Monday Presser 10-5-15: Players Comment Count

Adam Schnepp

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[Upchurch/Fuller]

Ryan Glasgow and Joe Bolden

How do you replace someone like Mario [Ojemudia]?
"It’s hard to replace a guy like Mario because obviously the way he plays, how he gets his job done. But the greatest thing about football is you've got somebody working just as hard pushing right behind you trying to take your spot, and it makes you better. I think we'll have somebody that will get in there and get the job done."

The streak now is 14 of 16 shutout quarters. As a defense that's got to be something you hang your hat on. Is that something you’re thinking about, or is that just a byproduct of success?

RG: "I think it's a byproduct. Our goal is just for them to get no yards on every play or negative yards. If they make a yard it's a failure for us. Every guy is trying to win their individual match up on every play. If you don't do that you are hurting the guy next to you and your hurting your defense. We have a lot of guys winning their individual battle on every play, so that's going to be a byproduct of it."

The defensive line has been especially dominant. Willie [Henry] with that sack on I believe Garman… What's been the key of you guys being able to get in the backfield so easily?

RG: "I think a lot of it starts in practice. There’s a lot of competition. I think we have a two-deep on the D-line that a lot of people would kill to have, and people are trying to take everyone’s spot every day and if you don’t perform in practice you’re not going to play in the game, so everyone’s pushing each other and I think the competition really helps that come out.”

Jim just pointed out that the two defenses on Saturday won’t actually face each other, but when you see the stats Northwestern’s coming in with, compared to yours [they’re] very comparable. Do you look at it as a way to kind of show them up in a sense, that your defense is better?

JB: “I don’t know. I played high school with a kid, Drew Smith, who’s a linebacker for them, so we’re always going back and forth and stuff and talking and hanging out. But I think coach Harbaugh hit the nail on the head saying the two defenses aren’t going to play against each other. Like Ryan said, they don’t get any yards on offense and they don’t get any points, you can’t win a football game without scoring points.”

[The rest after THE JUMP]

You guys have had pretty solid defenses since you guys have been here, but now people are talking about this as a great defense or one that could be. Do you try and shut that talk out? Do you try and embrace it and get excited about it? How do you react to it?

RG: “I think our goal is to be the best defense in the country. We don’t really shy away from talk about that, but the main key that is stressed every week is you have to remember what got you here to such a defensive performance. You can’t just think because you did it one time you’re going to do it again automatically. It’s about how you practice, it’s about how you prepare, and it’s about how you watch film, and we’ve been doing a pretty good job of that the past couple weeks and we’re going to continue to do a good job of that.”

This is an era where offenses get so much hype, they’re scoring so many points and are very advanced. How’s it feel to be in a game where defense is the focus? Is there just a little bit of pride that defense can still be the centerpiece in hyping up a game and not just these fancy offenses?

JB: “Yeah, I mean, personally I’ve always been raised defense and running the football wins games for you. It’s really painful to watch teams put 60-70 points up on the board each week. In my opinion that’s not football, that’s like a basketball score. It’s not how football was supposed to be. Football was supposed to be run downhill at one another and whoever executes, like Ryan said, and gets their job done the best on that play will win that play and the more plays you win the more chance you have to win the game. Personally, it pains me, like I said, to see people put that many points up on the board. I mean, if it’s our offense and we’re on the ball and everything I’m all for it. But you see teams just sling it all over the place, [and] it kind of pains me to see that.”

Keeping in mind everything you guys have already said, you guys rank first nationally in third downs. Opponents are only completing 19%, I think, and Maryland was 1-for-18. What do you attribute that success to?

RG: “I think a lot of it is- again, I keep referring to practice but what we do in practice is we do third-down periods. We do it every week, ones versus ones and get after it and get after each other, and I think that’s really helped a lot.”

Secondary seems like it’s been improving, too. Overall, the line and the linebackers and seems the secondary’s coming along. What’s your thoughts on that?

JB: “Yeah, I mean, it’s always a good feeling when you can get a rush- I mean as a linebacker, from a linebacker’s perspective- it’s a good feeling when you can drop, max drop, and get pressure on the quarterback. At the same time, if you pressure guys you have trust in the ability to cover them on the back end and it really frees up what you can do on defense, the calls you make, and the confidence you have when you take the field. I mean, on third down you never know what you’re going to get.”

How much has that confidence grown during the shutout streak? Does that have any effect on your guys’ confidence?

JB: “Yeah, I think I would say tat the fact that we know we can play really good defense is always a good thing. And like Ryan said, we sound repetitive but it all comes back to practice and preparing for that week and executing when it coms down to it from the back end up. It’s really…it’s a good thing. It’s a good feeling when you can trust everyone on the field at the same time.”

It seems like more blitzes are getting home or you’re creating more pressure with blitzes than in past years. What’s the key to that? How much of that is the play up front and how much is exotic blitzes or just getting off blocks?

JB: “Yeah. If you look at defenses across the nation you probably see a lot of the same stunts. It’s just the execution of those stunts. When you can run a stunt where it’s one linebacker blitzing and three D-linemen rushing and get home on that it helps you out coverage-wise. And like I just said, when you can cover guys man-to-man and in zero coverage and have maybe an all-out blitz it helps, too, when you outnumber guys.”

Could you just talk about how it feels to be in a big game, both ranked, possibly pivotal in the Big Ten race after all you guys have been through in the past few years to be playing a significant game at midseason?

RG: “It feels good. Northwestern’s a really good team. They have a great defense and like to run the ball, have a good offense. We’re excited to play a game at home. It’s another good team, and really get after it this week.”

On Willie’s sack Maryland’s entire offensive line ended up on the ground. What do you think when you see that on film, and has anything surprised you this year about how much you guys have been able to accomplish?

RG: “First of all, Willie’s a great player but yeah, they all tried to cut protection and get the ball out quick. Willie had such a good get-off and I think that happened to Mo later in the game, too. When you get off the ball it’s hard for an offensive line to do anything, especially cut. So, yeah, that was really impressive. I was sitting on the side for that play and watching. I was really impressed by Willie’s athleticism there, but you know he has it in him and you know he can do it all the time.”

The offensive line has talked a lot about Tim Drevno and what he’s done for them and how he’s changed their game. How has DJ Durkin changed the attitude of this defense and how you guys are playing right now?

JB: “Yeah, I’ve never- personally, he’s out linebackers position coach- I’ve never been around a guy with more passion and I might make up a word, but explosability in the meeting room. It’s really unreal. I think Glas can speak for it, too-“

RG: “It’s true.”

JB: “We’ll be in the meeting room and just out of nowhere the guy’s passion overtakes him. We always joke with him, you know, his blood pressure’s ridiculously high and his wife’s probably obviously a little bit worried about it and if he keeps getting that stressed out about stuff he might lose all his hair by the age of 40. But no, his passion, his enthusiasm; it’s the same when you’re talking about coach Harbaugh. Just a defensive guy and his enthusiasm for the game’s unreal, and I think that transfers over to all the guys on defense.”

How do you spell explosability?

“Sound it out. That’s my best- just sound it out.”

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[Barron/Fuller]

Graham Glasgow and Amara Darboh

What’s it like watching your brother play at such a high level?

GG: “It’s great. Ryan’s out there playing his ass off and it’s great to watch, you know. I’m proud.”

Did you know that he had it in him to play at this level?

GG: “Well, I go against him like every day in practice. Yeah, I knew he had it in him.”

Who gets the better of those matchups in practice?

GG: “It’s usually pretty even. I mean, Ryan will get the best of me. I’ll get the best of him. It’s just iron sharpening iron, I suppose.”

Amara, I wanted to ask about- you’ve had some time now to look at the film. Looking at it, what did you take away from that first half that you’ll use to have a stronger start and don’t have some of the letdowns you had on Saturday?

AD: “We’ve just got to execute. We’ve got to convert on third down and not have as many three and outs and make sure we get first downs and make sure we keep the ball moving and help our defense get better field position.”

This is going to be a game where a lot of people talk about the defenses coming in because of the way Northwestern’s played and Michigan has played. Talk about theirs and what you’ve seen, and the desire to show something in terms of moving the ball.

GG: “I would say I haven’t watched a whole bunch of them yet- we’re going to get into that this afternoon- but they run the same thing every year. They really just want to try to out-physical you and try to boss you around, and we’re going to try and make sure that doesn’t happen. We’re going to try and move the ball and be a good offense.”

Can you guys just talk about what it feels like to play a big game in the middle of the season compared to past years?

AD: “Yeah, I think it’s going to be a big test for us. It’s going to be a big jump for us because they’re a very talented defense. They’re 4-0 and they’re doing good things and we’re doing good things so it’ll be a really tough matchup. I think it’s really gonna show us after this game what kind of team we are and where we are.”

GG: “I think they’re 5-0, Amara.”

AD: “Oh, 5-0. Alright, my bad.”

GG: “It’s all good.”

/pats Darboh on the knee

GG: “What was the question?”

Just being in this type of game after not being in these games.

GG: “You know, I’m ready to play. It’s gonna be exciting and I’m really looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to our team being able to make a statement or come out there and play our best.”

Just curious to know your comfort- I guess I can’t use the word ‘comfort’ or ‘satisfied’, but your thoughts on Jake Rudock. He seems to have limited the turnovers, he’s taking care of the ball. Your guys’ thoughts from an offensive line perspective and a wide receiver perspective.

AD: “I think he’s doing a good job with reads and everything, seeing things, reading the defense. I think he’s doing a great job leading the offense and leading the whole team and making sure to make plays when they’re there to take. He’s also doing a great job using his feet and giving us first downs.”

GG: “Jake is a fantastic game manager and he makes sure that we’re in the best play to take advantage of the defense, and I think that he’s a hell of a quarterback. He makes, for the most part, really, really great decisions and I’m happy with the way that Jake plays.”

To follow up, he seems like he’s pretty cool and calm. Is there anything you’ve noticed about him in the locker room or the huddle that he has that maybe you guys didn’t have before?

GG: “Jake always- I mean, we do wise words after practice and Jake’s wise words to use were ‘You can’t get too high and you can’t get too low. You have to stay even-keeled.’ Jake seems to live by that. Jake is always, consistently Jake.”

Graham, your coach the last couple weeks talked about the tangible progress you’d made up front. Did you see some more of that in the Maryland game, and how did you guys grade out?

“I think that there was some progress in the Maryland game. I think that we were a little sloppy early on, and I think that we got that taken care of later in the game- second half and later on in the second quarter.

“We graded out pretty well. Myself, Mason, and Ben- Ben played probably one of his best games here as a Michigan Wolverine. Real proud of Ben, and yeah, I think we’re making some strides as an offensive line and as an offense.”

Being down on the field you guys knew the conditions. Talk about how critical it was and how difficult it was for Kenny Allen to kick the two field goals when he did, and how important it was to put points on the board.

AD: “It was very important. We weren’t moving the ball and getting touchdowns like we wanted to, so I think it was very important to have a kicker like him that we could count on to get us points, and not only get us points but put our defense in a good position after the score.”

What were the field conditions like?

AD: “I thought as the game went on it got better. It started out kind of bad, but I didn’t think it was that bad.”

GG: “It was kind of windy and chilly, and it was like a weird rain-mist. That was the weirdest game I think I’ve ever played weather-wise, but I think Kenny did a great job adjusting and getting us those six points in the first half.”

Graham, I don’t think there are a lot of graduate transfer centers, but when you talk about Jake can you understand how hard it is for a guy to come into a program and do what he’s doing? Have you figured out how tough it’s been for him, and how quickly has he adjusted?

“At first I think that it may have been a little bit harder for Jake when all of us had known each other for a long time and been together for a while, and it almost seemed like Jake was just like one of these freshmen that come in in the middle of June and just don’t really know anybody and are trying to get used to the offense and stuff, but Jake picked it up really fast and really quickly and he just took ahold of the offense, and that’s what we needed from our quarterback. He’s done a great job.”

Can you imagine doing that yourself, going somewhere and playing for one year?

GG: “No. No, I can’t.”

Graham, I’m just curious but obviously the biggest difference is the play on the offensive line is better. What’s the biggest difference with you; is there a stronger connection, are you guys going harder in practice? What can you link to this?

GG: “I think our coaches are doing a great job of making sure exactly what we need to do on every play and how to get our techniques done and knowing what you need to do and how to do it. I think that coach Drevno’s a hell of a coach. He’s just bringing out the best of everyone on the offensive line, and we’re meshing well and doing a good job. There’s always room for improvement. We’ve just got to continue to get better every week.”

Comments

Jgruss42

October 6th, 2015 at 9:27 AM ^

This game has the interesting opportunity to have a similar score to last year's game, but be much more intersting. I don't mind low scoring games, as long as they are the product of strong football.

Last year's game was much more about the failure of the offenses than the success of the defenses. This year seems to be setting up like a low scoring slugfest, but hopefully due to great play from the defense.

So, if the halftime score is MO - ON (yes, yes, I realize it will be N0-0M), it may still be a really watchable game.

SoDak Blues

October 6th, 2015 at 10:14 AM ^

I guarantee Harbaugh has the most explosability of any coach in the nation. Great word. And how do you spell it?

“Sound it out. That’s my best- just sound it out.”

Capitalist Football

October 6th, 2015 at 11:24 AM ^

There's been so much talk about the darkside of the NOOM, but I think we're going to see some scoring from the defense or special teams this week. I wouldn't be surprised we see a pick six or a Peppers return to give M a short field and an easy score.