Michigan State University Athletics
Mark Dantonio Weekly Press Conference Coverage
10/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 21, 2008
Coverage:
Video | Podcast
MARK DANTONIO WEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
COACH DANTONIO: Okay. The day we have all been waiting for has arrived, huh. You can fire questions at me.
Just to wrap up Ohio State very quickly, obviously we didn't play very well at all and give credit to Ohio State. They played very well. We need to tackle better, not turn the ball over, etc., etc. And I think we have talked about that enough.
This is a 56th meeting for Paul Bunyan Trophy. When I was here before, as a coach, we had it in '95, and we had it in '99. So I know how big it is it, not just in terms of how much it means to a program, but also, how big it is. And no pun intended, really, there wasn't.
And I know it's huge for our football team and for our program to be able to bring that (trophy) home. Last year's game, 28 24, was a very emotional game, and obviously, we lost at the end. Give credit to Michigan, especially Chad Henne in that game last year, because he brought them back. But we played extremely hard, and it was very frustrating to lose that football game.
I am proud of the way our football team played that game in terms of the emotion and the intensity that was put forth. I think the key to any big game is obviously mistakes and turnovers. In other words, blowing coverage, or not making a big catch or turning the football over, whatever the case may be. The ability to handle adversity I think will be key in this football game as well.
In regards to the off field incidents that are being reported out there, I guess my only statement will be on that is we are cooperating with authorities and we are letting them handle that end of things. Our focus will be on Michigan. It needs to be.
When you talk about Michigan offensively, I think it's a program, much like we were last year; it's a program in transition. So there are changes, and any time there are changes, it affects a lot of people and changes sometimes create adjustment situations on the field, etc.
So offensively, they run the spread offense, no huddle offense. They use sort of a two quarterback system, with (Steven) Threet and (Nick) Sheridan; with Threet being the dominant person there. (Sam) McGuffie and (Brandon) Minor are outstanding running backs. They have skill at receiver. The offensive line is being retooled. The offense is very good conceptually to be able to take advantage of things and if you watch them closely, you'll see that they move the ball on everybody.
Defensively, Michigan has nine starters back. Again, different defensive structure there. Much like ours in the case that actually Coach (Scott) Shafer and Coach (Pat) Narduzzi were on the Northern Illinois staff together, so there are similarities there. But with nine starters back, this is a physical football team that has been able to stop the run at times. So it will be a challenge for us.
In terms of the special teams, Michigan has an outstanding punting game, and you know they've got good athletes. When you have good athletes, they show up in special teams, as well.
With that, I'll open up for questions and I can talk about more individuals or open it up and I think that's usually the best way, and I'll try and guard my comments.
Q. You mentioned how they at times have been able to stop the run. Talk about the importance of establishing the run this week.
COACH DANTONIO: Well, I think any football team wants to have balance. Regardless of what you do, you need to try and have balance so that you can keep the other people off balance in terms of how they are going to play you. In other words, against Northwestern if they can't run the ball, you're going to drop eight, etc. So they have got to be able to run it, and they throw it very effectively.
For us, it's about balance and not making mistakes. It's about field position. It's about putting the ball in our best players' hands, which most teams do. And that's how well look at it.
Q. The fact that you coached against Rich Rodriguez at West Virginia when you were at Cincinnati, how will that familiarity of the system help you?
COACH DANTONIO: Well, it certainly helps in the fact that at least we have competed against him and we at least know the tempo and some of the things that they have done in the past.
Whether they are able to continue to do those things, so early in his stay at Michigan, remains to be seen. I'm sure some things will change in terms of how they play us, and they were very effective at West Virginia versus Cincinnati.
Again, the offense is very good conceptually and a lot of people have borrowed from the things that he has done across the nation. So he's an excellent football coach.
Q. Do you feel like there's more pressure on you in this game than the normal Michigan/Michigan State game just because you're 6 2 and they are 2 5; do you feel like there's a little different approach psychologically because of the seasons both teams are having?
COACH DANTONIO: I look at it as a football coach; you deal with your own football team and get them ready to play. There's no more pressure this week than there is any other week. There's more emotion, but there's pressure any time you go play.
So again, I can't measure elation or disappointment. I know I was very disappointed on Sunday. But I've been disappointed before, very much so. So to say it's a big game, yeah, it's a big game. It's a game we point to all season long because it is a rivalry game. I expect our players to be emotionally ready for every football game.
Q. You said you'll guard your comments; you spoke very emotionally last year on Monday after the game, do you regret reacting like that, and does the little brother line still gall you a little bit?
COACH DANTONIO: No, I do not regret talking like that. You know, big brother is watching, so I don't know.
Q. Have you selected an honorary captain for this week?
COACH DANTONIO: Yes, Sherm Lewis will be our honorary captain, and we're very happy to have him down there. He'll do an outstanding job with our football team.
Q. How much do comments, do actions play a part in this game this year?
COACH DANTONIO: Do actions? I think actions play a lot - actions on the football field.
Q. How much do words play?
COACH DANTONIO: Words, I guess they can motivate at times. But I always think that in the course of a game, the actions begin to motivate.
You know, it doesn't really matter what I say to our football team or what somebody else says or all that stuff that went on last year. That doesn't really matter, because when you start to play the game, what happens in the game takes over and you have to be able to respond and play off blocks, block people, catch the ball, etc., and that takes over.
It's a tough environment to play in because it's away; it's an away game. But I think that all of that stuff is sort of window dressing. When you get right down to it, you'd better be able to run and tackle and do the things that need to be done to win the football game, hold on to the football, etc.
Q. In preparing for this, will you remind your team of the little brother comment?
COACH DANTONIO: Of course, I will. We'll use what we got.
Q. Last year, you had the count down clock; you had the things in the windows, beat Michigan and that kind of stuff. I don't know if they are hidden or not evident to us anymore or they are completely gone. Are they there; why not?
COACH DANTONIO: Well, they took the trailers out of there (the indoor practice facility) and Coach (Dan) Enos' window had the sign in there.
I've said many times that we use a countdown clock for our next focus, our next goal, whatever that is. And during the off times of the year where there is not that immediate focus, for me to put up there in December or in January, spring ball, 72 days away; doesn't really get their attention. But `beat Michigan in X number of days' does.
So that's why that's there. Many places have those clocks. I've seen them other places in the state. So it's no big deal. It's a clock that helps us try to stay focused on the next thing and hopefully, subliminally when you walk by it, it's just a reminder.
Q. Considering you said you'll use whatever you have to motivate your team, is there a sense your team feels like they are disrespected? Obviously what happened last year with the comment, but over the weekend, Brandon Graham from their team stated: You know what, basically I can't ever see us losing to that school, Michigan State. And yesterday the Michigan players said, you know what, if I was a Spartan - (indiscernible) - is it bulletin board material? So I don't know how you feel about that, or how your team takes that or if they do feel disrespected?
COACH DANTONIO: Pretty soft bulletin board material to me, soft. It's not deliberate and antagonistic - that's fine. I don't see that really as big material.
Guys need to be ready to play, and utilize whatever motivates them. That's not an issue to me on that end of things. I don't take any offense to that; nor do I think any of our players. It's just getting ready for the next game; just understanding that this next game is important for both programs.
Q. Not trying to get to you say anything you don't want to say, but the fact that there's an off the field investigation; the fact that you're coming off one of your worst losses in your career; the fact that it's Michigan week, how do you keep things in order? How do you keep things under control and is this one of the more challenging weeks in your time as a coach?
COACH DANTONIO: Yeah, it's challenging, because of those three things. The Ohio State game was very disappointing for our fans and I thought we would have shown better.
Now, were we going to win the game, based on what I saw? We would have had to not make mistakes, and they would have had to make some. So that was disappointing in that respect.
Then to have an (off-the-field) incident, that's disappointing, obviously. And then to have to play Michigan, you to have to get your focus back. But that's what we have to do and that's what my job is. That's what our players have to do; so it's going to be fine. Good question, though, not baiting at all.
Q. The fact that Michigan State has not had much success against Michigan, whether it's at home or on the road . . .
COACH DANTONIO: I knew this one was coming around.
Q. Do you have to address that fact just because it's been a long drought for success at either venue?
COACH DANTONIO: You want me to really go there?
Q. Yeah.
COACH DANTONIO: There are a lot of people that haven't won at Michigan. They found a way to win. So we'll have to find a way to win.
Q. When we're talking about comments and what the players over there are saying, do you all talk to your players about being careful what they say, or do you go through anything so that there isn't bulletin board material, so to speak, the other way around?
COACH DANTONIO: I'd like to think our players are going to try to handle this in a mature way, but their coach sometimes didn't. So sometimes I guess that you get going and it's hard to pull it back. But I would like to think they would handle it in a classy way.
Q. A lot of teams, Oregon, Utah, Toledo, Appalachian State have gone there and won . . .
COACH DANTONIO: Say that again.
Q. Absolutely. Oregon, Utah, Toledo, Appalachian State. So when you hear this, are you going to go down and win, at some point, it's not like it's Darth Vader is guarding the place. Talk about how people seem to make more out of that than what it is.
COACH DANTONIO: Would you repeat that question? (Laughter). We'll just let it go.
We need to play well when we go away from home wherever we play. It's a tough environment to play in any Big Ten stadium. And Ohio State got it done up here; (the Buckeyes) certainly played very well. It's happened in this stadium, and we need to be able focus on what needs to happen for us to win and that's the bottom line.
All of this other stuff is just a sideshow, and it's just window dressing. Our focus needs to be on what we have to do to beat Michigan. It will be a challenge for us. They will be ready emotionally; I'm sure we'll be ready emotionally, and it should be a great game.
Q. Unless you talk about focusing on what you have to do to beat Michigan, it doesn't seem like you worry about the hype or the meaning of it distracting players, it's almost like you feel it will help; is that fair to say and is that something you learned over the course of your career?
COACH DANTONIO: Yeah, I think so. For me, these games are the reason we put a clock out there. These are the games we should look forward to, not dread. These are games where they talk about them after the fact regardless of who wins. I'm sure they will talk about last year's game, and the things that were said after.
But these are the things that you should look forward to, right? The games are meant to be like that. Everybody in the state gets excited and anybody who likes football in the State of Michigan is probably at least a little bit curious about this. That's the way it should be. So that's why there should be extra focus because it should be exciting for you.
And at the end of the day, whether you're a senior or whether you're a freshman or whether you've coached here, you're going to measure some of your success on winning or losing. You're going to measure that, and I'm sure they don't want to lose and, I'm sure that our guys want to win this one in this case, because I think I've heard that they haven't lost, and I think I've heard that we haven't won.
So there's a measuring stick there and we want to measure up, and those are things that you talk about later in life. That's what makes sport great.
Q. It's the first year for Rich Rodriguez' program, second year for yours, obviously both programs somewhat in transition. How important is this game, do you think, in terms of perception and also recruiting moving forward and making a statement either way?
COACH DANTONIO: Sure, it's always very important in that aspect. But I also think that people tend to choose up a little bit way before high school. That also recruiting is about relationships, too. It goes beyond just who won that particular game.
Q. After going through the rivalry last year, is there anything that you learned that maybe you would do different this time around, or is everything still exactly the same way that you will do this year as you did last year?
COACH DANTONIO: No pun intended. But we were up by 10 with seven minutes to go. And you know what, it wasn't over. And it still is not over. How's that. Can I end it with that?
Okay. They obviously came back and won because they didn't throw in the towel. And I think there's a message there for all of us. That's the way it should be.
Q. You've talked about credibility and restored that and you've also talked about your fan base, but do you think the ultimate credibility even outside your fan base comes with beating Michigan?
COACH DANTONIO: I said in one of our first talks that I ever had when I came here, that we are going to measure up. And I think that is a measuring stick for us.
And I'm not afraid to sit here and say that. I'm not going to sit here and say, hey, listen if we lose to those guys, it doesn't matter. It does matter. It matters to a lot of people.
And as I said earlier, that's the way it should be. At least that's my take on it. It's the same as the Ohio State-Michigan game. It matters. And that's the way it should be. The Texas-Oklahoma game matters. The Clemson-South Carolina game matters. Any other rivalry game throughout this country, they all matter. That's the way it should be. That's what makes college sports great. That's what keeps people pushing and that's what keeps people excited, and that's a good thing.
In this day and age, people need things to get them excited. Everybody goes through tough times. There are tough times on the football field. There are tough times that people go through in this country right now in all areas of their life. So this (game) is a release, and I think that's a positive thing.
So we'll get ready to go and we'll be focused and our guys will be excited. And I can't wait to get to practice today, and I can't wait to have the team meeting today and we'll get our guys going, so thanks a lot.
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