Tuesday Presser Transcript 11-26-13: Greg Mattison
[No MGoQuestions because of Thanksgiving and ennui. Audio for the following transcription is courtesy of Chantel Jennings.]
Opening remarks:
“As far as last game, I was disappointed that we gave up that lead. That’s not what our defense tries to do. No matter what happens, we have to hold onto it. But moving forward, we’ve got to get this one.”
What kind of challenges does Braxton Miller give you?
“Braxton Miller is a great football player. I am very very impressed with his development. He’s becoming a complete quarterback. He’s not only a tremendous athlete but he’s got a very good arm and he’s making a lot of great decisions. I mean, he’s going to be a great challenge. That’s why they are who they are. He’s really done a great job.”
Is he the most complete quarterback you’ve played?
“Yeah. No question. He’s by far the most complete quarterback that we’ll face this year.”
How much does it help him and tougher for you that they have a good running back like Carlos Hyde?
“Well he, the back – I believe the running back is the best running back in the league. He’s a downhill, hardnosed running back that can catch the ball and do it all. They’ve got the quarterback and they’ve got a running back, and that’s a pretty good start. They’re both playing at a very high level.”
Have people still been trying to make Miller beat them with his arm?
“Well the thing is he’s such a great athlete that when you try to pressure him, you’ve got to make sure you have every base covered. When he does break, or when he does beat a guy with his athleticism, a lot of times with the pressures, you’re running with wide receivers and there’s a pretty big field open, and you see that when you’re watching film. The breakdowns time and time again where you think he’s sacked and all of a sudden he’s running for 30, 40 yards.”
How did Ben Gedeon play last game?
“I was really really impressed with Ben Gedeon. We played most of that second half with Joe [Bolden] and Ben, and that’s Ben’s first real okay-you’re-in-there-every-play. He showed up in that game like the guy we know we have here. I think you’re going to see some really good things from him. And Joe Bolden, it’s like we’ve talked before here in this group. Joe Bolden was forced to play every snap, and that’s hard for a young linebacker like that to go every snap, but he got us lined up and he did the things a linebacker has to do as far as making sure – when you lose the two guys that have really carried the bulk of our linebacking crew and those two went in there and did a pretty good job, that spoke a lot about that.
“Ben Gedeon’s a tough kid, now. The stage isn’t too big for him. One thing he is, he’s a very tough young man that also is tremendously intelligent. And that’s what we saw when we recruited him. He comes from an incredible family. A doctor, one’s a captain at Harvard, one’s at the Naval Academy. That’s a great line there. I was impressed with Ben.”
What is it like when the fanbase turns against the coaching staff?
“I don’t hear it. I don’t hear it. I got here at 5:30 this morning. I left last night at 11:30. I’ve been coaching a long, long time. If I worried about what people thought, there’s only one person that matters, and that’s the head football coach. And that’s why I’m here. You do this long enough, somebody’s always going to wonder and somebody’s always going to talk about hey, this guy. I don’t hear it -- I wish I had time to hear it, to be honest with you. Every ounce of our time and effort is to see if we can play our best football game on Saturday.”
Are you seeing the best from Jake Ryan so far this season?
“Jake Ryan? No. Jake Ryan knows that his best may never come because I think he’s so talented. I’m kidding when I say that. Jake Ryan is starting to feel a lot more comfortable. You can see that. Jake Ryan looks more and more like Jake Ryan. I’m so proud of him and so happy with how hard he’s playing and how hard he’s preparing. He’s been a great leader for us. And Cam [Gordon] is doing a good job, also. Those two guys are complementing each other and I’ve been very very pleased with him.”
When you know the offense is struggling, what is it like in the meeting room? Do you tell your guys they have to do more?
“No. I’m telling them that they have to be a Michigan defense, and a Michigan defense does whatever it has to do to win. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter if we start on the one-yard line coming out or you start on the 40-yard line coming in. If you’re a Michigan defense, you relish that. You go out and you want to play to that. No. All we’re trying to do is become as good as we can be and try to get 60 minutes. Try to go every play, not just three quarters and so many minutes. That’s where we haven’t – it doesn’t matter the circumstance. That’s what we haven’t done is to be able to go a complete ball game. To go all the way. It doesn’t matter if you have 75 snaps or 50 snaps. You know, you’ve got to step up and do what you’re supposed to do, and that’s be a defensive player that keeps them out of the end zone.”
Do you ignore the talk from people predicting an easy Ohio State win, or do allow that to feed into your guys this week?
“I don’t usually talk to the guys about what people say. They are here at Michigan. They know about this rivalry. I’ve had the great fortune of being here. I think one year we were maybe 6-5 or 7-5 and they were undefeated and we beat them here. The next year we were 8-3 and they were undefeated, and we beat them there. That game, it’s just about executing and playing Michigan football.”
That was ‘95 and ‘96?
“I think ‘93, ‘95? That year they came with all the award winners. The Biletnikoff, the Outland, and they had a Heisman. I think they had roses in their mouths when they got here. I’m not sure.”
Do you remember the feelings from those weeks? Does that translate to these guys?
“No, and it didn’t translate to that group before the game either back then. It’s just that what Michigan football is about, and that’s the Michigan-Ohio game. That’s what it is. That’s what makes this such a great conference and makes this such a great rivalry.”
The Ohio State offensive line is also one of the better groups you’ve seen?
“They’ve a good offensive line. You don’t score all the points and do the things they do – Hyde is tremendous, Braxton is tremendous, and they’ve got great wide receivers. They have an outstanding football team.”
November 26th, 2013 at 6:15 PM ^
Greg Mattison: not participating in Step On a Rake Day at Fort Schembechler.
November 26th, 2013 at 6:41 PM ^
November 26th, 2013 at 6:19 PM ^
any way to see the borges presser?
November 26th, 2013 at 6:27 PM ^
...Mattison called Abdullah the best RB in the league a few weeks ago.
November 26th, 2013 at 6:27 PM ^
November 26th, 2013 at 6:34 PM ^
November 26th, 2013 at 6:35 PM ^
Don't you think that if he wanted to be a head coach he would have been one by now? Seems like a dude who just wants to be a DC.
November 26th, 2013 at 7:10 PM ^
Him and LSU's John Chavis meeting up and going on all kinds of wacky adventures together. Just two super competent lifelong DCs that don't give a damn about a head coaching job and probably have a VCR recording of quarterbacks getting knocked out somewhere in their house.
November 26th, 2013 at 8:21 PM ^
Chavis and Mattison's Wacky Adventures. I'd watch that show. It'd be more entertaining than some of the football we've seen around these parts this year. It'd be better than some of the other garbage shows on TV these days, as well.
Given the string of debacles this season has become, I still -- I know, I am truly hopeless -- find myself trying to conjure a way forward to victory for the Wolverines on Saturday. I think if we get six or seven pick sixes, that might do it. Apart from that, we can hope the team of which we do not speak implodes under whatever pressure might still exist for a group trying to cap its second-straight perfect season against its struggling arch rival on the road. I also want Devin to be all the Devin he can be if he's healthy. I'd like to see him audible the crap out of the game plan if Borges tries to blow this thing, which we all know he will. What does Devin have to lose? What are they going to do about it?
I'd also settle for solid offense, defense and special teams, and a perfectly-tuned game plan. But that might be asking for too much.
Finally, they must execute.
November 26th, 2013 at 9:22 PM ^
You realize Hoke coaches the defense too right?
November 27th, 2013 at 12:04 AM ^
Hoke has a token DL coach role because he doesn't know what elst to do, certainly doesn't understand the offense, and Borges "doesn't work well with other coaches" And he reports to Mattison as the DL coach.
November 27th, 2013 at 4:49 AM ^
I'd only written one rather bland sentence, but having scrolled down I realize that any direct response is more than dude deserves.
Troll away.
November 26th, 2013 at 9:27 PM ^
GM returned to AA because he wanted to coach with Hoke. If Hoke goes, I'm guessing that GM goes with him and retires or returns to the NFL. If Hoke was as bad a coach as many think him to be, do you honestly think that GM would have left the NFL to come coach with him?
November 27th, 2013 at 12:05 AM ^
Mattison returned to AA because his daughter wanted him to see his grandchild grow up and be with the family.
November 27th, 2013 at 7:46 AM ^
I agree on the firing of Prescott Borgess. You are an idiot for inviting the firing of Hoke and welcoming the turmoil, decommitments, transfers, and reset button that comes with that. It's pretty easy to tell who is short sighted on these boards. We've set ourselves up for the future. We can turn this around by paying out the ass for a great OC. That's all we need, and I hope like hell that's all we see in the offseason.
November 27th, 2013 at 8:20 AM ^
And who's the idiot???
November 27th, 2013 at 10:43 AM ^
but I'm gonna guess that he was being sarcastic.
November 26th, 2013 at 6:51 PM ^
Sisyphus sighting! I love that guy.
Go get 'em Greg. Give them hell...until you can no longer give them hell.
November 26th, 2013 at 7:05 PM ^
Should have a photoshop contest to superimpose the face of the most deserving coach/player.
November 26th, 2013 at 10:53 PM ^
November 26th, 2013 at 7:22 PM ^
looks heavy
November 26th, 2013 at 7:36 PM ^
Was another year OSU was undefeated and ranked #1, Michigan came into the game 8-3. Eddie George was the HT winner...don't know if he took the game off, but that was year of the Biakabatuka bombing raid.
Two years before that OSU was undefeated, Michigan was a middling 6-4, and Nuteyes returned to Columbus 28 points shy of victory.
November 26th, 2013 at 8:20 PM ^
No defense = not going to happen this year. Blue 13 Bucknuts 34
November 26th, 2013 at 9:47 PM ^
We do have a defense.
November 27th, 2013 at 12:07 AM ^
We have a great D.......Wish the O would let them rest more with a few less 3 and outs!...Perhaps then the D could score more touchdowns since the O certainly isn't well enough coached to handle that role!
November 27th, 2013 at 8:19 AM ^
long gone are those day that we as fanbase still baskin in. Right now every unit that will take the field for OSU is much better than what michigan can put on the field. Almost every position on offense excluding TE in my opinion OSU is better and their entire DL is light yearrs ahead of ours.
November 27th, 2013 at 9:45 AM ^
This defense: cant get a pass rush, can't stop a high tempo spread offense, can't get off the field on 3rd and short, and relatively gives up a great deal of 15+Yard plays. That's a recipe for disaster in the final two games.
November 27th, 2013 at 1:51 AM ^
Yeah, I was at that 1995 game. I remember early in the first quarter Biakabutuka got tackled in the backfield, and the Ohio fans started cheering, which was fine. Their D made a good play. But then Touchdown Tim was slow getting up. It appeared he was injured -- and the Buckeye section broke into a thunderous roar. Cheering for an injury of a teenage college kid. Fucking classless. It was not just a few people either. The entire Buckeye section was screaming. You would have thought they had scored a touchdown or something. That moment solidified my hatred for the Buckeye fans and their misplaced priorities like nothing else could. It made the win that much sweeter when Tim proceeding to get up from the turf and rush for 313 yards that day.
November 27th, 2013 at 9:45 AM ^
was amazing. I was SO entranced with Biakabutuka TRUCKING those mf'ers...it was amazing. Loved every minute of it.
Your turn now, Mr. Green.
November 27th, 2013 at 10:31 AM ^
I think it's Mr. Leg Churn's turn. OSU no wrap up on tackles, and I think his balance might be a little better than D-Greens right now.
November 26th, 2013 at 7:46 PM ^
November 26th, 2013 at 7:46 PM ^
November 26th, 2013 at 7:47 PM ^
November 26th, 2013 at 7:47 PM ^
...if the Lions are contagious.
November 26th, 2013 at 8:05 PM ^
November 26th, 2013 at 8:13 PM ^
So what does a head coach do for 17-18 hours a day?
I've also heard Steve Spurrier say he's a head ball coach because he didn't want a real job. So....
November 26th, 2013 at 10:30 PM ^
There is an article onJohn Harbaugh's schedule that ESPN did recently.
November 26th, 2013 at 9:41 PM ^
Kept us in the PSU game, including a fumble return TD, until the offense woke up
Kept us in the MSU game and got us the ball down 16-6 with ball around MSU 40 after Taylor's INT
Kept us in the Nebraska game down 10-0 from 1st quarter till end
Kept us in the Iowa game, got a pick six, plus two other INTs
I can count the bad drives (PSU 80-yd drive, MSU 97-yd drive, Nebraska final TD drive, Iowa TD drive in 4th quarter) - four bad drives in 11 games.
Borges has four bad drives (or more) PER GAME.
Not to mention the work done with the 2011 D alone.
November 26th, 2013 at 10:35 PM ^
I don't remember him doing any of these things. Pretty impressive for an old guy though.
November 26th, 2013 at 9:42 PM ^
Not perfect but good enough to score 20 pts.
We'd have a shot with Greg and a decent O at home.
If anything, OSU hasn't truly been tested since Iowa game.
November 27th, 2013 at 12:12 AM ^
Since Hoke doesn't know O and Borges is incompetent, etc, etc, etc.......Perhpas Mattison was asked to consult and have some influence on play calling........nah, just a fantasy, can't happen........ Borges is too stuborn and pig headed to listen and would rather blame the players.
November 27th, 2013 at 12:17 AM ^
The D should be great next year despite total incompetance on O costing the best, and possibly the 2nd best recruits in the country.......sad, sad, sad.......Borges needed to be canned immediately after them PSU game simialr to what was done in other programs to save their seasons. Should have been done after he proved his total incompetance last year actually!
November 27th, 2013 at 12:30 AM ^
For $650.000/yr (3re highest in college football) M should be able to get one of the best O coordinator's in the biz......One who completely run's the show on O......And, works well with other coaches. Such as, ah ah.....a QB coach. Then Hoak can be the $4M dollar figure head (perhaps a tad high for this role), set the culture for the program, and recruit recruit, recruit.........all of which he does well. He is great at what he does......just needs the right people to delegate to. The New OC should then be able to pick the O assistants he desires, including perhaps the S&C guy since there seems to be an issue with strenght and toughness that there certainly wasn't with Barwis.
November 27th, 2013 at 9:28 AM ^
November 27th, 2013 at 9:37 AM ^
November 27th, 2013 at 10:25 AM ^
November 27th, 2013 at 10:00 AM ^
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