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UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN MEDIA CONFERENCENovember 13, 2006Chad HenneQ. With all of the hype, how do you keep yourself on an even keel and know that you still have to play the game? CHAD HENNE: I think it starts with preparation. I mean, we watched some film yesterday individually, and I think this week is definitely going to be all about preparation and how we prepare ourselves this week in practice. Q. Better than last year? CHAD HENNE: Of course they don't have the same linebackers but they have a Butkis Award winner, up for the award this year, but they fill the spots very well. They have a lot of speed and talent. It's almost identical to ourselves. Their defense runs very good and they have good speed on the back end. Q. Can you talk about how satisfying this year is overall? CHAD HENNE: I think it definitely was a booster for us. We always reminded ourselves who we were last year, 7-5, and we definitely didn't want to go down that road again. So we definitely worked harder in the off-season, and continued to prepare to have success. Q. (No microphone.) CHAD HENNE: Oh, definitely. I mean, this 1 and 2, it's never happened in the tradition of Ohio State and Michigan and everybody is looking forward to this game. But it all comes down to Saturday. Doesn't matter about the hype this week. It's just going to be the two teams on the field playing the game. Q. How are you personally better this year than last year? CHAD HENNE: Oh, I think definitely a lot more smarter and just identifying defenses and anticipating lines out there. When I came to the line last year, I just kind of would have to figure out what the defense was and just go and react. But this years, it's just anticipating what's going to be open and just becoming more knowledgeable. Q. (Talk about going to play at Ohio State.) CHAD HENNE: It's definitely a hostile environment. I remember sitting on the sideline and trying to talk to somebody next to me,and you can't even communicate unless you're screaming at the top of your lungs. It just a great place to play in and just experiencing it is just a great feature for me and our teammates who were down there two years ago, I think experiences, just like with we played in the Rose Bowl and Alamo Bowl. It's just building up all this emotion inside that you've been there and now you have to go out and play. Q. How much would that matter in your career -- CHAD HENNE: I think it does matter but we're setting our eyes forward to this weekend. We're putting that behind us, doesn't matter if we won or loss, just going to go out and play our best game this weekend. Q. What is the Ohio State/Michigan game like for you the last few years? CHAD HENNE: There's just a lot of enthusiasm, guys just getting after it this week. Just trying to play their best game they possibly can because that's what it's all going to come down to, looking yourself in the eye, saying, did you prepare yourself, did you play as well as you can. Q. (No microphone.) CHAD HENNE: Coming off that long stretch, we had six or seven tough games, and then, of course, Indiana. We just played out each game how it was and we wanted definitely to take care of those games before we got to this. I mean, last week, we really wanted to come out with just a fast start and just play our best game so we could lead in with confidence to this game. Q. (No microphone.) CHAD HENNE: Oh, definitely, we really wanted to shy away from it, because then we would get taken off our game plan for that week, and just we saw it in -- we took our eye off it a little bit and that's what happened. It was closer than we expected. Q. (No microphone.) CHAD HENNE: Well, we really don't have a speech because we're having meetings tonight. But pretty much, he just told us what it's going to be like and that we just have to come out prepared this week and have the right mentality and focus and practice. And I'm sure he'll address the same thing tonight. But just keep our heads on straight and just focus on the game plan. Q. Is Coach Carr any different this year than last year? CHAD HENNE: It's kind of hard to say. The season didn't go as well as we thought it would last year. But, I mean, this year, he's brought a lot of inspiration for us just like the Cinderella Man and different things like that. Just getting you thinking that we are the team that we need to be and we're not the same person as we were last year. Q. (What do you mean about Cinderella Man?) CHAD HENNE: That's a movie he's been showing us all year and just visualizing that we're not the same person as we were last year. After he shows the highlights of the previous game, he shows a clip or two of the Cinderella Man. Q. (No microphone.) CHAD HENNE: I definitely think guys came out and played well, getting Mario out there getting full speed, and also Steve Breaston coming out with a big game I think just builds a lot of confidence up for our players and definitely getting off to a fast start. Each game, that's what we pride ourselves on, try to get off to a fast start and put points on the board fast. Q. Can you relate at all personally to Braddock? CHAD HENNE: I think just all the criticism that went on last year with the team and myself, but it just proves that we weren't the same person as last year, and we worked even harder this year to get to where we are right now and it just shows that we worked tremendously hard in the off-season. Q. (No microphone.) CHAD HENNE: I think what hurt ourselves was just not converting on third downs, some third downs and also in the red zone. I think what our big, our big thing is that we need to convert, we need to stay together as a team and we can't hurt ourselves like we did many previous games. So that's pretty much what we need. Q. With Mario, what does it mean to have him back? CHAD HENNE: Mario is definitely rehabbing a lot and getting down there and getting stronger. He definitely looks to speed and practice and he did on Saturday in Indiana. Just to get the ball in his hands and let him make plays is what we need to do with a player like him because he can make anything happen and in just the snap of a finger. Q. (Did he look full speed to you?) CHAD HENNE: No, he definitely did, because Saturday he was running routes well and especially a couple of crosses where I hit him, he definitely looked full speed. Q. (No microphone.) CHAD HENNE: Troy is just a great player, big play capability, and has a lot of speed with his feet and can avoid pressure. This year he's making a lot of great plays because he's just a smart quarterback and understands what he's getting into and knows how to get out of bad plays. Q. (No microphone.) CHAD HENNE: They are ranked No. 1, great offense, great defense, great special teams. It's all going to come down to preparedness like I said before and just playing your best. We're almost looking at each other in the eye because the same players are almost on the opposing sides. So we're going to have to show our best. Q. (No microphone.) CHAD HENNE: I think every year everyone is watching the Michigan/Ohio State game, and of course there's going to be some outsider fans that are going to wonder what's going on with the 1 and 2 team. But it's always hyped up and it just a great game to play in. Everybody is going to be watching just as usual. Q. (Is there more pressure in a game like this?) CHAD HENNE: It's just the same pressure I think in every game. Of course this one is 1 and 2 but the pressure is out there to win the game. And each team realizes that if they lose the game, then they are set back and now they might go back in the polls and not be in the Bowl game that they want to. We just handle the pressure for our team as just being a prepared team, being the best-prepared team. Q. Do you go into it thinking you don't want to lose -- after going to the Rose Bowl for so many years? CHAD HENNE: Whatever happens, we're going to be happy with ourselves. We're not going to go out there just thinking that we're going to lose the game. We're going to go out there with a winning attitude and just go out and play our best game because it doesn't -- these are two great Bowls and we are going to be satisfied of how we play on Saturday. Q. How about feedback from fans? CHAD HENNE: Definitely throughout the year fans were relating back, saying, hey, let's go get Ohio State this year. But it's all about finish mentality for us because previously in two years, we didn't finish our season like we wanted to. And I think the fans feel that way, too, that they want to go off with a bang and finish the season the right way. Q. (No microphone.) CHAD HENNE: We're more worried about this Saturday. We're just going to play it out how it is. Q. (No microphone.) CHAD HENNE: Really it was kind of an awkward feeling but whatever they want to do, we can't control what they do. So we are just going to go in with our heads on straight and just worry about the game, not what's going to happen before the game. Q. This is a game where they maybe establish a legacy -- is that how you look at this game? CHAD HENNE: Of course in previous games that lead to the legacy but definitely in a fan base, they would say, yeah, how many times did you beat Ohio State. But as a player you just worry about each game and just go out and play your best game. Legacies will set themselves by how well you play in each game. Q. (No microphone.) CHAD HENNE: There's nothing to say. Ohio State beat us last two years and can't really say anything about it. We're just worried about this year and what's going to happen Saturday. Q. Coach Carr silenced a lot of that -- inaudible -- how does it feel to turn that around? CHAD HENNE: Of course we want to end the streak with 0-2, but it's all going to be tested on Saturday. I can't say anything now because it's all going to come down to physical ability and going out there and playing the game. Q. (No microphone.) CHAD HENNE: I think Chris Simms is always out there as a quarterback. That's why you come to a school like Michigan, you want to play in the best game and you want to play in the best program. As a player you let it go in one ear and out the other. If you let that affect you, mentally you're not going to be where you need to be as a player. Q. Coach said yesterday that each of you have worked a little bit on Ohio State, is that unusual? CHAD HENNE: Well, I think it's the same way every year. I mean, if you go down to Ohio State and you look at their practice, they are preparing for Michigan, too, for a couple of games. It might not be long. It might be five, ten minutes. But each team is geared up or for that game because we know what's at stake right now. It's not like a drastic thing. It's not like we're taking our ideas away from each team that week. But I mean, we definitely understand what's at stake and want to prepare a little bit for them. Q. (No microphone.) CHAD HENNE: It's definitely going to be a great challenge for us and for me, myself. But it's a team game and the team's going to win it as a team. There's not going to be just an "I" and just me and Troy going against each other. But I feel it's going to be one of the teams, not each player. Q. (No microphone.) CHAD HENNE: Definitely we've been in some close games this year and so have this he. They played Illinois a few weeks ago, so they understand what a close game is going to be about. It's all going to be drawn up this week and the outcome is going to be whatever it is. Each team is not going to go away, is what I'm trying to say. So if we're behind 14 points, we're not going to go away. If they are up, they are going to keep pounding, so each team is going to stay in the game. Q. Why have you had so much success at home this year? CHAD HENNE: Just going into an environment we know, we're the only ones out there, we just bonded together and knew we were just playing for ourselves out there. I think the mentality of that really sprung us forward to play well. Q. Is that mentality any different this year than previous years? CHAD HENNE: Definitely, I mean, we based our -- we always base our season on wins at home, never lose at home because then it progresses to away games. Q. Why is the team so much better at home this year? CHAD HENNE: I think just not hurting ourselves execution-wise. A couple of times, we could not convert on third down or could not rush the ball. This year we had a balanced attack that we could run the ball and when it comes down to a 14-minute situation, we have some plays in there passing-wise that we feel confident we can get in our receivers' hands and get those first downs. Q. (No microphone.) CHAD HENNE: Definitely, health is a big issue for him and he's reading cuts very well and reading off the linemen. Especially in the passing game, he's tremendous. He understands, he sees rotation with the safeties. He understands where some of the blitzes are. So he's become more of a knowledgeable player this year. Q. (No microphone.) CHAD HENNE: I do that every game. I really don't read a lot of newspapers and don't listen to any of the comments on TV. So I think I might just film myself in the film room and put up a cot or something -- in the cot there and just sit there in the film room and not have to worry about the outside world. Q. (Any thoughts about the Heisman this year?) CHAD HENNE: It doesn't really matter. Whatever team plays out and the individual that prepares his team and makes his team win the most will win it. But right now, not worried about the Heisman. Q. What's your major? CHAD HENNE: Socioeconomics. End of FastScripts |
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