|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN MEDIA CONFERENCESeptember 3, 2007Lloyd CarrCOACH LLOYD CARR: We have in a short time here become a more disciplined team, smarter team and a team that executes better. Q. What did you do since the game? COACH LLOYD CARR: We were off yesterday and there's probably three times this year where we will meet on Mondays. Normally on those games where we play late Saturday night, we'll give the players off Sunday. But the regular schedule is that we meet, watch the film on Sunday and the players are off on Monday. But because there's no school today, the schedule will be the same as it would be if we were playing a late Saturday night game. Q. Is there anything that stood out that you noticed? COACH LLOYD CARR: Well, there's always things, but certainly penalties that occur before the ball is snapped, after the whistle blows, those penalties are inexcusable and certainly we had too many. We had some mistakes in there by young, inexperienced players. There are always some communication issues in a first game. But we had far too many of those things. And ultimately, penalties that occur before the ball is snapped kill drives, just as turnovers kill drives. So we had some drives stopped in there where we had great field position because we're illegal motion; we are moving before the ball is snapped; we lineup improperly. And then you add two good drives stopped because of turnovers, you know, those are the things that force you to miss scoring opportunities. And of course, when you break down the field goal protection part of it, I thought the third field goal, the first one that was blocked was a little kick. But that's what we thought on the field. But watching it, it was a protection issue. So we had two of those. And of course, ultimately with a chance to win the game, we didn't execute a fundamental play, a play that we have worked extremely hard at all fall. So that's the way it is. Q. Did you consider bringing them in yesterday just to touch up? COACH LLOYD CARR: Well, I thought for a split second, yes. Q. Why didn't you? COACH LLOYD CARR: Well, I think because we set a set a schedule and we're just going to stay with the things we believe it takes to win here. I saw in the big picture; it just wasn't something I wanted to do. Q. What's the biggest challenge for this team to get over the loss? COACH LLOYD CARR: Well, I think any time you're coming off a great emotional win or a big disappointment, you've got a challenge as a team. The highs and lows; sometimes it's hard to come down from a high, and certainly it is difficult to bounce back from a low. But that comes back to the character of your team. There's no question that our team faces a difficult week from the standpoint of being able to put a disappointment behind us. And yet, that's really one of the great tests of athletics. You find out if you can handle success and then you have to find out if you can handle disappointment. Q. Can you talk about Mitchell and Carlos and those guys? COACH LLOYD CARR: Well, I'm hoping that both of them can practice. We'll see, particularly tomorrow when we go back into pads and see how they respond. But they are both close. Whether or not they can get ready to play this week, we'll just have to see. Q. When you look at film, was there anything that you saw from Chad's performance that was either uncharacteristic of how he normally plays or did they do something defensively? COACH LLOYD CARR: I think we dropped three balls, and we missed some guys that were open. We threw an interception. You know, when you don't take care of the football, the first down play there, Chad, he made a bad decision. And that's, you know, that's going to happen. But to the degree that you can minimize those kind of mistakes, your chances of winning are increased. Q. Can you talk about their quarterback? COACH LLOYD CARR: Well, he's a great athlete and he's a guy that it starts I think with his mobility. He has I think excellent vision. He has a knack for finding the open receiver. But when you look at what he did on Saturday against Houston in terms of the yards that he produced, either throwing or running, he can do them both. He's a veteran guy. He's been around. He's been in big games. You know, of course, they are in excellent position with a veteran backup, as well. So that quarterback -- that quarterback position there is probably as good as you can have. Q. What did you think about the offensive line out there? COACH LLOYD CARR: Well, I thought Steve Schilling, you know, for an opening game, really did some good things. I think he's only going to get better as we go. But particularly when you ask a guy who is starting at tackle and who had very few repetitions in the spring, and then you get into a game and you move him to guard, I thought Schilling did a very good job. I thought, you know, we had a couple of situations at the center position. We had a snap that went badly down there in the two-point conversion. We had a couple of problems in the shotgun. But with those exceptions, I thought Justin Boren did a about job. I thought Crable and Long were very good. I thought our offensive line -- and when you look at the statistics in terms of the running game, in terms of our pass protection, I thought that we did some good things there. Q. (Inaudible). COACH LLOYD CARR: I really don't know. Just have to wait and see how he responds. Q. Normal preparation, do you think that the focus wasn't -- COACH LLOYD CARR: Well, I expected some communications issues. I expected in terms of substitutions, some of those things are part of a first game. Going back to the spring, we've had some issues on this team. You know, it's not something that you know for sure, but certainly we had more issues on the field as far as the discipline that is required for winning football than I expected. So we've got to get better in that area. Q. Did the fact that you had more behavioral issues than you would like, is that a sign that they were not as focused as you would like? COACH LLOYD CARR: Well, I think we have a core of outstanding people who are returning, who are motivated, who are leaders. But assembling the team, a new team in the fall where you're replacing veteran players, that's always the challenge. That's always the unknown, because you really don't know until you get into the stadium and into the competition how certain players are going to respond. And any off-the-field issues that are distracting to a team, you're trying to deal with those. But they certainly distract your team. So how much that had to do with it, I don't know. Q. You talked about your defense looking better in the second half; what's the biggest thing you saw? COACH LLOYD CARR: Well, they have to play for four quarters. You can't give up big plays. When you give up a big play as we did, we started the game exactly like we would have hoped to. We took the ball offensively, put a great drive together, a drive that we executed the passing game, the running game, got a 7-0 lead. And then we come back and miss a tackle that allows a guy to run a long distance for a touchdown. So those things, they always impact the morale. I think they unsettle you for a little bit. And certainly for the first half we were unsettled defensively. I thought in the second half we played extremely well. But again on the last drive we had a couple of issues in terms of execution that allowed them to get into field position and have a chance to go take the lead. Q. What is your perception -- COACH LLOYD CARR: Well, we have a game this week. So I'm trying to get prepared for that game. Q. Is there a lot of -- COACH LLOYD CARR: Well, I'm not getting into those issues. That has no -- I have no concern about any of it. Q. Coming after a loss for yourself, how do you go about handling the disappointment? COACH LLOYD CARR: Well, I think any time you have disappointment, as a part of a team, then depending upon what your role is, you have to do the things that are necessary in your role. You know, we've had disappointments before. And I would say in the majority of cases, we've responded in a positive way. That will be our challenge. Q. As a rallying point -- COACH LLOYD CARR: Well, I don't think that worrying about all of the things that are out there are part of the solution. Part of the solution comes from inside the team and inside the program. Q. Did you know Appalachian State wasn't in the Top-25 in the pole and there were an opportunity -- COACH LLOYD CARR: The poles are the furthest thing from my mind. Q. Is it just a matter of making some changes, is that what you saw on the field? COACH LLOYD CARR: Well, I think who will go out there on Saturday will be dependent upon how we practice and certainly evaluation of game performance impacts it, as well. Q. How did you think Warren played? COACH LLOYD CARR: I thought Donovan Warren went in as a true freshman and did some good things. I think, you know, he struggled a little bit, but he's a young player. He's got good ability and I expect that he will continue to compete. Q. What comes to mind -- inaudible -- young guys, veterans out there? COACH LLOYD CARR: Well, that's always -- that really comes down to the trust that you can develop as a coach in a young player; can he handle -- sometimes a guy is not ready. Even though he has the better physical skills in terms of the measurables. He may be faster, he may be more athletic, but in the end, what you have to do is try to put a guy out there that gives you the best chance to win that day. Q. Appalachian State, any similarities to Oregon? COACH LLOYD CARR: There's a lot of similarities. The quarterback is a critical part of the offense in terms of the running game, and you've got to be prepared for the option football. I think they probably -- my guess is will run a little bet more option than Appalachian State ran. But I think there's a lot of similarities. It's a spread offense for the most part. They are in the shotgun for the most part, I think there's a lot of similarities. Q. Is that pretty much the key to scoring against an offense like this -- COACH LLOYD CARR: I think any time you're playing defensive football it's about getting off blocks and pursuing the football and tackling. And certainly we missed too many tackles. Q. You've always had a lot of success with the spread offense; how do you get the middle better? COACH LLOYD CARR: Well, you've got a choice and really it comes down to down and distance and sometimes your instincts when you're calling the defenses. The spread offense, that's exactly what makes it so effective. Because of the formations you get, you're spread out, and if you don't spread out, if you don't line up over those receivers, then you create serious miss matches on the perimeter where they throw the bubble screens and now you've got a skilled back out there where you have another wide receiver blocking the quarterback. That's really the trick of it. But with the quarterback as a running back from the standard offenses, they really have an extra guy as a running back. So they may be in a one-back set, but because the quarterback is a threat, a three-wide receiver set with two backs in the backfield and that's really what it comes down to. Q. (Inaudible). COACH LLOYD CARR: We'll have to see. Q. You didn't say anything about -- (inaudible). COACH LLOYD CARR: He's had an injury seven or eight days before, maybe ten days before the opener. But I expect him back in practice. Q. Everybody has feelings; is it hurtful for you when you see the headlines in the Ann Arbor paper this morning that "the game has passed Carr by?" COACH LLOYD CARR: I didn't read that. Q. Is it personal to even hear that? COACH LLOYD CARR: Well, I'd have to read the article first to really make a determination on that. Q. How is Mike Hart helped and can you talk about the performance he had in the second half? COACH LLOYD CARR: Well, I thought at one point, I didn't know if he would return or not. I think he played like you expect Mike Hart to play. He made some great runs there in the second half. I think his injury, we'll have to see. I think he will be fine. It's nothing major, and yet you don't know sometimes how a nagging injury will impact a guy as you go forward. So we'll just have to see. Q. Brown, could he have played? COACH LLOYD CARR: No, there was no way he was going to play. Q. Inaudible? COACH LLOYD CARR: I wasn't aware of that. Q. Second and third quarter -- inaudible -- what made difference in him playing in the last quarter? COACH LLOYD CARR: The trainer is the guy that makes the decisions on whether guys can play or not. He got banged up a little early in the game and it stiffened up a little bit on him. But Paul came to me and said he was ready to go. Q. Can you talk about Brandon Minor? COACH LLOYD CARR: Yeah, he did an excellent job and did a great job on special teams. I'm very pleased with the way Brandon responded in that game. Q. The last block, was Shawn supposed to go inside or was he handling the outside guy? COACH LLOYD CARR: Well, you have to secure inside-out. Q. In any way does this represent a challenge to you and your career that you might not have had any time before? COACH LLOYD CARR: This is one game, and hopefully we can focus on that game as a team and get ready to play like we're capable, play like we want to play. Q. You said it's a difficult week, but what is your gut as to how the team will respond? COACH LLOYD CARR: Well, I think Saturday we'll have a lot. But I think sometimes it takes awhile to put a team together, but the answer, part of it, certainly will come Saturday from an attitude standpoint, from a confidence standpoint. I think, you know, Oregon is an outstanding football team and you know, when you're coming off -- we've already discussed that when you come off a difficult disappointment, then obviously there's a challenge there. Q. Besides the penalties, what other factors do you have to focus on? COACH LLOYD CARR: Well, we have to eliminate -- it all starts with being a disciplined football team, being a team that can communicate on the sideline in terms of knowing what the substitution situations are; communicating that to the line of line of scrimmage; not having delay of game penalties; not having penalties before the ball is snapped or after the snap. Because when those things occur, you're going in the wrong direction. So I think it all begins with that and taking care of the football. Q. What did you think of the film off what Will Johnson was able to do in there and how he approached this week? COACH LLOYD CARR: I thought will Johnson was outstanding in that game. I thought he really showed a lot of leadership skills late in the game. I thought he was a very, very positive force for our team on the sideline and on the field. I thought, you know, and that's really what happens. Sometimes a guy -- because will is an extremely quiet guy, and yet he plays with a real passion and yet in that game, I think he came outside of himself a little bit and I think it motivated some of his teammates. Q. Does it help the preparation because the offense is similar to what you just saw? COACH LLOYD CARR: Give me that again. Q. Is it helpful that the offense is similar to Appalachian State or is it more difficult? COACH LLOYD CARR: Well, I think obviously when you're playing the same type of offense, you've got some reference points. I think, you know, that there's no question that makes it simpler from a defensive preparation standpoint. Q. (Inaudible). COACH LLOYD CARR: He has to practice better. He has to do the things that he needs to do. Q. Will you do the normal routine? COACH LLOYD CARR: I did what I normally do. Q. When you look at the -- inaudible. COACH LLOYD CARR: Well, I think they hurt us with the cut back play, and sometimes that's because the back side linebacker is pursuing with a poor angle and not staying in position to make the play where he's responsible first. It looks like the play is going away, the play cuts back and that's where the discipline of playing your responsibility is critical. I thought we did a much better job the second half. Q. Considering that the last two kicks you said were protection issues, are you pretty happy with Gingell's performance? COACH LLOYD CARR: Well, I think he made two very good kicks. You know, he's -- yeah, I think Jason Gingell, looking at the film, you didn't fault him for those last two. And certainly, he made two, and for a guy that has not been in games before, to go in there and kick two in a row on his first start, I think is a very positive thing for him. Q. Just the protection, does it break down on the last one, based on the trajectory, did it look like it was where he needed to be? COACH LLOYD CARR: Well, you never -- that happened so fast, you can't -- but Jason did feel like he hit it well. But I don't think you can judge those just by looking at the film. Q. What about John -- COACH LLOYD CARR: I think he did some good things. Q. Did the team speak to you after the loss on Saturday? COACH LLOYD CARR: No. Q. Are you surprised -- (inaudible). COACH LLOYD CARR: Well, I think they did a good job there. They had a very, very experienced back end of the defense, and of course, you know, they were well prepared. I think they did an excellent job. End of FastScripts |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|