half, I think we got worn down a little bit and got away from what we were supposed to do. It's all correctable things, and we just need to get them right for next week."
On the possibility of pulling off the upset at half ... "We had that mindset before the game started. We went down 10-0, and nobody had their heads down. We knew as a defense that we had to get them off the field and get the ball back to our offense, and then we'll have a chance. We got it back to 10-10, and everyone was real excited. Everyone had good vibes coming out in the second half, but we didn't quite get it done."
On moving forward with the rest of the season ... "I'm not going to think too much about the last three games. We're going into Cincinnati, which is one of our biggest games of the year, and we're looking forward to getting out there and taking it to them."
On pulling it together after going down 10-0 ... "Ten points isn't very much. As a defense, that's not an insurmountable margin. We felt good about how we played even on those drives when they scored. We knew there were some mental mistakes, but physically we were matching up just fine. We had a lot of hope that we would come back and play well for the rest of the game."
On the Michigan running game ... "We were expecting them to come out and try to run the ball down our throats, which is what they did. We physically matched up with them pretty well for most of the game. We got a little worn down at the end of the game, but for the most part I was proud of our defensive line and the linebackers."
