	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 1, 2018

Chase Winovich

South Bend, Indiana

Notre Dame - 24, Michigan - 17

Q. (Inaudible)?
CHASE WINOVICH: I have to watch the tape. When you're in the thick of it, honestly just everything happened so fast. And he made plays and ultimately we didn't. And that's what football's all about -- making plays when you need to so --

Q. Did they do anything in those first couple of quarters that shocked you at all?
CHASE WINOVICH: To be honest, I'm not really sure where they beat us. Still kind of confused. I came in the locker room and I looked around and kind of confused how we lost that game. Because I didn't feel like they dominated us (inaudible) ball.

But, like I said, ultimately they made plays when they needed to and that's a credit to them. And that's I guess what football is all about. And they limited the turnovers and we had one. And we were unable to capitalize on it. And we had a lot of penalties.

Q. What happened on the late hit?
CHASE WINOVICH: So I asked the ref about it. And I didn't necessarily agree with his call because I was rushing from the left side -- he's a right-handed quarterback. He told me I hit him in the back. That's why he called it. I'm not sure how that makes any sense. I don't agree with it but that's his call, not mine. And so you learn from it and move on.

Q. Was it as physical as a game as you guys expected?
CHASE WINOVICH: For me, like I knew going into this game, like, mentally I was not retreating. So it was not the physicality that was the hardest part. I think it was the first game, for me at least, and I think other people feel this way, is always the toughest because no matter how hard your camp is, that first game -- it's always tougher.

And I feel like maybe they did a better job adapting to it, and took advantage of our lack of, I don't know, whatever. Not being prepared enough. I've got to watch the film.

Q. What is the mindset? I know you guys (inaudible) so much (indiscernible)?
CHASE WINOVICH: This is my personal take on it: I came back to Michigan -- I can't speak -- I haven't talked to every person in the locker room. But there's an expression: You take the island by burning the boats. And for me it's like I came back, forego the draft, if that makes any sense.

For me it's like I got a mission to do. And I'm going to do my best to influence them in that way and let them know I think it was 13 to 16 teams have made the playoffs that had one loss. So ultimately everything is still on the table for us and there's lessons to be learned.

Q. Chase, the other day (indiscernible) you said this team -- you projected the trajectory of this team. Maybe that's all that matters --
CHASE WINOVICH: Sometimes quotes don't age very well. (Laughter).

And there's things if there's anything about the trajectory I'd say we were battling them out there and sometimes things don't go your way. That's life. That's football on the road -- Notre Dame, under the lights. Just going to move on and we're going to keep battling.

I think the trajectory is we're coming together in the locker room within the same -- one thing I did note is there wasn't a lot of blaming. It wasn't like pointing fingers. The defense still feels like maybe going into the game we had some different expectations. But at the end of the day you give up 24 points or whatever we gave up, 24, right? Just puts a lot of pressure on your offense and --

Q. Spent a lot of time in camp about -- (inaudible). Were you surprised at all about the way that they in particular performed?
CHASE WINOVICH: I was focused on trying to survive out there. It was a doozy. So for me I didn't pay much attention to the offensive line. I just know they're working hard, and just like myself and everybody else on this team we got corrections to be made. I'm sure there's a well-coached group of individuals and we're going to be sure to make those corrections moving forward.

Q. Did you feel unprepared defensively over the first two series, maybe?
CHASE WINOVICH: I didn't feel unprepared. I felt like it was one of those things where you show up on the sideline it's, like, for me it was kind of like, I don't know, where do we go wrong. I didn't feel like they were dominating, I didn't feel like their presence was overwhelming to us. They made plays.

Q. A lot of changes on your offense. Your defense brings back a lot. How much pressure do you feel to kind of lead this team until that offense establishes more?
CHASE WINOVICH: I felt like -- I definitely feel that pressure. That's just the way it's kind of been when you look at it from a factual standpoint. It's kind of been a defensive-led group for the past couple of years.

And the offense is going to come along. Offense is -- you know I'm sure you guys can agree on this is defense, you can get a bunch of good athletes and fast people and you can have a coach and you can blitz and things work out. But for offense, like everything needs to be in sync and we've had to overcome some adversity with Tarik, and we're still figuring some stuff out on the offensive line. And you can point to a lot of stuff, but they're going to come along and be just fine. You saw glimpses of it today, I think.

Q. You mentioned that you didn't feel like you got outplayed but they hung up three touchdowns on you in the first half. They didn't do it in the second half. Was there something tangibly different about the second half than the first half?
CHASE WINOVICH: And that's what I said, I felt like, the second half, I think we more kind of, found our groove a little bit more, but -- this might be a hot take -- I don't mean it to be, -- they're a great football team and stuff -- I just didn't feel like they dominated us. I just felt like they went up and some 50/50 plays and smacked through there. Systematically, they did what they had to do.

Q. Chase, you had a couple of big plays defensively. Khaleke and Brandon Watson, not only special teams, but the interception, talk about what you saw from some of the other guys on the defense.
CHASE WINOVICH: Is that a personal thing or --

Q. For you, you had some big plays but Khaleke had tackles for loss and Brandon was an interception. What did you see from the other guys?
CHASE WINOVICH: For me, personally, I don't know if I could hit on it anymore. I feel at some points I was pitching a tent in the backfield. I think I had eight or nine quarterback hits. And for the other guys coming up the sideline asking them what they thought, I felt like everything was talking to the people, defense; there's always a sense that we're still in control and so we didn't falter and that's a good sign, I think, for things to come.

Q. Is that kind of the sense of, I don't know, relief or confidence that you guys still felt you had some control there despite everything happening?
CHASE WINOVICH: I think it's important to know I think that's different than last year. I think last year things went -- you see it in the South Carolina game and other points, things just went astray. And we had kind of that mindset last year I think they could have really done some damage on us, look at Penn State. And this year I think it was opposite. I think like we had given up some points but we had come together. We regrouped and went back out there, did what we had to do to give our offense the best chance to win.

Q. There was a lot of cramping?
CHASE WINOVICH: For me it was probably personally, I'd say my most tiring game at one point both my groins cramped up. It was a terrible feeling.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297