In the Trenches 613 - Nathaniel Staehling Transcript
10/7/2026 7:42:00 AM | MGoBlue Podcasts
Jon Jansen • 00:00
This is that bye week edition of in the Trenches and I'm going to go through in our seven from seventy seven and evaluate all the different position groups, see who's done well, who needs to improve and how they get there. But today, my special guest, Nathaniel Staehling, coming off a great performance in his home state of Minnesota. We'll all remember the pick six. We'll get a chance to talk to him about his travels from North Dakota State to Ann Arbor. He's going to join me in just a few moments on in the Trenches.
[music builds]
Jeff Laurence • 00:30
Welcome to the official podcast of Michigan Football in the Trenches with Jon Jansen. Presented by Meyer, presenting sponsor of the twenty twenty six Michigan football season and proud supporter of hundreds of local sports teams across the Midwest. Nobody covers Michigan football better than the two time captain, national champion and Michigan athletics Hall of Honor inductee.
Nathaniel Staehling • 00:53
Gus Johnson calling that game was super cool because like, obviously he's a legend and hearing him say my last name was super cool, like that's something you should hear.
Jon Jansen • 01:03
The radio broadcast, it was even better. Was it?
Nathaniel Staehling • 01:05
Was it? Oh, yeah. [laughs]
Jeff Laurence • 01:09
This is in the Trenches presented by Meijer. Once again, here's Jon Jansen.
Jon Jansen • 01:07
Hey, welcome back, friends. Really excited to be talking Michigan football in this bye week. There's a lot for us to discuss and certainly a lot for the team to work on, but I want to let you know what's going on with M GO Blue podcasts at this point. The radio replay of Inside Michigan football that's already out. That came out Monday night. My guest, as always, Kyle Whittingham, defensive coordinator Jay Hill and defensive tackle Bobby Kanka. Great story with Bobby, shares a lot about his relationship with his parents and now that he's a sophomore, some of the challenges he had as a freshman. So it's all there for for you guys to go back and listen to Defend the Block. Olivia Olson from women's basketball and Kyle Church from the men's side joined Brian Boesch for that edition of Defend the Block.
Jon Jansen • 01:56
And still to come, Conqu'ring Heroes. This is a preview of a big event that's going on in Ann Arbor. Elevate her summit. The emcee is Andrea Joyce and Hall of Fame broadcaster and proud Michigan alum. She sits down with Brian Boesch as well. And Defend the Block, the first post game edition. It's hard to imagine we got basketball games live right now. Hell, we've already had hockey games as well. So the first post game edition comes out on Sunday after an exhibition against Eastern Michigan at the Crisler Center. So at this point, then we're talking about Conqu'ring Heroes. We're talking about defend the block. We're bringing the voice of Michigan basketball. Brian, how you doing?
Brian Boesch • 02:35
Ah, no bye week here, man. We're rolling, but it's good, it's exciting. Fired up to have three exhibitions, including an awesome matchup against Houston later in the month over in Grand Rapids. I've never been to Van Andel. So excited to check that out later in the month, but man, we're, we're, we're busy. I just wish we had better things to talk about here on in the Trenches, presented by Meyer. So let's get into it with our seven from seventy seven. Starting with the game on Saturday. We had the initial takeaways. Now that you've, like all of us, have had to sit in it, have reviewed it, studied it, what frustrates you the most from what happened on Saturday in the loss at Minnesota?
Jon Jansen • 03:17
I think the most frustrating thing, it's probably going to be the same thing with everyone, is the lack of the offense to be able to reliably move the football down the field. The longest drive was thirty six yards. They did score in a thirty four yard drive, but that's because the defense had the turnover, gave him a short field. And that's the only score of the game for the offense. And then the defense, obviously with the big pick six, that was a positive. But offensively there's no rhythm to the offense. And I think the most disappointing thing about Saturday was in the game against Western Michigan, against Oklahoma, even against Iowa. How did this offense get going? And it was short. Quick passes, getting the ball in and out of the hands of Bryce Underwood to the playmakers on the edge, started to loosen up the defense a little bit and then you could start to find some quarterback runs.
Jon Jansen • 04:05
Maybe a little bit of yardage in there from the run game, but it didn't feel like that was part of the game plan. To start things off for the Michigan offense, it sputtered. It was penalties. Again, that's that that holds this off or one of the things that holds this offense back, but the fact that they can't put together sustained drives and leaving your defense on the field. I mean, between the two units right now, yes, you'd rather have the defense on the field, but that's not how you should plan on scoring points. They did on Saturday, but it was a two to one advantage for Minnesota in terms of time of possession. You need to be able to possess the ball regularly, pick up first downs, put drives together and ultimately put points on the scoreboard.
Brian Boesch • 04:47
That's the goal. All right, number two here on our seven from seventy seven on the video or only version here in about a half an hour we'll go unit by unit. Let's start with that defense. We'll get more into the offensive side and some of the thoughts you would have on what to do. But does the defense as a whole get a solid grade from you? As we sit here in the bye weekend are starting to talk about evaluation of the hole and bye week evaluation.
Jon Jansen • 05:12
Yeah. And it's a positive grade. So I would say a B. And they've been the best part of this Michigan football team. They've been the most reliable, most dependable, most consistent part of this football team. Yet when we until they got those two turnovers, like turnovers were really hard to come by. Now is coming out of the bye week going against Penn State, Indiana, going on the road to Rutgers. Is that something that will continue to be a part of this team? That's they have to continue to create turnovers. There needs to be more pressure put on quarterbacks. But I do think they're doing a nice job of stopping the run. They're in in large part I think the secondary and we'll go through the grades but they get my highest grade in terms of all the units just because of Smith Snowden, Chris Bracy. Rod Moore has quietly put together a really nice season.
Jon Jansen • 06:05
We haven't said his name a lot in the broadcast, but that's because they're not throwing at him and he's done a really nice job of just being a consistent force in the secondary. I think Jyaire Hill has played well. Zeke Berry, you know you. We go right down the list but defensively need to create more turnovers. But they've done a really nice job of. Hey, sometimes there's been some long drives. We talk about that. What was it? A thirteen minute drive against Western Michigan, yet they didn't give up a touchdown. They've been very stingy in the red zone. So in large part the defense has put together a winning effort.
Brian Boesch • 06:42
All right, number three on our seven from seventy seven. You mentioned the offenses struggles culminating in that second half. So if you were in that coaching room, if you were trying to think of ways to spark this thing, where would you start? Because that's what Kyle Whittingham he told you on Monday night. Basically they've got to evaluate everything, see what they can lean on and what they have to change. How would you attack that in the early stages?
Jon Jansen • 07:10
I would create a competition at every Single position and maybe not between the wide receivers because I think we could say, hey, you know, Andrew Marsh, JJ Buchanan, they're established at one and two. But every other position, whether it's running back, it's, you know, tight end, offensive line, and certainly the quarterback competition is open. You get two weeks to show why you would give Michigan the best opportunity to win against Penn State. And it's everything. Everyone is penciled in. In fact, I would take an eraser to the entire thing and just say it is open. We're three and two right now. College football playoffs feel like a pipe dream. The Big Ten championship kind of feels the same way. There's still a path to it. You're going to need a lot of help, but you've got to find a way to put points on the board and be a consistent offense.
Jon Jansen • 08:02
And so then you open that competition on the offensive line. You start there first, and whoever wins those positions, hey, that's your job. It's not your job moving forward. It's only your job against Penn State. And then that competition remains open for the rest of the season. And certainly at the quarterback position. Haven't gotten consistent play from Bryce. And I'm not here to say that Tommy Carr is the answer or anyone else in that room is the answer. But if you're trying to spark something offensively or for Bryce, it may be a huge benefit that he just sits there and looks at things and hopefully the game will slow down from a little bit and you can get a better perspective of what the play call is. You're not under duress. You don't have to make the call, you don't have to take the ball, you don't have to do anything but. But learn about how certain calls, certain motions affect defenses.
Jon Jansen • 08:55
Get a chance to read the defense. And if he ends up winning the quarterback job again, so be it. If Tommy does, then so be it. Or any other quarterback in that room. I think there needs to be an open competition at nearly every spot offensively.
Brian Boesch • 09:11
Time to do it. And you mentioned playoff. Yeah, we're not, we're not talking about the playoff. The reality is this team needs to find things that it can lean on. And I think really defensively is. Is the only area they can for. They just need to stack good performances. I mean, there has not been. Especially now that we know, we know about Oklahoma and we'll see what they do. We'll talk about them against Texas and their rivalry game coming up this weekend. But the context of the season is that there has not been a good performance at all. And you just need to put together a good performance offensively and the last few weeks special teams.
Jon Jansen • 09:45
Yeah. And in terms of, you know who's going to be on the field, it may just come down to who could line up right like and who's not going to jump off sides. We can't. We have to eliminate the pre snap penalties, holding calls, you know, some of those things that happen in the course of a game, illegal contact like those are. That's the cost of doing business. You want to avoid them, you want to minimize those. But they're going to happen. But it's the pre snap or the post snap. I'm sorry, the pre snap or the post whistle penalties that are just, they're brutal. They halt drives and any progress you're making you can throw it right out the window because instead of being second and five, you're first and fifteen. And it's just a hole that the offense is really struggling to dig out of.
Brian Boesch • 10:28
And I know we've got comments coming in about the quarterback spot. Is this Bryce's fault? Is it not? And I think Kyle Whittingham put it best on Monday night. It's not all on Bryce, but it also, he's not playing well enough. You can't turn the ball over multiple times in a half on the road. When you go into halftime with the lead and say that you're playing well, I, I don't know what the solution is and I, I'm fully on board with you saying that it is, it should be an open competition everywhere. But I don't think that keeping Bryce and changing everything else fixes everything. And I don't think that just changing Bryce for Tommy or whoever else changes everything. This is a, I mean this is a full unit panic time, let's face it. I mean this is, this is as shocking as we've seen from this offense in quite some time. One, one move does not fix this. Period.
Jon Jansen • 11:20
No. You're going to have to find a way. One of the things Michigan has always been able to hang their hat on is the run game that hasn't been there.
Brian Boesch • 11:26
And same with, same with Jason Beck offenses when they're successful. That's the strange part of it.
Jon Jansen • 11:31
Right. And so maybe you just have to change the plan of attack in the run game. And I know coach told us on Monday night he we need to be a downhill running team. So get back to some of those double teams and just start moving bodies up front. The running backs are good enough. Jordan Marshall and Savion Hiter, Bryson Kuzdzal, they're good enough to be able to get the yards that are blocked, and some of those guys are good enough to get more than that. But you've got to give them a chance to get back to lightest scrimmage. You can't have penetration, you can't have running backs. As soon as they get the ball, trying to make a cut to avoid somebody because now the timing is thrown off and they're, you know, any, any hole or alley that was there closes up quick. You've got to be able to hit that on the run and, and you can't have lapses of whether it's front, side, backside, right up the middle.
Jon Jansen • 12:17
There's just too many times where we have guys in the backfield that are either, you know, hey, you just lost a matchup or you're getting beat or there's a missed assignment. Communication has to be better. Honestly, everything. And, and to me, as Brian, you know this, it all starts with the offensive line. If you protect the quarterback and you protect him long enough, he's going to be able to make throws, especially with the receivers. If you, if you block well enough up front and it doesn't have to be superhuman blocking, you've got running backs that will be able to gain yardage. So to me, the biggest thing is you've got to fix the offensive line and then everything will start falling into place.
Brian Boesch • 12:58
All right, we'll continue our seven from seventy seven here momentarily. But there is a second chance. Michigan football needs some second chances. Our viewers and listeners have a second chance for an event that was sold out last month, put on by our friends at Foguth Financial Group, the proud wealth management partner of Michigan Athletics.
Jon Jansen • 13:14
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Brian Boesch • 13:45
I wonder, as someone who's doing a radio show in Detroit, why you know the deadline so well in the NFL?
Jon Jansen • 13:52
That's it.
Brian Boesch • 13:53
Speaking of defense.
Jon Jansen • 13:54
Yes, we are in need of defense.
Brian Boesch • 13:57
All right, number four out of seven from seventy seven. Let's talk through the bye week. First from the player standpoint, what does this week look like? And does Michigan's current situation impact things, schedule plans at all? Because Michigan's going in with back to back losses.
Jon Jansen • 14:13
Well, it should for the players. And we heard from Coach Whittingham, they're going to practice Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Players have basically Friday, Saturday, Sunday off to do whatever they want. And part of that needs to be, yes, you do need to remove yourself, get refreshed. It's the last time before the end of the season. So you want to make sure that you're mentally recovered from everything from training camp to the start of the season. But on the flip side is there's a limited amount of time and if it is an open competition, you better be in there studying, hey, what, what is it that I'm doing? Well, what do I need to improve upon? And maybe it's grabbing your position coach, if he's in town. A lot of recruiting going on for the coaches or it's just grab your teammates. These are the things that we need to talk about and, and walk through, talk through and, and block through.
Jon Jansen • 15:01
And, and I say that because there's a lot of that has to be done on the offensive line and what are the concepts, what are we hearing, what are we not doing? And individually, you got to ask those questions. As a unit, you got to ask those questions. So I anticipate that even though the players are quote, unquote, off from Friday through Sunday, the Schembechler hall is going to be very busy and there's going to be a lot of video screens that are going to be working overtime because they've got to be able to fix this. Players see it. Players aren't ignorant to the fact that they haven't played well enough and they've got to find a way to get better.
Brian Boesch • 15:38
All right, number five, how about for the coaches? Jay Hill told us on Monday's radio show, the most important thing during this bye week is the twenty twenty six team. But obviously they're still recruiting. And this is one of the few chances that coaches get an opportunity to travel a little bit, get out and see some late season high school football. Hard to believe we're getting down the stretch in the high school football season already. So what evaluations must take place this week. And again, does do the recent results sway things even for the coaches a little bit?
Jon Jansen • 16:09
Well, it's. I mean, coaches are no different than players, right? Is the message that I'm sending the players. Why are we not performing? And maybe they're not Understanding the message that I'm giving them. How can I. How can I change that? So meet with your players. Like, hey, what are you not understanding about this? This is what I'm talking about. This is what I mean. This is what I want to see. And there's plenty of film where you can look at and say, this is where you did it. Right? Okay, what changed from here to this other rep, where. This is where we got it wrong. Same look, same movement, different result. Like, what is it that we need to be doing? Or how can I get that information to you and to everybody else in the room in a more efficient manner? And so. And some of it is just what's. What's working? All right, let's find ways to do more of that and things related to that.
Jon Jansen • 17:03
What's not working? Let's go ahead. You know, hey, there might not be. It might not be in the cards this season because of the skill set of the players or just the fact that it's not working. And maybe we'll practice it a little bit. Maybe we can get to the end. End of the year, or some of it is just, hey, throw it out. It's. It's. It doesn't fit with this version of the Wolverines, with this version of offense, defense, special teams, and then keep finding ways to do what you do better and then slowly expand that. That group of plays, that group of. Of ideas and tactics that hopefully by the end of the season, you start having a little variety. But if you. It's pointless to keep running plays that aren't working for this team. Find the ones that work, do them right. And I don't care if you run the same damn play all game long. If you have confidence in it and you can execute it, you can dress things up with motions, you can get different personnel groups in there, but you've got to find what those plays are that you know you can execute.
Brian Boesch • 18:03
All right, seven from seventy seven pivots. I do want to say Michigan on a bye week off, two straight losses, yet we've got more than one hundred live viewers on X. We're approaching one hundred live viewers on Michigan Athletics YouTube. Our video numbers have been fantastic this season, and I know it's easier to come hang out with us on a Tuesday afternoon when things are going well, but incredibly thankful for all those as we've expanded more on the video side. I was out and about on Sunday, saw doing some. Some errands with the wife, and James came up and said hello and said he loves what we do. So we say hi to James and I know it's a tough spot. We're going to have Jon's grades coming up in about ten minutes. That will not be a whole. Yeah, yeah. Professor Jansen is not nearly as fun. Last year we were having crumble cookies. This year we're not, we're not doing that.
Brian Boesch • 18:53
We'll have, we'll have that at some point, but that might have to be an off season activity. But again, appreciate all those and we'll get to some of the comments and thoughts here. Unfortunately, a lot of them about offense, which we will again get into. But let's talk about the other topics in college football. Big Ten Ohio State wins at Iowa thirty one fourteen Jeremiah Smith, I mean, he's a pretty heavy favorite in the Heisman conversation. Whereas Indiana cruises at Rutgers, USC gets the five one with a narrow home win over Washington. Thoughts on any of those three games before we start looking ahead to some of the other games this week and also a few other of the smaller storylines in the league.
Jon Jansen • 19:32
I mean, it's, it's, when you're looking at Ohio State, it's, it's what Jeremiah Smith is doing, especially over the last couple of weeks. And you know, you take what he did last week against Iowa and it's, it is a stingy defense. It's probably not as stingy as I thought going into that game, although it looks stingy against us. Eleven catches, over two hundred yards, a couple of touchdowns and he is that type of receiver where even if, even if you double team him, there was a couple of balls that were thrown his way in in that Iowa game where he's well covered but he still finds a way to make the catch. And some of that's Julian saying, putting the ball in a place where he can go get it, but it's really just more Jeremiah Smith. And I am, you know, obviously not a Buckeye fan, but a fan of good football players and he's a lot of fun to watch.
Brian Boesch • 20:23
Yeah, it's a pretty impressive stat line. When you have a big stat line and it matches the level of play, it's impressive. You tip your cap. Wisconsin after the season opening loss to Notre Dame. They've won four in a row. Badgers blast Michigan State, Nebraska shines in the fourth quarter down Maryland and gets a five and oh, Purdue springs an upset at Illinois. So and also I think a game of note for Michigan fans, you know, the, the same kind of type of conversations are happening right now in Happy Valley as are in Ann Arbor. Trojans have a trip out to Penn State for the Nittany Lions whiteout after Penn State got blasted in the debut of the new Ryan Field against Northwestern. That'll be really interesting to see because USC's got the long trip. I think it's fair to wonder just how for real USC is. And I think we realize that, hey, easy schedules in year one of a coaching tenure.
Brian Boesch • 21:20
It could be Indiana and year one under Curt Cignetti or it could be what's happening at Penn State right now.
Jon Jansen • 21:25
Right. And. And we talked about it like it wasn't a difficult schedule leading up to at least what we thought teams were in the preseason. Now, Northwestern a little bit better than we anticipated. And I do think that David Braun has things rolling there. They're a disciplined team. They don't make a lot of mistakes. And even when they were at Indiana, they were a tough, gritty team that gave themselves a chance to be in it in the fourth quarter. Now, ultimately, like, they don't have the. They didn't have this year the same talent as an Indiana team, but that's a team that, that, that is certainly up and coming. And there's a lot of rumors about them trying to get more involved in the nil, the transfer portal. But, yeah, USC with Lincoln Riley. You know, you want to talk about a coach that has underperformed expectations, it's Lincoln Riley. He went out and got Gary Patterson as a defensive coordinator.
Jon Jansen • 22:17
I thought things would maybe turn and I think I had him in the college football playoffs to start the season. I don't think they're playing as such. Jayden Maiava thought was a Heisman candidate. He's still having a good season, but he's good. There's a lot that has to be done. I don't know if he can make up the ground, but I, I do think that they're going to go to Happy Valley. The question and. Okay, yeah, I think they're going to because it's on the schedule. I think they're to go there and play well simply because offensively, I think they're going to put up a lot of points against Penn State. Now, here's the question. Can they do that in the environment? That is a whiteout? That, that remains to be seen.
Brian Boesch • 22:58
Will the environment be fitting of a whiteout? That's the counter question. Because things have gone.
Jon Jansen • 23:05
I think, I mean, the students will certainly be there. The rest of the fan base, I think they, they. While they're upset and they're frustrated with, with their football team and their football program and their football coach. I do think for the whiteout they're going to show up and show out.
Brian Boesch • 23:23
If USC wins, then there will be some seats available at Beaver Stadium the rest of the season. This is kind of the last hurrah for Penn State to make something of Matt Campbell's first year there. Other games this week since they added
Jon Jansen • 23:35
so many of them.
Brian Boesch • 23:36
Well, that's true. And they somehow made the outside look uglier and less sturdy. Impressive this season or sorry this weekend some fascinating games. Battle of five zero clubs in Lincoln Indiana at Nebraska. Oregon entertains one of the surprises in the Big Ten. Unbeaten UCLA. Both those clubs in the top twenty five. And Friday night after what Iowa did in Ann Arbor having game day this past week, they are a slight underdog in Seattle. Short week Friday night against Washington. The Huskies are zero two in the Big Ten. Anything from that group of games along with the rest of them. Ohio State hosting Maryland, Minnesota at Purdue, Illinois visit Michigan State, Northwestern, a non con game against Ball State and then of course USC at Penn State.
Jon Jansen • 24:23
You cut out there for a second, Brian, but I of those games that you mentioned, Indiana and Nebraska. I am very curious to find out more about Nebraska. Matt Rhule, what they've got going on there. Obviously they moved on. Well, their quarterback moved on from them, yet they have found a way to be productive. And Indiana going out there to Memorial Stadium. I mean we've made a lot of kids cry out there. I'm not sure Indiana has the chops to be able to do that.
Brian Boesch • 24:52
Okay, so do you think Nebraska wins that game?
Jon Jansen • 24:55
No, but I think it is. I think it's going to come down to the final possession.
Brian Boesch • 24:58
It's going to be close enough to where the kids won't cry.
Jon Jansen • 25:01
That's right.
Brian Boesch • 25:02
That's right.
Jon Jansen • 25:02
Yeah. Only, only Michigan can make kids cry in Nebraska. Especially little Scott Frost.
Brian Boesch • 25:06
Oh, there it is. All right. Great way to transition from our Big Ten to our top twenty five conversations. Number seven on our seven from seventy seven last week, Georgia, Notre Dame, Miami, some of the top teams in the country. They take care of business. Miami just throttled Clemson. Alabama drubs Mississippi State. What was a really interesting one coming in, Bama, fourteen points in every quarter of that game. And Florida's unbeaten run comes to an end in blowout fashion. Missouri, one of its biggest wins since joining the SEC forty five seventeen over the Gators. Thoughts on anything that you saw last week nationally outside the Big Ten?
Jon Jansen • 25:44
I was impressed with Alabama. I thought that was. That was a one trick pony with Keelon Russell as their quarterback now, I mean, he is, he's, he's, he's a playmaker and a really good quarterback. But to be able to have others contribute to the rushing attack. And it wasn't like you had just one guy and they weren't lighting the world on fire. But Trev is, is a guy that went out there, had just under five yards of carry that gave it to him fourteen times. And then it's like running back by committee. But they were, they were really good defensively. Kamario Taylor threw two interceptions and they kept giving the ball back to the offense. And I mean, it just, it does come down to at the end, how good does your quarterback play? And Keelon Russell was effective and he was able to find guys down the field and they were able to get some big plays. They had pass plays.
Jon Jansen • 26:39
These were completed pass plays. Fifty yards, thirty two, two times to two different receivers. Twenty five, twenty two, eighteen. Like explosive plays, especially in the college football game. Those are huge. And Alabama had a bunch of explosive plays in this game this weekend.
Brian Boesch • 26:59
Some interesting games to be sure, including the Red river rivalry, which is intriguing because, I mean, Oklahoma has been one of the more disappointing teams in college football. Number one, Texas, neutral site, just an eight and a half point favorite. Of course, the Longhorns keep winning, but they haven't just completely annihilated anybody. And then the game of the week, Georgia at Alabama. Both those teams, five, zero overall, three and O in the sec, that game, and UCLA, Oregon, the only two top twenty five matchups. But your perspective on those two games, two big rivalries and anything else that stands out to you, top twenty five coming up in week six.
Jon Jansen • 27:39
I'm really curious. This UCLA team and, you know, going up to Oregon, it's not something that's foreign to them. And so I'm just not sold. I know Oregon was my team to win the Big Ten. They were my team to win the national championship. I'm not sold that, that they have all the warts worked out and fixed. So that one is going to be one I'm going to keep an eye on. And even though Oklahoma and John Mateer have not played great this season, I am really curious. I think it's, it's a bucket list item to be able to go to and witness the Red river rivalry. I think that is one of the great hallmarks of college football. It's been at the Cotton bowl since nineteen thirty, the state fairgrounds, it started there a year prior to that. So it's almost a Hundred years of tradition of fifty percent Oklahoma, fifty percent Texas, and it is literally split right down the middle.
Jon Jansen • 28:36
It is, it looks to me to be one of the greatest environments in sports. Not the greatest rivalry, but one of the greatest environments. So I think Texas ends up walking away a little bit with this one simply because Oklahoma can't move the football reliably. They can't attack downfield. I just mentioned those explosive plays. They are lacking those unless they play UTEP, but kind of we're in that same category. And so it's. I do think that Texas, even though their offense isn't to me, as dynamic, as dynamic as it should be, defensively, it's a very good team.
Brian Boesch • 29:12
Two things. One, I love the neutral site games year and year out, but I, I do kind of hope one year we get Texas and Oklahoma or Georgia and Florida in a playoff game at a, at a venue for one of those two schools, because the Dogs don't go to the Swamp, the Gators don't go between the hedges. Texas doesn't go to Norman. Vice versa. I think that'd be really, really cool to see. The other thing. Listen, tailgating pre game is awesome. It's always a little awkward post game when you're walking out. Some people are packing up and leaving and others just kind of lingering. They're hanging out. But when your post game tailgate is a hangout at a state fair, like, that's pretty sweet.
Jon Jansen • 29:48
That is. That is awesome. The other game and, and not to get away from that one too quick, but Georgia and Alabama, we just got done talking about Alabama. Georgia, I think is the one team that, if you can be the number two team in the country but flying under the radar. I don't hear a lot of people talking about Georgia. And certainly, you know, their, their quarterback isn't going to, you know, light the world on fire. They're simply asking him to not go out there and be the reason that they lose. And he's done a really good job at that. He's been very efficient in the passing game. He's. He hands off the ball to a. Behind a big, powerful offensive line. They're getting yards on the ground again. They're not asking their quarterback to do much, but defensively now, it's probably not as good as, what was it, the twenty one defense that they had, but it's, it's not far off.
Jon Jansen • 30:40
And I think this Georgia team is playing a really high level of team football, complimentary football, because they're dominant defense. They don't make a Lot of mistakes. Offensively, they, they, they take advantage of the, the short fields that the defense gives them, the extra opportunities the defense gives them. And special teams look out because this is a team that could light it on fire in the punt and kick return game.
Brian Boesch • 31:06
If either one of these teams wins by double digits, they will be probably the, the national champion favorite coming out of Saturday. That fair?
Jon Jansen • 31:13
Yes. Yeah, that's fair. I just don't know. I don't know that Alabama has enough offensively to combat what Georgia does. Defensively, there's too much speed. Defensively, they can cover the quarterback run. You know, they can cover receivers downfield. Like they're just a really solid, fast defense.
Brian Boesch • 31:34
All right, before we make our transitions, on the audio side, we got a great conversation John had with linebacker Nathaniel Staehling. And on the video side, we'll get your bye week grades unit by unit. But first we got fans who may want to check out a Michigan Ohio State game on campus later this month and also contribute to a great cause.
Jon Jansen • 31:54
Is that me? Brian, that is. Yeah, sorry. It is. That's right, Brian. I lost my place. I got. I was thinking about my grades and I'm trying to think of myself. Oh, man.
Brian Boesch • 32:06
I'm sorry, Professor. It's okay. Fortunately, we're not grading public speaking today.
Jon Jansen • 32:10
Today, no, no. There will be no grades handed out. But this field hockey season, Michigan Athletics and Farm Bureau Insurance of Michigan are teaming up once again to fight in the fight to end hunger. And on Friday, october thirtieth, day before Halloween, join the Michigan field hockey team at five PM as they take on the Ohio State Buckeyes. Fans attending the game are encouraged to bring non perishable food items to be donated to local Ann Arbor food banks. You can learn more about how Farm Bureau Insurance of Michigan is working to add hunger in Michigan by visiting mishfb dot com that's M I C H
Brian Boesch • 32:46
F b dot com you almost said Mich football. I know you wanted it.
Jon Jansen • 32:50
I do know it.
Brian Boesch • 32:51
It's okay. FB is Farm Bureau and football. M I C H F b dot com all right, transition time on that audio side of things. Great conversation Jon had with Nathaniel Staehling.
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Jon Jansen • 34:10
Well, we'd like to welcome in Nathaniel Staehling, a grad transfer from North Dakota State, playing his final year of college football here in Ann Arbor. And Nathaniel, I, I've got to ask the question, what was it like for you to be able to go back to Minnesota and play in your home state?
Nathaniel Staehling • 34:27
Was a very full circle moment. You know, I had a lot of family at that game. I had probably twenty five family members at the game. I had cousins, I had all sorts of family there. I had friends there. But just coming back to it being a full circle moment, Minnesota was a school that I really wanted to go to. And our family had season tickets for twenty years and I'm pretty sure we got a brick on the side of the building with our last name on it. So it was, it was good to get back and, you know, go for football is one of the reasons that, you know, I fell in love with football when I was a kid. I remember going to all those games and sometimes not watching and playing football with my brother on that little side field. I remember exactly where our seats were. But yeah, it was, it was really, it was cool.
Jon Jansen • 35:13
So jerseys were different, but when you're playing on that little field with your brother, did you ever have a pick six and take it back to the house?
Nathaniel Staehling • 35:20
Oh, I had a couple for sure.
Jon Jansen • 35:22
Are you kidding me?
Nathaniel Staehling • 35:23
That was street ball on that. I come back to our dad like crying, like, oh, like Ben tackled me too hard. Like, you know how it goes. But yeah.
Jon Jansen • 35:33
So what was it like for you to have a moment like that, to have that pick six and take it to the house?
Nathaniel Staehling • 35:41
You know, looking back at it, it certainly doesn't feel real. I remember even like when I was running down, I'm just like, it was just a dream come true. Like I was able to check that off of my list as a dream. It was just unbelievable. Like I Said it just doesn't feel real. And I'm just. I was grateful for the opportunity to come back home and play them, but it was just. It was crazy.
Jon Jansen • 36:06
Take us through that. In regards to what you saw, I know you were dropping into a zone and you had somebody coming across in front of you. There was also a receiver that was already on the outside. What did you see from your perspective that sent you that direction?
Nathaniel Staehling • 36:20
Yeah, Coach Hill just had an amazing call, first of all, and, you know, my responsibility was. Was over there, and I kind of just sunk back and waited for, like, a route like that to develop and kind of read it like a book. And then I saw Drake, Lindsay start to throw the ball. I'm like, well, here we go. Here we go. And jump that route. Jump the ball. And then, you know, the rest is history.
Jon Jansen • 36:44
You mentioned checking that one off the list of things you were able to do. What else is on that list that you might be able to do this year? Oh, because right now you're second in the. On the team in tackles, obviously. You got the interception, you got a touchdown return. What are some of the other things that you had just on your to do list of why to come to Michigan football?
Nathaniel Staehling • 37:07
Yeah, well, I mean, a huge dream. You know, I will say another thing, though. Gus Johnson calling that game was super cool because, like, obviously he's a legend, and hearing him say my last name was super cool, like, that's something like,
Jon Jansen • 37:22
you should hear the radio broadcast. It was even better. Was it?
Nathaniel Staehling • 37:25
Oh, yeah.
Jon Jansen • 37:29
That's awesome. Who does that?
Nathaniel Staehling • 37:32
That's.
Jon Jansen • 37:32
I love your reaction to that,
Nathaniel Staehling • 37:36
but, you know, the. The. The NFL is. Is a dream of mine. But, you know, I think Michigan does a great job of, you know, setting me up to achieve that goal. But that doesn't come without hard work and just continuing to trust my teammates, put my head down, and just keep getting after it. I mean, it'd be nice to be. I really want to be like, all Big Ten and stuff like that, but I also love winning, man. My goal is to just win. Like, I think I'm a winner. I haven't lost many games in my entire college career. I love to win. I want to do anything I can to win. And, you know, especially after, you know, two hard losses like we just had, like, you know, as much as it hurts and as much as it stings, I'm just ready to get back to it. So now I don't want to look too far into the future as far as goals. My next goal is to just we're going to get back on our feet. We're going to get back to the basics, and we're just going to keep going.
Jon Jansen • 38:28
How can you help this team do that?
Nathaniel Staehling • 38:30
Well, I think I'm a leader. I mean, I was a captain last year. I understand how things work. I've been a part of hard losses before. I understand, you know, what the. The mood can be like in the facility the week after. You know, it's all about just being positive and just getting those micro wins back under your belt. Like, once you get back the next week, it's like, all right, let's hammer out these meetings. Let's hammer out this lift. Let's come in with a great attitude. Let's. Let's try to hold each other accountable and just stuff like that. And, you know, those things just stack up, stack up, stack up. And then all of a sudden you're feeling a lot better and then that next game comes along and, you know, you're ready to get back to it and do what Michigan football does.
Jon Jansen • 39:09
The defense has been really consistent throughout the course of the year. What are some of the traits that makes this defense consistent when things don't go right? What are you leaning on to get back to being the defense that's been dominant?
Nathaniel Staehling • 39:23
You just lean on your teammates. I mean, I trust everybody next to me. I trust that they're going to get it done even when I don't, and they trust that I'm going to get it done when they don't. And we have a lot of trust in, you know, our defensive coaching staff. Coach Hill obviously has a very stout and dynamic defense, you know, and his philosophy and accountability and run to the football and give the effort that you can and stuff like that. And I think a lot of the guys have bought into that and they have bought into his philosophy and how he wants his defense to be. So I think there's just a lot of trust. There's a lot of connection. There's a lot of love on that defense, too. Like, all those guys are amazing. I'm blessed to play behind, you know, guys like Eno and Trey and play in front of guys like Rod and Bracey, you know, so, yeah, I love those guys and.
Nathaniel Staehling • 40:15
And I hope they know it.
Jon Jansen • 40:17
What's the focus for you during the bye week?
Nathaniel Staehling • 40:21
Just recover. Yeah, you know, being. Being a linebacker, you get. You get beat up a little bit. I mean, I honestly feel really good going into, you know, essentially week six or whatever of the season. But, yeah, take care of myself. Make sure I'm eating good, sleeping good. You know, the football season is really busy and I want to make sure now that I have a little bit of downtime, I want to make sure I connect with people that, you know, I haven't been able to give as much time since I've been so busy. Call some people, get back to my roots and the basics and just continue to move forward from there. But it'll be, it'll be a nice time off.
Jon Jansen • 40:59
You spent four years at North Dakota State. You mentioned you were captain there last year. How difficult was it of a decision for you to not play your final year there, but open up and, and try and find a new place, a new opportunity?
Nathaniel Staehling • 41:13
It's a great question. I mean, I never thought that, you know, I would be one to lead. I definitely had a firm foundation there and had a big role in leadership role there. But I think change is a very good thing. And, you know, when Michigan is an opportunity that you can have, I, like, of course I was going to take it, you know, is as hard of a decision, you know, that could have been. But it was pretty easy for me because I know what Michigan's about, what Michigan football is about, the rich culture, tradition. And honestly, I think it's a very similar program to how NDSU does things. It's just hard nose, get it done, done. Great culture, great tradition. But I, I don't, I really do love it here. Like, I really do. It's been the best six months, arguably of my entire life. And I just, I keep growing, I keep getting better. It's hard not to have a smile on your face, you know, even.
Nathaniel Staehling • 42:11
Even after weeks that are hard, even after, you know, two or the tougher losses probably, you know, in, in my career, especially like back to back weeks, you know, as much as that hurts, it's hard not to have a smile on your face because, you know, I look back and see all the things that, you know, I'm grateful for. And honestly, that's just some advice I have to like. You know, it's easy to say this in my fifth year because I've been around a lot. I've seen a lot of football. You know, when things don't go your way, you just got to remember what you're like, remember what you're grateful for. To be honest, it really gives you a new perspective. It just helps you attack when things are low, if that makes sense.
Jon Jansen • 42:51
How are you a better football player now than when you arrived here six. Six months ago?
Nathaniel Staehling • 42:56
Oh, man. Well, came here Six months ago on a sling. So I wasn't, I wasn't doing a whole lot of football. But you know, I was trying to get my extra indie work with coach Alex after spring ball practices, being in the film room a lot, understanding as much as I could, just absorbing as much as I could, just do all that extra work to make sure my footwork wasn't trash. When I, when I finally got back, you know, relying on those strengths, getting strong, getting fast, doing all sorts of stuff. But you know, I think I play specifically last game I just played free freedom. I felt like I was flying around, I was in the backfield a lot. I just felt, I just have a newfound sense of confidence, I think. So.
Jon Jansen • 43:44
You seem to be a guy that loves the game of football. Clearly you love playing at North Dakota State. You love being here at Michigan. If, if a seven year old football player were to come up to you and say, what is the one thing, the thing that you love most about playing, how would you answer that question? Oh,
Nathaniel Staehling • 44:03
I'm gonna say, I'm gonna say the connections. I really love the connections and people that I have met through football because you know, football is yes, right now and it's a lot of what you're thinking about all the time. But you know, at the end of the day, football is not going to be around forever, but those connections will. And I've met some really great people. I've cultivate, cultivated so many great relationships and had so many good conversations. These people are going to be around forever. Football gives you a lot more than just wins and confidence and you know, the popularity and, you know, what have you that comes with it. But you know, when things get hard, I know these people are going to be there for me and I'm going to be there for them. But oh man, those connections are unreal.
Jon Jansen • 44:53
I want to ask you a couple of questions about outside of football is our fans trying to get you to know you a little bit more and you're here as a grad student. What's the goal on the student side of things?
Nathaniel Staehling • 45:03
Yeah, I'm a good student. I graduated with a finance degree. I had a three point nine gpa. So I take school very seriously. Everyone should be taking school seriously because, you know, there's, there's more to life in football. And like one, like I just said, one day football's gonna end and you got to start a career somewhere. So I think that's, that's really important. So making sure I'm on top, all my schoolwork, making sure. My professors know me, and I've always loved to, like, joke around with my professors and make sure, like, they know, like, that I'm in the classroom, so. And that's just. I'm. I'm a relationship guy. I love knowing people. I love talking to people.
Jon Jansen • 45:40
So when football's done, what do you want to be doing?
Nathaniel Staehling • 45:43
I'm interested in private equity finance, in investment.
Jon Jansen • 45:49
One day, you may own the big ten.
Nathaniel Staehling • 45:51
Yeah, maybe. That'd be great. That'd be sweet. I wouldn't mind that. That doesn't sound so bad.
Jon Jansen • 45:57
And outside of school, outside of football, I. I know you're from Minnesota, and I asked you this question before you got on air, so I know that I. I somewhat know the answer, but you're a walleye fisherman, right?
Nathaniel Staehling • 46:08
Yeah.
Jon Jansen • 46:09
All right. What's the greatest day you've ever had on the lake?
Nathaniel Staehling • 46:12
Lake of the woods.
Jon Jansen • 46:13
Okay.
Nathaniel Staehling • 46:13
Lake of the woods. Easy. We were catching walleye back to back to back. And it's very remote up there, and the walleye are huge, and we would do, like, a shore lunch. So, like, we were up there with a guide, and the walleye that we would catch, we'd then go on, like, a island in the middle of Canada or whatever and filet them, and we'd have some fried fish, baked beans, and, like, some potatoes. It's the best. It's the best time ever. And that's the freshest fish that, you know, you'll ever have. But, gosh, ever since I got to college, it's been hard to get out because I've been so busy.
Jon Jansen • 46:48
But hard water or soft water? Which one do you prefer?
Nathaniel Staehling • 46:56
Soft? Yeah, I think so. Okay.
Jon Jansen • 46:59
Ice fishing or, or fishing from a boat? Yeah.
Nathaniel Staehling • 47:04
How about off a dock? Trying to get. Trying to get a couple bass in the weeds. You know what I'm saying?
Jon Jansen • 47:11
There you go. All right. And so, last thing I'll ask you, what's your favorite lure?
Nathaniel Staehling • 47:15
Oh, gosh, I'm old school. I like a worm. I like to throw a worm on there. All right. It gets a little complicated with lures. There's a lot. I feel like there's a lot of Spin a rig. Yeah, Spinner rig. Yeah, spinner rig. There's so many different. So many different types, and it gets complicated. I don't like to, like, overwhelm myself with all that. So, like, give me.
Jon Jansen • 47:36
Give me the guy that shows up with a small tackle box watching everybody else show up or, like.
Nathaniel Staehling • 47:41
And I got friends that are, you know, way bigger fishermen than me. I'll be like, all right, what do you guys, what do you guys recommend? They say this. I'm like, all right, let's put it on. Let's go. Like, you tell me where I need to be, I'm going to be there with a good attitude. You know what I'm saying?
Jon Jansen • 47:54
Yes, I do. Well, Nathaniel, I really appreciate your time and look forward to getting to know you a little bit better, but best of luck throughout the course of the year.
Nathaniel Staehling • 48:00
Thank you very much for having me. Appreciate you guys.
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Jon Jansen • 48:09
Well, thanks to Nathaniel Staehling for his time. Always great to sit down with a brand new Wolverine, especially coming off the performance that he had in that game against Minnesota and really the performance that he has had as the second leading tackler through five games for this Michigan defense. For everything that's going on in and around Michigan football, keep it locked in here on in the Trenches.
Jeff Laurence • 48:29
Thanks for listening to this edition of in the Trenches with Jon Jansen, presented by Meijer, presenting sponsor of the twenty twenty six Michigan football season and proud supporter of hundreds of local sports teams across the Midwest, in the Trenches is part of our Michigan Athletics Podcast network, M Go Blue Podcasts. The preceding is a Learfield presentation of the Michigan Sports Network.
