Everything Sherrone Moore said on Inside Michigan Football show pre-Ohio State

On what he saw from the offense

Probably our most complete performance. Didn’t punt. I think we scored on 7 of 10 drives. Probably had a chance to score 50 on that last drive. Maybe even more than that with, you know, putting the backups in and those guys moving the football and just, you know, really just run the ball, trying to run the clock out at the end.

Thought that Bryce played really well. Thought he made some really good passes, made some good decisions with his legs. Good decisions in the RPO read game. Handing the ball off is just as good as anything. And some of those decisions and offensive line-wise, they played physical, again, the fourth straight game of rushing for 200 yards. And that’s an outstanding feat. Again, we continue to talk about the young guys, but they’re not young anymore, right? It doesn’t really matter if you’re a freshman. That tag of your age range or what class doesn’t matter. You’re a starting lineman at Michigan and starting player at Michigan. I thought they played really well physically.

You saw the receivers show up again in the passing game. Andrew Marsh, again, had a really big game. And then Donaven McCulley stepped up, had a big game. Tight ends got involved. Felt like there was really good balance on offense. I thought Coach Lindsey and his staff did an unbelievable job throughout the game and putting the game plan together.

On what he attributes running back success to this season

Yeah, a little bit of everything, right? You know, start off with the guys up front and the physicality that they brought. Coach Newsome and that whole line staff, again, just unbelievable job of how they’ve adjusted throughout the year and done things a little bit differently than we have in the past, but still getting the production that we need.

And then credit to the other players, the skilled players, the running backs, Coach Alford for the development of the running backs, Bryson, how he’s done it, and then Coach Lindsey, how he’s called it. But overall, just the team over me attitude that the guys have as a whole unit, a whole group. It doesn’t really matter who’s in there; they’re going to be successful.

On the identity of the offense heading into OSU week

I think we’re really peaking at the right time. I think the balance is what you wanted. We said that from the beginning of the year, you want balance between run and pass.

You don’t want predictability. Predictability can expose you, and I think our guys have done a really good job of doing that. So being able to be a physical football team up front in the run game and then having to play actions and passes off of it, balance is the key to the game.

On Bryce Underwood’s development until this point

I think not only developed on the field, but off the field in his study habits and how he studies, and what he studies and what he looks at. Was in with him last night, it was about 11:45, and him and Don McCulley were in there watching the film by themselves as guys were game planning. He’d poke his head in and try to figure out what this play was and what this was.

I think just being able to ask those questions and have an understanding of what he’s seeing even more, even as the game goes, he does a really good job of — he puts on the headset, he doesn’t sound like a freshman when he talks about what he sees or doesn’t sound like a first-time starter. So those things have been the really big things that he’s really developed on.

On whether Donaven McCulley has shared things with Underwood with his QB experience

Yeah, I think on the field, especially in practice, there’s different things with different looks. Hey, I saw it like this, how’d you see it? And that communication piece, that connection piece that they have has been pretty nice to watch.

On whether he thinks the offense is where it needs to be 11 games in

Yeah, I think so. Balance, again, you want to keep being explosive. You can have over 400 yards of offense, and the game before that, we almost had 500, so I think we’re being balanced, we’re able to run it, we’re able to throw it, and do those things that dictate the pace of the game, we gotta continue to do that in this one.

On the teaching point for Underwood during the dropped interception

Don’t throw the ball across your body, especially going to the left, it’s hard, but in general, you shouldn’t, but he’s made that throw a couple times and those guys did a really good job. I think they’re second in the country in interceptions, so they did a really good job with jumping passes, and the football gods were looking at us on that one and helping us out on that one.

On his expectations for Bryson Kuzdzal now that he’s proven he’s capable of playing

I mean, yeah, we expect him to go contribute just like the rest of them and do what he did and he’s built a huge confidence level with all of us. It started really in spring, started in the spring game and then went over to fall camp and there was lulls. It was, you know, Justice and Jordan are so good, you kind of forget about how good he is and then he plays and you’re like, oh man, and then there’s always this, oh, is he better than Jordan and Justice? No, he’s just a really good player. So full trust in him and we’ll have to have full trust in him again this week.

On Jordan Marshall’s status this week

Yeah, Jordan could have played last game and he was in a good place. You know, he got the last medicine, and it felt like, coach, I could play, and it was just kind of the point where, ah, we’ll hold you back and get you ready for this one.

On the tight ends being more involved a result of Underwood going through his progressions

I think more of just those guys getting open in the scheme and the different looks and the coverages that are presented to you. So coverages will dictate where the ball goes, and you can’t force it to guys that aren’t open based on the different route concepts. So I think it’s just the coverages dictating a little more, and those guys being in position and then making the plays when they were there.

On the protection this week against Ohio State

Yeah, I mean, we gotta be the best we’ve ever been and the best we’ve been all year. Because this is a, as we know, it’s the number one team in the country. They’ve got a potent pass rush with Kaden Curry and Arvel Reese and all those guys, 97. He’s long, he’s twitchy. All those guys can rush the passer. So we’ve gotta be very diligent of how we attack the passing game.

On whether Jalen Hoffman will fill in for Max Bredeson and Bredeson’s status

Yeah, Jalen’s ready. He’s played all year, and he’ll be ready to go. And, you know, Max is doing good. We’ll see, you know, X-Ray showed a little bit of a issue in there, but if anybody can play, it’s Max Bredesen. So we’ll see how the week goes.

On making a determination whether Bredeson plays with a clear injury

I ask the doctors, you know, they’ve done it. They’ve seen it all before. So whatever they think’s best, we’re gonna go with them and what their opinions are, but Max is gonna strongly wanna play, and we’ll just do whatever we think’s best for him.

On the defensive performance against Maryland

Overall, really good. Again, that was a potent pass and attack. We knew Malik was a really good passer. We knew they had some really good receivers, skill guys, kind of matches up kind of like this week. And we had to do everything we could to keep them, try to keep them as one-dimensional as possible. They got a big run out the first play of the game.

Then after that, it wasn’t very much, it was more rushing on the quarterback scrambles. So felt like our defense performed really well. We held them to, I think, two field goals in the red zone, which was huge. Hit them again. We sacked them three times, but hit them multiple times. Limit their rushing attack. So, overall defense performance, I’m really proud of.

On what the superpower is for the front seven

I mean, it’s hard to move them, immovable objects just there. They play with such great pad levels, such great hands, physicality. And I think the ability to play so violent on every play, I think that’d probably be the superpower that they have.

Just from, you know, Jaishawn to Derrick Moore to Damon Payne to Rayshaun to Trey to Enow to Trey Williams, you know, TJ Guy is in there, Dom Nichols, Nate Marshall, all of them, like Cam Brandt, they’re all super violent, those guys up front.

On how he’s seen Jaishawn Barham grow at defensive end

Yeah, I mean, it just gets better every week, like every other position, every other player, you know, he does a really good job studying it and not making the same mistake twice and he continues to play at a high level.

On Ernest Hausmann’s status for this week

That would just be day-to-day.

On what it meant getting Cole Sullivan back

That was huge, I mean, the first play he got tackled, but he played like Cole plays, you know, except for he didn’t get a pick, which I thought he would at some point, and hopefully he does at some point this week. But he played at a great level again, played fast, played physical, made tackles in space. Him and Jimmy both played together, and then Jimmy played well again. Both those guys came out the game healthy, so happy about that. And then Nate Owusu-Boateng played as well as Chase Taylor, and those guys played well, too.

On the explanation for Cam Brandt’s roughing the passer penalty

Yeah, not a real clear explanation of exactly what it was, but it was just the hit, the impact, but obviously I didn’t agree if you saw my reaction as well because it didn’t drive them to the ground. But calls happens, you gotta keep going.

On whether the players look for his reaction on questionable calls

Yeah, I think the players really, they just go, they don’t really have a reaction, it’s more the coaches, I gotta calm the coaches down and then tell them I’ll handle it. And I think the players feed off of me defending and making sure I know that I have their back, which I always do.

On whether the secondary is ready for Ohio State

Yeah, we’ll prepare this week our tails off for that challenge. They obviously have probably the best receiving combo in the country with those two players, Tate and Smith, and we expect them to play. All those skill guys are good. Their whole room is good. A lot of respect for what they’ve done in the recruiting process and how they develop them. The tight end is good. So we’ve gotta be ready for that challenge.

On which member of the secondary has taken the biggest jump from week one to now

Yeah, I mean, there’s so many guys. I’d probably say Jayden Sanders, because he’s a freshman that really didn’t play and then just kind of came on the scene and made plays here and there. And then the other guy is Jordan Young. Jordan Young has continued to make plays, makes tackles in space. Obviously had the big defensive pass breakup against Northwestern. So both those guys we are really excited about.

On the growth and development of Jyaire Hill

Yeah, I think it starts with his mental standpoint and how he’s attacked it mentally from off the field, just how he studies what he looks at. One, he loves the game, so there’s never a piece where he’s not trying to get better at the game. So that’s been the biggest piece, and then he plays and practices the same ways. He practices with that same energy he plays with, so it’s not a surprise he’s playing so well.

On what this game means to him

Everything. Everything in the world, this is the most important game of the year. We talk about it game by game, but we’re always looking at this one. We’re always thinking about this one. This is on our mind from when you play this game to when it ends, to the next year, to the next year, and every moment, so it means everything to us.

On avoiding being too emotionally invested during the week

Yeah, I think you gotta keep the routine of what you’re doing. You gotta inform them of where we’re at, just like we have in every other game, and let them know what’s going on in the game and what this all implicates, but at the same time, you’ve gotta really just attack the process and can’t fall in love with the result.

On whether he will use some of the plans for the 2023 game this year

I mean, it’s different, right? Just because one, we’re different, but they’re also different. The coordinator’s different. They’ve got some of the same people, but the plan’s gonna be a little bit different than it was last year, just because of how they’re built and what they do on their side of the ball, so we’ll have to be cautious of that, but I feel like we got a good plan to get started.

On what he has seen from Matt Patricia’s defense

Yeah, I mean, one, they do a really good job tackling space, playing physical up front, running to the football, play with a lot of pride. You can see that they play together really well, and they give you multiple looks, right? It’s not just one coverage or one front.

It’s different fronts. It’s different looks, and it’s not based on personnel or based on formation. It changes, so you gotta do a good job of getting a beat on that throughout the game, what they’re doing.

On the differences of being at home vs. being at the shoe in this game

I mean, yeah, when you go down to that place, it’s a rabid environment, and you’ve got to handle the crowd. You’ve got to handle this. You’ve gotta get your mind on just the game. Being at home is obviously an advantage because of our crowd, and it’ll be loud. It’ll be crazy. They’ll have to deal with our crowd on third down.

They’ll have to deal with our crowd on their offense, where we won’t have to. Sometimes on the road, you gotta limit some things you can do because of that factor, whereas you can be a little bit more exotic, quote-unquote, or complex, but not at the same time. So that gives us the advantage, but again, you still gotta play the game on the field.

On if the weather plays a factor in this game

Yeah, I mean, for us, we play in anything, so it doesn’t really matter what it is, and I know the forecast right now, I think it’s like higher 33 with a little snow. It’s close to Christmas time, so we’ll get the Christmas influence with us.

On working around the schedule for Thanksgiving

Yeah, I mean, one, all of our players are always invited to all the coaches’ house. I invite players to my house that don’t have somewhere to go. Most of them do, most of them have.

Either they’ll go to a coach’s house, or they’ll go to one of each other’s house, and there’s so many guys that are in Michigan, and then a lot of families come here, so we allow the families to come to practice on Thursday, which is a cool deal, but besides that, it’s gonna be, try to be as business as usual.