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UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME MEDIA CONFERENCESeptember 14, 2011Michael FloydTommy ReesQ. Michael, you've only been through quite a bit, knowing what you guys did last year, how you were able to overcome things, was that something that helped going through this? MICHAEL FLOYD: I think it does. Just knowing that you're not -- positive, you can really get backup off a loss. Like I said I think it all comes down to having positive players on the team, having guys know that we can get through this, you can get the job done and that it all comes. Q. Can you each talk about your relationship, your chemistry on the field as you work together? TOMMY REES: As far as my job goes, you have a player on the field like Michael you try to get him involved as much as you can, and our offense has done a good job of putting him in different situations on the field, keeping defense guessing and different ways to get the ball in his hands. You know, for me it's pretty easy. If I can get it to him, I think that a lot of what we have done throughout practice in the past year and a half has helped us prepare to be successful. MICHAEL FLOYD: Just making sure that he's in the most comfortable spot, what's what we try to did on our team is making sure he's comfortable throwing the ball, making sure catching it -- that he has confidence to shoot it to everybody. Q. Do you feel like maybe you look in too much on Michael? Maybe with interceptions you're looking his way a little bit too much, is that one of those things that kind of happens when you have such a good receiver like that? TOMMY REES: To an extent, probably, but if you go back and look at the game, the other key situations throughout the game where other people stepped up and made a big play, the touchdown to T.J., the touchdown to Theo. Obviously we want to get Michael the ball and get him involved and we've done a really good job of, that sometimes I throw to him when I'm not supposed to or shouldn't, but I have a lot confidence in all of the other guys on the field and I have no problem looking the other way and trying to find -- giving other guys chances to make plays? Q. Michael can you take us back to last year's Michigan State game, obviously moving pack to that game -- MICHAEL FLOYD: Yeah, similar to last week, I mean, it was hard to take it. You know, we just came back -- we've got to get back to practicing, we know what we've got to do. Watching film you have to make sure we don't make the mistakes that we did last week, and just watching film, like I said, making sure that we do everything on point and do everything correctly. Q. Can you just talk about the Michigan State defense and going up against them? TOMMY REES: You know, Michigan State is a good team. They have had a lot of success in the past and this year and they are a tough, hard-nosed football team and defensively they have done a really good job understanding what their schemes are and why they are doing what they are doing and they present a challenge as any defense we face. We have to be locked in and focused during practice to make sure we understand where we can attack them and know what they are trying to do to us. MICHAEL FLOYD: Yeah, I think trying to hit their weakness, wherever it is on the field, that's what we watching film have to do and looking at that. With the defense, the visiting team has a lot of confidence on defense and we have to make sure we can do what we need to do and shoot with the ball out. Q. Going back to the one play where the ball slips out of your hands at Michigan State, can you talk about that, when you realized the ball slipped and you end up going forward, was it one of those deals where it was so loud -- TOMMY REES: That's something that happens from time to time when you're playing quarterback. Like I said before, the ball simply slipped out. I checked to a fade out on the end zone for Mike, and you know, as soon as I dropped back, I was real confident in the play, and I went for it to throw the ball and it slipped out and my momentum, my arm was still moving forward. Obviously it was a mistake that's pretty costly and something that you hope to avoid, but at the end of the day, you know, obviously it didn't help our team. But I try not to dwell on something like that that happened, that's really -- not as much a mental error. Q. Coach talked a lot about the turnovers. Do you find yourself -- TOMMY REES: Absolutely. Obviously I forced some balls here and there and I know what I'm not supposed to do and when I need to maybe take a shot and that's just something that's a learning experience at quarterback. Coming back and just throwing the ball away is not a bad play. Those are just things that I need to learn from and I can't make the same mistake twice from here on out. Q. Your comfort level compared to last year, it was learn as you go, now that you're the guy and you have to start in front of 114,000 and the other big games -- how comfortable are you compared to where you were last year? TOMMY REES: Yeah, I feel a lot move comfortable and being with the guys, developing a greater relationship with a lot of the players. I have a lot of confidence in myself and the people around me so pretty excited. Q. Playing at home -- rough times the last few years, if you can have one victory -- will that give a different attitude? MICHAEL FLOYD: I think so. I think if we, you know, take this in the right direction we went, it's a big momentum and I think it can help our team a lot going forward and just the whole confidence level that we need. Q. When you mentioned leadership a few moments ago, what's your leadership style? MICHAEL FLOYD: I think mine is being more vocal on the field. At times like this, guys can be down and you know, thinking about other different situations and what's going on. But when we are on the practice field, we practice to get better as a team. As a vocal leader you have to yell sometimes, talk to people individually or as a group, and that's what I try to do. That's what I try to do as much as I can, just making sure everybody, I know where their head is at and they are all staying positive. TOMMY REES: As a quarterback -- on the offense, that's something that is exciting for me. I feel like I can be more vocal at times but one of the ways I try to lead is I try to a pretty calm demeanor and not -- if you show your emotions get the best of that you can affect the people around you. So as long as I can keep a level head and pick up guys that need to be picked up, that's something that I like doing and that comes pretty natural as a quarterback. Q. Inaudible. TOMMY REES: For me, the way I go about my day -- everyone on the outside has their opinions but what I'm concerned about is whatever is going on in this facility. I don't let any of the outside opinions or voices affect what I'm thinking or how I'm preparing this week for Michigan State. MICHAEL FLOYD: Yeah, I think that I kind of, you know, put that to the side as well in my regular every day life, not worrying about what other people say. Because there's always criticism and people are always saying negative things. So you know I kind of just stick to myself in making sure that we all stay positive as a team and not listen to what all everybody has say in the free world. It's just making sure we do the right thing. Q. People characterize you as laid back, seemed like when you were younger you were emotional, what got you over -- got you to this point do you think? TOMMY REES: Yeah I think just learning experiences, especially within the game of football. Before, I let my emotions effect me and probably act the way I shouldn't and kind of had a quick temper. Once I got here I understood that you can't have that kind of mentality. You can't have that sort of demeanor about yourself. When you have this many people following you, you have to keep your head up and it's just a different level of the game and something that I've grown into and happy with where I'm at. Q. Obviously knowing what happened last year -- looking forward to the senior leaders, talk about -- inaudible. TOMMY REES: Last year I came in as a freshman and was thrown in in the middle of the season and I took a back seat to being vocal and being a leader because not been out there with the guys all that much. Now that I have played with them and been around them, I learned how they respond to leadership and they learned how I lead. I just pick and choose my battles, when to take them, if I feel like somebody on the line I need to pick them up, or get with a receiver or running back; what I expect from them or try to make corrections, just playing with them and being around them, now I know how to approach them the right way and it's something that I'm not hesitant to do. Q. Talking to Coach yesterday, he said -- do you find the amount of looks -- inaudible. TOMMY REES: Obviously Coach Madison has a great history of being a defensive coordinator and he does a great job of mixing up different looks and blitzes and practices. It's more than I've had on my slate in the past and something that the coaches have done a good job of preparing me for. And last week there's a lot of film study and trying to get down those different looks and trying to take advantage of where they give us our opportunities. I felt good about the game planning going in there and understanding what they were doing and I felt like the offense responded well to all of the different blitz packages and looks they gave us. Q. Is it different approach you think this week for Michigan State? I don't think they are inclined to throw the whole book at you; they are more play it straight up. TOMMY REES: As an approach goes, nothing changes. It's not less film study. It's not less work this week. It's just a different defense. It's a different set of rules and different set of checks that you need to get prepared for. Week-to-week there's a lot you have to do to get ready for it ask one week is blitzes and the next week is not so you just have to prepare as hard as you did the week before to completely understand what their defense is doing. Q. When a defense tries to confuse you, is the majority of it just where the pressure is coming from? TOMMY REES: You know a lot of it is where the pressure is coming from, what kind of coverage you're playing behind it and where you can take advantage of it. So you have to look at all of those facets, and you've got to be on top of your game when they are trying to confuse you ask give you different kind of looks. Q. Just wanted to go back, I know you don't like revisiting this too much, but the final play of the game last year, the fake field goal, your reaction at the time, what were you thinking when it happened and does that give you guys a little bit extra going into this year's game, a little bit extra motivation? MICHAEL FLOYD: You know, it was shocking. You never want to end a game like that, but it does give us a lot of confidence, a lot of momentum. We want to get in this game, we want to work hard making sure that we do film study and stuff like; that we want to get revenge and we know that it's a big rivalry game and it's a game that we can get back on our feet, if we are down, and just like I said, if we stay positive and keep working. TOMMY REES: Like Mike said, I was pretty shocked, surprised when that play was made. I remember seeing it happen, and just obviously everyone was real disappointed and like every week, we prepare to go out and play best we can and make sure we eliminate some of the mistakes on Saturday. Q. This series has had a number of plays like that to end games, and a lot was before you guys got there, too. How do you think these two teams tend to play these games that come down to a play or two in the fourth quarter? MICHAEL FLOYD: I think it's just guys play even harder. It's a physical game every time we play Michigan State, and like I said, it's a rivalry so you know everybody is trying to bring their A Game and neither team wants to lose but unfortunately one has to, and it's just a big game and everybody is ready and ready for us to get a big game out of this. TOMMY REES: Like Mike said, going out there, everyone is out there ready to compete and everyone wants to play well and I think just when you get two programs that have had success in the past and two programs that have a long history of playing with one another, that they want to come out on top. It's a game for both of us that we look forward to every year, and you know, both teams are going to be prepared and ready to play when that game comes. Q. For both of you as well if you can just talk about Michigan State's secondary and how they stack up to the two secondaries you've seen so far and what sort of unique challenges they present. MICHAEL FLOYD: You know they are kind of traditional. They don't change too much. They stick to what they do and what they do best. And these what gives teams kind of, you know, kind of different look for us. Offense has to make sure we watch film, make sure we look at the right things on the field, the right checks and make sure we do all the right things and make sure we eliminate mistakes. TOMMY REES: As far as compared to other similar teams we've played, Michigan State is a physical team and that doesn't change within their secondary. They like to come up and give our receivers trouble at the line and their safeties like to come up and support. They are an aggressive team and like to play physical so it presents a different challenge for our receivers and for everyone on the offense. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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