Tuesday Presser Transcript 9-24-13: Brady Hoke Comment Count

Heiko

Bullets:

  • Jake Ryan! Won't be back for Big Ten opener. Maybe by Penn State. "Mid-october" is the target.
  • The only way Graham Glasgow gets moved to center is if there's a capable guard to replace him.

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Opening remarks:

“Good practice today. Back to basics, I think that’s what most of us do during bye weeks, especially the first couple days. Fundamentals, being sound with technique, revisiting technique is always important. I think we did that. We had great intensity. The focus was very good.”

Are there guys that are going to rest this week?

“No. I mean, everybody’s participating, some at different levels than others. Taylor doesn’t need to be out there 30 plays in a practice -- I’ll just use him as an example. You’ll do some of that, but everybody’s doing work.”

For Taylor, has this season been an improvement for him?

“I think he’s playing pretty well. I think he’s been very good as a leader. I think he’s been good fundamentally and technique. I think he’s been pretty good.”

Has he been playing hurt?

“No, I don’t think so.”

You’ve talked about potential depth chart changes. Do you do that this week?

“We would start that today. We’ll work different guys in and out. Defensively, we do that a lot because of how we play. Offensively we’ll do that a little bit.”

What positions are you thinking offensively?

“Well I think the three guys in the middle, the offensive line, are always something that we look at. There’s some guys who have played well in there but there’s great competition behind them. So if a guy has a good practice, good couple days, you may move him up.”

Is it a day to day thing with those guys?

“I think so. I think it always is. I think really at any position, I mean, we’ve had guys who have started, haven’t started some games because the week of practice wasn’t as good as it needed to be.”

Would you be hesitant to move Graham Glasgow to guard center?

“I think the only way we’d be hesitant [about that] is if we didn’t have a guy we thought could do as good a job or better.”

At guard?

“Yes.”

How have Glasgow, Miller, and Kalis responded to the last couple of games?

“Well they’re fine. They’re pretty resilient guys. They’re pretty tough guys. Tough-minded guys.”

What can you say or do with Devin Gardner beyond what you’ve already done to get him to cut down on turnovers?

“I think some of that is outside, what we do. How we compete. The different situations you put him in. I think we’ve got a lot of confidence in him. But at the same time you have to point out those flaws and the things that we haven’t done as well as we need.”

Anything like last year where you had guys carry footballs around campus if they were fumbling too much?

“No, because it really hasn’t been -- I think fumbles haven’t hurt us as much as [interceptions]. The fumble on the quarterback sneak, it was tight in there, we’d love for him to have the ball up a little higher, but he’s trying to find a seam that’s there, and a guy gets knocked backwards. It’s kind of tough. That doesn’t excuse not having the ball up here.”

Al Borges talks about not having to recoach Devin on not making the same error twice. Does that still apply?

“Recoach?”

So that he doesn’t make the same mistake twice.

“He doesn’t. But he has. So we need to, I guess, recoach. Never heard that before.”

You don’t necessarily get to pick your bye weeks, but is this a good time to have one or would you rather be back out there?

“I think this is a good time. We’re four games in. I think it’s a great week for us as a staff to look at personnel, look at special teams personnel, look at the personnel who’s played, look at guys who are improving. Guys like Willie Henry, guys like Ondre Pipkins, see where they’re at in the mix maybe a little more.”

Are the turnovers part of the cost of having a guy who’s mobile?

“Yeah, that’s really a good question. Part of it is that you have guys who are multi-talented. They have had a lot of success being -- I don’t want to say loose, but playing a little bit of sandlot football. You play good teams, you can’t do that. You play teams not as good, you can’t do that. I think it’s a fine line because you’d rather try to tame a bucking bronco than an old mare. That’s kind of what you have to do. But it still comes down to the fundamentals. Our footwork and all the things that you know. At the end of the day, it’s always, any position comes down to fundamentals.”

As somebody who spends so much time with the defensive line, how disappointed have you been in their lack of production?

“Oh I don’t know. I don’t know if I’m disappointed. I think the effort’s pretty good. I think the technique at times needs to be a little better. Would we like to have more sacks? You always do. But there’s been some pressures there. There’s been some things that have prevented us from sacking a guy, either break contain or something like that, but I think they’re working awfully hard.”

How’s Jake Ryan doing?

“Jake’s doing well.”

Is he participating?

“Mmhmm.”

How likely would he play in the Big Ten opener?

“I don’t think that would be the game.”

So more mid --

“October. October … Sometime in October.”

You got more pressure against UConn. Is that a product of what UConn did, or were you happy with the way your guys won some one-on-one matchups?

“I think we beat some one-on-ones. They would be a six-man protection not as much. Some of the play-action stuff, yes, but not something that they did a lot of.”

How do you balance physical practices with resting your players during the bye week?

“Our schedule, I think we think as a staff, is a good schedule. Because we can accomplish both. We’re going to physical. We’re going to be competitive, which I think we have to continue because your timing and fundamentals of how you want to play. At the same time it’s an opportunity to not play guys as many plays as they would in a normal week.”

What is your schedule this week?

“We go Thursday and then Friday morning.”

Is there a reason why Devin feels like he has to be superman?

“I think he’s been superman a long time. I think when you grow up being superman, you have that in your mind. He’s competitive, and the thing that I talk to him about is there’s 10 other guys. And then you have 11 guys on defense. And then you have kicking game. It’s everybody together. I think he hears that.”

So is it a little bit of a trust issue?

“Trust in who?”

Understanding the other 10 guys are there.

“I don’t think there’s a lack of trust. It’s just what’s innately in him. It’s in his DNA.”

Was there a similar mindset with Denard, and did you learn anything from him?

“Denard was very much a guy that could make a lot of plays and made a lot of plays.”

Did you learn anything from dealing with him that you can apply to Devin?

“I’ve been dealing with this 30-some years.”

You said that Fitz Toussaint will get a bit more rest.

“We’ll rest him a little bit this week. He’s one of those guys that you don’t need to -- ”

Which of the backs do you want to work in more?

“De'Veon Smith, Derrick Green. Justice Hayes ran the ball a little bit more today.”

Do you think your team got better last week?

“Oh yeah. There wasn’t any doubt. It was a much different team.”

You said the ship’s not sinking. Do you get that there’s a little sense of panic because the wins were a little too close?

“Panic by who?”

Your people. Your fans.

“We don’t really worry about it to be honest with you. We’ve got great fans. They are welcome to their opinions.”

Comments

R Kelly

September 25th, 2013 at 11:43 AM ^

I agree to a certain extent.  Reporters absolutely need to try to ask more useful questions.  I'm really just saying that I'm somewhat sympathetic in general to the reporters at press conferences because they are walking a narrow line sometimes.  Heiko wasn't exactly the best example for me to use for a few reasons.  First, not every coach would be as nice to Heiko as Borges has been, and even Borges has been short with him at times.  Second, Heiko writes for a much different audience than Joe Schmo from the local news.  Regular reporters aren't pestering coaches about more technical things because they would be over the head of and/or uninteresting to the average reader.  

NiMRODPi

September 25th, 2013 at 10:58 AM ^

I would agree with that assessment. Some people have asked more pointed questions before, regarding players, scheme, etc. Generally a response given is: "Absolutely we are looking at [insert guy]. Every week though we look at everyone across [position group], not just this one spot. There is great competition there. We assess week in, week out, and the player that gives us the best chance to win is going to play. No different than any other time of year."

Yeah, I'd say it cuts both ways. Hah, maybe Hoke just needs to shake up the non-responses, as I swear the above gets broken out at least once a presser.

ak47

September 25th, 2013 at 10:37 AM ^

You could get coach speak to both of those questions too, "it's been a good competition, the guys are all working hard, its just the little things, the guy in front of him is playing well." and "the DL productions isn't where we want it, but the guys are working hard, they are doing some things right and we have to do a better job."

Neither of those answers tell you anything and they both answered your supposedly better questions (at least kinda, im not actually good at this).  Coaches don't want to tell you anything and most of the good ones figure out ways to make sure they never do.

getsome

September 25th, 2013 at 5:27 PM ^

its all about follow up questions.....anyone can easily sidestep or dance around a direct question unless they actually feel like being completely honest.  very precise follow up questions are the key to securing some type of substantive response.  takes much more effort to sidestep a question and then pointed follow up question without offering at least fraction more honest insight (unless having perfected the game of outright lying like jay carney).  even then very few coaches will offer up anything on a platter...very few coaches ever air programs laundry or specifically name drop kids unless its "competing" "improving" "working hard" generalities.   and rightfully so, very few good coaches caught chirping....keep it in-house, retain trust of players/recruits, dont serve up any unnecessary competitive advantages to public.  they have an experienced rational staff, hoke knows his program is several years away from where he ultimately wants it to be but theres zero advantage in defeatist type commentary to the press.  even if he tells his team they suck, which cant imagine he would, hed never echo in public.  id be concerned if ever started hearing anything other than standard coach speak

Indiana Blue

September 25th, 2013 at 9:41 AM ^

was VERY different from the past ones.   Seemed much shorter and less details.   Is no secret that Devin is by FAR the biggest issue this team has right now.  Your entire offense depends on the guy that touches the ball every time.  Right now the other team is not concerned about Devin's ability to beat them with his arm ... and why should they?  No consistency with the long pass (or even the short ones).  Plus he has thrown 2 pick sixes, and another INT inside our 20.  He has fumbled twice when NEITHER was caused by a good hit.  Face facts ... he leads the nation in turnovers.

With no passing threat, teams can focus on the run and on pressuring the QB - because the reward easily outweighs the risk.  This fact also HURTS the defense.  It's a TEAM game and when one side gets almost no help it hurts the entire TEAM.   

The bye week couldn't have come at a better time ... and the "press" is giving this team pleanty of bulletin board material.

Go Blue!

ak47

September 25th, 2013 at 10:40 AM ^

Tough to get a ground game going when every team we play feels like they can go press coverage on our recievers and roll the safetys down into the box and not worry about getting beat over the top.  This is partly because of devin being innacurate but also because we have no explosive big play reciever, we all love gallon but his skill set isn't beating a guy at the line and outrunning him for a 40 yard bomb down the sideline.

96goblue00

September 25th, 2013 at 10:45 AM ^

I think a bigger issue than Devin is the offensive line. When a QB can hardly set his feet because he has a bunch of dudes blasting through the gaping holes in the line that is supposed to give him some time to set his feet and make reads on pretty much every play, well, then, not sure what people are expecting. The only reason why Devin has not eaten dirt/turf more, and gets sacked only 3-4 times per game thus far, is because he is fast. Not all the interceptions and fumbles are entirely his fault either. He has shown in camps actually to be very accurate but when you're scrambling for your life because you have the entire defensive front on your heels, some of the throws you make (on the run) may be a bit underthrown. Again, one has to take Devin's bad performances in the Akron and UConn games in light of the fact that Akron and UConn (against our offensive line) looked like Michigan State, one of the best defenses in the country. If we don't figure things out with the o line by the time we play MSU, we'll be a dead fish in the water. I watched the MSU/ND game and their D is fast, big, and likes to blitz blitz blitz, not to mention that they have pretty decent corners, to take away the pass. 

Indiana Blue

September 25th, 2013 at 12:52 PM ^

Please name me the last team that had a QB that led the nation in turnovers and had a winning record ?  Also please name the last Michigan QB that led the nation in turnovers ?  and as many as DR had, it never was touted by ESPN as the most in college football.

Again, until teams respect his ability to move the team thru the air, we won't move the football via the running game.   This teram does not use "basketball on grass" theory.

Go Blue!

96goblue00

September 25th, 2013 at 1:27 PM ^

and the sack numbers would be so ridiculous it would make the qb look like his legs were bolted to the field, a bowling pin ready to get taken out. Were you watching the same Akron and UConn games I was? Their defenses were getting penetration on pretty much every snap. It is as if the middle of the line was a gaping hole.

When given adequate time, Gardner can make great throws. Case in point was the ND game. For whatever reason, the Irish did not blitz as much as Akron and UConn and Gardner was able to do his reads and made a lot of nice throws. Look at his completion percentage for ND, 63%, with 4 TDs and only one INT, which incidentally happened because the WR totally missed his assignment. The you look at his numbers for Akron and UConn, where he was running for his life on virtually every play, Akron 53%, UConn 47%. The o line cannot pick up the blitzes, leaving Gardner scrambling on every play. I don't care how good you are. If you are constantly throwing on the run, have zero time to set your feet/ make adequate reads, you will turn the ball over.

Have you seen the A&M o-line? They are a wall. Manziel has all day to throw it. You put golden boy Manziel behind the very porous Michigan line, and all of a sudden he won't look all that special, and it has nothing with respecting his throwing ability. They guy won't have enough time to make his reads before he gets burried into the dirt.

sum1valiant

September 26th, 2013 at 12:07 AM ^

One would have to go all the way back to last year to find the last team that had a QB that led the nation in turnovers and had a winning record; which would be Mike Glennon of NC State, and Bo Wallace at Ole Miss with 21 total turnovers each.  Gardner is obviously on pace to lead the nation in turnovers this year, and I'll take any bet that he puts up a winnning record.  While alarming, its not as uncommon as one would think.  Lastly, you saying "this team does not use the basketball on grass theory" is in contrast to your argument.  Because we are not a "basketball on grass" team, we should be running to set up the pass, not the opposite. Also, I still can't break a damn paragraph...someone help me.

1989 UM GRAD

September 25th, 2013 at 9:45 AM ^

I honestly don't understand the rabbling about Hokes press conferences. I don't see how he owes us any additional specificity. Or that he needs to publicly rant and rave about the team and what they're doing wrong.

Don

September 25th, 2013 at 10:12 AM ^

Brady Hoke doesn't owe us—or idiot sportwriters who would be hard pressed to do 10 pushups—a fucking thing. His job is primarily to win football games, and spilling inside info to overweight doofuses with donut crumbs on their shirts won't help in any way in that task.

98

September 25th, 2013 at 10:11 AM ^

Why is Hoke even having a press conference? If he is going to tell us absolutely nothing and be almost disrespectful to the fanbase and reporters, than why even hold one?  

Space Coyote

September 25th, 2013 at 10:21 AM ^

Because he didn't show the initial scripted offense they plan on running against Minnesota, and he didn't throw his players under the bus, and because he isn't "A man" and also "40!" Really would have liked to see him wheel out an overhead projector and broken down what went wrong on some of the defensive plays and state when they'll run them next so that the media can look for them and see if they've made improvement.

TwoFiveAD

September 25th, 2013 at 11:21 AM ^

Haha.  This made me laugh. 

Unfortunately, 98 isn't the only Michigan fan out there that thinks they are entitled to next week's game plan and an explanation of why we didn't win by 40pts in the previous week's game.

He also has the unrealistic expectation that Hoke gives two craps what he thinks. 

98

September 25th, 2013 at 12:18 PM ^

first off jackass maybe you should try a little reading comprehension next time. I do not expect next week's game plan or wonder why we don't win every game 40 pts. My main point was that i thought it was disrespectful to the fanbase when he said that "we are entitled to our own opinions". We're not morons or idiots and we can see that the product on the field is vastly inferior to what we were lead to believe this off season and what we expect of Michigan football. For this reason I and most of us fans are concerned. If you're not at least a little bit concerned that I don't know what to tell you. But I am. I'd at least like to hear Hoke say that he's doing everything he can to fix the OL and QB positions. I don't want or need the game plan or expect Hoke to "give a crap about what I think". I just want some acknowledgement that he's working on the issues we all see. 

 

 

98

September 25th, 2013 at 1:01 PM ^

I'm glad that you're completely satisfied with the OL play and the amount of turnovers we were committing. I must be a complete moron for thinking that the play we have exhibited the last two games is unacceptable and that it should continue we won't fair very well in the B1G. But I'm a moron after all. Thank you for correcting me TwoFiveAD. I didn't realize that this is exactly the type of team that Hoke wants to field and these last two games went completely according to plan. All hail TwoFiveAD, leader of MGoBoard and right hand man of Brady Hoke himself. I respectfully rescind all criticism of Brady Hoke, OL play, and Devin Gardner. Why doesn't the NCAA just award us the natty now. the all knowing TwoFiveAD says that we are just fine and playing up to snuff. 

saveferris

September 25th, 2013 at 2:39 PM ^

We're not morons or idiots and we can see that the product on the field is vastly inferior to what we were lead to believe this off season and what we expect of Michigan football. For this reason I and most of us fans are concerned. If you're not at least a little bit concerned that I don't know what to tell you. But I am. I'd at least like to hear Hoke say that he's doing everything he can to fix the OL and QB positions.

Please point out the interview or press conference over the past offseason where Hoke set expectations for the 2013 season for the Michigan fanbase that are now proving to be misleading? Aside from stating that the teams goal was to win the conference championship, what specific expectation did he misleadingly set for you that is now proving to be false?

We all knew that the interior offensive line was going could be a weak spot coming into the season, and turns out, it is. We all knew that Jake Ryan getting injured was could harm out ability to get pressure on the opposing QB, and it has. The team is still 4-0, ranked in the Top 20, and poised to compete for the conference championship. So they didn't beat a couple of teams that everyone regarded as vastly inferior by enough points to make your sleep well at night, and then the coach has the audacity to not give you an explanation as to why. Grow up.

As a member of the Michigan fanbase and 25 year season ticket holder, I found nothing Hoke said in that press conference disrespecful, so hopefully that makes you feel better.

Mr Miggle

September 25th, 2013 at 1:54 PM ^

what you find so disrespectful. I don't think I'm alone in this.

You said the ship’s not sinking. Do you get that there’s a little sense of panic because the wins were a little too close? “Panic by who? ” Your people. Your fans. “We don’t really worry about it to be honest with you. We’ve got great fans. They are welcome to their opinions.”

This is what's got you all up in arms? You're reading an awful lot into one line. To me, it simply meant that he did not agree with the panic stricken segment of the fanbase. He sure as hell didn't call them out on it.

Don

September 25th, 2013 at 10:22 AM ^

You know who was really "disrespectful" to reporters?

"O.K., from a distance, Bo comes on like a yahoo. And that's Bo's public image. He has had horrible problems with the press, which has this nasty habit of wanting to talk to him when he loses, his mother's advice notwithstanding. But even if the media's timing were better, it probably wouldn't make much difference, because Bo hates the press. Not just a little. A lot. The Voice of Michigan Football, Bob Ufer, says he has tried to get Schembechler to be nicer to the media. "But he told me," says Ufer, " 'Bob, if I win I don't need the press, and if I lose they can't help me.' "

Woody Hayes, former Ohio State coach and noted expert on press relations, says of Bo, "He's a hothead, like me. If you get along with most of the press, I think you have to be a little bit crooked." Bobby Knight, coach of the NCAA-champion Indiana basketball team, who has had some problems with the press himself, snorts, "Bad press relations aren't always the coach's fault, you know. You've heard those dumb questions at press conferences. Hell, you've asked some of them." Not surprisingly, these three supercoaches—Woody, Bo and Bobby—account for 84.5% of all problems members of their profession have had with the press.

The whys and wherefores are difficult and always different. "It's because most writers aren't worth a damn," says Bo helpfully. So while some coaches like to go out and drink with sports-writers. Bo would prefer to break out in warts.

Until a couple of years ago, he would routinely storm out of press conferences, kick reporters out of the sessions ("Don't be offended," says one of Bo's friends. "He'd kick Millie out, too"), make himself unavailable and order his players not to talk. Talking very softly once at a press conference, he was asked to speak up. "I'm speaking as loudly as I can," said Bo softly—and arrogantly. And in a memorable set-to on Oct. 1, 1979, Schembechler gave an absolutely unnecessary push to a publicity-seeking college newspaper reporter."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1124782/1/in…

98

September 25th, 2013 at 10:30 AM ^

The Bo comparison doesn't work. Hoke and Bo coached in very very different time frames and cultures. Back when Bo was coaching, it was all about wins and losses. Now, a big part of being the head coach of Michigan is how you interact with the fans and media. Bo never had twitter or facebook or "inside Michigan football". Hoke has all of these things and has been extremely disrespectful to both the fanbase and the media members. 

 

in summary, equating Hoke to Bo is stupid as they coached in completely different time frames and Hoke isn't a 1/5 of the coach Bo was. 

Space Coyote

September 25th, 2013 at 10:36 AM ^

Should he do things that Bo, Woody, or Knight did? Absolutely not. But tell me how, when, and where he has ever been disrespectful to the media. When he said Michigan has great fans and they are welcome to their opinions"? He didn't say they can fuck off. He didn't say they were shitty. He was asked a stupid question about if he was worried about fans panicking. Maybe the only respectful answer to say there, according to you, would be "yes".

98

September 25th, 2013 at 10:48 AM ^

they are welcome to their opinons= the fanbase is a bunch of dumb fucks who don't have a clue what's going on. Never mind that this team played piss poor against akron and uconn, we are playing exactly the way we want to. 

 

i liked Hoke as much as the next guy don't get me wrong. He SEEMS like a good coach and the dude can flat out recruit, but to be 100% honest i'm no longer sure he's the coach Michigan needs. I  know every one hates the RR comparison but at least RR improved every year he was here. Hoke seems to be regressing.

98

September 25th, 2013 at 11:04 AM ^

RR goes 3-9, 5-7, 7-5. Not Michigan standards I agree, but at least he is trending upwards. 

 

Hoke: 11-2, 8-5. Granted we haven't even hit B1G play yet, but I could easily see us finsihing teh season 6-6 or 5-7 based on the last two performances. I hope I'm wrong, I truly do. But if we do end up with that kind of record what does that say about Hoke?

I'll put it to the board this way. If both Hoke and RR were applying to medical schools given their records ( including my projected one); schools would take RR over Hoke every day of the week 

dson04

September 25th, 2013 at 1:50 PM ^

Now the 98 user name makes sense. You were obviously born in '98. Btw your med school analogy blows. A med school would take a person who scored 35 and then 30 over a dude who scored 22 23 27 on his mcat any day. RRs best season is still worse than Brady's worst season.

98

September 25th, 2013 at 2:19 PM ^

but the lines are going to have to significantly improve and Gardner has to improve drastically in order for us to avoid going 6-6. That was my main point. Right now it looks like Hoke is going to go 35, 30 25. That's a big red flag and where my analogy was going. (sorry if i didn't make that clear. my bad on that). 

Swazi

September 25th, 2013 at 11:20 PM ^

The guy trending upwards? It isn't very hard to trend upward from the worst record in Michigan history.

2-6, 1-7, 3-5: RichRod records in B1G play.

Hoke won as many B1G games in his first year as Rodriguez in three. And he went 6-2 in both seasons.

MichiganTeacher

September 25th, 2013 at 11:44 AM ^

Wow. Suggesting that a 4-0 coach is not the right coach for Michigan? The guy who in two complete seasons has a BCS bowl victory, broke the streaks against OSU and MSU, has turned around recruiting, and has established good relationships with alumni, former players, et al?

I was not an RR supporter after his admission that he thought you could just "roll them out and win your share" at Michigan, but every fall, when we would beat Notre Dame and be undefeated heading into October, I'd hold my judgment. Absolutely no reason to speculate negatively about Hoke right now.

Wolfman

September 25th, 2013 at 11:18 AM ^

and what RR had to work with his first year, 3-9 would be wonderful. That is a Rich Rod bash, no matter whether you bash him, then unconvincingly say it's not. He's the coach at Arizona now, so why even discuss his time here?  Makes about as much sense as me continually pointing out what shape the program was in when Lloyd, thank allt hat is good, finally stepped down.  This is Brady's team, and no matter your personal feelings, i.e., your distaste for RR, my distaste for Lloyd's last 7 years and leaving us with 65 scholarship players, back your coach.        ^This team, if recruiting stays the way it is, has to come together eventually based on nothing more than the accumulated talent and how weak the conference is as a whole. Back Brady until such time as Brandon pulls the trigger, and that ain't going to happen, nor should it.  Our next qb will be the first that Brady has recruited.    And no, comparing the OL we have playing this year is not the same thing.  It's an anomaly that we're starting RS freshmen on the line.  However,  I still haven't figured out if Al wants to run it inbetween the tackles he does not run behind Taylor and Kalis instead of going to the far less talented right side continuously. 

Space Coyote

September 25th, 2013 at 11:31 AM ^

It was pointing out the fact that when a team is 3-9 rather than 11-2, the trend is much more likely to go up rather than down. It's a resorting to the mean that I was pointing out. Nothing to do with Rich Rod, whom 98 brought up, whom I believe has no bearing on what anything means in regards to Brady Hoke. I don't care about his success at Arizona, I don't care about his success or lack there of when he was at Michigan. I'm done with that argument and I don't care if I ever hear it again.

The flaw in the argument came down to basic math. It has nothing to do with rehashing Lloyd Carr or Rich Rod.