I thought I heard/read somewhere that it's a calf injury.
That's what I heard as well.
I apologize, I haven't really been online since yesterday to post (due to meetings), here are the full transcripts:
An interview with:
COACH JERRY KILL
COACH KILL: The big thing is right now we're in preparation for a big game on Saturday. Been working on that, spending a lot of time on the Wolverines. That's kind of where we're at right now as we speak.
With that, any questions that certainly I can answer.
Q. What do you think about your team's ability to win there Saturday?
COACH KILL: Well, I mean, that's our job. That's our job. I can't speak for the past and traditions and so forth. We haven't done it since I've been here. So it's our job to go down there and win games like it is every week.
Our preparation and things, I think our kids are excited about it, focused in on it. So we're looking forward to it.
Q. 13 takeaways already for you guys. What has been the key? Do you think it's something that could be a season long deal for you?
COACH KILL: I think our kids are feeling good about what they're doing. Again, I think we've had great secondary play. You're going to have a few guys get beat here and there, that's part of the secondary. But we've been real active there.
Got real good linebacker play right now. We've been playing a lot of nickel and dime, those kind of things, because of who we're playing, et cetera.
I just think the kids are moving around well, they're confident. Again, pressure allows you to get some of those turnovers. I think everybody in football right now is trying to put pressure on people, create turnovers. I think we've done a good job at that at this time. That will be important as we go down the stretch here as we enter the Big Ten.
Q. Are you optimistic Mitch will be able to play Saturday?
COACH KILL: He hasn't done anything. I wish I had the answer. We'll go out to practice and practice the ones that are healthy and go to work.
Marcus Jones, broke his hand and he won't be available. That's one that happened on Saturday. Epping came out of it better than he did last week. That's positive news. That's kind of where we're at with recent situations. But Marcus is out, for sure.
Q. You don't expect Mitch to practice this week?
COACH KILL: No, I didn't say that. I said we hadn't done anything to this point in time. Again, I'm controlled by our training staff, where we're at right now, so forth. We'll have to see throughout the week.
He's got turf toe. Had an MRI, all that stuff, on top of what he's had before. We'll see how he progresses, see what happens.
I certainly won't count him out, but I won't know till the week goes. Kind of like Zac Epping, last week he really didn't do much until Thursday and moved around much better. When you have a high ankle sprain, sometimes that takes place, it takes three or four days for that thing to settle down a little bit.
He moved around and played good.
Q. What about Maxx?
COACH KILL: Right now I think he's questionable. He won't practice today.
Q. On Saturday you moved a lot of guys in and out on the offensive line. Do you think maybe that's something you'll continue to do, rotate people in?
COACH KILL: I think with situations, again, with injuries that we've had, the people that we lost, with Jonah and Ben, I think that's a good combination right now with Ben Lauer, where they're playing 35, 40 plays, working a guy in there to continue to get experience, making sure we play full speed, so forth.
We did some things at guard also, again, just trying to get maximum effort. If we need to do that to get maximum effort, make us better, that's what we'll do.
Last week it went pretty well. A lot of that has to do with how things are going in the game. But we went in with a plan to do that, certainly with Jonah and Ben, then with Foster and Isaac.
Q. What is the challenge of preparing not knowing who the quarterback is?
COACH KILL: We have to prepare for Devin Gardner. That's what they've been doing, that's what they've done. I think we went through this two years ago, somewhere along the lines we didn't know who was going to play, we played them at home. He played.
I think it's one of those things we have to prepare what we see on film. It's hard to prepare for a ghost. Their offensive scheme is not going to change any. The only thing is if they started the other young man, he's going to be playing wide receiver. That's another dynamic wide receiver. But they got plenty of good wide receivers, too.
I think the preparation, we prepare for Devin. If he moved to receiver with Funchess, those people, makes it more dynamic. They have more receivers just besides Funchess.
It's hard to know what they're going to do. You have to prepare what you've seen on film, so forth. But, again, the offensive scheme is going to be similar. That's what we have to do. Hard deal sometimes.
Q. Do you worry about the big X on Cobb's back?
COACH KILL: They're going to come up, try to stop the run. There's no question that we have to be able to throw the ball and throw it well. We threw it 29 times against TCU. Our production, our execution, wasn't as good as it needed to be.
I think as we go into the Big Ten schedule, it's no different than it was a year ago, we want to run the ball. We were able to hit play action passes, things of that nature. Then toward the end of the year we struggled with that a little bit.
I think anybody knows as we go into this thing, we got to do a better job of executing what we're doing in the passing game. I know a lot of people question Saturday. I understand that. We were averaging six and a half yards a carry. What they're playing on defense...
We did what it takes to win a game. We certainly prepare to throw the ball as much as we can in the situations that dictate it. But we're smart enough to know we're going to have to do some good things in the throwing game to be able to win on Saturday and also not turn it over when you do it. So there's a twofold thing there.
It still goes back to turnovers. We can't turn the ball over two times and beat Michigan. You can't give things to people, certainly when you're on the road.
Q. Big edge in weight on the defensive line against San Jose. How about Michigan? Have they got big horses up in front?
COACH KILL: Michigan hasn't changed. Number one defense in the Big Ten, one of the top in the country. Defensive they're better than they were a year ago by far. They're good in the secondary, helped themselves in the secondary. They're aggressive up front, big and strong, like Michigan's always been. Mattison is a very good defensive coordinator. There's not a lot of changes in the line. Michigan has looked like Michigan for a long time. Doesn't look any different whatsoever.
Q. Strength versus strength, your running game against their run defense?
COACH KILL: Yeah, and again, I don't think there's any question the ingredients for us to win is you've got to be all around the ball. Again, in that preparation, so forth, we're going to have to do a good job of throwing it, keeping them off balance and more than we have, like TCU, but you have to do it and do it well and execute it.
Q. What do you think of Berkley and Kirkwood and Williams?
COACH KILL: When you get a back that's hot, I always say you got a horse, you ride it. He's been doing well. A lot of that has to do with the game, what dictates the game, so forth.
Berkley, there's no question, he's had a knock down shoulder. We've been careful with it for a lot of reasons. We start Big Ten play, we'll need all those backs in the situation we're in in the Big Ten schedule, certainly ours.
With that being said, if David Cobb is getting five, six yards a pop. He gets better as the game goes on anyway. That's his style. But using Berkley and some people like that to add to that, certainly with the speed and so forth, feel much better about it than we did last week.
We try to be smart also with him, try to get some people healed up. We can't afford any more injuries at all. We had some guys that we were careful with, and we've been careful with him. We gave him enough to see if he was doing better than he was last week. I think he feels good going into this game. That's kind of the answer to that, so...
Q. Any update on Alex Keith? With all these guys that are iffy, you have the bye week after Michigan, does that factor into any of your decisions?
COACH KILL: We always do what's best for the athlete. If we're told they can play, we're going to play them if they're 100%. They can't be 92%. They've got to be 100% because they're not effective.
Alex Keith, we anticipate him doing some stuff in practice today for the first time in almost three and a half weeks. We'll know a lot more about his progression as the week goes on.
Do I count him out of playing this week? No. But, again, as far as running, cutting, all that, it took Michael, he's right now back to playing well. It takes a while when you don't do anything. Getting comfortable, certainly with a knee injury. Even though you're 100%, mentally it takes a while to get the feel, get back in the game.
I don't know if anybody has had knee surgery or anything like that, but that's a difficult thing to be able to play with, get back into it.
Certainly we're encouraged by him practicing, seeing where he's at at this particular time.
Q. Edwards, do you think he can give you more?
COACH KILL: Gave us a lot in the first game, then got a knock down shoulder, then we've been careful. He can give us a lot. We're 3 1. We go into the Big Ten schedule. There's some things, we get people healed up, we can do. We have to get people healed up. He's one of them.
We need him. We need everybody right now to be healthy. We're not going to have everybody healthy, but I would like to get some of them healthy, including Maxx Williams.
Q. Characterize the rivalry with Michigan, a special place to play.
COACH KILL: I got asked that question about the division, if it changes. College football is a great game. This is a tremendous tradition. You're going to the Big House. It's the first Big Ten game. You're playing for the little brown jug. I mean, that's what college football is about. Nationally televised, the rich history of the game.
I think for our kids, anybody that participates in something like that, you get a unique experience. I think it's great for our kids. It's great for our state. It's great for college football.
Q. Did you talk with your players about the history of the trophy, all that?
COACH KILL: Oh, yeah. We do that early in camp, and certainly today. When we get done, go out to practice, Mike Sherels and Dom barber are here, been part of that, played. It's always good to me as a player that's played here, the tradition, and doing it is certainly somebody that can share it.
That's on our practice schedule right now, that will be a big part of the end of practice today. Certainly I'll have a little bit to say about it before we practice. There's no question older guys understand. Those young freshmen, all the ones we're playing, certainly when you recruit them you talk about it, but still they really don't understand completely because they're young. We make sure we do that.
They won't realize anything until they walk out on the field, then those freshmen will go, Okay, this is a big deal here. But we'll educate 'em.
Q. Is it that stunning when you're walking out of the tunnel?
COACH KILL: I think if you love college football and you followed it for a lot of years, you know all the way back to the great history Michigan has, the Big House, it's talked about, so forth. You're actually running out of that tunnel, you get to be a part of it. If you don't have some chills running up your spine when that happens, you can't get ready to play when that happens, so forth...
You have to do things different when you're on the road from cadence, just little things you got to do different. Playing in places like that will make you do that.
I think the mystique, those kind of things, it doesn't get any better for college football.
Q. The bye day is on Yom Kippur, most sacred holiday of the Hebrew race. A lot of Hebrews praying for you.
COACH KILL: I need all the prayers I can get. My wife will tell you that (laughter). After 31 years, she's been praying every day and it still hasn't worked. But we'll take all those prayers we can get.
You guys take care.
An interview with:
COACH TRACY CLAEYS
Q. You've seen Gardner the last couple years. What are your thoughts?
COACH CLAEYS: He's an awfully good player. They've won a lot of games because of him. In our opinion, in evaluating the tape, over the last two years, they've lost some good offensive linemen. They're not playing quite as well up front as they have in the past.
They got a true freshman starting at the one tackle. Like anything, I think the quarterback takes too much blame when you lose as well as they probably get too much credit when you win.
Q. Do you prepare for two quarterbacks, though?
COACH CLAEYS: It's just hard. He's thrown the ball 20 times. You go off their scheme in general, what they've done to try to attack you the last couple years. They hired a new offensive coordinator. The changes that he's made, but not specific quarterback wise. We just don't have enough video to do that.
Q. You have 13 takeaways. How pleased are you with that and do you think it's something that could be a season long trend?
COACH CLAEYS: Hope so. It always has been the case. I mean, the plus minus ratio of turnovers has more to do with winning and losing than how many turnovers you actually create. If you create turnovers, the same time your offense has to keep from turning the ball over.
We keep track of turnovers obviously, but it's still a game of points, not letting people score. But we're very pleased with it so far with where we're at. We've made big plays in the games.
Q. How did you get the secondary started on Saturday?
COACH CLAEYS: We got aggressive on a double move, got beat deep on a double move. Then on the one blitz, they broke the screen on us.
Besides that, I was very pleased with the way we played. The plays we made, could have played better on third down. I think we could have played better on third down, got off the field a little sooner. So it wasn't one of our better games on third downs, but overall, the end result, our kids made some plays they needed to.
Q. (Question regarding third down percentage.)
COACH CLAEYS: I think everybody will tell you, you want to win two out of every three. You want to be successful 70%. If you can do that, games go pretty good for you.
I didn't look at where it's at right now. I just look game by game. I know we didn't get it this last game. Right or wrong, we look at stats two different ways: the score at the end of the game and who is in.
We feel like of that, you know, is that half the games we've gotten to where we wanted to be on third downs. Really three of the four we have. TCU, they were two of 14 or something like that on third down. Other big plays we need to stop there.
Three out of the four I think we've played well on third down. This was the first one. Then again, you go back a year ago, we played terrible on third down versus Michigan. Couldn't get them off the field. We have to play much better on third down against them.
Q. You said partly because of freshmen you've had to play, you've been making more adjustments than you want to do. How do you feel going into Big Ten play?
COACH CLAEYS: Actually real good. The D line kids up front have gotten better each week. We've been able to move them around more than I thought we could.
We probably played more nickel so far this year than what we ever have with an extra DB, but that's because of the offenses that we're seeing. We're seeing hardly any two backs at all. Everything is one back. I think we continue to get better and we're looking forward to getting the Big Ten started.
Q. (No microphone.)
COACH CLAEYS: There's just enough differences in there. But I think anytime we watch tape, and most coaches do, they watch how people get pressure on other teams, if there's anything that fits in there. At the same time you can't change your whole defense each week.
If there's one or two things they did you think you can get taught in a week, it fits into what you're doing... Utah did a good job of keeping the ball in front of them for the most part and a great job of keeping pressure on him.
Q. How good a runner is Gardner?
COACH CLAEYS: His is good. Couldn't tackle him a year ago. Kept getting away from us. Hopefully we'll do a better job of keeping him in the pocket, a little better job of coverage on third down.
Q. Seems like you have done a good job so far against explosive plays. How do you feel about it?
COACH CLAEYS: I think we can play better. Our goal is one or less a game. You try to hold them to one big play or less. We haven't been able to do that.
We have to continue to keep the ball in front of us a little bit. I think we can still eliminate some big plays.
Q. Do they look better running the ball? Derrick Green lost some weight. Moving around a little better.
COACH CLAEYS: Yeah, like I say, with the kids they lost a year ago, I think that fits into them a little bit better to try to run the ball a little bit more.
But then, like I say, the problems, in my opinion, watching them is when they've gotten the obvious throwing situations is some protection issues more so than the quarterback.
Q. (Question regarding turnovers.)
COACH CLAEYS: I think that's fair to say, yes.
Q. What did you learn from the game last year? The score wasn't indicative.
An interview with:
COACH MATT LIMEGROVER
Q. Matt, how do you think the offensive line responded from the TCU game to last week?
COACH LIMEGROVER: Overall I was generally pleased, but still a ton of work to do. That's actually the very first thing I told them when we met on Sunday to go over film. I felt like they answered the call, but there's still a lot of work that needs to be done.
We have a huge challenge this week. Michigan's playing very well on defense, especially up front. Their front seven are pretty darn good.
Doesn't get any easier from here. That's basically what my message was on Sunday.
Q. (Question regarding the quarterback.)
COACH LIMEGROVER: You know, we won the football game. The big thing I tried to get across to whoever asked was, you know, Chris did a great job of running the offense and doing the things that he needed to, really taking what they gave us. The reads he made in the run game with the zone reads, it's as good as I've seen of a group that we've coached as far as the decision making he made.
There may have been one, maybe two times we saw he should have kept that one or he should have pulled that one or given that one. That's a hard thing, especially for a new starter.
As far as throwing the ball more, if put in a situation where we felt like we had to, we would do it more. I felt like we were in a groove and going, so...
Q. Offensive line healthier now?
COACH LIMEGROVER: We're getting there. We're still trying to work some things out with that group of guys. This time of year they're never going to be 100% healthy. You try to get them feeling as good as they can come Saturday. They're nicked up. But I think probably you ask any O line coach in the country, they're basically going to tell you the same thing at this time of the year.
Q. (No microphone.)
COACH LIMEGROVER: They both played well. I wanted to get Jonah a little bit more work than I did. The way the rotation worked out, sometimes when you're rotating guys through, a guy will get a series, it will be a 10 play series, unfortunately the next guy gets in there it's a three play series. Jonah didn't get as many reps as I hoped to get him in the ballgame. When he was in there, he did a nice job. Ben is really coming on since he had his ankle injury in camp.
Q. What changes if you do not have Maxx?
COACH LIMEGROVER: It does change things. That is something that you have to account for. Brandon Lingen does a great job of getting in there and doing a lot of the things we ask Maxx to do. But Brandon is not Maxx right now. He'll get there eventually. So you do lose out and you do have to find other ways to compensate for that in all the things that Maxx does for our offense.
Q. Are you saying with Chris, his reads were as good as any quarterback, going back to when you were at Northern?
COACH LIMEGROVER: Yeah. He did a great job. I mean, the thing was, it wasn't easy either. They were giving us a lot of different looks. They were kind of trying to figure out how to solve that riddle. He did a fantastic job. Everything they threw at him, handled it like a vet, which was great to see.
Q. Chris was struggling in fall camp throwing the ball. Has he made improvements throwing the ball?
COACH LIMEGROVER: Yeah, you know what, the biggest thing is if you look at a couple of the things he did on Saturday, he put a great ball on K.J. You really couldn't ask for a better placement of that ball. The second ball to K.J. on the third down where he tried to hit him over the middle, it was something that was on the money. Safety made a nice break on it.
There isn't a concern with how he throws the football. With the way the game went on Saturday and how it progressed, it was a situation where we were going to force them to stop the run game to put us in that situation. We really never felt like we were in that situation.
Q. Was there thought given going into San Jose State to put him in, Chris, where he was going to be exposed to things that might knock his confidence given you may need him to start again one week later at Michigan?
COACH LIMEGROVER: Well, yeah, there's some things you don't necessarily want to be completely trial by fire. What you try and do is in practice you try to put guys in deficit situations, try and make things tougher, maybe blitz in a situation where a team doesn't generally show blitz or what have you, just so there's the unknown.
When you get to the ballgame, you want it to be as smooth sailing as possible. You try to eliminate as you go along, like today there's a couple things, Boy, we think will be great with Michigan. When we get to Thursday, finalize the game plan, maybe it's something the quarterbacks don't feel comfortable with, something we're not going to be able to handle up front protection wise because of some things they do, that gets pulled away.
That's really what we did as the week went on knowing Chris is going to be the starter. We had our game plan that we had that we felt good about beating San Jose State with. The majority of that game plan, Chris was going to be able to execute and felt good about. That's how we try to approach every week.
Q. The quarterback's ability to run, Cobb in there, that gives you something that's almost as effective as a passing attack?
COACH LIMEGROVER: Sid, I like your thinking. You're exactly right. The nice thing about what Chris gives us is that it gives you some additional outside types of run, some things that break the tackle box.
One of the things San Jose State was going to do was they were going to put eight and sometimes nine guys up around the football. When they do that, there's a couple ways to attack it. You can throw the football because it's one on one on the perimeter, but there's not many guys left on the perimeter.
If you can find ways to get that ball out there, that's another reason why maybe against some teams a five or six yard gain that Chris might have had turned into a 20 yard gain because there wasn't anybody left out there.
That's where we look and go bigger picture. I knew coming in here, everybody was going to be, Hey, I don't know how many passes we threw, we completed one, I get that, but Chris did a great job in what we asked him to do on Saturday. I feel like if we had to throw it 20 times, we're going to do a good job on that.
Q. If you run on it exactly the way you ran it last week and throw it like you did last week, can you win in the Big Ten?
COACH LIMEGROVER: Probably not. We've got to get better. When we do throw the football, we've got to get better. I'm not going to say we need to throw it more. But when we do, we need to make sure that it's spot on.
It's a constant thing that we're working on. Like I said, what happens is there is a little bit of an adjustment, a little bit of shifting as far as the priorities in the pass game. No matter how much we try, I say, Hey, we put together a game plan, there are some strengths that each quarterback is going to have. We'll pattern the game plan a little bit to those strengths, as well.
That doesn't mean that Chris is going to be the guy that's going to be the starting player or Mitch or what have you. It's always nice to have some of those things where you go, Okay, this is the go to stuff and stuff we feel good about. If it's six times, 12 times, 22 or 29, we need to have a good percentage, we need to make sure we're converting. That's always a priority.
Thank you
