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00:00 Hello everyone, I'm back again for another week to get on track and play with discipline
00:13 and finish the game against another good opponent in the Big Ten in Indiana.
00:17 And so our guys had a good practice today and look forward to many more good practices
00:23 throughout the course of the week as we continue to prepare.
00:26 Coach, how you doing?
00:30 If you decide to write a book after this season, maybe an idea, and this was chapter 10, what
00:37 would the title be, what would this chapter be about right now?
00:40 Finish.
00:41 It would be just about finish now.
00:44 You always want to finish what you start.
00:47 I remember for years being with Coach D'Antonio, he used to talk about how his dad used to
00:52 say, "Complete your circles."
00:54 And so you got to finish.
00:56 Once you start something, you have to finish.
00:58 And so that's where we are right now, in the point where we need to finish, no matter,
01:02 regardless of what has happened or what's going to happen in the future, we can control
01:08 what we can control and that's finish.
01:13 Is there any extra motivation?
01:14 Obviously you guys want to win every game and all that, but the way last year when you
01:18 played out with them, when you guys had the lead chance to lock up a bowl game, and obviously
01:22 you know what happened.
01:23 Is that anything?
01:24 You know, I haven't even looked at it and come from that perspective.
01:27 Again, it's a new year, they have a new team, we have a new team.
01:31 So I never come from that perspective like that.
01:34 It's just more, let's get better, let's play hard, and let's finish and try to get a win.
01:40 So no, it hasn't been a motivational thing based on what happened last year.
01:44 I mean, that was us not finishing.
01:46 And so we had to finish.
01:48 I'm wondering about Bogle.
01:51 He was out, did you expect him back this year and what did you see with some of those younger
01:58 defensive ends going against the offensive line of Ohio State?
02:03 We thought they did well.
02:04 You know, Jalen Thompson as well as Zion Williams, they did a really good job.
02:16 And so, going to be really, really good football players.
02:18 I mean, that's a lot, I mean, he really was at two or three, but they're going to be really,
02:22 really, really good football players.
02:24 And they held their own.
02:27 And Bogle, he'll be back this week.
02:29 You know, he'll be back this week.
02:30 He was at practice today even.
02:31 Yeah.
02:32 And Talley also played a little bit of a defensive tackle earlier in the year, played some D
02:37 in.
02:38 How's he been coming along?
02:39 He's been coming along well.
02:40 Like you just said, he's been playing some D tackle and we're trying to beef him up a
02:44 little bit.
02:45 But he's naturally, size-wise, is more of a defensive end and another guy that played
02:50 well for us.
02:51 He did a good job.
02:52 He saw he made some plays, I think he had a tackle for a loss or whatever, but did a
02:56 good job for us.
02:57 So, it's a promising defensive line front if we can all stay together and keep moving
03:02 forward.
03:03 Now that you've had time to watch the film, what have you seen with the offense and why
03:07 it keeps stalling and what can you learn from the last game and apply it to the upcoming
03:12 one?
03:13 I mean, it's what I thought, you know, it's always one guy here or there with the execution
03:17 piece, just finishing their job and doing their job with great execution and getting
03:22 it done.
03:23 So, it's always this one little thing and you're like, "Man, there it is if we just
03:27 execute."
03:28 So, we just keep talking great attention to detail, great attention to detail, and then
03:32 finishing and doing your job at a very high level consistently.
03:36 And you just got to keep preaching it to them until they get it.
03:39 Harlott, I guess it's been determined with you and Sam that Leavitt will redshirt.
03:46 So, you're in a precarious position if Keaton goes down.
03:52 Noah's not ready yet, right?
03:55 You're in a situation where Scorfire would have to play even though clearly he's not
03:59 ready, correct?
04:00 Yeah, Scorfire would have to play.
04:02 We may have to get you as well ready, Fred.
04:04 I'm not ready.
04:05 Come on, Fred.
04:06 You can't do this like that.
04:08 No, but we have some other options.
04:10 We have some options that worse come to worse and we'll figure it out.
04:16 There's some other things that we could possibly do and hopefully it doesn't get to that.
04:20 But Kim is not ready.
04:21 No, no.
04:22 He's not ready.
04:23 He is not ready.
04:24 No, no.
04:25 And he's still healing up.
04:26 Do you expect him back?
04:30 I'm not sure about that.
04:32 I'm not sure about that.
04:33 We'll see.
04:34 We'll see.
04:35 Sticking on the availability front, Trey missed the last two games since Ron was out
04:41 Saturday.
04:42 So two of your top receivers were out of, unavailable.
04:46 Do you expect either of them back this week or this season?
04:51 Probably Ron.
04:52 I'm not so sure about Trey.
04:53 But Ron, we should hopefully get back soon.
04:56 Not exactly sure when.
04:58 So we just have to keep seeing.
05:00 And what's your, just your kind of overall view of Indiana and what you've seen from
05:03 them this season?
05:05 Well, you know, they played a high scoring game on this past Saturday.
05:11 Quarterback was throwing a lot of back shoulder fades this past.
05:14 We just kept throwing it and throwing it.
05:17 And they ran the ball well.
05:19 He's a big guy.
05:20 They run, you know, he had a nice touchdown run where he got stoned by a couple guys and
05:24 stayed on his feet and kept on going and got a touchdown.
05:27 And so good quarterback.
05:30 Defense plays hard.
05:31 They compete.
05:32 And so it's going to be another tough Big Ten football game.
05:37 And they're down in Bloomington.
05:39 So we're looking forward to it, though.
05:41 We feel like we can go down there and compete and get a win.
05:46 How are you, how are you communicating with recruits and prospective recruits that probably
05:53 have a lot of questions that you can't answer?
05:57 How difficult is that right now in this situation?
06:00 Well, that can be tough, but you just you just let them know that, hey, it's still a
06:04 great place because I am a Spartan.
06:08 It's probably a little bit easier for me if I'm just being totally honest, because I want
06:12 you to I want to see us succeed here regardless.
06:15 And so I can talk in terms of that, how good the place is, the history of it and all that,
06:21 regardless of who's here as the as the next coach, next coach or coaching staff.
06:25 So that that makes it a little bit easier for me doing it.
06:30 But I totally understand if you know if there's some, you know, not stability here in certain
06:35 areas, then you know, recruit parents like, OK, what are you like?
06:39 What are we saying?
06:40 You know, so until we get to that point, you just got to keep selling the university.
06:45 You're recruiting for Michigan State and not Harlan Barnett.
06:48 That's correct.
06:49 That's correct.
06:50 Even even if it was for Harlan Barnett, I mean, it was still always be Michigan State
06:53 first.
06:54 And so exactly right.
06:58 With Jaron playing as most we've seen him all season this past week, how much did that
07:02 change just the dynamic in the backfield where Nate doesn't have to take as many as much
07:07 of the burden and what that does for you guys in the run game?
07:10 Oh, it helps us out tremendously because Nate doesn't have to carry the whole load, so to
07:14 speak.
07:15 And Jaron's a really good back.
07:16 And he seemed like he's getting his feet up underneath him.
07:19 No pun intended.
07:20 But he's really hitting a hole.
07:23 He's quick for a big body guy.
07:25 And and we're fired up that he's that he's playing for us now and getting some time.
07:33 You mentioned after the game playing for pride is the goal for these guys.
07:36 I'm just wondering after practice through one practice of the week, how did you see
07:39 that reflected?
07:40 I mean, with Indiana not being maybe the same carrot that a number one Ohio State or a Michigan
07:45 or something might be, did you see that message playing out, I guess, in the body language
07:49 of those guys?
07:50 Yes, I saw our guys come out there today, locked in and focused on on the attention
07:55 to details that we've been talking about.
07:56 And, you know, as we give them start giving them pieces of the game plan today that they
08:02 were they were they were doing well.
08:04 We had a you know, we had a I had a meeting, watched a little bit on film, did I did a
08:08 walk through and then actually went and practiced.
08:11 So you get a chance to see it three different times of what we were trying to get accomplished.
08:15 And they were they were on task and focused today and getting it getting it done.
08:19 So, you know, it's not tough to get the way these guys are.
08:24 They're so resilient.
08:25 They just come bounce back and be ready to go.
08:26 Let's play football.
08:27 I talked to him about just getting better as a football player.
08:30 You still get a chance to play a game, a football game.
08:32 And there were 12 guaranteed games on the schedule before the season.
08:37 And that's what we prepare all season for.
08:39 So we still have to finish out on.
08:41 So back to finish.
08:42 I also wanted to ask you, we've asked you a lot about the investigation situation going
08:47 on in Michigan and was just wondering your reaction to the Big Ten's decision to punish
08:52 Jim Harbaugh.
08:53 Did you have any other conversations with Big Ten coaches about that or just your personal
08:56 reaction, I guess, if not, I have not had any other or any other meetings with Big Ten
09:02 coaches on it.
09:04 You know.
09:06 Come on, man.
09:07 Come on, man.
09:08 You know, you know what it is.
09:09 You know what it is.
09:10 Come on.
09:11 Come on.
09:12 Let's.
09:13 That's it.
09:14 You're not a mind reader.
09:15 Nothing.
09:25 I'm sorry that you can't read minds.
09:27 So.
09:28 Harlan, obviously, you can't go back and change the past and you never know what's going to
09:33 happen.
09:34 But looking back on it now, would you maybe use Sam a little bit differently in the situations
09:38 to get the most out of him with the and keep the option to redshirt instead of maybe playing
09:43 at Maryland late?
09:44 You know, this and that.
09:45 I got you.
09:46 Monday morning quarterback.
09:47 I got you.
09:48 Yeah.
09:49 So that's always hindsight.
09:50 Twenty twenty.
09:51 Right.
09:52 You know, I thought about that actually at one point.
09:53 Like, did you try to do you try to save me for the last four games?
09:59 Who knew this was going to happen?
10:01 And so he did.
10:02 We did what we did.
10:03 We played when he played and you can't go back and change it.
10:06 So keep it moving forward.
10:08 I'm wondering what with Tom Allen's team with Indiana, they've given you guys good games
10:15 and over the last seven, eight years, however long he's been there.
10:19 But what are you seeing with this group and particularly coming off that game that they
10:23 had over the weekend where it goes to overtime, they're putting up a lot of points and kind
10:27 of attract me there.
10:29 You still see what his team is doing since he's been there.
10:32 What I've noticed, they play hard and they're going to continue to fight like most big 10
10:37 teams, but they're going to just keep playing and fight to the very end.
10:41 And so again, our example, our game last year with those guys and but like you said, since
10:45 he's been there, those guys come to play.
10:49 I know he really preaches the love thing to them down there, one loving one another and
10:54 they it shows up on film.
10:56 That's how they play.
10:57 And so we're going down there expecting a tough, hard fought game.
11:02 I know you talked about Chance Rucker after the game on Saturday.
11:09 Now that you went back and watched film, talk about the learning experience he went through
11:13 being on the field with some of that talent, how he came through on that.
11:16 Absolutely.
11:17 So some of the things he what he had to learn from is just applying the coaching.
11:22 He's right there on some of the plays, used the left hand as opposed to the right hand
11:27 on the on the one touchdown play.
11:29 It was a good ball by the quarterback, but Chance could have gave himself a better a
11:34 better chance.
11:35 No pun intended.
11:36 But he used the left hand as opposed to his right hand reaching for the ball.
11:40 And there are some things that Coach Salgado has been coaching the guys up on since he's
11:44 been here that we didn't quite do and probably got the ball out.
11:49 So but he's continued to learn.
11:51 He's in the thing about he's a true freshman, still learning in the Big Ten, playing Big
11:57 Ten football and getting better.
11:59 So all this experience that he's gathering now is going to help us in the future.
12:04 And so, you know, he continues to improve and get better.
12:07 But in offseason, he knows he has to get a little bigger, stronger, faster, and he'll
12:13 be just fine.
12:14 He'll be fine.
12:15 It seems like he has a real effervescent personality.
12:23 He does.
12:24 He does.
12:25 He's quiet young man.
12:26 Doesn't say a whole lot.
12:27 Very quiet.
12:28 But that's good.
12:29 That's good to hear.
12:30 That's good to hear.
12:31 But he's a quiet kid, but, you know, that's going to come with confidence.
12:37 He's going to even talk even more because he knows he has to.
12:41 You know, I always tell those guys when I was a coordinator and as a defensive coordinator
12:46 and just D.V. coach, but a great defense is a loud defense with their mouths and with
12:51 their pads.
12:52 So you should hear a great defense at all times.
12:54 Everybody talking or smacking people.
12:58 And so he's learning how to start talking a little bit more.