[Fuller]

Josh Ross

 

What have you picked up from (Devin Bush) specifically?

 

“It’s hard to say, but the main thing — I’m just trying — the main thing coming into the season, of course, you guys know,. I was playing two positions. So I was just trying to learn both positions and be the best that I could at both of them, so that’s the main thing.”

 

...

 

What was the difference between the first half and second half for the defense?

 

“I just feel like we — first half — we was a little bit too jittery. I feel like second half, we was a little bit more poised, we was in the crowd, we know how the game was going. We just sat down and we played. We balled out.”

 

…

 

James, if you’re feeling jittery, how does that manifest itself on the field and what does that mean?

 

“Ha, James.”

 

(Everyone laughs)

 

“No, when I said jittery, it wasn’t meaning like nervous or nothing, we just kinda — it was just the beginning of a big game, we made a lotta mistakes there we shouldn’t have made. And second half, we were way more poised than we were in the first half.”

 

…

 

 What do you say to a fanbase that kind of has the sky is falling mentality after the first game?

 

“Our main thing, we’re kinda blocking all that out. We just wanna play football. We wanna move on to Western (Michigan) and have the best game that we can possibly have and that’s the main thing.”

 

…

 

Did you guys maybe need to get pushed a little bit (in the first half)?

 

“I wouldn’t say we needed it. It’s just as the game went on, I mean, as a defense, we just were more poised and more comfortable out there and I feel like we played way better in the second half than we did in the first.”

 

…

 

How long before the game, or when before the game, did you know Devin (Gil) was gonna start at WILL and you were gonna kinda come in in spells?

 

“I didn’t — it’s hard to say. But main thing, we were just, we were competing the whole camp and we had, I mean — I love Devin Gil. He’s a great guy. Being next to that guy and us learning from each other, and learning our position and talking to each other, it was beautiful. I’m so glad we both went through that.”

 

He said you two feed off each other. What have you picked up?

 

“I mean, just the way we communicate. We kinda know what we’re gonna say on a certain play — we meet — we kinda feel the same way on certain plays. Like, it’s weird. But like I said, I love having a guy like that in the linebacker corps, being able to talk —”

 

Being able to finish each other’s sentences?

 

“Yeah, so it’s just pretty cool.”

 

…

 

How often do you get called your brothers’ name?

 

“All the time.”

 

Still?

 

“Oh yeah, all the time. I mean, all the time. All the time. We got called twins, we got — it’s so many things. I get called James every day, but it is what it is. He’s short and fat, and I’m a little bit more built.”

 

Do you ever play along with it?

 

“Definitely. If coach Harbaugh calls me James, I just go along with it.”

 

He calls you James, too?

 

“Before he has. But just go along with it and let it ride.”

 

[Fuller]

Brad Hawkins

 

Can you describe what you saw on that long touchdown pass?

 

“I just — I seen the ball in the air. Thought it was mine, I didn’t come down with it. But, I mean, it happens. Moved on to the next play. And I just continue to play the way that I know I’m capable of playing.”

 

Were you surprised you didn’t make a play on that ball?

 

“I definitely was surprised. Definitely was, but it happens.”

 

Is it a technique thing? Did coach (Don) Brown talk to you after it?

 

“He just said, ‘You just gotta go get that next time, but move onto the next play.’ ”

 

…

 

How do you think your history playing receiver in the past helps you at safety?

 

“It helped me a lot with route combinations. Knowing a lot of different receivers’ releases.”

 

…

 

Was it Don Brown’s call to move you to the defensive side of the ball, before you came here?

 

“He asked me, did I want to play defense. I told him yes, I would love that. … I thought it was just the best thing for me, and my future.”

 

Why did you think it was the best thing for you?

 

“It’s just something that, you know, I just — I was working for it, honestly. Nobody didn’t know, but I just thought that DB was the best thing for me.”

 

In terms of a football future?

 

“Yes. Football future, yes.”

 

…

 

Was that in that prep school year? When did you come to that conclusion?

 

“I actually — I came to that conclusion my prep school year, but I just played receiver at prep school. That was it.”

 

[Fuller]

Devin Gil

 

How much of an influence was Mike McCray on you?

 

“He was a big influence. Being able to watch him doing right and wrong made me a better player and made me realize that being behind him showed me a new way at linebacker.”

 

Did he give you any feedback — personal feedback — from Saturday?

 

“No, not yet. I haven’t even spoken to him, but I know he had some things in mind.”

 

…

 

What’s the dynamic like between you (and Ross) now? Obviously someone has to be the starter.

 

“Between me and Josh?”

 

Yes.

 

“I mean, we cool. Like I said, we both feed off each other, no matter what. Regardless, if he’s in, I’m in, we know that. We always got each others’ back and if we see something that we did wrong or that can help us, we’re gonna make that adjustment and help us out.”

 

[Fuller]

Oliver Martin

 

How much have you picked up from Grant (Perry), maybe different advice that he’s given you?

 

“Picked up a lot. He’s naturally a savvy guy, and he’s got a lot of insight on the position. He helps with just alignments on the field, certain releases, identifying coverages. He helps a ton. He’s a really good mentor for all the receivers.”

 

What’s the biggest gain you’ve had from last year to this year?

 

“I think I improved on my releases a little bit. That was a big area of improvement. And then learning all the different receiver positions, so whenever there’s a rotation — whether it be the X, Z or F position — I can go in.”

 

…

 

What did you see on that long pass play from Shea?

 

“I had a seam release corner, and Cover-2, and I kinda got bumped outside a little bit early. So I got on the sideline quick, and then I saw Shea scrambling and kinda motioned me in. And I saw the defense kinda overplay a little bit, so I just cut back across the field and there was that little hole in the defense that he hit me on.”

 

…

 

You mention learning several spots — how much did Tarik (Black’s) injury affect you … and how much you had to step up?

 

“I had to play a little bit more of the X position, where traditionally I played a little bit more Z and F. So, I just have to be ready to play any of the three positions. And then that goes the same for the other receivers, too. You have to be able to play all of the positions.”

 

[Fuller]

Rashan Gary (from Monday)

 

Were you surprised by how much trouble you had with the mobility of their quarterback?

 

“Nah, to be honest, I felt that we handled it how we were supposed to handle it. And that’s all I got to say about that.”

 

Rashan, you talk about settling in in the second half, what was different early on, in the first half that caught you guys off-guard?

 

“It was nothing different, it was just more of what we did to ourselves. Lie I said, not just penalties and not playing the way Michigan plays.”

 

…

 

As you look back at that first half, were their touchdowns more plays that they made, or more maybe plays that you didn’t make on defense?

 

“Talking about the first half, I feel that we hurt ourselves more than they hurt us, and that’s just with the penalties. As you can see, second half, once we got settled in and started rolling, it was the Michigan football that we needed. But it was too late by then.”

 

…

 

Rashan, regarding the aggression and maybe teams taking advantage or letting you guys overcommit, does you role change with a mobile quarterback? Your specific role, as far as how you approach the pocket, or how you go after him, knowing that he can kind of escape?

 

“With a mobile quarterback, of course you gotta contain rush. Just make sure you keep him inside the pocket as much as you can and bring as much pressure as you can. … Have to contain and not always rush upfield all the time.”

 

Do you guys think you didn’t do that at times — keep contain?

 

“Oh yeah, absolutely. If you watch the game, he got us out of the pocket a couple times. Like I said, that’s just us hurting ourselves, but when we did what he had to do, stayed inside of the pocket, made a couple bad throws. (Wimbush is) a good athlete — did what he had to do — and we pulled it back.”

 

[Fuller]

Sean McKeon (from Monday)

 

After the game, Chase had said something about how, when you — first game’s much harder than anything you go through in camp. Did you feel that at all when you went into this game, especially with their physicality?

 

“Yeah, I mean, you can’t really create a game in practice. As much as we try to go — scrimmages, live reps against the 1s, but everything in the game is a lot faster, a lot quicker, you gotta make split-second decisions. So it’s definitely different. But it just takes, maybe a series to get into it. And I thought — obviously playing last year helped me out a lot, but pretty similar to how it was last year.”

 

Did you think the hit on you was targeting?

 

“I mean, I don’t know. I’m not a ref. So I’m not gonna say anything else about that. But it was a good hit by him, good play.”

 

…

 

Where does the offense need to improve most?

 

“You know, it’s not one guy, it’s not one unit, it’s the offense as a whole. So we’re gonna look at what we did in the game, learn from our mistakes. Obviously we’re gonna put it behind us, we’re gonna focus on Western (Michigan), just working to keep getting better every week.”

 

Did the offense feel simpler in the game as much as it felt simpler in practice?

 

“You know, the offense — it’s simple to me. I don’t know about other guys, but really you just gotta — we took a lotta reps in camp. Working on all the plays, so obviously it feels simple when you take that many reps, put that much time into it.”

 

…

 

You talked about Shea after the game. How has he, in your mind, handled all the center of attention kinda thing and expectations put on him?

 

“I think he’s kinda used to that. He’s always had a lotta attention on him, even at Ole Miss and when he came here, so, he doesn’t let any noise bother him, really. He’s just focused on improving and trying to win the next game.”

 

What was the bus ride home like, and why are you sure this team bounces back?

 

“I mean, obviously a three-hour bus ride after a loss isn’t very fun, but just something — you gotta take a nap, think about the game, think about what you could done better to help the team win. But, you know, I think our team is focused. We’re focused — we put the game behind us. We’re gonna learn from our mistakes and we’re gonna do better.”