UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 16, 2003

Tyrone Willingham

COACH WILLINGHAM: I would prefer to look at it from the total. I know there are those who prefer to look at individual parts of it. There are some that will probably focus on, what is it, four of the last seven, okay. That's a preference.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Yes, indeed.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, we've said Carlyle's growth has continued and it has. I think he's getting better. There are points sometimes where that may not be visible with you. It's also never just a quarterback. And that's what we have to always keep in the right framework is that the problems of our offense are never just limited to one person, okay. We as coaches believe we have to do a better job to put him in better position. We have to have better execution, and that's the way we look at it.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, you do what it takes to win. That's the goal and we have always said that. Do you curtail certain things at the expense of the entire team? So you have to balance that and that's what we are constantly doing.

COACH WILLINGHAM: The word, I think it was potential, or potentially, something along those lines that was used on Saturday. That is the case every day at our quarterback position, at our guard position, at our tackle position. It fits very comfortable with the words that we used earlier: Best player plays.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Carlyle has still identified himself as the best quarterback.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, please remember, again, please take into context, I know you're very interested in getting the next guy in there, okay, and I know that's not you necessarily. But please understand that that framework is dictated by a lot of things that go on in the ballgame. It is never just one position, okay.

COACH WILLINGHAM: All of the above. And that is the easy way for the coach to get out, to say all of the above. But it is true, we have got to do a better job in every category of defense, every category of offense.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, I think they would hold very true to their system. Right now their running back, I think is Jaren, is playing very well, okay. He's also been not only a good runner for them but also an excellent receiver for them. They have an excellent receiver, so you are going to get the balls in the hands of the guys that can make big plays for you. So they will continue to do that. Now, they will do it based on what they believe Stanton can do. So there will be, I think, some change, but not noticeably a total change or departure from their system.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I think that anger speaks to a hurt, a dissatisfaction with what took place. Our players are hurt and dissatisfied with what took place. And being the competitors that they are, they will come back this week to redeem themselves which will mean practicing better performing better and hopefully that gives us the right method to move forward.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, what we did is the same thing we do with any loss, is that you're very positive about the things that were good, and you really try to make quick and decisive adjustments about the things that were bad. And then you move forward. Because one game, if that's the only game we lose, I think that will be an excellent season. But what you have to do is focus on the next game. You can't stay in the past nor can you get ahead of yourself to the future.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Freddie had showed himself to be a bright, aggressive player. And what we are looking for again is that guy that can step in and make plays and make major contributions to our defensive scheme, and Freddie is showing himself to be that type of player.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, I've said all along, I thought his command of our system has been grueling, it started last spring and it continues. Sometimes we take steps forward. Sometimes we take a step or two back. But it's all influenced by all of the things that go on around you.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I have not. We've been very fortunate in most cases we have been able to recruit --

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, you'd like never just to get the numbers up. You hope that what you're doing, No. 1 is focussed on the quality of the player. So that will be the No. 1 goal, always seeking quality. But in order for us to really operate and get things the way we would like, yes, we would like to have some numbers, also.

COACH WILLINGHAM: At what level are you speaking?

COACH WILLINGHAM: It depends on the players. You may give him the option to carry out or work to his dream first, and then you have an opportunity to bring him in if that's not working and then slide him into a position. But usually my thought is, we have a pretty good idea what the young man has coached in, where he can play and usually we will work in that area first before we can talk about real position changes.

COACH WILLINGHAM: It depends on the individual and the needs of the team.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Interesting perspective.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Yes; yes; yes; haven't yet; yes. (Laughter).

COACH WILLINGHAM: We vary it. We vary it based on situation. There will be certain days that that ratio may change, certain drills it may change, just to make sure we are bringing that second guy along; that he does have enough practice time and enough composure to be prepared to play.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I think you have to. Because if that's your first team guy, he's earned the right to be the first team guy. You have to be sure that he's ready to play the game. But the second teamer also has the ability at the point. But in most cases in a system like ours, you expect the guy to do a great deal of it mentally. Now that's unfortunate for this guy with his first opportunity because he does not have that base, that library to build from.

COACH WILLINGHAM: You're speaking about the overall Michigan experience?

COACH WILLINGHAM: I think you have to. I think you have to, because there are lessons from Michigan that we can grow from. There are good things and bad things. You have to find those things that can help your team go forward, and sometimes a negative can help you go forward. Sometimes it's better spent working on the positive.

COACH WILLINGHAM: The thing that I've said all along is that we have to all be on the same page. We have to be executing. Michigan did a great job and there were stretches during that ballgame that I thought our defense stood up very well. But when you play as many plays as our defense has played, it's very difficult to hang in there against a very good football team.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I think Brady has been and still is very eager to be our starting quarterback. I think he's driven and he's driven to be the best and help this team be successful, and I think those are all positive qualities that have led him to this point where he has the balance okay to be ready to play.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I think you can lump that into just one quick gathering of words and say, Brady himself.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Yes.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Also year-to-year.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, there are a lot of things you have to consider. First of all, there's no guarantee about an additional year. There's always something that you have to work through, so you have to be very cautious there. But at the same time, you want to do what's best for the team, okay. And the different year, you reach that decision at different points.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Still shaping.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, I'm hoping I won't have to deal with that one. You can ask Coach Smith that one hopefully. But you have to go forward, okay. You can't dwell on losses. And to be very honest about it, you can't dwell on victories. You have to go forward because both of those are detrimental to you if you allow them to be.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Excited, not necessarily because it's Michigan State; it's a great opportunity for our football team. That will probably be the focus, the game. It happens to be Michigan State.

COACH WILLINGHAM: No.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, I think we most of the time, I don't think we had success. I think we had success once as a player here. You come in a game that's laden with tradition. I remember as a young man watching the '66 ballgame between the two schools. So the rivalry is kind transcended to the region, at least for me it did. As a player, you know this is a big game. You know Notre Dame is a team that you focus on. It's one that you would like to win. So I believe the Michigan State team will come in with the same approach.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Which time, what team?

COACH WILLINGHAM: Gosh, I can't remember. That's a lot of years ago.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, we are not making any excuses about that. All of the young men that we have, we expect them to step up and play. We as coaches have to do an excellent job of getting them in the right positive, getting all the things done right with them. Right now, as an offensive team, we have not executed. We have got to do a better job of execution for us to be successful.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I think they have to be. But I will say right now, our first focus is probably to make sure we shore up our running game. Because if we can get that, I think it opens up other avenues for us in our passing game. We have always said we want balance. Usually when you say balance, you lean a little bit more toward the passing game in terms of overall numbers, but at the same time we have got to have an effective running game, because as you know, it does a couple of things for us. One, it allows us to have some control of the clock and have some control of the ball. In doing so, it helps us become a better defense and a better football team. I think we need to start there and then branch out into our other areas with great balance and hopefully great execution.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I think it's really in some cases it's some growth on his part in terms of doing a better job of trying to work down through the system. But the thing that we have always said, when you have a mobile quarterback, it is a plus in your system because he can create some things. And when you have a quarterback that can create things, it puts additional pressure on the defense.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I think I'm on record as saying there was not much good that came from the contest. So I would probably agree with you that all battles Saturday were probably won by Michigan, and I think that's a fairly safe assessment there. But we've shown great intensity. We've grown great tackling at times. We've got to bet back to those things. It's one of those scenarios again where you don't necessarily throw the baby out with the bath water. We like what we are doing. We will stick with what we are doing and we think that we have the young men that can do it, but on occasions you don't do it. We try to address those issues and go forward.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I'm not sure if I can give you a percentage or --

COACH WILLINGHAM: Consistency is a major factor with?

COACH WILLINGHAM: I think it's an important ingredient, yes.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I think even though they are ranked very high. And some would consider that they have not played a team that runs the ball, or has made a major effort to, but I still think they do an excellent job. And they will be geared up for our attack because they will believe that that is a face that we would like to strike and establish ourselves to be productive. But I think they have got great players. I have looked at them, they have speed, their ability off the edge as pass runners; and I think you can translate that ability, also to be quick in the run game.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I think there is a difference between the two backs. I think Julius, he's loose, and Ryan is more a lasher, but we love the style and combination that they bring to our offense.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I'm not sure if I can tell you how much it matters to their offense. I think that's probably better for their team to really give you those subtle differences. But I think for the most part, they will try to work within their system, because sometimes when you get out of the system, that way you eliminate other areas of their offense that have been very productive. I think they will try to stay within that, and within doing so, match up that that quarterback does well within their system.

COACH WILLINGHAM: That is an unfair question because the numbers don't say anything about balance right now. We have not been very effective, okay. We have got to get effective. We have got to get execution. We're going to do all of those things. To date, we haven't done that.

COACH WILLINGHAM: It's very difficult. If you're faced with 2nd and 3rd-and-long all the time, it's very difficult to have a high percentage on those. When you're in those medium distance areas, No. 1, you have the ability to force the defense to have to defend more things. When you take that away from yourself, you begin to limit what you can do offensively.

COACH WILLINGHAM: No, it did not have anything to do with the game. The surfaces were very similar, but yet slightly different, I think, because of the outdoor conditions of rain and weather, and compacted just a little bit more. But it was still an excellent playing surface.

COACH WILLINGHAM: For the most part very similar. I'm not sure it is the same distributor -- we don't have astroturf. We have that variety of fieldturf.

COACH WILLINGHAM: To the best of our abilities, I don't know anywhere that you can simulate 111,000 people and the noise that comes from that. But to the best of our abilities, we tried to simulate that, and for the most part, I think they performed well against the noise.

COACH WILLINGHAM: You practice that. You practice all year long non-verbal communications, and when you don't have sound and you do different things; that, they were prepared for.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I am not aware of any.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I think they are helpful. There are search things important about the program, so it's always very useful to them.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, your system is built on ability to do both. When you're nine in the box, you throw. When there's six in the box, you run.

COACH WILLINGHAM: We have options on almost every play.

COACH WILLINGHAM: If we are not performing, the quarterback, just like the head coach, receives more of the criticism, okay. And more of the success and well wishes also; so it goes both ways. That's part of the territory.