Big Ten Teleconference Quotes & Notes

Tuesday marked another Big Ten Teleconference. Here is a few select quotes from Michigan coach Brady Hoke and MSU coach Mark Dantonio.

Brady Hoke

On the Bye Week: I thought we got a lot done during the bye week. It was a good time for us to evaluate where we are at, the things we need to improve on, the fundamentals, the techniques, look at the mistakes we made, making sure as a coaching staff we are doing a good job of coaching with clarity and how we want to play and our expectations. I think all those things were good and now we have a work week ahead of us for a tough challenge down in Lafayette against Purdue.

On Purdue’s Defense: I think their front is really a good front. A very active front, strong at the point of attack. I think Kawann Short, obviously, may be the best defensive lineman in the league. I think their other corner, Josh Johnson, is playing well. I think as a team, they are playing as well as anybody.

What kind of poise do you see in Denard Robinson compared to the beginning of last season: I think his poise has improved. I think there are still things that we all are working for and working towards where we can be better as a team and individually. I think us playing on the road is something that we need to have a quicker start and play better.

On Denard becoming to all-time leader in offense at Michigan: I think it is an accomplishment for him and what he’s given and what he’s done for the program. I think the guys that have been with him and playing out there, I think it’s a team accomplishment. Believe me, he’s made a lot of plays with his instinct and his feet and we are looking for him to make more plays.

On Purdue’s offense: I think they’ve got a lot of playmakers on offense. First off, the three guys up front who’ve got a lot of playing experience on the offensive line and I think Caleb TerBush is really playing good football and making good decisions. They have a bunch of guys that are making plays. (Antavian) Edison and (Akeem) Hunt and (Akeem) Shavers. I mean you can go through… (O.J.) Ross is another guy and (Gary) Bush, they are very, very skilled. They can run, they have good team speed and I think they’ve scored 42 points a game. They’re doing that by really…they seem to be in a good rhythm offensively.

On the video tape situation with MSU-Ohio State and what the Big Ten protocol is for sharing tape: You’d probably have to ask the Big Ten that. We get all the films that we need. It goes to a central place and we get the film.

What’s his philosophy on sharing film: We share film and they share film back.

Mark Dantonio

On William Gholston: I saw him yesterday, he looked fine to me. He seemed to be walking through the office with no problems.

On the game film incident with Ohio State: You know, I’m not going to go through that right now. I’m going to set my sights on what’s important to us, and that’ winning our next football game. What happened on the game film on Saturday translated into winning or losing. That’s where I am going to leave that.

On the offensive line injuries and if that will force changes to the offensive philosophy: We’ve lost two very good players but we get one back in Blake Treadwell. Travis Jackson is lost for the season along with Fou Fonoti, who could probably play the last couple games if he chose to, if we chose to. But, he does have a redshirt year. We do have guys with starting experience. Ethan Ruhland has started in the past for us. Blake Treadwell, Jack Allen have started along with Skyler Burkland and Dan France, so we have six players still available that have played well for us and started in the past. We’ve got some guys with some different things that we can work with and we are going to have to make it work.

How important is it to put together a complete game this week: Well obviously if everyone is playing well it is going to be good for everyone, for the entire team. We just need to stay balanced. We have to continue to try and make small success in different things, create small success that will lead to big success for the entire group. We aren’t in a panic mode or anything like that. We have guys that can make plays. I thought Andrew Maxwell played very well. We had zero turnovers on offense this past week. We have to run the ball a little more effectively, or more effectively in general, than we did this past week, which has been there in the past this year. Then, we have to throw it and be consistent in our throwing game, and we’ll be fine.

News and Notes from Dantonio

Dantonio also had his weekly press conference for MSU media on Tuesday prior to the conference call. A few notes from that:

- Aaron Burbridge is getting the start at WR along with Keith Mumphrey and Tony Lippett. Burbridge is replacing Bennie Folwer in the staring lineup.

- In replacing Travis Jackson at center, MSU is looking at Jack Allen (RFr.), Blake Treadwell (Jr.) and Ethan Ruhland (Sr.) to replace him.

- Jackson will need 3 months of rehab for his injury, should be back for spring football.

- MSU is sticking with Dan Conroy as its kicker. Conroy has missed one field goal in each game and is 10 of 15 kicking this year. He is 5 of 10 from 30-49 yards but 3 of 3 from 50 yards.