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UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 27, 2015

Tracy Claeys

Minneapolis, Minnesota

COACH CLAEYS: We've had a good off week. Had a chance to work on the fundamentals and get some kids legs back. I think our kids are pretty fresh. We practiced on Sunday, and it went really well.

Obviously, we're excited to have the Little Brown Jug in the state of Minnesota. It's meant a lot to a lot of people, including our team, and it's been to a lot of events over the last year. So we've enjoyed having it around. It will be a big challenge, but we're looking forward to Saturday night on Halloween and keeping it right here in the state of Minnesota.

So with that, I'll take questions.

Q. When you broke down the Nebraska film and stuff, just what were some of the themes of what happened on defense?
COACH CLAEYS: Did a terrible job. Here's the thing: Here's where I messed up is that week we practiced Cody on Tuesday and Wednesday, which is our big two practice days. Also we're going to practice on Thursday and find out he's not ready. So now we're having to juggle our linebacker groups on what we were doing.

And knowledge gives kids confidence, you know? And we played hesitant because of having to switch everybody around, I believe that, on the run game. So we didn't get -- those kids got very little practice on the running game.

Thursday's a big passing day for us to work on the passing game. So I did a terrible job managing the injuries. I should have repped somebody else a lot more and then got Cody the reps at the end of the week. But we were pretty sure he'd be back, and then he wasn't.

Then we get to the game during warm-up, and Alex Keith breaks his hand during warm-up, and he's out. So now we're, again, we're taking somebody, Gaelin Elmore, who has had some reps, but not very many, and now he's got to go in and play also.

So up front we didn't play very well. When you don't do that, you give a team a two-way go. Anytime you give a team a two-way go, you're in trouble. You just are. If we had just taken away the run from the beginning, then we'd have been better or at least even take away from the passer in the game. But we didn't stop anything with that. Then we lost two jump balls. One we had a kid fall down, one got him doubled.

When you don't play well on defense and then you have -- there's always going to be those two or three jump ball plays that are going to go against you. We didn't give ourselves an opportunity to win. And I'm the one responsible for that.

Our kids didn't play as fast. Nebraska played very well. But our kids didn't play as fast, and I think a lot of it had to do because Thursday we're juggling people all over because of a situation I should have handled better on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Q. Michigan, just a great overall team? Are they a good passing team?
COACH CLAEYS: I'll tell you what, they are. They remind me a little bit of how we were last year in some games. Since the first game they've taken care of the ball. They move the chains. They're playing a lot more physical. I think they're back to the fact of, hey, we're a two-back downhill team. They have hardly any negative yardage plays.

The fullback carries the ball more than any major college football team the last 20 years, and they're good at it. They've gotten back to getting downhill, doubling you on the defensive line, not losing yards and keep getting in a manageable third down. That's what they've done. They have kept the ball away from people and scored enough to win.

Some people think nowadays if you win 21-17, it's embarrassing because you didn't score 40 points. That's not them. They'll gladly walk off the field with a 17-10 win. So it's a completely different mindset, but they're playing well together. Their defense is -- I think defensively they're only averaging like 60 snaps a game, which is unheard of today, but that's because of how well they're doing on offense, and their special teams have put them in some very good situations. So they're playing really well as a team.

Q. It's a different coaching staff, but Harbaugh said yesterday that you guys whipped it pretty good last year. What do you feel you can look back at last year and maybe bring over to this one, even though it's a new coaching staff?
COACH CLAEYS: Last year, like you said, they were a lot more one back and didn't do all the doubling. And you know, really just a completely different mentality. So you know, part of doing a great job of coaching is recognizing what you have and what they do best. I think after the Utah game that each game they've decided and done a little bit different, but committed a little bit more to the run and some things they're doing. They're what you would think a Michigan football team's built on. Now they're downhill, playing good defense. Running the ball. Takes occasional shots down the field.

But for the most part, it's, hey, let's not lose any yards, let's move the chains and take advantage and score when we can.

Q. Were there some surprises there with the gimmicks they'll run?
COACH CLAEYS: He does a nice job, yeah. He does it -- Michigan State, at one time they put their wide receiver at tight end, because Michigan State, like us, got some injuries. They had a true freshman at safety, and now when they released on the pass, took advantage of a true freshman. Hit a big play. So they do some good things to try to create some mismatches with their personnel.

Q. You had mentioned on the call that Cody's maybe still a little limited. Is facing a two-back offense like this, it seems that's one of Everett's strengths. If you need to go that route this week will you be in bad shape then?
COACH CLAEYS: Yep, Yep, and Everett didn't get as many reps last week because of what happened. You know what I'm saying? So he's another one that didn't get as many reps. So played a little bit hesitant, so, yeah. I won't make that.

We'll make sure that Cody knows what to do. But we're going to give the reps to the other guys until we know he's ready to go for sure. For sure.

Q. Is there anything you can take away from this three-game stretch of ranked opponents that you had from last year where you had four straight at the end of the year? Anything?
COACH CLAEYS: Kind of like they say, how you eat an elephant, one bite at a time, you know what I'm saying? That's all you worry about. So that's how it is. I won't want to look at it and look at those three, four, five games in a row. Just, hey, let's concentrate on this one and then we'll worry about the next one, all right? Because it's pretty -- well, it is what it is. You know, you get this time of year, it's a tough schedule. So you take them one game at a time and do your best and don't worry about those other ones yet.

Q. Going back to Michigan, is their personnel a lot different than last year?
COACH CLAEYS: They've got a couple kids that red-shirted because of injuries. They've got a corner there and so the bulk of it is the same. The bulk of it is the same. Like I say, they've changed the way they play. They're a lot more downhill, a lot more physical and not trying to spread the ball all over like they did in the past.

Q. The quarterback is different, but the rest of it is -- he recruited a lot of good players when he came in?
COACH CLAEYS: I think they got behind the eight ball. There's not a lot of freshmen playing. Most of them were kids that were there. Like I say, it's more the offensive philosophy has just went back to, you know, hey, we're going to run the football.

And like I say, they make you respect the fullback, no team in the last 20 years have you had to do that. Fullback is always a blocker, decoy, but they've got some awfully big fullback running game.

Q. How much do you think this group's history now winning some big games helps you going into Michigan now?
COACH CLAEYS: It always helps you. It really does. So, you know, you can tell all the time, the group that's ready and whatever team plays the best and makes the least mistakes and plays the hardest will end up winning the football game. We've been through those on the road and at home.

Yeah, I think our kids will play well. I really do. Give us an opportunity to win the fourth, and at home, Halloween. I heard the last time they had a night game here at Halloween, it was a lot of fun. So looking forward to it.

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