[Fuller/Uprchurch- MGoBlog]
Karan Higdon and Henry Poggi
Karan, Coach said you hit the hole the fastest of all the running backs. Of the other running backs, what do you think each of them brings to the table that leads to them getting more carries to help you guys win?
“Everybody brings different things. I think it’s just more of a feel of the game versus a lot of assets a player may have. But De’Veon’s extremely powerful. Chris is very similar, he’s quick to the hole. And Ty’s another powerful/quick runner. It’s just based off of what Coach feels.”
Karan, a couple short-yardage situation late in that game, it seemed like maybe there was a hole or what did you see on those plays, and those are obviously going to be critical going forward, right?
“Yeah, most definitely. The defense was penetrating. Our O-line did the best they could to hold it up and I just read. We’re just trying to continue going.”
Karan, from the start of camp, was this the plan to kind of have a running back by committee or was that something that just kind of evolved through the process of finding a running back?
“I would definitely say this is something that evolved. We definitely, I don’t think, planned to have a four-man rotation at running back, but seeing the amount of backs we have that can produce, I think that definitely played a big part of having a four-man rotation.”
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How different will it for both of you guys going against a head coach who you saw in practice a lot last year?
HP: “It’ll be nice going against a defense that we know. You know they’re going to throw in some new wrinkles. I’m sure Coach Durkin will have them all schemed up for us. We’re not too much focused on that. Just got to get into the film and really study them a lot. Haven’t done that quite yet.”
KH: “Yeah, most definitely. I would agree with Poggi. We know he’s definitely an excited guy and he’s going to bring an intense defense and we definitely should expect that and know that we’re going to have to get after it.”
Jim just said he expected parachutes to come out of Jabrill on the runback, the two-point conversion. Were you dazzled at all by how fast he was speeding down the sideline?
KH: “For me, no. I see it a lot. Jabrill’s a very fast guy, so it definitely wasn’t surprising.”
You expect to see that?
“Yeah. Oh yeah.”
HP: “Yeah, for sure. He’s a real special athlete. Very impressive when he ran down there, so that was nice to see.”
Jourdan said he was disappointed with the way that game ended and maybe wasn’t the margin he was expecting. What was the mindset after that game? Just happy to win or were you disappointed at all?
HP: “I think we’re always happy to win, especially going into Michigan State and getting a win there. They’re always gonna play tough. They’re a really tough, real prideful football team. Obviously there’s a lot of stuff I think from every player’s perspective that they could have done a lot better. I think from the standpoint as a football player, as a competitor you always want to have a perfect game. You can always be disappointed in a few plays, but I wouldn’t say at all that we’re upset about a win. A win’s a win.”
KH: “Yeah, I would definitely agree. I think we have a team that’s full of [guys] always wanting to get better. So, we always look at the critiques of the game, and that’s what we’ve got to do to be a national championship contender.”
Karan, you’re explosive, you hit the hole. Have you modeled yourself after anyone in particular, and how do you describe yourself as you describe the others?
“Adrian Peterson. He’s always been my guy. I’ve watched him since I was a kid, and I would love to compare myself in the trend of him.”
What is your style and how would you describe it?
“Definitely balanced. I can be quick and explosive. I can hit the hole fast, but I also can lower my shoulder and bring some power behind me.”
Jim confirmed that a couple guys were sick. Were you guys among them, and talk about how different a week it was in practice with some of those guys being out.
HP: “No, neither of us were. It’s just kind of a sickness that’s going around with the weather change. Not too different, no. You deal with that kind of stuff all the time.”
KH: “Definitely a speed bump, but we overcame it. Some guys stepped up and filled in the missing roles and we just kept going.”
Coach said that Wilton was ‘cool as a cucumber.’ Can you describe his demeanor during the week and in the huddle otherwise?
KH: “He’s just Wilton. He’s calm, cool, and collected. Doesn’t get too high. Doesn’t get too low. Just does what we gotta do to get the job done.”
HP: “Yeah, absolutely. He’s definitely a very level-headed kid. He’s an older guy, too, so I think he saw how Jake [Rudock] reacted in those kind of situations. I think he learned a lot from Jake. He’s a great leader on the field, for sure.