Penn State Postgame Presser: Brady Hoke Comment Count

Adam Schnepp

photo 2

News bullets and other items:

  • Ondre Pipkins was dealing with “something” and should be back soon
  • Willie Henry was dressed but didn’t play; he’s injured
  • Hoke said any of the dressed QBs could have played, but read between the lines re: Morris and being injured
  • Devin Gardner had a boot on his left foot after the game but said he’d be ready to go against Michigan State
  • We talk about injuries a lot for not talking about injuries
  • Penn State broke away from their tendencies in the first half. Hoke praised Mattison and the defensive staff for adjusting before the second half.
  • Hoke again praised Matt Wile’s kicking and Devin Gardner’s leadership

Opening remarks:

“It was- obviously it’s always good to win. We’ve had some tough times and tough weeks but the resiliency of our football team, the resiliency how they go about every day in practice and the hard work that they put in paid off. It wasn’t pretty at time but I don’t know if anything’s pretty all the time and what they did, though, is they played together, they stuck together.

“We had some guys who were banged up obviously, and that’s just part of football. If you’re not banged up then you’re really not playing, but we’ve got guys who are tough. We’ve got guys who understand what it is to play as a team and play for each other and play for Michigan, and I’m excited about for them as much as anything [that] they stuck together.

“Also, the environment, the crowd; there’s no place better in this country when you have a game like this than Michigan Stadium. I can tell you our kids, they feel it. They feel it when those people are there cheering for them, and those students that were there, the former players coming back and supporting those kids; you don’t get that at a lot of institutions or maybe any institutions like you do at Michigan. Very excited for our kids. We’re going to enjoy it and then we’ll get back to work next week on Tuesday and Wednesday.”

Could you talk about the play of the defense in the second half, and then the winning plays at the end there?

“You know, I think a couple things: Penn State had a week off and as most teams do, you have a week off [and] you start looking at tendencies. You start looking at things that maybe have patterns to [them]. The first half they broke some tendencies that they had, so I think Greg and the staff defensively did a great job at half time. I think our kids had a will, and they willed themselves to keep going and it was pressure on the quarterback with a four man, three man rush that really worked out pretty well and maximum coverage. And part of that is that he has to hold the ball a little longer, and we got off the field on third downs which in the first half we really didn’t as much.”

We all saw Devin [Gardner] pacing the sidelines and grimacing and looking like he wasn’t going to get back in. Talk about him coming back in the game and what he showed you and what he gave you.

“Well, Devin’s leadership has been outstanding, and he played a game a year ago with a broken toe for half the game so you know he’s a got a toughness to him. He is turning in, through his maturation process and everything else, into a tremendous leader. He was cheering the defense on when they were out there and he just wants to compete and play and the trainers said, ‘Yeah, he can go.’”

[More after THE JUMP]

You mentioned the environment, the defense playing well. Was tonight sort of a glimpse of what you thought this program could be or where you guys expected to be at this point?

“Yeah, I think that’s the expectations that we all have. I think there isn’t any question about it. That’s what Michigan has been about, and that’s what it’s going to continue to be about. We talked about taking them one at a time and that’s what we’re going to do and just see where this team finishes.”

How much did you guys need a night like tonight to break some of the tension from the past month?

“What was the last part?”

To break some of the tension and pressure you’ve had over the past month.

“You know, I think this: I think the way our guys have handled the last two weeks, I don’t if many football teams could do that and persevere like they have and stay together like they have and so I give those kids a lot of credit in that locker room.”

Did they need this payoff, though?

“Well, it certainly helps. There’s no question about it.”

You’ve talked a lot about forcing turnovers. Can you talk about the Jourdan Lewis play and the pressure that helped create it?

“Well, they kind of go hand in hand, as you know. I thought that number one, Jourdan has done a really fabulous job with coverage and he’s usually playing very tight coverage, but at the same time I think the pressure no doubt had something to do with it but it was also, when you watch it again, a pretty daggone athletic play by Jourdan, too.”

With all that had built up coming into this game, can you put a word to what it means when the crowd was there when there was some suggestion it wouldn’t be, and your team defense played well and Gardner played well; can you put in words what it means to you as the coach of the program to see that?

“I’m just so excited for those kids. I mean, they’re the ones who are doing the work. They’re the ones who are out there playing. They’re the ones who come to Schembechler hall every day with an attitude to play for each other. It’d be real easy not to be that way. It’d be real easy for guys to say, ‘You know, I want to go get mine’ or whatever but they haven’t done that. And we’ve held them to a pretty high standard, but they’ve held themselves to that high standard.”

How much of a role has Gardner played in all of that? The guy who’s been injured, and how is his health right now?

“Well, we’ll figure that out because we don’t talk about injuries, but we’ll figure that out. With Devin I think the growth, and I said it earlier, and the demeanor and what he has done on and off the field has been really special.”

Why didn’t Willie play today? [Willie] Henry.

“He didn’t play, but he was out there dressed and ready.”

So is that something we’re not talking about because he’s injured?

“Well, I’ll let you figure that one out.” /smiles

Without Willie, who’s arguably your best interior guy, you still had maybe the best performance the defensive line has had in quite some time. Frank [Clark], in general, what did you see?

“Well, we’ve done a pretty good job I would believe in recruiting defensive linemen. Going from a three-man front to a four-man front; Chris Wormley, Matt Godin, Tom Strobel when you look at the three-techniques that we have and the same thing inside at the nose position with Mone, who started today, Glasgow and Willie [and] Hurst and Ondre. Ondre’s fighting something but he’ll be back and he’ll be ready. I think we’re fortunate that we’ve got a lot of young guys in those classes that compete every day.”

You mentioned how this team has been resilient and stuck together these last two weeks.

“Yes.”

What is it about these guys do you think that allowed them to shut out the outside noise, and what have the last two weeks been like for them dealing with it?

“I think the guys have character. I think they’re guys who have a tremendous amount of pride in themselves and in each other as a team. I think they’re motivated. I think when we haven’t played as well as we think and know we can, I think they got ticked off and so I think ever day that they’ve gone out I think they’ve gone out to get better, push each other, compete and challenge with each other and that’s what they’ve done. I just think- from the beginning I said this team has leadership in all grades and they’ve shown that and they’ve demonstrated that.”

Without talking about injuries, is this a really good time for your crew to have a bye week?

“That’s a very good question. Yes it is. Believe me, it’s happening at a good time as far as we [can] get some rest. The guys get away from us a little bit, which is always positive and probably more positive for them than me because I worry about them, but I think it’s good that we have a chance for them to get rested up a little bit.”

Can you say how much pain Devin was in when he went back in after it looked like an ankle injury, and also he looked like he was pacing the sideline? Was he asking you to go back in?

“You know, the only time he said something to me was the series before, and he just said, ‘Coach, I’m going.’ I said, ‘Trainers say you’re okay?’ [He said,] ‘Yeah.’ I said, ‘Okay, go.’”

Did he express how much pain he was in?

“No. No. He doesn’t do that. I mean, most of our guys aren’t going to tell you.”

My other question: Frank Clark- obviously last week’s issue before the half and this. Was this sort of poetic for Frank to get that sack?

“Poetic.”

I know that’s not your thing.

“Right.”

/room laughs

“Now, that’s an assumption. Yeah, it was good for him to finish. Let’s put it that way.”

Can you talk about Matt Wile’s day?

“Yeah. I’ll tell you what, I think I’ve said it every time we’ve had a press conference since Notre Dame; he’s been on and he’s been hitting the ball well. Last week the field goal gets blocked but he hit it well. He’s been hitting it well. I think his confidence is where you want it to be, where he wants it to be, where we want it to be. So we’re really, really, really excited, and you forget about Scott Sypniewski, the snapper. You forget about Kenny Allen, who holds, and how much they work together every day and how successful he was and a lot of it starts there, too.”

Who were the other quarterbacks available other than Russell [Bellomy]?

“Well, whoever was dressed out was.”

So Shane [Morris] could have played?

“They were dressed out, right?”

But the question is could they have gone in the game?

“Yeah.”

Comments

west2

October 12th, 2014 at 12:45 PM ^

the kids win one as the dismal performances surely are not due to effort on their part.  It seems to me that the lack of definitiveness in these pressors is exactly why Hoke is lacking as a head coach.  You simply have to bring more than a rah-rah attitude and cheerleader mentality to head coach position.  Hey was I dreaming or did I actually see Hoke with headphones on during the game for a few minutes?!

snarling wolverine

October 12th, 2014 at 3:22 PM ^

I did question our effort in the second half of the Minnesota game.  I didn't see the same fire that day (and not coincidentally, it's the only game our rush D has been gashed in).  But that was the only time.

I give credit to both the players and staff for continuing to compete since then.  This staff has its shortcomings but it has not lost the team, as it very easily could have after Minnesota.  If it can keep the team giving this effort every week, we might still have a shot at a bowl.  That's probably not enough to save Hoke's job but it'd be nice to get the team another 15 practices in December and a bowl trip somewhere.

Michigan Arrogance

October 12th, 2014 at 5:12 PM ^

I agree 100% and haven't seen much about it: that D vs Minn was lack luster, and I thought many of those guys just lost that 110% knowing that the offense wasn't going to do jack for the 3rd straight big game. Just too much pressure and they could see the writing on the wall. Credit where credit is due tho: this game was different. We'll see how it goes in EL

UMfan21

October 12th, 2014 at 8:04 PM ^

I felt like RR might have gotten another year if he had not lost his team before the bowl game.

As a manager/coach, once you lose your team, you are toast. So far, as you said, Hoke has kept the team and that is admirable I guess. I think the fan/media outrage may have helped the team galvanize, and coincidentally helped Hoke and Brandon stay until November. If this team had given up on Hoke, I think a mid year firing is in order, but that's just me.

PhilipVU94

October 12th, 2014 at 10:13 PM ^

I thought I read somewhere (like an old post here) that Bacon's book strongly implied it was determined before the Gator Bowl that RR would not be back. I suppose he might have lost the team between the end of season and the bowl in a way that was obvious to the powers that be without needing a result, but that seems unlikely.

MonkeyMan

October 12th, 2014 at 12:54 PM ^

Definitely a bonehead call that creates serious doubt about his judgement. I found myself wanting him to take the headphones off and maybe go to a Bob Evans for the rest of the night.

On a side note- i had a real hard time typing into this comment box on internet explorer- I thought my keyboard was malfunctioning- but when I opened MgoBlog in Google Chrome every letter types easily

does anyone know why this may be?

AlbanyBlue

October 12th, 2014 at 8:50 PM ^

This happened to me often while using IE -- the IE browser uses quite a bit of RAM, and if the available RAM gets too low, the computer will access memory on the hard drive, and that creates the lag you are seeing. Dump IE and use another browser. 

Magnum P.I.

October 12th, 2014 at 2:22 PM ^

Remember when he chased down Stefon Diggs on the sideline in the Army All-American game? I thought he was going to be one of the great ones at U-M. Now he's fighting to even see the field as a junior and is way on the outside of making an NFL roster. 

UMForLife

October 12th, 2014 at 12:59 PM ^

I think he is better off not wearing a headset. Makes boneheaded calls.

He just sounds confrontational. Even on a silly question about Morris, he could just answer yes. He just creates more conversation than needed. He needs to learn how to end a question better and not come off as confrontational.

Hate to see him go, but he has to

caup

October 12th, 2014 at 1:57 PM ^

"We talked about taking them one at a time and that’s what we’re going to do and just see where this team finishes.” 

 

Thank you! Stop talking big picture and just focus on the task at hand.

Waves

October 12th, 2014 at 2:29 PM ^

Why does Hoke act like being injured is normal or even a badge of honor?

UM's casualty rate is far too high to be explained away. Either players are out of position and are getting blindsided or it's a S&C issue.

Tater

October 12th, 2014 at 3:38 PM ^

Since they are playing below their talent level despite having great attitudes and working hard, it can be reasonably speculated that the schemes on both sides of the ball are putting them in predictable positions and making it easier for opponents to deliver bigger "hits" on them.  This could easily lead to more injuries.

CLord

October 12th, 2014 at 2:40 PM ^

The only TD this offense mustered last night was sheer luck when a safety played an interception poorly, allowing Funchess to sneak underneath and bobble, grab it.  The offense was unwatchable.  Why can't someone ask Brady: "Coach, you're overseeing the worst offense in Michigan history, such that, even if the offense improved by 2 magnitudes it would still be the worst offense in Michigan history.  With the incredible offensive innovation we see going on all over the country, from teams like Baylor and Oregon and Auburn and even Rutgers, why have you allowed or forced your offensive coordinator to deploy such a predictable, unimaginative scheme that is about as fun to watch as watching paint dry or molasses grow, let alone totally ineffective in that it never catches opposing defenses off guard based on their scheme or numbers in areas?"

I'd insta-wire $1,000 to any reporter that asked him this question or something similar.

Magnum P.I.

October 12th, 2014 at 5:27 PM ^

I think the "real deal" answer is simply that this is all he knows. The decision to structure our offense this way is the same decision to maintain an antiquated punt formation--it's what Brady is comfortable with. This is, in large part, what makes a staff "good" or not: the breadth of things they know or are "comfortabe with." I think Brady's football knowledge is severely limited and instead of giving full rein to his OC, he keeps things within the parameters of what he's comfortable with.

CoverZero

October 12th, 2014 at 4:35 PM ^

Are you negging my post or the though of Hoke coming back? I just don't see them making the chane, even if they lose to osu and msu and miss a bowl. Hoke still has too much support, unfortunately.

Muttley

October 12th, 2014 at 5:36 PM ^

to provide the lion's share of support to the non-revenue sports, staying with Hoke is a risky move to the $82 million direct revenue stream that the football program produces on $24 million of costs.

Whether it's the fan in row 30 trying to decide whether the $1,000+ per season ticket is in his or her budget or whether it's the big wig trying to decide whether it's worth 6-8 Saturdays to fly in, continued mediocricy is going to hurt revenues.

I know Stephen Ross has deep pockets, but how much of that $82 million revenue is he willing to risk having to make up?

robpollard

October 12th, 2014 at 8:09 PM ^

There is 0% Hoke comes back if they lose to osu and msu. 0%. At best, UM would be 6-6 and play in some low-rent bowl which no one would care about.



The off-season would be down right hostile, and if you think UM Athletic Dept had to come up with some crazy gimmick promotions for this year, try selling a team that went 6-6 two years in a row, can not beat its biggest rivals, yet for some reason kept the same coach.

uncleFred

October 12th, 2014 at 9:08 PM ^

With that record it would depend greatly, perhaps solely, on how the team was playing at seaon's end. You and others here would be well served to go listen to the former players comments on WTKA. Quite an eye opener. Assuming that the folks making the decisions about Hoke's future at Michigan are exposed to that input, the factors in Hoke's retention will extend far beyond his record or whether he beats either MSU and/or Ohio.

The former player's perspective about the state of this team is both far more realistic and measured that the vast majority of opinions here. After listening to their comments, and I listened to all of them which required some time, it is my considered opinion that Hoke's departure is far from certain, and possibly even unlikely. 

As for next season, with or without Hoke, having both MSU and Ohio on the home schedule pretty much ensures that tickets will sell just fine.

At this point it doesn't matter, what will matter is the state of the program and the team at season's end. What matters now is the MSU game. 

robpollard

October 12th, 2014 at 10:50 PM ^

I will find whatever lemons and other citrus Brian has not eaten if Brady Hoke is here next year if we lose to OSU and MSU. Why on earth would UM keep someone who can't come close to winning the worst Power 5 conference in the country, can't beat our main rivals and not to mention got thrown under the bus by his AD during the whole Shane Morris debacle.

He may have goodwill with some former players, but he certainly doesn't with the fan base. I'd stop listening to former players -- their insularity and focus on a "Michigan Man" (as opposed to, you know, the actual best man for the job) helped get us into this predicament in the first place.



I too hope we beat MSU, but I'm also going to deal with reality.

 

YaterSalad

October 12th, 2014 at 10:24 PM ^

Why not just let it play out first? Before you go calling for his head ... Just see what happens.



Remember, Nuss is installing his system for the first time. We all like to point to MSU as a comparison where we are failing. Last year, their offense stunk until 6 games in because of a new corrdinator. They still got lucky because they had been running the same pressure style defense for 7 years. And we all can't stand 4 years of a Hoke transition after 3 years of Rich Rod.



The dude is in year 4 of a 6 year deal. At the end of the season, assuming this team implodes, we can fire him. But rallying to 7 wins and being Sparty or the Bucks is improvement with a big schedule favor next year.



I just don't want to be the school constantly churning coaches because our fanbase has some unrealistic expectations. In that vain, let's see how the season goes before any knee-jerk reactions.



On the other hand, totally support Brandon getting the boot immediately for making me feel like a piece of shit season ticket holder. That pains me more ... Buying my seats for a decade after graduation (and my family has had seats for 40+ years) and feeling like a chump paying full price while idiots get in for $20 that comes with a free coke and pizza. My loyalty deserves something other than skywriting-gate, coke promotion, lack of seat covers, increased ticket prices, etc. that jack ass has enough of a body of work for me to back him getting the boot.

Mr Miggle

October 13th, 2014 at 9:07 AM ^

MSU's offense struggled early last year because their QB was terrible. They got better when they finally found the right QB in Connor Cook.

Our offense is still terrible. Any improvement during the season has been marginal. There's no reasonable explanation for why bringing in Nussmeier should result in a painful transition. He's not using a whole new system. He's simplifying the one we already had. It supposedly fits our roster. The offense has gone backwards from last year's low mark, despite having less than a nomal amount of roster turnover. That's not the expected cost of replacing a coordinator. Is it going to happen again when Nussmeier leaves?

I don't need to wait and see how things play out to evaluate whether Hoke should be retained. He's been here 3 and 1/2 years +. The team has gotten steadily worse, dramatically so this year. If they finish strong this season, great. I'll give Hoke and staff credit for holding the team together. He's put a lot of talent on the roster. I'll give him credit for that too. He's not the worst coach ever. He should be able to win some games with this team.

The problem is that he's allowed this team to sink to depths no one could have anticipated. Multiple blowout losses to so-so teams in year 4 with no reasonable explanation. This is easily the worst season in my memory relative to expectations. Hoke's performance has done a great deal of damage to the program. Winning a few games at the end of the year only lessens the magnitude of his failure. Instead of epically bad, perhaps we could just say it was bad and that we expect a lot more from our coaches.

It would be nice to finish the season on a high note and have a little less sense of dread going into next season. It's too late to transfer that into confidence in Hoke's ability to build a really good team. I don't see how our expectations for a coach can be anything less.

 

 

 

 

 

Hail-Storm

October 13th, 2014 at 10:16 AM ^

that people think that a season record above 7 wins is unrealistic, especially when the BIG is as down as it is.  I remember not so long ago when 9 wins, in the best conference in the nation, with one less game, was considered just an ok season.

I just don't understand why in year 4, fans are being unrealistic when Michigan continues to regress with 4 star talent. i agree that swapping coaches is bad, but staying with a bad coach is also a poor decision.