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UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 22, 2008

Terrance Taylor

Q. What's your evaluation of the defense to this point? Have you guys been -- you talked about how you guys were going to be a great front and all this stuff. Have you been there?
TERRANCE TAYLOR: I mean, we have made mistakes, corrections that need to be made after the first three games, but now, you know, things are much smoother. The defense is really pretty much just in, and we're able to make checks. We've been able to ask questions to certain things, and everyone is running much smoother.
I guess at today's practice it was just a different kind of practice because it was much smoother. At the D-line, I think we're there, and this game is really going to let us know.

Q. What does smoother mean? Can you define that?
TERRANCE TAYLOR: Just that the plays that we run, if we see something in the backfield, we can make checks without having the coach to stop the plays, to say that you should have did this, you should have did that. We're doing it by ourselves. We're not making any mistakes, mental mistakes, and I mean, it's much smoother.

Q. The defensive line this year, when have you been at your best and when have you been at your worst?
TERRANCE TAYLOR: Through just the three games, we've been playing pretty well but not good enough to win. Just little mistakes that cost you a touchdown or a 1st down. Those are the kind of things that we're trying to fix. I think we've got a pretty good handle on that, and going into the Wisconsin game personally is kind of a fun game for me because they run the ball. The D-line always likes that challenge, and Wisconsin is going to give us one.

Q. Last year obviously they guessed you guys pretty good. What do you remember from that game, and what maybe corrections can you make?
TERRANCE TAYLOR: The Wisconsin game, it was a lot of running. They ran for a lot, because I had like 8, 11 tackles. I mean, that's just -- they like to run the ball. If they see an open window where they can run the ball, they're going to keep running the ball. So we've just got to close that window early and just go out there and play Michigan football.
I mean, the Big Ten season is -- that's when you really get to the season where you really find your team and who you are. That's where you get your name at. I think this team and these fellows are ready to go.

Q. Do you think there's a big difference between the outside where people are talking about can they finish .500 and make a Bowl and inside when you guys are talking about can we win the Big Ten?
TERRANCE TAYLOR: I really don't pay attention to what other people say. I really haven't since Appalachian State. I don't even watch the news anymore. What people say is what they say. They're not there when we're running, they're not there when we're practicing, they're not there when we're running dips or gashes, so what they say really don't matter. They weren't there when we were suffering over the summer and stuff like that, so that stuff goes in one ear and out the other.
For us the season started off rocky, but we've still got a lot of games get. For the seniors this is our last go-around, and we're going to enjoy every bit of it and play hard.

Q. Do you feel like this is a team that could finish higher up in the Big Ten?
TERRANCE TAYLOR: Yeah, yeah. I mean, I wouldn't say no, but yeah, I do. I mean, over the summer we worked out, it was probably the hardest time in everybody's life on the team, but people pushed through it and just took the new coaching staff and ran with it, a lot of good things. Going into this season, it's just little things the first three games that could have had a different effect on the game.
You know, that's just part of having a new offense and a new defense, just little mistakes, and you can't make those mistakes, especially not here. And I think now that, like I said, things are much smoother, it's going to be a little different. So we'll see you in Wisconsin.

Q. How will the mood change now that the Big Ten season is starting?
TERRANCE TAYLOR: You know it's a serious season. You know that -- I don't know. It's hard to explain. I mean, when you're playing somebody that's not in your conference or somebody off the schedule from a different conference, you know, you really don't know them. But you know when you're playing with Wisconsin they're going to run the ball, they're going to be physical, they're going to be nasty and they're not going to stop. When it says they're 6'5", they're 6'5"; not 6'5" and they're 6'2". I don't know, it's hard to explain. You've just got to play the games.

Q. If you were to grade the team in non-conference, what kind of grade would you give and why?
TERRANCE TAYLOR: Our team? I don't understand the question.

Q. If you were to assign a grade to the team at this point, A, B....
TERRANCE TAYLOR: I'd say a C, C+, and we're getting better. Like I said, the mistakes is what kills you. We know that. That's what you practice for. That's what we practiced for over the bye week and that's what we practiced for yesterday, for the team not to make those mistakes. If you look at the film and you watch the game, there was so many mistakes that you really can't come back from stuff like that. We know that, the seniors know that, so we talk to the young guys and let them know that, that you can't make those mistakes. It's my last year, it's a lot of guys' last year, and we want to make the best of it.

Q. What do you see in the Big Ten so far? Any teams strike you as the one to beat?
TERRANCE TAYLOR: No, I really haven't watched anybody but Wisconsin. They're pretty good. We're pretty good, and we'll see you on Saturday.

Q. The home field thing is a little lost. You guys split your first two at home. Is it not the same place in terms of intimidation?
TERRANCE TAYLOR: No, it's just, like I said, mistakes. You can be at home and you can be the best team in the world with the best home field and have seven turnovers, you're going to lose, no matter who you are or where you're at. It doesn't matter. Being at home does give us an advantage; we don't have the crowd distracting the quarterback, they can make the calls better. It has its advantages.
But if you have turnovers and you're just making mistakes constantly, no matter who you are or where you're at, you can be LSU, and you're going to lose, it doesn't matter. Being at home now for Wisconsin I think it's their first Big Ten game, but the offense and the quarterbacks can make their checks and get everything out.

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