Jake Ryan, Jack Miller, Devin Gardner
Devin, as an in-state guy and your last shot at these guys, how much does this one mean to you?
DG: “It means a lot to me, but it means a lot to me every year so I’m just excited to get to the game.”
For Devin again, last year it was safe to say you got beat up pretty badly in the MSU game. Is there a mental hurdle that you have to clear yourself to get yourself prepared for this one?
DG: “No.”
For Jake: they have a pretty decent running game right now. Good wide receivers. How much have you and the defense talked about limiting the big plays [and] not allowing Langford to do what he does?
JR: “Yeah, that’s what our defense needs to do. Stopping the run’s been huge for us this year and we’ve got to keep on doing it. Lippett’s been a good receiver and we’ve got to shut him down.”
Devin, we were talking to coach Nussmeier and he said that he felt you made the biggest strides in understanding defenses this year. Talk about how that’s come about and the benefit of that for you.
DG: “I think it’s been really big for me, just being able to see what I need to see out there and it helps when you know where you want to go with the ball. You have to have an idea where you want to go with the ball, and he brought a lot of different coverages that we didn’t really know about and we didn’t really understand how they were played but we feel like we’re doing a good job of understanding now.”
Has that helped you a lot with pre-snap reads?
DG: “Yeah, definitely.”
[More after THE JUMP]
This is for Jack: what’s the biggest lesson from last year’s Michigan State game for you guys as a line and how are you different than in that game?
JM: “I would say the biggest thing is just to do what we know how to do. Last year I think as an offensive line we went out there and just kind of let go of techniques and fundamentals and things like that and just kind of played chaotic, if you will. Just have a good week of practice and get ready for the things that we think they’re going to do.”
I know you weren’t in the mix at that time but why do you think they played like that? Was it the emotion and stage?
JM: “Could have been. It was a great team Michigan State had last year just like they do this year so I think it was a perfect storm of probably a bunch of different things.”
Jack, they like to blitz the A gaps and things like that. What’s it take for an offensive line to really counter that and be prepared for that?
JM: “Like I said, just do the things we know how to do. They’re a great defense but they don’t do anything that we’ve never seen before or anything like that, so we just need to really focus this week and prepare on trying to make sure that before we go into gameday we know and we’ve practiced the things that we think are going to happen.”
Is there an attitude amongst the players, amongst yourselves that this is a game that could save your season, and if you’re not thinking that way why not?
JR: “You know what, it’s a rivalry game. That’s what it comes down to. We’re going to take one game at a time and this is a huge game for us and a huge game for each team, so we’re just going to go out and play like we know how to play.”
Shouldn’t this game stand out more than usual because they’re favored to win the conference?
JR:“Like I said, it’s a rivalry game and yeah, it stands out but every rivalry game stands out. Like I said, we’re going to go out and play.”
Jack, does the bye week, especially going into it with a win, give you guys a chance to sort of hit the reset button and look at the second half of the season in a different way and to try and erase some of the first half?
JM: “Yeah, I think so. I think like Jake was kind of alluding to, we’re just trying to take things week by week. It’s not our job to think of the big picture and all that kind of stuff. Our job is to go to work every day and try to get better and try to prepare for the next opponent, so the bye week was nice to have. I physically feel a lot better than I did last week at this time, but it was a nice week to kind of get a jump start on Michigan State and those types of things and hopefully that carries over to Saturday.”
Devin, I want to ask you too about- both coach Hoke and coach Nussmeier mentioned creating more explosive plays is going to be a priority for you guys going forward. How much of that do you see as something you can help the team do as a responsibility as a playmaker with the ball in your hands?
DG: “I get the ball every play, so it’s pretty much all my responsibility because even if it’s a big run play for our running backs I’ve got to hand it to them so…yeah. I feel like I’m a big part of that.”
Devin, have you got a chance to watch last year’s footage and think about what you have to do to avoid making mistakes? A lot of it was in some of the losses this year kind of costly mistakes. Are you thinking about what you have to do to play as close to perfect as you can?
DG: “I don’t really understand your question 100%…”
Their secondary has a lot of interceptions. This year have you thought of some of the things you can do to limit some of the mistakes you made last year?
DG: “Yes, I have.”
Anything specific?
DG: “I can’t give you all our secrets, sorry.”
Devin, when did you feel like you were healthy enough to practice and then where are you in relation to your mobility before the injury?
DG: “I felt like I was pretty healthy to practice last week but they wanted to hold me out, and I got a chance to get a lot of mental reps and things like that but I practiced yesterday fine and I feel like I’m right where I was before the injury.”
Devin, as an in-state kid and then this is your last game against Michigan State, can you explain or put into words why this rivalry is so important to you and important to this state?
DG: “I think it’s kind of hard to explain, but it’s a trophy game for a reason. It’s a game where you get in-state bragging rights for a whole year, and that’s something that we’d like to earn.”
As you go into your senior year does it take on- you said every game matters but this is your last shot at them. Is that something you’re thinking of at any point?
DG: “I want to win just as bad as I’ve wanted to win every single game.”
We don’t question that you want to win, but this could be a big upset. You could ruin their season. Are you capable of beating Michigan State and would you like to ruin their season?
DG: “Well, it’s only Tuesday and we’re working, making sure that we’re prepared and when we get to the game we’ll get a chance to play against them. It’s not about us ruining their season. It’s about us.”
Jack, can you talk about the line? I’m sure you’ve heard over and over the –48 yards rushing last year. Do you guys take it personally, the challenge of trying to withhold their defense?
JM: “Yeah. Last year was last year, and that was a great Michigan State defense. This year looks a little different, the guys and things like that but it’s the same type of thing, same type of scheme and a lot of great players on the defensive side of the ball. We take pride every game in the amount of pressure Devin gets or the amount of rushing yards we’re able to create, those types of things. Being a rivalry game and as much as this game means sure, there’s a little extra pride that we take in it I guess, but that kind of happens every week.”
Jake, defensively you guys have bent a couple times but you haven’t broken. There’s still positives statistic-wise and play-wise from the defense. What do you guys have to do? Is there any one thing where you feel like hey, if we center in on this this is going to make things happen, like maybe stop the run or something like that?
JR: “Yeah, I mean, stopping the run is our main thing. I think you’ve asked me this before, but stopping the run. Langford’s been a really good back. Shutting down big plays and creating turnovers is something we need to do a lot more.”
Is there any one area, though, that you guys are focused on?
JR: “Just a whole defensive effort.”
Devin, Brady said earlier that if he were a player in this game last year the performance would have ‘bothered the hell out of him.’ I think that was his quote. What are your emotions? How do you feel about being a guy who played in that game last year? What’s your take on that?
DG: “I mean, I don’t feel good about any loss so any team we lose to it bothers me. I’m a pretty competitive guy myself. Rutgers, Minnesota, any game this year or last year that we lost I feel pretty bad about it.”
So they all hurt the same, you’d say?
DG: “Yeah, they all hurt. They all hurt the same. I’m a competitor, man. I want to win every one.”