Everything Sherrone Moore said on Inside Michigan Football during second bye week

On how he is viewing the second bye week this year

Really looking to get guys back, trying to do as much as we can to get everybody’s bodies back because physical games, these past games, physical in all phases, execution maybe not exactly where we needed to be in every phase, but I know the physicality and you look at the catapult system of, that’s what we test the intensity with, it’s at a super high level. So we wanna do everything we can to get those guys back, but still give guys opportunity to get better at football. So there’s a fair amount of how we do that. We’ll have practice today, but more of a walkthrough, really get the guys back and correct some things.

On his excitement to play at Wrigley Field

Super excited, man. The opponent is awesome. A lot of respect for them, we’ll talk about them, but playing there is gonna be awesome. I’ve never been there at all, so I’m really excited about playing that venue.

[Speaker 1]

Well, I was just looking it up on a video because I’ve played on some of those fields where they’re half baseball and half, and the dirt infield sucks, but they actually go ahead and fill in everything and it goes from third base sideline to right field is how they’ve got the field position.

On the injuries at linebacker

We’re gonna look to see how all those guys are doing. Start with Jaishawn, who didn’t play the game on Saturday, went in for a couple of plays, and just had an issue. Feel like we’ll get him back, allow him this week to recover.

So I feel like we’ll be in good shape there. Jimmy and Cole, getting closer and closer. We’ll know more as the week goes and next week, but those guys are getting closer and closer to getting back, so hopeful on those guys and where they’re gonna go.

On how to keep injured players engaged and ready upon their return

Obviously, they’re involved in all the meetings. Meet extra just like they would if they were playing. And I think when they’re doing their rehab stuff, making sure that they still get the football stuff in practice, that you don’t just separate them. Cause I think that’s when there’s depression there. The guys that get away from the football piece and can’t be around practice and do all that. That’s when they feel down. So trying to as much as we can involve them in the football piece.

On his takeaways after watching the Purdue film

Yeah, again, first credit to Coach Odom and their team. I knew they’d give us everything they got and keep swinging. I thought, first of all, defensively, overall was pretty pleased with what we saw. They had that 19-play drive, which is like paper cuts just down the field. And you’ll take a 19-play drive because it’s hard to execute 19-play drives for a whole season. That’s probably the longest one they’ve had. That’s the longest one we’ve had on defense. So that’s a long time.

On Purdue’s 19-play drive being their longest in quite awhile

Yeah, in years, you know? So that was, you know, you never want that, but that happened. But I think overall defensively, the effort was a championship-winning performance, and we got a time to get better with, especially with so many young guys. You look at defensively, Nate Owusu and Chase Taylor were both out there on the fourth down stop. And I thought that was a huge, huge play, momentum shift for the defense. Offensively, you had 400-something yards of total offense. We ran the ball really well. The passing game precision just has to keep getting fixed. And there’s little pieces as coaches we got to fix and help the kids with.

We just got to make some good decisions as kids. And then, really you look at that game and you had two redzone turnovers, low redzone. So if you don’t have those, you’re going to have a different result as far as score. But you feel like you’re making progress. For sure, our young offensive line, very proud of them and how they’re playing, what they’re doing. Got to clean some protection things up. But the physicality as a whole team is really good.

On whether the scout team used two different QBs to prepare for Purdue’s different looks

Yeah, for sure. We definitely used different guys. Chase Herbstreit has done an outstanding job as a runner for us throughout different games. There’s been games like he’s had more rushing yards on the defense than the actual quarterbacks that we played. I even remember when we played Demond Williams, it was Chase and Jake Garcia as the runner. And they broke out for some big, big runs in practice.

I was like, oh no, that’s not good. But the defense fixed those things really quick. And I think the defensive staff does a good job of putting our defense in the worst situations that they can be and challenging the defensive calls to see how the kids react and then fixing it instead of making it all easy for them in practice. And that’s what practice is all about. Put them in hard positions to fix it.

On whether he keeps scout team stats in practice or was it something Chase Herbstreit was doing on his own

No. Just to let the defense know. Just to let the defense know. But he’s awesome. He works his tail off. That’s a credit to our young coaches on the other side that drop the cards and do those things to put the defense in position to do that.

[Speaker 1]

Since it is the bye week, I’m gonna bounce around just a little bit and we’ll talk more about the game and some of the performances. But in talking about some of the guys that we only see in practice.

On how much coaching the scout team receives

I mean, I think the one thing you look at is their effort and their physicality. So you see how if they’re giving full effort, which most, all these guys usually do, but then the physicality piece of it, how are they matching the physicality of the guys that are gonna play in the game?

Those are the big things you’re evaluating. And then, yeah, you’re still looking at the fundamental pieces. I stand behind the offense when the scout team guards are going up, and I’m scout team coaching.

I’m coaching the O-line. I’m coaching the receivers, the quarterback on where to look, what to do, and how to do it. And there’s certain points they want to look certain ways, but from a fundamental standpoint, you still got to have those. You know, so you got to do that.

On players on the scout team who are standing out

I mean, there’s a slew of guys on offense. Start up front with guys like Avery Gach and Ty Haywood. I think they’re going to be really good players. They just got to continue to develop the thought process and knowing exactly what to do and when to do it. I talk about Chase. I talk about Jake Garcia. Those do a great job. Jasper’s a guy that was on that team that’s now playing a little bit more, you know? So Jamar was a guy that was on that team that’s now playing a little bit more. Brady Preeskorn’s a guy that I think is coming back from injury that, you know, whether it’s this year or next year, that’ll have a big impact on the team and continue to do that.

On Jayden Sanders’ growth

Jayden Sanders has been awesome. He continues to get better. He’s very quiet, you know? A guy that if you walked right by him, you wouldn’t know exactly who it was because he’s very low maintenance, very quiet, didn’t say much, but so to the point, sometimes you’re like, dude, are you really like, were you really paying attention? But he’s always, he always is. You ask him a question, he’ll detect what to do.

He plays hard, he plays physical, he knows the right technique, he knows where to go. So he’s a guy that keeps playing, and he’s gonna keep playing at a high level.

On how Chase Taylor and Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng handled an increased role

They didn’t flinch. It felt like they were just out there like the rest of the guys and they’ve got an immense amount of talent. I think gonna be Nate’s gonna be special. I think so is Chase. Both of those guys are physical specimens. They play really hard, play really physical. So really was pleased with their effort and what they did, and it just felt like we didn’t really miss a beat.

On whether there is a discussion about players rotating on defense

Yeah, 100% and really it’s all based upon the guys that have practiced the best that week. So guys that have practiced the best, they’re gonna play the most. So that’s really how that works.

On Derrick Moore’s impact

I think it’s just become the game record that we thought it would be, and it’s just, it took a little time because I think maybe he had one or something before that, maybe two, but he just keeps attacking, keeps doing it the right way, and keeps playing with great fundamentals and technique. Credit to him, credit to Coach Phee, and the teaching that they’re doing on the edge.

On what the next step is for the defensive front and linebackers during the final stretch

To be dominant. We want to be dominant and continue to stop the run. If you can stop the run in this league, you’re going to be successful, you’re going to have great games, but I want those guys to be dominant. But really, this week’s going to be working on the details, and we’re going to talk about there’s a difference between good and great, and those are the details.

The difference between being a really good team is a physical team that plays fast. A great team is a physical team that plays fast with the right eyes, with the right hand placement, right pad level. So those are the things that we got to continue to work on.

On what Halloween costumes were worn in the Moore household

The girls all went as princess and the frog, that whole, you know, princess Tiana, the frog, all that. My middle child decided she was going to be the frog and then flipped into the princess. She went full out. She did the whole thing, but it was cool. I unfortunately was, you know, we had meetings all day and practice all day.

So I got to FaceTime them and see them, but I didn’t get to go trick-or-treating with them. But they had a really good time, and they showed me all the outfits.

On the biggest challenges still need to be worked on with the team

I think the biggest piece that we have to — precision in the passing game. It’s not the passing game itself because there were some really good plays. Some great third-down conversions, some great plays Bryce made on some run action passes, getting out the pocket, doing some things.

But I think it’s just complete precision. And when your best receiver goes down, and then he has to come out, and then you put another freshman in there, part of that is timing. And so I think we just have to continue to do that because there’s a lot of good things. But all that, you have to just continue in the red zone to take care of the football. And if you do that, the score might be completely different.

On what he saw from Jamar Browder

Just continue to clean up all those things, like perimeter blocking. The one third down catch probably shouldn’t have jumped, and didn’t need to jump and catch the football. And maybe that’s a piece of him playing his first real, real action. So we need to continue to get him the reps because you only get better at it by playing football. And that’s a big piece of it. He’ll continue to get better.

On what Channing Goodwin is doing to earn more playing time

Just the continuing improvement and making the catches when he needs to. And he did that in the game, caught a big comeback on a normal down play. And continues to play well in the run game. So he’ll continue to get reps.

On whether Semaj Morgan’s smaller role was a product of gameplan or performance-based

I think a little bit of both. He had the drops, and he’s been really down about that. I think that gets into your head a little bit. So, and at the end of the day, he’s a kid, you know, he’s a kid and he’s one of our kids. So we’re going to take care of him. But there were just things in the game plan we had that we adjusted for other guys to have in, but he’ll continue to play.

On what closes the gap with big passing plays being ‘close’

Yeah, continued improvement of that spacing, of timing, plus spacing, equals completion to the passing game. So the spacing being perfect, and that’s what we’re going to strive to do, is just be perfect in the passing game.

On coaching points with Underwood where he can pick up a first down by running and he decides to throw it instead

I think the biggest thing is in the red zone, you got to be very, very specific with the ball and be very careful. So he makes that throw 10 times, nine times out of 10, and it’s on the dot. And also, it’s a piece you’re going to tell the receiver to come back to the football, so it’s at least an incompletion.

But then you watch the tape and you can’t see it as a fan, but when you watch the tape, if he rolls out a little bit more to the left, McCulley pops open. But I can’t say I would be able to do that and see that. But then two plays later, he rolls out on naked, makes a guy miss, and throws it to Zack Marshall for a gain. So it’s like, those are just parts of learning and watching it and understanding what’s going on, especially in those situations.

On areas he’s seen good growth from Underwood

He had a third down play to Zack Marshall that was really good. His ability to throw on the run has been outstanding. He continues to do that. But I think the biggest growth, as you’ve seen throughout the year, is it’s broken down and he takes off. And I think he’s got an ability to do that. I think he’s gonna be even dangerous as he goes through this year and his career with that, and he’ll continue to get better.

On whether he’d like to see the fumbled ball out of the endzone being a touchback rule changed

Yeah, I mean, that’s also like, we just gotta secure the ball. And the rule is the rule, and I argue with the refs enough, so I try to stay out of it.

On whether he thinks the rule should be changed as an observor

The unfortunate piece is that I’ve had this in, I think it was 2012. I don’t know if y’all ever listened to this, but Ryan Hubbell was a tight end for me at the University of Louisville and caught a naked slide. And reached the ball out in the second half. We ended up losing to UCF, as we would have been undefeated at Louisville that year. And that haunts me to this day, of the ball fumbling out of the endzone. So I always tell guys, and we created ball through the five because I’ve seen this happen. So would I like the rule change? Probably, but like, we gotta secure the ball when we’re down in the red zone.

On where Blake Frazier improved from one week to the next

I think overall protection-wise, he was really solid. But you just see him being more comfortable in the run game, being even more physical, finishing guys, doing those little things. And he has a little spark to him. And he just continues to get better. He’s confident and just excited for his future.

On what Greg Crippen has done to be a productive center this season

I think just continue to be who he is. And he lives in the facility. He’s always studying film. He knows the fronts, he knows the looks. He’s done a really good job of adjusting to things. They came out and played three-down defense when they played four-down defense since their bye week.

And they felt like they needed to change and do some things different. And I thought he did an unbelievable job just directing guys in the run game and protections to make sure we knew where we were going.

On whether the second bye week will have a similar schedule to the first one

Yeah, first thing I wanna do is make sure I get everybody healthy, get as many guys healthy as we can. So that’s gonna be huge. Not exactly cut and paste, even though you’d say, well, last bye week we had, we won after that. So you’d wanna do the exact same thing. But it was just so much earlier in the year. I think we were in game three, maybe it was game four, and then we had the bye week.

So I wanna, this game, I wanna make sure that everybody’s healthy, keep them mentally sharp in everything they’re doing, but get enough football that gets them right. So there’s some things we’ll do from a situational standpoint that’ll be different. There’ll be some meetings that are a little different, but we’re gonna do as much as we can to get their bodies back. And then when we get into the game week, it won’t look exactly like that last week. We’re gonna do, we’ll kind of get back to what we’ve done the past couple of weeks to keep the physicality, but keep the pounding down on them.

On how he handles the CFP rankings with his team

I think the one thing we have to do is just control what we control. Right now, whether you’re in it or out, and I think we’ll be in it, it won’t really matter where you’re at if you don’t win. So the job that we have now is to just, when we’re looking at the position where we’re at now compared to last year, we’re in a position to control our destiny of being in the playoff. And what we have to do now is just go win. And if we go win, we’ll be in good shape.