Michigan football coach Brady Hoke on being 2-0, Eastern Michigan and more
Michigan football coach Brady Hoke walks off the field Saturday with sophomore lineman Taylor Lewan.
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
One 28-point, fourth-quarter surge later and Brady Hoke is 2-0 as Michigan football coach. Up next is Eastern Michigan (Saturday, noon, BTN), an old foe from his Mid-American Conference days as coach of Ball State.
Hoke had his weekly press conference with the media Monday, two days after Michigan rallied to beat Notre Dame, 35-31, in the first night football game at Michigan Stadium.
Hoke has entered the building and will address the media soon.
1:05 -- Hoke has left the building, players on their way. 1:10 -- Junior Hemmingway at the lectern.
Brady Hoke: Said "legends" patch will influence who gets No. 21 jersey from now on. Asked if other No. 21 on team, Raymon Taylor, has patch on his jersey. "No. ... wait, I don't know. I'll have to ask."
Brady Hoke: "Doesn't matter if you're running a pro set or spread, if you don't have someone besides your quarterback running the football, you're not going to have your quarterback very long."
Brady Hoke: "If we play 90 plays offensively it's going to be good." Team has had 89 offensive plays through first two games.
Brady Hoke: Said falling behind early contributed to lack of production out of running backs, outside of Denard Robinson.
Brady Hoke: Did not specify Marrell Evans' ineligibility issue. "I don't know when it's going to clear up." Would not answer if it was an academic issue.
Brady Hoke: "Our kickoff coverage was much better."
Brady Hoke: Difference between third-down defense in fourth quarter against Notre Dame versus first three: "I think we executed." He said Michigan needs to be more consistent in execution.
Brady Hoke: On defense: "We're not near the expectations we have, and I think the kids feel the same way. ... We would think we'd be further along."
Brady Hoke: Said in general thinks team is pretty healthy. Cam Gordon will check back Tuesday, thinks Fitz will be OK. Said linebacker Brandon Herron has "a little bit of a leg problem."
Brady Hoke: Said he thought fullback John McColgan's play-action catch was one of the bigger plays against Notre Dame. Made defense have to respect play action more than they had been.
Brady Hoke: "We had 35, 40 people at our house" after Notre Dame game. "Everybody found a place on the floor."
Brady Hoke: Fitz Toussaint's status, says he think he'll be OK. Said hurt shoulder against Western. Did not say if he thinks he will play against Eastern Michigan.
Brady Hoke: Says he can see Ron English's personality influencing Eastern's play.
Brady Hoke: Says team needs to do better on third down.
Junior Hemmingway: "Even though it's Eastern, we still gotta have the same mindset we had coming in against Notre Dame."
Junior Hemmingway: "Denard's Denard. He can hurt you running, he can beat you throwing. ... When it comes down to it, Denard's going to make plays because that's Denard."
Junior Hemmingway: On a jump ball, "You have to beat the DB to the highest point. ... It's kinda like getting a rebound in high school."
Junior Hemmingway: Wore No. 5 in high school, did not pick No. 21 thinking of Desmond Howard.
Junior Hemmingway: "We never thought in that game that we were going to lose."
Junior Hemmingway: "Saturday we dropped a couple balls we should have caught. ... We just just gotta have a short memory."
Junior Hemmingway: On jump ball situations versus ball hitting him in stride. "Doesn't really matter to me. ... If the ball's in the air we go get it, if it's in stride we catch it."
Junior Hemmingway: Equipment manager told him during pre-game warmups to come get a new jersey before the game started and he reacted with, "What's he want to change my jersey for." Didn't know about the patch until the ceremony.
Junior Hemmingway: "I can't think about living up to what Desmond did. ... I just got to play my game."
Comments
Blu-dogg97
Tue, Sep 13, 2011 : 5:33 p.m.
As I've said here before.. it is what it is,and NO EXCUSES !! the majority of the players are whats his names.. including running backs, Brady & coaches can't change it,they have to coach them up,and do the best they can.. IMO Thomas Rawls is more of a typical Michigan tailback with his size and running style,and they will get more recruits that are 200lbs plus .. Hope T.Rawls gets some touches in the next few games.. GO BLUE..
heartbreakM
Mon, Sep 12, 2011 : 10:03 p.m.
I think we will not see too many teams with better line play than ND, so that's a good thing. Our O-line was not produtive for most of the game. Even a lot of the complete passes had ND players draped all over DR. Our D-line has to learn how to rush better or at least fill gaps (and the LB have to learn how to avoid blocks). Let's give ND credit--their offensive play calls exploited weaknesses and were creative. They got the running backs involved, got at least 3 receivers and a tight end. They had flow. Some of it was on them, not just on bad D. BUT..... the M running game is mysteriously absent, and not a whole lot different than the last 2 years. I don't know why Shaw and Smith have not developed better vision and ability to make people miss. Hopkins has to pick it up, and Touissant was unfortunately injured. DR is a great threat, but they have to be able to get running backs in there not named Denard. Mike Hart was able to do it. So did Perry, Wheatley, A-train, Jamie Morris, etc, and not all of those guys were big bruisers. But let's also remember Hart did not get in the first few games his first year, so there is hope yet. AND...why no timing patterns on passes--i.e. 3 step drops, slant-ins, down and outs, 8 yard passes, etc? It seemed that all the passes we threw were downfield 20 yards or more and that is a recipe for disaster.
chiro19
Mon, Sep 12, 2011 : 7:04 p.m.
It is good seeing some of the nations top recruits at these types of games! Taco Charleston (2013 DE), Zach Banner (OT 2012), Jordan Payton (2012 WR), Bymonte Thomas (another 5 star verbal commit 2013 S) all "raved" about their visit to the game on Sat. I thought the D line was suppose to be the best part of this Defense. It is turning into the worst part. Roh and Martin should be benched after the way they have been man handled by Western and ND! The line backers and Secondary I thought was ok. I dont think there is a team out there that is going to contain Floyd. The kickoff coverage was much better! Michigan should be 6-0 going into the MSU game.
Yost Ghost
Tue, Sep 13, 2011 : 8:28 p.m.
What the heck are you talking about!? I agree that Roh aint gettin er done but Martin is a beast. Even Will Campbell had a decent game. Floyd and Avery didn't look all that great but Wolfolk looked good not sure that means ok. LB's played decent.
BlueGator
Mon, Sep 12, 2011 : 6:48 p.m.
UM had better get Devin Gardner some game experience during the next two "cupcakes." I have a hunch they're going to need #7 before the season ends. There is little doubt in my mind that UM will have to rely extensively on DRob's mobility in order to move the ball against the better teams. The cumulative toll of all the resultant hits will eventually wear him down. Being an extremely suspicious type, I wonder if the burden isn't already starting to tell, hence Hoke's comment "... you're not going to have your quarterback very long."
RWBill
Mon, Sep 12, 2011 : 7 p.m.
Yes, exactly. We have seen this before. On both sides of the ball this is looking like 2010 in which Denard will not be able to save our bacon against the better, more physical teams in the second half of the season.
MRunner73
Mon, Sep 12, 2011 : 6:39 p.m.
It is great to be 2 and 0, bottom line: The tailbacks have to be much more consistent. They seem to only shine when we play MAC schools. We are still losing the TOP stat in 2011. As much as I love the Wolverines in football, they are off to a rocky start. The Brady Hoke honeymoon period continues for me but I expect to see this team improve the remaining two games in September. My Maize and Blue glasses are getting a little clearer.
amzack
Mon, Sep 12, 2011 : 6:55 p.m.
Poor O-line blocking makes it hard for tailbacks to shine. ND defensive line did a great job against the run.
Tru2Blu76
Mon, Sep 12, 2011 : 6:26 p.m.
We are really, really back to Michigan Football! It's such a relief after three years of "I think we're turning the corner" and - "its the players' fault." Morning after the morning after: I see the amount of damage done during the previous 3 yrs. I get madder every time I think about "what Bill Martin wrought" on Michigan Football. I also get more grateful over what "Dave Brandon has wrought." Brady Hoke is just what was needed - now we have to let him do his thing because it's the RIGHT THING for Michigan Football. Junior Hemingway, IMO, deserves the No. 21 jersey. He's a senior and has had to sit in the background for 3 years. It's time for these talented seniors who were "out by design" to get their chance to play for Michigan and establish their names for things to come. TiM! Go Blue!
7718
Tue, Sep 13, 2011 : 1:49 a.m.
Ha
lumberg48108
Mon, Sep 12, 2011 : 6:08 p.m.
Coach - please do not EVER again rush only three when you are protecting a lead late in the game you want to give away a score - rush three coaches should be banned by law from rushing three late in games ND made you pay and Denard bailed you out - never again please
DonAZ
Mon, Sep 12, 2011 : 5:10 p.m.
"Says team needs to do better on third down." I've said it before ... if I had to settle on one statistic and only one as a key indicator of team success, it's 3rd down conversions. A team that is good at moving the chains will typically win. The flip side is stopping thirds. A good D will create and stop 3rd downs.