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00:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:02 >> Any questions?
00:03 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:07 >> First of all, you talked this week about discipline, the need to clean
00:10 everything up, and obviously what you saw in the field.
00:13 How do you explain that and just the errors all around?
00:19 >> No doubt about it.
00:20 So 11 penalties last week, six this week.
00:26 So that's better, but not what we want.
00:30 You can't play in this league, any team in this league, and
00:35 have that many penalties and turnovers.
00:39 The turnovers got us also, my understanding, later in yards and
00:44 time of possession and all that kind of stuff.
00:46 But those are just stats that obviously don't mean as much as the turnovers and
00:53 the penalties.
00:55 So we will continue, I said discipline is gonna be the word for
00:58 the rest of the year.
00:59 I said that earlier this week.
01:01 And we're gonna continue to talk about it and preach it and push it.
01:04 And so, until eventually, we're gonna get it and
01:06 you're gonna see the results very, very soon.
01:10 [BLANK_AUDIO]
01:13 >> With those turnovers, can you talk about how much pressure that puts on
01:16 a defense, particularly out of the gate when they're having to battle short
01:19 fields like that right away?
01:23 >> We know on defense, you gotta go out there and like we said,
01:27 put the fire out a lot of times.
01:29 Not a lot, just depending on what the game or what have you.
01:32 Been on a lot of stats with Michigan State defense.
01:37 And even as a player, to be honest with you, as Michigan State defense,
01:41 we have to go out and go out and play nobody's, nobody cares.
01:44 What the situation is, short field, whatever it is, we gotta go out there and
01:48 compete and play like Spartan dogs.
01:51 And that is the mindset.
01:52 So you're not looking at the other side of the ball saying, come on,
01:55 all this kind of stuff.
01:56 You go out there and compete.
01:57 It's another chance to go out and play the game that you love and compete.
02:01 So that's how we talk to the guys about it.
02:03 And they'll continue to do that.
02:05 I was encouraged by the defense in the second half, very encouraged.
02:10 And I kept telling them on the sidelines, that's defense, that's defense.
02:13 They come off to the sidelines, I said, that's defense right there.
02:15 We're playing defense now.
02:17 So that was encouraging.
02:18 >> Jack.
02:20 >> H, last week Washington was in another world with its dominance.
02:24 Today, do you feel that was a game that Maryland won, or
02:28 was that a game that Michigan State lost with the errors?
02:31 >> It was a combination of the two.
02:37 They, don't get me wrong, they're a good team.
02:39 They did some things to put themselves in the position to win by creating turnovers
02:43 and all those things.
02:44 At the same time, we helped them.
02:47 But they're a good team, they helped themselves.
02:50 But sometimes people have opportunities to make plays,
02:53 like catch an interception, they drop them or something like that.
02:57 They were making the plays, and you can't just say us.
02:59 It wasn't them being us or us being ourselves.
03:02 It was a combination of the two.
03:04 >> You see that as a winnable game with a lead score?
03:07 >> Absolutely, absolutely, no doubt in my mind.
03:11 And I was believing it all the way to the end.
03:13 I mean, this guy had a hand at the one point, but
03:16 I thought we could come back and get the guy, get them.
03:21 >> Steven.
03:22 >> I'm just wondering, when you guys went from Noah to Caden,
03:27 was that about performance or was Noah hurting a little back there?
03:30 >> Well, not so much performance, more so just trying to get a spark.
03:35 I started finding another spark, trying to spark it and do it that way.
03:41 But Noah's our quarterback, he's our guy.
03:43 And now there's some changes that I don't know about, but I do know about it.
03:47 So he's our guy, and sometimes you're just trying to find a spark and
03:51 see if you can find something to help us get going.
03:54 That's what that was about more than anything.
03:56 >> Gotcha, what sort of feedback were you getting about Noah?
03:58 He had a couple turnovers, and just where was he at sort of mentally and
04:02 handling how that thing unfolded?
04:03 >> Right, Coach Johnson, he kept saying, yeah, let's stick with him,
04:06 let's go with him.
04:07 He's our guy.
04:11 You gotta be careful with that stuff, pulling that, nobody's perfect,
04:15 first of all.
04:16 And so the guy has worked his butt off to get in that position,
04:20 it was a competition all summer long to be the guy, and he's our guy.
04:24 So you don't just run from him after a game or
04:27 two where he's not playing the way he wants to or we want him to.
04:31 But he's our guy, he's a really good player, and he's gonna get better from it.
04:37 >> Hey, Harmon, I was wondering, real quick, any update on Jacoby?
04:41 We didn't, obviously, didn't see him today.
04:44 >> Day to day.
04:45 >> Okay, I was wondering, you had two true freshmen making starts today with Jordan
04:50 and Chance, and they obviously went after Chance.
04:52 Lonnie, I guess, what do you think of their performance and how they-
04:55 >> I thought they did well today for
04:57 the freshmen.
04:57 Chance had some deep balls thrown up and was there, didn't panic.
05:04 He's a talented young man.
05:06 And Jordan also ran around, was hitting people.
05:08 Very smart young man, he understands the system.
05:10 So the future is bright with those two guys, really good football players.
05:15 [BLANK_AUDIO]
05:19 >> Max, behind you there.
05:20 >> Coach, no such thing as world victories, but
05:25 you talk about the penalties, you cut those in half.
05:29 How do you cut the turnovers down?
05:30 >> Well, the kind that we had, so
05:36 we had a couple fumbles and a couple three interceptions.
05:40 >> Especially the ones in the red zone.
05:42 >> Exactly, you gotta value the football, you gotta value the football.
05:46 And we do ball security almost every day with the offense.
05:51 I reflect the offense even started teaching the defense how to do it during
05:54 the summer camp week, because we were teaching them tackling.
05:56 So ball security, ball security, high and tight, high and tight.
06:00 And so far as the fumbles are concerned, high and tight.
06:04 The interceptions, I'm sure Coach Johnson had that,
06:08 get them better, just understanding that you don't have to make the hero play.
06:13 So to speak, you destroy the way, it's just about your hands.
06:17 And you understand those guys are competitive, they wanna win,
06:20 they're trying to do the right thing.
06:21 So just trying to make plays and doing their job.
06:25 So it's kind of like, why you throw it all, it's a bad throw.
06:30 So they're out there competing their butts off trying to win.
06:34 How you correct it is, they just understand, hey,
06:37 just get rid of it, we'll live to see another day.
06:39 I think that's one of the ways, anyhow.
06:40 >> Yeah, age five to one and
06:44 take away is that almost impossible to win a game like that.
06:47 What'd you see on the two drop deep balls?
06:50 Looked like they were thrown right on the spot.
06:52 And also on their fake pop, when just a little late.
06:57 >> Right, that's the question.
06:58 So the deep balls, I couldn't, the angle I had,
07:01 I didn't even watch the film.
07:03 I forget, I think, is that Montori?
07:05 I forget what was, was that the thing that got his hand in the last second of almost
07:09 a good play by him.
07:10 When we did that one, we just gotta look at him.
07:13 We gotta look at him and hold onto the ball.
07:16 It's concentration, see it all the way into your hands, and then tuck it away.
07:21 As far as the fake punt, there must have been something on film that they saw.
07:26 I ended up talking to Coach Ells and seeing what that was about.
07:31 Cuz we only have somebody that's in position to handle that type of stuff.
07:35 So I don't know, we have to watch it, and
07:37 I'll be able to give you better an answer after watching the film.
07:42 >> Well done.
07:43 >> Perlin, obviously it didn't look like effort was an issue at all.
07:47 They were playing hard to the end.
07:48 But as the uncertainty grows, how do you keep them mentally involved,
07:53 emotionally involved with the team in the game?
07:56 >> Well, we have a team of competitors.
07:59 And so when you're a competitor, you always are trying to get better and
08:05 to right the ship, so to speak.
08:08 I asked them in there, I announced to anybody that, hey man, this is over.
08:13 I'm out of here.
08:14 I said, you can raise your hand, no love lost.
08:18 And then you can move on, there's no problem.
08:20 Nobody raised their hand, nobody raised their hand.
08:23 So that's a good sign.
08:24 And other guys sit and repeat it, say, hey, hey man, just what he said.
08:28 Anybody feel like, well, we can't get it done and get this thing turned around,
08:32 go ahead and walk and leave.
08:34 We like that better than guys sticking around and whining and complaining.
08:37 So nobody raised their hand.
08:39 So competitors gonna compete, and I told them, I told my hate losing.
08:44 And so we're gonna do whatever we can, whatever we have to,
08:49 to get a win column, and it's gonna start with discipline, like I've been saying.
08:56 >> I was gonna kind of go off that as well.
08:58 I'm just wondering what you saw, I guess, early in pregame today or
09:00 even throughout the week in terms of the spirit of the fight from this team.
09:04 I think after last week and just everything that's gone on around the program,
09:07 there was a question of would this team sort of show up?
09:10 You said the competitors, what did you see from those guys to know that coming into
09:13 this game that that was there, if that's how you saw it?
09:15 >> Well, I saw excitement in the guys on Friday,
09:19 on yesterday before practice.
09:22 So we got up in the morning and practice, as you guys know.
09:25 And it was buzzing, it was buzzing at the end of the week.
09:28 They were excited to play, and so, and they were prepared as well.
09:33 And so that made, we had good practices on Thursday,
09:36 all you know Thursdays are off, and Thursday, Friday was good.
09:39 Not that Tuesday, Wednesday weren't, but
09:41 towards the end of the week, getting all the assignments down and all that.
09:43 Cuz sometimes early in the week, you're getting game plan stuff, and you're trying,
09:47 this is what we're doing today, or this is what we're doing.
09:49 But by the end of the week, you're sharp, and
09:51 we were sharp at the end of the week, Thursday, Friday.
09:53 And I felt the buzz in the meeting, before the meeting starts, guys talking,
09:58 just ready to go, so that was a big sign for me.
10:01 >> Got two more, start in the back, brother.
10:05 >> Coach, you got a couple injuries on the defense today.
10:08 No wind in, no Brantley, and no Chris Fogle.
10:13 Any update on that?
10:15 I know you spoke about Kobe already, but, and
10:18 how do you think that contributed to the defense and what's Maryland put up today?
10:23 >> We, like I said, I thought we played pretty well in the second half on defense,
10:27 for the most part, for the most part.
10:29 But we do, we definitely want those guys to come back, and
10:32 they should be coming back soon.
10:35 I think I can give you a better answer later about those two guys coming back soon.
10:40 And so we're anticipating them coming back and strengthening our defense, and
10:45 helping adapt and all that kind of stuff.
10:47 So it was good to see Chance get out there, and Jordan Hall, and
10:51 those guys get out there, cuz that all strengthens the defense.
10:54 So when everybody's healthy, we have a unit that's ready to go, and
10:58 anybody can go in at any time and help us out.
11:01 >> All right, Coach, that was the last one we had for you today.
11:05 Thank you.
11:05 Thank you.
11:06 All right, players on the podium here.