[Fuller/MGoBlog]
What did you think of the secondary against Utah?
“We expected more higher energy out of our players and more competitive spirit. I don’t think- I think they went into the game playing more cautiously than just relying on what they learned in camp. And I know with our older guys, you know, Jarrod Wilson and Jourdan Lewis, they’re going to make a difference for this week. I know they’re going to make sure that we up the tempo this week in playing the defense in the secondary.”
Were you pleased with your corners in coverage?
“I was. I mean, I was. Can it be better? Yes, it can be much better. Same with the safeties. One thing, I don’t try to divide it. I think corners and safeties should all be together, so if the corners look good the safeties look good, if the safeties looks good the corners look good. The coverage overall, I thought it was fair. It could have been much better than what it was. The one thing we strive on is not letting up a big play and we pretty much gave up one big play in the game. Sometimes you can’t give up those plays, so I think we have to be a more aggressive defense in the secondary, which our defense allows us to do that. We just have to get it done.”
Did you feel like Jabrill kind of trusted his instincts a little more in the second half?
“I did. I did. Jabrill came out [and] I think it was more nerves rather than just playing, because this was actually his third game. You know, so he’s still really a true freshman. One of the things Jabrill I think has to do is just trust his instincts, because he’s really very instinctive. One of the things I think he has to do a lot more is just play within himself. He’s trying to get out there and use his speed rather than thinking about the game, and I think that’s what got him in trouble early in the first half. I think he’ll bounce back, just like all our guys will.”
At the start of fall camp Jeremy Clark was a safety and Wayne Lyons was at corner. What’s the reason for that swap?
“Well, we just felt that Jeremy Clark could bring a lot more to the table at corner because he’s long, he’s tall, he’s quick. You know, he could use his hands a lot more and he can run with the big guys, the big receivers in the Big Ten and we felt Wayne was more instinctive as a safety, and he plays in space a lot better back there in the middle of the field so that was one of the reasons we made that change.”
[After THE JUMP: Aggressively pursuing aggressiveness and Freddy Canteen the WR?]
I think you were pretty excited about Wayne coming in. What does he have to do to get on the field more?
“I mean, he’s doing well right now but the guys that we have right now are doing just as well. But I’m quite sure you’ll see more of Wayne as the season goes on. We’re just making sure he has this defense down at the safety position, because it’s a lot more challenging at safety than it is at corner to learn the defense.”
Is it off the table for him to play corner at all? Is he just a safety right now?
“No, he’s just a safety right now. He’s just a safety right now, and Wayne’s in a great position because he can cover, he can take the deep middle of the field so he’s got the best of both worlds right now. I’m quite sure you’re going to see more of Wayne.”
Back in the spring you and coach Zordich sounded pretty confident and comfortable with what you had in the defensive backfield. I know we asked what you felt after week one, but going through camp and practice too, is this group everything you thought it would be?
“Yeah, it is. It is. I think one of the things we have to do is just start playing more aggressive in the secondary. I think one of the things- like Jourdan Lewis, he plays aggressive all the time and I think we have to have that mentality as a whole secondary. We’ve got to start playing more aggressively and stop waving and start going to attack the offenses, because I don’t think we did that enough as a secondary last week.”
Jim sort of said that it was everybody that was double checking, that they knew what they were doing but they were sort of checking through it. Is that what you were talking about?
"That's exactly what it was. Every group. I mean, everybody on the defense knows the defense. It's just for some reason last week everybody was so hesitant on what to do rather than going out there and just reacting and playing. I think you'll see a total different defense this week, because after the guys saw the tape they really couldn't believe that they were actually out there playing that way."
MGoQuestion: How do you feel Jeremy Clark and Channing Stribling did against Utah?
"I thought they did okay. I mean, there's much improvement needed from everybody in the secondary. Just not to put those guys out there but I think everyone needs to improve. Each position: nickel, corner, everybody back there needs to improve and everybody needs to step it up."
You talked about how Jourdan has that mentality. Is that something that he's had since you met him?
"Yeah, since we've been here in January he's got it. He's got that 'it' factor to where he's not afraid to cover anybody. I mean, he's an aggressive corner and we're trying to get all the other guys to play that way. He's got a fire within him. It's almost like Peppers. Him and Peppers are the same two guys."
Do you give him some extra leeway because you know he's that aggressive in terms of making decisions?
"No. No. Everybody's got to stay within the defense. Whatever we call, that's what we do. We don't tell him he has the leeway to go make certain plays. Everybody is going to go do their job the right way. Everybody's going to do their job the way they fit into the defense."
Oregon State was a lot more effective running the ball in that first game rather than passing it. Does that affect your guys perspective as far as how you approach it in terms of being more run support guys?
"Well, yeah. I mean, it changes it just a little bit, but we still think [when] there's more runs there's more deep balls. So, we're going to come up and leverage all the players with safeties, but at the same time we're going to be prepared for deep balls as well because with the runs there's a whole bunch of play actions to come with it."
There's the cliché that you make the most improvement between games one and two. Have you found that to be true in your coaching career?
"Oh yeah, no doubt about it. No doubt about it, and I think one of the things is after guys watch the tape of the first week and they actually see themselves and the way they played, that seems to gather the whole defense. You know, bring them more as a unit to where now they see how they weren't playing as fast as they thought they were, so now they're going to play much faster. And I think there's going to be a huge improvement this week."
You mentioned Jeremy Clark's length and ability to run. Was it just athleticism that caused you guys to move him to corner or what was it?
"I think that's what it was. I think the fact that he was a long guy, That he had long arms, he had quickness, really good change of direction, so we just felt like it was the best fit. We needed a guy out there who's really tall, has long arms, and can defend these Big 10 receivers."
You talked a lot about Jabrill Peppers switching from corner to safety in the spring. Not as much about Brandon Watson making the opposite switch. That's the second time you swapped players. Is that something where there's a focus on one spot over the other?
"No, we're just trying to find the best fit. We're trying to find the best five or six guys that can get out on the field at the same time. If that's moving a guy to corner and another guy to safety that's what we're going to do. We're just trying to find the best chemistry of guys who know how to work together."
What goes into defending a Hail Mary, like you guys did at the end of the first half?
"Well, I think the biggest thing is with our guys underneath is to box out. That's the biggest thing, because you're always going to have one guy to jump for the ball, you're always going to have a backstop, you're always going to have a guy coming from the other side to make sure nobody leaks out or that's uncovered. And I think one of the things we always preach is about boxing out receivers, boxing out receivers and let the one guy jump and knock the ball down. I think that's the biggest thing."
You played in the NFL. You coached in the NFL a long time. Is there any appeal to you in the first game at Michigan Stadium? Is there anything unique about that?
"Well, I think of any place in Michigan, Michigan Stadium is one of the places, especially in college. I've been everywhere, played everywhere, but one thing I always tell guys is this is one place I wish I would've played, come to play here, is the University of Michigan because it's exciting for young guys to see 110,000 people come to the stadium. And I think one of the biggest things, I tell guys all the time, 'Guys, no matter how many people are in the stands the dimensions of the football field never change.' So, when our guys go out on the field we're excited to play, but we can't get caught up with how many people are in the stands. We have to think about [how] the dimensions of the football field stay the same, so that when that whistle blows we'll be ready to play."
How is Canteen as a defensive player?
"He's doing good. I mean, we want him at corner but I think they need him more at receiver, but he was doing really well at corner when we had him for that short time. So, if it's an emergency we might need him again."
You mentioned that you want them to be more aggressive. Is that along the same lines of physical, actually when they're making contact? Are you happy with the physicalness and the force?
"No, I think when I say more aggressive I want to say more tackling. Tackle more aggressively, because, you know, we're not squaring up on tackles like we should be. We're whiffing on tackles, throwing our arms out rather than hitting guys square up in the face, and that's what we preach all the time. If you want to set the standard on defense you have to be aggressive and physical as a tackler. That's what I mean when I talk about being aggressive."