Detroit News Q&A with Brady Hoke
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20131026/SPORTS0201/310260031
October 26th, 2013 at 7:33 PM ^
"Well, ...
October 26th, 2013 at 7:39 PM ^
Not a bad interview. She didn't just lob up softballs but asked a few pertinent questions.
October 26th, 2013 at 7:47 PM ^
If I need to talk to Al, which I did last week (against Indiana) regarding we needed points and we’re going to have to take every possession and try and stick it in the end zone and how we would do that, we had that discussion.
Please have this discussion every game from now on.
October 26th, 2013 at 7:48 PM ^
I don't really understand how else that discussion could go unless you're up by 40.
October 26th, 2013 at 7:51 PM ^
Well, there may be times when you want to methodically move it up the field, in 10-15 yard chunks, to give the defense breathing room. Against IU in the second half we forgot about ball control and aired it out, which meant a ton of points but also not much rest for the D. Note that in the first half, when we were more methodical and gave the D more rest time, IU's offense wasn't nearly as potent.
October 26th, 2013 at 7:56 PM ^
Yeah, but if you're moving the ball up the field in 10-15 yard chunks you can still score. The only scenarios while the game is still up in the air where the mentallity isn't to score that I can think of is if you're backed up against your goal line or you're trying to drain the clock.
October 26th, 2013 at 8:00 PM ^
But I don't think that's what Hoke was referring to. I think he was telling Borges to go for the home run opportunities to get as many points as we can.
October 26th, 2013 at 7:57 PM ^
observation; I have seen no one else note this. I just hope that MSU didn't gain too much confidence this afternoon, because I remained pretty optimistic about our D until then. . . they really managed to distribute the ball.
October 27th, 2013 at 8:04 AM ^
except you forgot how horrific ILL is.. I was calling out almost every play MSU was doing.. specially 3rd down, almost every throw was late over the middle and no ILL defender was within 5-10 yards.. what a joke.
October 26th, 2013 at 7:51 PM ^
Now that is a bit scary.
October 26th, 2013 at 7:59 PM ^
has dictated the philosophy Borges uses. This is why I've been so frustrated with people calling for Borges' head and willfully ignoring that Hoke is the boss.
And again, I say this as someone who has come to like the guy enormously.
October 26th, 2013 at 10:24 PM ^
The major problem here i think is Hoke, not Borges. This year make me think about RR's era in defensive side of ball. Try to implement a phylosophy that the team is not ready for by the end of fallcamp, and try to hope that it will improve through the season, but didn't workout. The only difference is probably Hoke at least knowledge it and try to adjust now.
I think Hoke has a lot of influence in game planing before the game, (i.e. run setup pass, how many running/passing %, formation sets), but he's lack of ability to tell Borgers to adjust in game is obvious as a HC. Particularly, on all road game, Hoke and Co. are not good at winning, I don't even remember he has beaten any ranked team on the road (not nutrual site) in the past 2.5 years.
October 27th, 2013 at 3:05 PM ^
at Ball State and SDSU ?
At Ball State, he had Nate Davis and they were a high powered offense. They lived and died with the pass. He was Coach of the Year in the MAC and they almost beat Michigan when they played.
I do not believe Hoke is a micro-manager. He trusts his coaches to develop a solid game plan, but there are times when a coach doesn't perform - just like times when players fail to make a play. Head coaches may have a offensive or defensive "specialty" (Hoke coaches the defensive line) ... but they cannot do everything.
The fact is there are times when coaches fail and FAIL miserably. For example when Sparty lost the ND game, pucker, pucker, pucker (the Mike Valenti rant) and for Michigan it was Penn State game this year.
Go Blue!
October 26th, 2013 at 8:07 PM ^
Last year after 7 games we had posted 9 sacks and 3 QB hits. This year we've posted 16 sacks and 19 QB hits. Interceptions (which are at least marginally related to pressure) are up as well (11 this year as opposed to 6 at the same time a year ago).
October 26th, 2013 at 8:12 PM ^
October 26th, 2013 at 8:53 PM ^
And the other thing is that pass rushing in general is down in college football. QBs are better and better at getting rid of the ball quickly, and the proliferation of packaged plays, hot reads and the like make blitzing more of a gamble than ever.
October 26th, 2013 at 10:13 PM ^
October 26th, 2013 at 10:32 PM ^
Haven't been on the site much recently, but it's nice to see a fairly bland interview with the head coach posted without comment turn into a shitshow of a thread full of mountains of idiocy.
It's like the good old days around here. Well done, sir.
October 26th, 2013 at 10:44 PM ^
October 26th, 2013 at 7:54 PM ^
How are you not concerned after reading this? He sounds like a coach without a clue whats going on. Really? the D-line has gotten better?? anybody that has watched Michigan with a pulse can see that this entire defense has regressed.
October 26th, 2013 at 8:02 PM ^
October 26th, 2013 at 8:10 PM ^
Come on, the whole team has regressed? You think Gardner isn't a better player now than he was a month ago? How about the WRs? Gallon and Funchess are regressing? The OL is harder to gauge but it's not worse than it was against Akron or UConn.
On D, well, coming off the Indiana game they look bad, but they've had a good year overall. I think we have a shortage of playmakers and Mattison is accordingly calling a very conservative game to protect them, but I don't think they're worse than they were in September.
October 26th, 2013 at 9:15 PM ^
You know, regressed to 6-1 (should be 7-0 if our kicker tees it up from his former gimme range).
October 26th, 2013 at 9:27 PM ^
October 26th, 2013 at 10:15 PM ^
Did we lose today?
October 26th, 2013 at 10:34 PM ^
October 26th, 2013 at 8:50 PM ^
October 26th, 2013 at 10:18 PM ^
October 27th, 2013 at 12:45 AM ^
October 27th, 2013 at 3:04 AM ^
October 27th, 2013 at 9:42 AM ^
Are you comparing last year's offense through all of its games (including games against MSU, Nebraksa, Iowa and Ohio State) to this year's offense through the first half of the season? You might want to revisit those stats for 2013 at the end of this year...
October 27th, 2013 at 11:33 AM ^
Our offensive stats are better right now than they were after 7 games last year. But last year's first 7 games included Alabama, MSU and a Notre Dame game played on the road, so take that with a grain of salt.
That said, I do think our offense is arguably better this year than last year in the ability-to-produce-yards/points production department. Unfortunately, aside from last year's Notre Dame game, our turnovers have been more destructive this year. Three games that could have been comfortable wins (ND, Akron and UCONN) were all close calls because of turnovers. Turnovers also played a huge role (14 points) in our one loss.
October 27th, 2013 at 12:11 PM ^
October 27th, 2013 at 2:54 AM ^
Hey, remember when you predicted indiana would blow us out?
October 27th, 2013 at 10:30 AM ^
Yeah, he was probably really disappointed watching that game b/c his negative Nancy comments wouldn't be taken as seriously this week.
October 26th, 2013 at 7:59 PM ^
Coachspeak versus the Grand Delusion. I can't say I know what the difference is here... Come on, Brady.
October 26th, 2013 at 8:01 PM ^
put it to him pretty plainly.
I just think M fans have to take a longer view. Hoke's not going anywhere and neither is Borges. We really won't know much until next year. Screaming now is just pissing in the wind, maybe what the internet's for but. . .
October 26th, 2013 at 8:05 PM ^
October 26th, 2013 at 8:09 PM ^
I thought Morris wasn't eligible for a RS anymore... or is she leaving open the possibility that they do it next year?
October 26th, 2013 at 8:12 PM ^
I think he's only played in three games, and all in the first half of the season, so if he gets some kind of injury, they might be able to get him a medical shirt.
October 26th, 2013 at 8:24 PM ^
Morris played one snap against Penn State when Gardner's helmet came off.
October 26th, 2013 at 8:29 PM ^
Yes, but that was week 6 - still the first half of the season. My understanding is that you can play under 30% of the games, and only in the first half of the season, to get the shirt.
October 26th, 2013 at 9:05 PM ^
Nope. It's not about # of games, it's about when you play them. If you play in the 5th game of the season or later, you can't get a medical redshirt. So there is literally no possible way Morris can redshirt this season, even if he does get an "injury".
October 26th, 2013 at 10:17 PM ^
I still don't understand why people continue to get this wrong. Including Angelique. If you play a single snap -- whether its the first snap of the seaon or the last snap of the season on offense, defense, or special teams, that counts as one of your four seasons you get to play. There is no gray area, its very black and white rule.
The rules for medical redshirts are a bit murkier and are done on a case by case basis and handled by the individual conferences. But I really doubt Morris has any sort of claim for a medial redshirt.
October 27th, 2013 at 9:21 AM ^
I kind of interpreted it as a next year thing, although I might have been reading too much into it. But realistically, with Gardner back, and having a few other QB's on the roster, Morris could redshirt next year.
October 26th, 2013 at 9:00 PM ^
October 26th, 2013 at 8:10 PM ^
I'm getting tired of the deferent answers. "Oh, I dunno." "Ask someone else."
No, you're the head honcho; you're the one getting paid the most; everything comes from YOU. Answer a damn question. If you can't, you better find an answer quick. You better be damn well aware of everything going on in the program. If you aren't, then I dunno if I really want you leading it.
October 26th, 2013 at 8:14 PM ^
Do you want him to throw people under the bus? I think he knows the answers to these questions but he's not going to badmouth his players or assistants.
October 26th, 2013 at 8:33 PM ^
I don't think he was saying he needs to throw someone under the bus. The problem is, not only does coach Hoke sound like he doesn't know whats going on, but all to often he looks like it on the sideline; and furthermore, his team has looked like a team with zero answers to many times this year. I don't care if its in house or out, he better find some answers quick because if he drop this game next week it wont be pretty. like it or not all questions are answered on Saturday, everything you need to know.
October 26th, 2013 at 8:52 PM ^
How hard is it to note how Devin has improved? Improved footwork? Mechanics maybe? Making better reads? What is it? Something technique? Intangible? O-Line protection? Lower quality defenses? Deferring does you nothing. You better know how your quarterback is progressing and be able to articulate that. Dunno what the problem is, but Hoke is making himself look like an ass by choosing not to answer.