[Fuller/MGoBlog]

Is having a little bit more of a window to playing for the Big Ten championship something you even address with your team?

“I’m sure they’re aware of that, and…if not we’ll make them aware of it, but I’m sure they are.”

Just looking at some defensive stats: nine offensive touchdowns given up this year, twelve total. Can you talk about the evolution of this defense and the way it’s bounced back after those last two games?

“Yeah, doing some things that are great. But in terms of like answering the question of the evolution or how we got here or where we’re at and being in that position, we feel like we’re still asking questions. How can we get better? What can we improve? What else can we do to help our team improve? So, not so much the answering questions, more asking them about how to get better.”

Is there any one area specifically you feel like you guys want to improve more?

“No, not that list for you either. In all phases, in all areas. We’re constantly asking ourselves those questions.”

You weren’t happy about the intent to deceive call. Did you get anything that clarifies it more for you and how it’s going to be called in this league going forward?

“Yes. They said it wasn’t intent to deceive, it was intent to confuse. That was the own language that the official used. It’s…I take the rules very seriously, and understanding the rules, understanding the consistency, the clarity of rules, and not just the rules but the spirit of the rules and doing everything that we can to follow the rules, so yeah, I said I was offended after the game to have an unsportsmanlike conduct called on us and the language that they used…that’s offensive because we take it very seriously to know what to teach our players and tell our team.

“No, there’s still no rule in the rulebook that you can go back to and say that we broke. In fact, we asked for interpretation weeks ago and followed it to the best of our ability and…it needs specifics. What was it about it that made it an illegal play versus what would make it a legal play? I mean, everything else in the rulebook is specific, but this one seems to fall in a category that was left to judgment whether the other team’s trying to confuse the opponent, and that’s an awesome responsibility for anybody.

“And why have it? Why not specifically write it? How far can you be from the boundary, your widest eligible receiver during a substitution, after a substitution occurs? Is it in the bench area; has to be closer in the field to the numbers; outside of the bench area it can be closer to the sideline? But really there needs to be some specifics because that’s…that interpretation- we’ve put a lot of work into making sure we follow the rules and not just the letter but the spirit of them.

“Then you start thinking, playing the scenarios. I mean, what else could be deemed trying to confuse the defense? What would be next? Skipping the ball off the turf, if it were a backward pass where you skip it off the turf? Defense thinks that’s an incomplete pass, everybody stops, they pick it up, throw it, etc. I mean, those…need to have specifics on it. So that’s my feeling, yeah. Still remain offended by it.

“And I need some clarity and consistency on another thing I’m offended by: We’ve got a defenseless player covering a punt and he gets hit in the back, in our opinion, in the back of the head, which gets called a targeting foul. They go up to the booth and they say it’s not targeting, but no foul is incurred. It’s a…player, lines up a player- looks like he made a decision to hit him, hit him high, hit him in the back. At least should be a block in the back. Should be unsportsmanlike for making that play, so I’m offended for our defenseless player, so you can put that on the list of things. Top five.”

[After THE JUMP: “I love football, I love the University of Michigan, and I love coaching, and you can do all three of those. As my dad would say, ‘Who’s got it better than us?’ Nooobody.]

You talked a lot about Jabrill after the game Saturday. How valuable have you found him to become as a decoy, just on plays he’s on the offense but doesn’t get the ball?

“Really draws a lot of attention. That play where we hit Sione Houma, three-and-a-half, almost four players followed Jabrill.”

Can you talk about De’Veon and the strides you’ve seen him make-

“The Lonesome End! You ever heard of the Lonesome End?”

Who was the lonesome end?

“It was Bill…Bill Edwards? [Looks like it was Bill Carpenter –A.] Played for Army. Became famous in 1958. He was the Lonesome End. He would stand out wide. So, that’s out of football apparently.”

/long pause, silence

I didn’t know if you were still rolling on that.

“I’m still rollin’ on that.”

With De’Veon, can you talk about the strides you’ve seen him make-

“Red Blaik was the coach.”

Could you talk about the strides De’Veon has made as a running back and as a receiver? He’s becoming a real potent part of your passing attack.

“Yeah. Very reliable. I think he was feeling better this game. Thought he ran some more De’Veon-like runs and did a very good job, exceptional, in the screen game. Thought he executed those plays extremely well. But yeah, he’s very reliable as a blocker as well so that’s a third way. In terms of protection and blocking for our other runners- he’s good at all three of those phases.”

You said after the game you were hoping to get good news on Ryan Glasgow on whether it was a tear or strain in his shoulder. Any update on Ryan?

“Not yet.”

Also, I wanted to ask, Mario Ojemudia, I think someone said you were trying to find a way to get an extra year for him. Is that still something that’s on your plate?

“There’s an appeal process.”

So you’re in the middle of that now?

“Uh, it’s a process.”

Could it be a solution- back to targeting- if a targeting is called, that’s an automatic personal foul, but then it’s reviewed to see if it’s targeting? Seems like a simple solution. If you call targeting, that’s an automatic personal foul but then the targeting part is reviewed. Would that be a potential solution you would suggest?

“Yeah. I think the targeting call should not be one that is the end all be all of the play. If there was a late hit involved, if a personal foul’s involved, if there was a block in the back, if there was a facemask that gets called targeting, to me it goes up for review because that determines whether the player stays in the game or is ejected. That was my understanding of it. I feel like it shouldn’t be the end-all be-all to the play.

“We’ve seen it called differently, where it’s the only thing called when a late hit’s involved or a defenseless player’s involved; I’ve seen it called where- compare the two: Joe Bolden gets pushed/thrown into a player and taps a guy on the helmet and it’s called a personal foul and targeting and it was upheld, and you stand this play next to it and I feel like there’s inconsistency there. So, I’m seeking clarity.”

Your thoughts on trying to contain the Indiana offense? It can be very productive at times.

“Yeah. That’ll be the case this week, next week, and the week after. We’re playing the top-three rated quarterbacks in the conference. It’ll be a great challenge. This team is dangerous. They’ve played good teams and played ‘em all really good. Have chances to win every time they take the field, so [we] understand the task there.

“It was nice to see Jake Rudock, he’s fourth! Nice to see Jake Rudock’s up there with the big guys, so that’s good to see. I really felt like, watching this game, Jake played his best game. He even looked like an NFL-type quarterback. You know, somebody who would have a future playing in that league. The way he’s now playing and operating, I see that, that just that he’s made.”

Braden played with a massive wrap on his arm or elbow or something.

“Elbow, yeah.”

What’s the fine line where you decide whether- a guy has to use his arms, obviously, at that position- where you replace him or you move guys around? How do you get to that fine line?

“Well, starts with can the player injure himself any worse than he already is. We rely on the doctors and trainers to make that evaluation. In Ben’s case, he could use the brace. Then we determine how effective he is. Is there any pain associated with playing the position he has to play, and how effective is he? Is he effective? Then, is he more effective than somebody else that can play the position, so that would be the explanation.”

Did you see it limit him?

“Nope, I didn’t. I thought he played well.”

MGoQuestion: With four minutes left in the second quarter you called timeout on a Rutgers kickoff. What went into that decision?

“I didn’t feel like we defended the previous onside kick very well. I wanted to see what their intentions were for the next one. Wasn’t happy with the way we were covering kickoffs, covering punts, the way we defended the onside kick. Really got lucky to get that ball back. Now you have the whole top five of how offended I was.”

You guys had a season high offensively of explosive plays that they keep track of- 20 yards and 30 yards. Do you have an explanation? Is some of that the defense or just the offense finally hitting its stride?

“Our offense?”

Yeah.

“I think our offense played extremely well in this game and has done well at other times, as well.”

“‘Hit their stride’ is an analogy I just-”

Not a fan of that one?

“Well, I just…confuses me, I guess. Don’t know if I gave you a good enough answer, but…”

You said Jake has made a jump. When did you detect that? You said even after the Minnesota game you thought he was playing a terrific game.

“Yeah, I just…just watching him with my own eyes, my own opinion. I don’t know what to compare it to or what analogy you could make, but I would compare it to when you see some of the birdwatchers that can tell what kind of bird it is and the species, etc. by the way it moves. I think they call it the gist of a bird. Just to my own eye, the gist of an NFL quarterback or not. After this game we’re seeing Jake that way.”

Did you see that potential there when you brought him in from Iowa?

“I saw it this week. I see him now, the way I see him play this game and the things he does, I say, ‘Okay, that’s an NFL quarterback to me.’”

If I could follow up on your offended list, generally speaking has it been from what you’ve seen and watching other games the most inconsistent officiating this season you’ve seen?

“Again, I have a great respect for the rules and not only that, but for the people who officiate the games. That is a very hard job. Things are happening so fast with some of the greatest athletes in the world- not quite that level but the one right below it, certainly. They do a very good job.

“When it comes to the penalty we got for the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for confusing the defense, I think the rulebook has no specifics to that. You’re putting the officials in a tough spot. It’s an interpretation. Everything else in the rulebook has specifics, and it should. That doesn’t.”

You talked about the targeting with Joe Bolden and before that the roughing the kicker in the Oregon State game. Just seems like there were-

“That’s not very many. But always, what you’re striving for is consistency and clarity so you can coach your players. We take great pride in understanding the rules and following the rules, and I do very much- and not just the letter of the rule, but the spirit of it, so that’s what I was offended by. To say, for somebody to say, that’s unsportsmanlike, I take my sportsmanship very seriously. Want to do it at the highest level, and you also want to be able to talk to your players about what the rules are to give them clarity. Not offended by the officials.”

I’m going to ask you a more general question. Now that you’re back in the college ranks, can you talk about what you really like about coaching college players as opposed to professionals, and at the other end of the spectrum, what don’t you like as opposed to pro players?

“Um…to me it just- questions about comparing one thing to another, one person to another, I avoid it like the plague. Something always gets diminished or somebody always gets diminished It always hits my ear as a question that’s asked to divide or be divisive or demean, so I avoid answering those.

“They’re all good. They’re both good. They’re both great! Love coaching.”

What’s been refreshing to come back to the field of college players?

“Well, now that I know you’re going to track it around I’ll just- [?]”

/laughs

“They’re both great! I don’t know what you’re trying to find out. They’re both great, you know. I love coaching. What’s been tremendous here is you’ve got the…got the…you’ve got it all. I love football, I love the University of Michigan, and I love coaching, and you can do all three of those. As my dad would say, ‘Who’s got it better than us?’ Nooobody.”