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UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 29, 2008

Brandon Graham

Q. Brandon, what kind of defensive effort kind of against all odds in the first half that can propel some momentum in the team?
BRANDON GRAHAM: I'm trying to understand the question.

Q. Playing as well as you did and being in a bad spot with all the turnovers in the first half, is that the kind of thing that can give this team motivation and momentum in the future?
BRANDON GRAHAM: Yeah, you know, I think a lot of people knew that we was going to have to come in have no turnovers. It didn't go our way the first half. But we said we've got to keep fighting. They were down. We just keep going hard, which they did. And I was kind of proud that everybody stuck together. Nobody was pointing the fingers.
I think it's motivation in Illinois this week. They're going to be feeding off that each day just like we was yesterday.

Q. You learned that this team really has that stay in it regardless of what's happening to it in the second half you guys had a lot of energy?
BRANDON GRAHAM: Say it again.

Q. When did you learn that this team doesn't really quit? Was there a game or moment in practice?
BRANDON GRAHAM: We knew from the first game when we came back. We knew we had the potential to play hard all the time, and that's what we're striving for each game. And I'm starting to see it more and more as it progressed down the season. I think next game it's going to be four quarters.

Q. You said you had a goal this year of playing consistently throughout the season. How do you feel you're doing on achieving that and sort of reaching that constant high level of performance for yourself?
BRANDON GRAHAM: I feel like I'm doing pretty good right now. Still have more room to work. Just have everybody go hard each play just like I'm working, too. So I push everybody, try to be a vocal leader. And we've got a lot of vocal leaders on the defense. We try to rub off on our offense where they can come along with it, too.

Q. What are your thoughts on being named defensive player of the week in the Big Ten?
BRANDON GRAHAM: I appreciate it. If it weren't for my team going hard, they set up big plays for me to make. And I'm glad I was able to make them. And I set up big plays for other people to make.
It's a team thing. I just appreciate it.

Q. Coach Rodriguez said at the end it was a lot better for you because they just turned you loose. Different mentality at that point for you?
BRANDON GRAHAM: Yeah, it's like I'm thinking before each play: I gotta get the sack or I gotta get a turnover. I'm quite sure everybody's thinking that at the same time. But they really let me go one-on-one with the tackle. And I feel like if I get that every time I feel like nobody can stop me.

Q. What's the difference between preparing for Wisconsin versus preparing for Illinois a quarterback like Williams?
BRANDON GRAHAM: They run different stuff. Like Wisconsin wants to run it down your throat. They all want to play action you more so like just come off and just start throwing the ball. They want to run, wear you down, play action pass you.
But we're going against some spread against Juice. I know he's fast, and just gotta contain him.

Q. How do you do that? What kind of challenges does he present that maybe other quarterbacks don't?
BRANDON GRAHAM: Just with his size and speed, you know, he's big and he's fast. So we really gotta wrap him up. No missed tackles, because he breaks a lot from what I've seen in the film. And go out there and make sure we contain him on passing downs, we'll be okay.

Q. When you're going up against a guy like Juice and you know that Illinois likes to put it up certainly more than Wisconsin, is this the kind of day you'll be able to pin your ears back a little bit and go after the quarterback or be more careful because he can take off?
BRANDON GRAHAM: If you think about that, think about him taking off all the time, then that will hold you back. I'll go out there and play hard. And hopefully it will bounce your way and you'll be able to make the tackle.

Q. How much did fan support play, especially in the second half for you guys on defense?
BRANDON GRAHAM: It was good. It was a lot of motivation to see them into it again. We were happy that we could set it up like that to where we got them back in the game.
But really we was just feeding off each other. We were just saying we're going to go out there and play hard and the ball started bouncing our way.

Q. Can you talk about Terrance's halftime speech and how the team reacted?
BRANDON GRAHAM: They felt like they knew where he was coming from. He was saying he don't have no more games here, why not lay it all out on the line right now. And a lot of people ate it up. And they sucked it up. And they said they're going to go hard every play. I seen a change, I've seen a real big change in a lot of people's attitudes the second half.
We were just trying to get it all through the game, which we will. We just have to keep working like coach said. And we get it like that, like how we did in the second half, to play all four quarters, I don't see nobody stopping us.

Q. Defense has given up one touchdown in the second half this year. How much of that is conditioning and how much is it just you guys making more plays?
BRANDON GRAHAM: I just think we know the situation. Coach try to keep us with a level head and know the situations down and distance all times. And we kind of know from preparation, we have a good preparation in the game. So we kind of know like when they gave us everything we have so we have to keep watching for it. Just keep going out there playing hard.

End of FastScripts

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