UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 17, 2005

Lloyd Carr

COACH CARR: We're looking forward to playing an excellent Iowa team, a team that has really established some momentum here in the Big Ten Conference race, and a team that when you look at Hodge and Greenway, two of the finest linebackers in the country, No. 1 in the Big 10 in red-zone offense and red-zone defense, which certainly presents a challenge for us. And offensively, I think Drew Tate is another of the great quarterbacks we have got in this conference this year, and Allen has done a great job in the running game. And, of course, this Solomon, 21 yards a catch is extremely impressive. So we need to prepare and get ready to go into a very tough arena in terms of communication, in terms of the enthusiasm their crowd brings to their team. Questions. We will call it a day then.

COACH CARR: Well, I think Iowa, Norm Parker, their defense coordinator, and I coached together years ago at the University of Illinois, he was a coordinator for George Burliss at Michigan State. And before he was a coordinator, he was a defensive line coach. So what Iowa really does is they move their tackles down into real tight positions on our tackles and make it very difficult to run inside. And then, of course, they're going to make you run the football east and west, and they're a very difficult team to run the football on because of the way they play. And to play that way, you have to be physical. And they have established I think a toughness there and a pride in defense. And their offense plays to that because they run the football extremely well, and two those things compliment themselves in terms of philosophy as to how you are going to win. They have got a great kicking game. They always have great coverage teams and they have always done a great job in the return game. So I think that's where it all starts, being a physical football team that plays together.

COACH CARR: I think he is fine. We will know more tomorrow. Give me a call.

COACH CARR: Well, I think I mentioned after the game, I think what Brandon Harrison did coming in as a true freshman, I don't remember a true freshman, ever, since I have been here, starting at safety. We have had some that started at corner. It's a little bit easier out there in terms of what you have to know because of the nature of defense. But certainly to play inside -- and I think Jamar Adams really had a wonderful game. When he recruited Jamar, we were fully expecting him to be an outstanding football player. And I think with the experience he has gotten this year, I thought he made great strides late last week. In the second half of the Minnesota game, they came back with some things that they had done to him in the first half, and a smart player is a guy that doesn't repeat mistakes. I thought in this game he was physical. He is a big guy. And I think that was one of the real positive things that we took out of this game, that two guys could go in, and it limited us somewhat defensively in some of the things that we could do, particularly at the end of the game because we are so thin. But hopefully we will get Englemon back and at some point Willis back and I think that, as a team, is going to be a position of strength when they come back because these two guys have proven they can do some things under the stress of a big game.

COACH CARR: I really don't know. I mean I will -- when we get back here today, because we did not meet yesterday, we will meet today and we will know a lot more at that point.

COACH CARR: Well, the only thing I am interested in is what our team thinks. And the important thing is that they understand we have got an excellent team in front of us and what we're trying to focus on here every week is the next opponent. And you can't worry about all the things that you don't have any control over. Which you can have control over is how you approach today. You get some choices. You can come prepared to work and with an attitude that I am going to get better and that's certainly our No. 1 goal. We need to try to get better, and be a better football team.

COACH CARR: When I was a little kid, or when he was a little kid? Yeah, I remember him. He was always, you know, a guy with a lot of adrenaline, a lot of emotion, and a kid that loved to be around the game. I mean he's played a lot of sports growing up and he's a competitive guy, smart guy, and that will be something to see him.

COACH CARR: Well, I think -- yeah, I think they have gotten much better. And that's always part of any team because every year you are losing 25 percent of your team and some years you lose more at one position than others. So I think it's one of the reasons they have been so good in the last three games.

COACH CARR: No, I do think, you know, that there is a lot to learn at that position. Because if you don't line up right, I have seen a number of penalties this year. Nothing -- nothing ruins an offense like penalties. I mean normally they lead to punting the football, giving it back. So if a guy lines up wrong, you've got to have six guys on the line of scrimmage. If you don't, it's a penalty. It's a five yard penalty. If you take a split that is improper, now the entire timing of the route. And when you get motion, if you don't -- you know, there is a multitude of things. So what he has really I think improved on since we got here is his urgency of getting lined up and shifting and in the motioning and running his routes at the right depth. He ran a wonderful route on the touchdown pass and, you know, he broke it outside and he got the defender to turn and he made a sensational catch. Now, there is a lot of great receivers out there, but that was -- he caught that ball knee high with his hands away from his body, that was a magnificent catch. And in the last play of the game, he -- you know, if he doesn't take the proper split, if he doesn't do everything he is supposed to do, then that play has a different outcome. But I am not surprised because I saw him in high school film, and he comes from an outstanding program, great coaches there, and he has been in a very competitive high school situation in terms of the competition they played. So he had great preparation. I saw him play basketball. He's a great athlete, great quickness, and he is tough. So I am not surprised, no.

COACH CARR: Well, I can't say enough good things about Rueben Riley. Because, first of all, he played almost an entire year a year ago, stepped in and played left guard and did a wonderful job. And then missed most of Spring practice because of an injury he received, I think, the first day of pads in the Spring. So then to come back and move, be asked to move to tackle which is an entirely different world. I mean a lot of times out there at tackle, you are on their best football player, their fastest rusher. And he's got a two-way go and you have got to protect the inside and got to be quick enough to not let them get around the edge and hit the quarterback. And to do all that with two casts on your hands and never, never, complain, never make an excuse, and just go back out there and fight, and that's what Rueben has done. And if you know him, he is a -- you are not going to find a better person, better human being. So I think our football team is very appreciative of what he is trying to do under more than difficult circumstances.

COACH CARR: Yeah, I think there is always -- you know, offensive linemen, there is a lot of people who think that, you know, it takes three years, three years for a guy to be in a program before you really know. Now you may know earlier that a guy is going to be a great player. We have had some guys like Backus and John Jansen and Hutchinson and Moe Williams some of those things where you knew immediately. But you don't give up on a guy for at least three years. So Rueben was at a stage where I had some concern, and when he did really fight back after -- I thought he had a disappointing Fall a year ago, but he just kept working hard. And when his opportunity came, he went in at a new position again, at guard, and did a great job. So yeah, he's got something to him.

COACH CARR: Well, I think -- I don't think his future has been decided here yet because I was personally -- I like the thought of him playing center because he is a very good athlete. I mean he can move for a guy as big as he is, so we will just have to see. But the good news is no matter what he is asked to do, he will -- he'll have been through a lot tougher things.

COACH CARR: Well, I don't think, if you haven't been through it. I think the most difficult thing for a freshman is right now. You get into the middle of the season, you are tired, we have got midterm exams this week, and you are rundown. You know, in high school, it's the play in and play out competitiveness is so much different at this level, and practices are much more competitive, so it wears on you. And you can see in most cases guys that, you know, they're inconsistent because every week you get a new game plan. Some of the things that you learned last week, you know, some of the calls, some of the things that you have to know, the checks, are entirely different. It's like starting all over again. And you know, our natural inclination I think is to -- you know, we have a good game, we just think the next game is going to be easy too. Well, it doesn't work that way. You have got to get focused in on a whole new game, a whole new set of challenges as far as the people you are playing against, different styles, different skills, so it's a hard challenge for a young player.

COACH CARR: Well, I think of course, we had some issues that year because we had some injuries and we had some young guys in there, and then I made some mistakes. I think Mike DeBoer has done a great job. I think our guys have really bought into the importance of special teams, and I think he is done a great job coaching them.

COACH CARR: Well, I think you need to talk to Jim about that. I would feel more comfortable that way. But he is doing great. He is doing very, very well. And you know, he had a lot to do with the recruiting of Chad Henne and Michael Hart. I mean he left some very, very good things. A lot of good friends.

COACH CARR: Yeah, I think Alan has been one of the more improved football players on our team. I think he is a great athlete. For a guy that size -- I think I told you the story where he was in the backfield in high school and he played basketball. But there is no question that he probably could carry more weight easier than a lot of people because he is such -- he is so athletic. But in terms of season, he needed to get some weight down because of the wear and tear, and your ability to recover and your ability to play in the fourth quarter. So he is still a young guy, and we have -- and he has had a really tough -- twice on Saturday, he lost containment on the quarterback, once on the force-down play late in the game, and earlier on a scramble out of there. But he's playing a different position the last couple of weeks than he played earlier. So those are things that are going to happen when you move guys around. But he has really shown, I think, great potential. I think he has a chance to be a great player.

COACH CARR: Well, I do think with the experience that he is getting there, it's going to give us, our coaches, a lot more flexibility because he will be able now to -- he's got the ability to play either, but I like him inside because he is so athletic and he is hard to get blocked. And when you are -- when you are -- when you have the abilities he has, it makes it very difficult in the middle of the line. But he also hit the quarterback a few times in that game and I think, you know, he did a lot of good things.

COACH CARR: Well, I think it has to begin Sunday. I think the great thing -- the thing that gave us a chance to win the game on Saturday, the thing that gave me a great feeling going into that game was the fact that last Sunday, we just -- what we talked about was forgetting the Minnesota game because there was nothing that we could do, and if we didn't let that game go, then we would be thinking about it Tuesday and Wednesday instead of getting ready for an outstanding team. I don't think it is any different this week. We have to put that game behind us. And I think smart teams do smart things, and smart teams understand that what you did yesterday and what you did last week doesn't mean a thing.

COACH CARR: I think they are equally difficult. Getting off a win is a lot more fun.

COACH CARR: No. No, we don't give rewards at Michigan. No, we changed our schedule this week because of there are two study days, Monday and Tuesday. So we changed our schedule and gave them yesterday off, and which I think they favored and which I think works better in a lot of different ways. So we changed our schedule simply because their academic schedule has changed.

COACH CARR: Well, I think, earlier in the game -- and I don't know exactly how it transpired -- they had put four seconds back on the clock at the time. I can't remember the exact scenario. But when I called timeout, and there is a new rule in college football this year, or maybe it started last year, where the coach can call timeout. Up until this rule change, the timeout had to come from a player. And so -- and when I asked for that timeout, I immediately looked at the clock, and I saw 32 seconds. Now, you always understand that just because you are calling it at that time it's still he's got to go through the process of stopping the clock and signaling and so on and so forth. But his job on that play was to spot the ball for the previous play. And so he did not -- he told me, "Coach, I was -- I had to spot the ball." And I asked him if he would check with the referee. And the referee fortunately was doing a good job because he saw -- he said to me, he said, "I think there were -- by the time the call was -- by the time it got in there, it was 30." He said, "We're going to put two second back on." So I think any time -- I have done that a number of times. I think every coach does. You are always looking at that clock and you are hoping one of those officials close to you will see the time. And there is an official assigned to do that, the back judge, I think, and so that's how it happened.

COACH CARR: No. Well, I didn't ask. I didn't -- that wasn't part of my thought process. But what I saw -- really, the play on tape is much, much closer. I don't know if they had called it the other way, if they had had enough to overturn it. But what I saw on the field and what I think is the right call is the one they made. I think it was a fumble and because of what I thought when I saw it, I never thought about asking for timeout.

COACH CARR: Well, I think, you know, -- I think what we probably will do, I am sure our officials in the Big 10 will do, they're going to look at this whole issue and say okay, how much time has been added to the game and could the games be shorter by giving coaches the responsibility to ask for the review. Right now, you know, what we have, and one of the things that some people are complaining, and I am not one of them, I really think -- I don't like to add time to the games, but I think there is some things that we can do in the rules to shorten the game. But I do like the fact that they have the ability to look at an unlimited number of plays and get it right. So I am not -- I think that's part of what we -- the price we pay for getting it right. And I think there's been a lot of calls that have been made right because we have this process.

COACH CARR: Well, I don't -- I don't view Iowa as a spread team. I think they're a team that is -- you know, I mean anybody can run some plays. But you know, I look at Iowa as a team that does a great job of making you defend the length of the field. They do some great things in terms of allowing Tate to throw the ball deep. He probably sets up deeper for passes than any quarterback in college football. I mean he is back there 10 yards. Most of us are taking five-step drops. Sometimes we will take seven on a play action where we're keepping everybody in to protect. But I think they like to run the football, and they do it with a lot of formations and a lot of personnel packages. But I think they're -- I think what they do is -- what they do offensively compliments what they do defensively. I think they have a philosophy of how they're going to win and that means being balanced on offense, running the football, and play action passing and being able to throw the ball when they get into those situations.

COACH CARR: Mike Gillison? Well, Mike, is not a throwback. You know, Mike got his Masters degree here in exercise physiology. I think he was one of the very high in his class. He is a very intelligent guy and he understands the human body. And in my judgment, one of the things, as we go forward, in intercollegiate athletics that I see a looming issue is all of the things that people are doing.

(Phone connection was lost.)