Michigan State University Athletics
Spartan Players Press Conference Coverage
11/4/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Several Michigan State players met with the media on Tuesday to preview this Saturday's game against Ohio State.
The No. 7/6 Spartans (7-1, 4-0 Big Ten) will play host to the No. 13/11 Buckeyes (7-1, 4-0) Saturday at 8 p.m. in Spartan Stadium; the game will be televised nationally on ABC.
Below are complete transcripts from the two player press conferences:
JACK CONKLIN, KURTIS DRUMMOND, TRAVIS JACKSON, JEREMY LANGFORD
Q. Jack, when you look at Bosa on film, talk about him as a player and how often do you think you will see him Saturday night?
JACK CONKLIN: Obviously he's a great player, see him this season and last season, he bounces around a lot so the whole line is going to have to be ready to play against him. Obviously I'm excited to play such a great player.
Q. How would you compare him to Shilique (Calhoun) or (Randy) Gregory?
JACK CONKLIN: He's a bigger "D" end, he's technically sound and he will try to overpower you, compared to the speed rusher guys.
Q. Jack, you told us he's part of the reason you lost weight because you wanted to be great, in fact you said to me "I want to play the best because that's where I want to be" so you know you're playing Bosa and NFL Scouts are watching, do you relish this? Is this a personal thing to you?
JACK CONKLIN: I mean, you come to Michigan State to play the best teams, and obviously I'm excited to play against Bosa and the whole offensive line is excited to play one of the best "D" lines in the nation.
Q. Travis, when he was a walk on, you bragged about Jack and talked about him as "one of our young guys coming up through the ranks." What was it about Jack that you have seen where he's matured to where he's getting national attention as one of the top left tackles in his class?
TRAVIS JACKSON: He's a spectacular player. He's got great feet and you should see the size of his arms; they're so long. He's been a special player not only to watch him grow but to play next to and a lot of times on game day he makes my job a lot easier. He's a special guy, powerful, explosive, just a guy that being a left guard is a dream left tackle to have next to you.
Q. Travis, and Kurtis, a lot has been made this week about the amount of Ohio players that are on this team. I'm wondering for you guys were you he either of you recruited by Ohio State and if not what does that mean for you for this game going forward?
KURTIS DRUMMOND: No, I wasn't.
TRAVIS JACKSON: I was recruited a little bit but as soon as I came up here and talked to Coach D after my junior year, there was no question I wanted to be a Spartan and nothing was going to change that.
Q. Travis, can you talk about Ohio State's front seven and how similar is it to the way your front seven plays versus what Ohio State did last year?
TRAVIS JACKSON: They're more into an overfront. They got a special front seven. They play a lot like ours and I believe their defensive coordinator was at Wisconsin in 2011 when we faced off against them twice.
You know, we've seen this kind of front before. But, you know, what makes their front seven so special is the players in the front seven, and you got two guys on the side in Bennett and Washington who are guys that are so technically sound and playmakers and you don't see that a lot in defensive tacklers as playmakers, and they have Curtis Grant in the middle, who is a guy who has experience and a good ball player, and a new guy in Lee, who brings so much energy, makes big time plays and say a tough blitzer to block.
Q. Travis, seems like every we're week we're talking about a big game here. Can you believe how many big games you've played in Michigan State and where does this one rank?
TRAVIS JACKSON: It's been special to be part of this program the last five years and to be part of big games here. This is definitely a really big game. It's two teams atop of the division and whatever team wins this game, controls their own destiny and that's all you can ask for in the Big Ten Conference is to be able to control your own destiny. So it's definitely a big game as far as the conference goes, and our division goes but, you know, each week we gotta take one at a time and go 1 0 each week. It's really special to have a night game here in Spartan Stadium against such a great team like Ohio State.
Q. Kurtis, how does J.T. Barrett compare to Braxton Miller?
KURTIS DRUMMOND: I think they both are similar, but J.T., you see the way he's grown over the weeks, you see his composure in the pocket, the way he's able to pro long plays, able to make plays with his feet and able to throw the ball down field. When you have playmakers around you, it makes things a little easier but you see J.T. back there composed and making plays for his team.
Q. Jeremy, if you could talk about the run game. It looked like against Michigan you emphasized that we saw a lot of two back, and we saw Michigan State dictate the run. Can you talk about what it was like to have that game plan and how much that helped you to get on track and have that career day?
JEREMY LANGFORD: I know going to the games, Coach D emphasizes stopping the run, and being able to run the football, so with us being able to run the football and guys in front of me we do a great job over the week. That's what we want to do, we want to run the football and control the line of scrimmage, because Coach D says a lot of games are won up front, so that's the most important part of the game.
Q. Kurtis, you said Ohio State didn't recruit you. I know in years past Denicos Allen was vocal about wanting to take it out on them. `You guys didn't want me.' Do you have that feeling? You could have had me, this is what you're missing out on?
KURTIS DRUMMOND: Growing up you definitely have a lot of people around you who watch the Buckeyes and when you don't have a chance to go down there, it sits with you a little bit, but coming here to Coach Dantonio and his staff was the best thing that could have happened to me. So I definitely have self motivation, but I find self motivation for whoever we're playing. I'm definitely excited to play this week and get out there.
Q. Following up, Jeremy, on the last year's Big Ten Championship game looking at the stats you guys didn't do much through the first three quarters running the football but in the fourth quarter you got loose. What changed in that football game that enabled you to break some runs?
JEREMY LANGFORD: Being up on the scoreboard and trying to run the ball to the clock, and how to run the offense, I think that's what we did real good last year a lot is controlling the game and running the football when needed to and keep the clock going and keep our defense on the sidelines. That's the most important part when you are trying to run the scoreboard is running the ball.
Q. Jack, according to the stats you had 15 knock downs against Michigan, 10 against Indiana. What does it feel like when you get in a knock down?
JACK CONKLIN: As an offensive lineman there is no better feeling. The best thing you can do is put your guy on the ground, but our whole offensive line I think we had 40 knock downs on the Michigan game alone. That was our focus, overpower the other team. If we're physical like that we will break Jeremy loose, and I think you saw that in the game, we take care of the front seven, he's going to make the next guy miss.
Q. Travis and Kurtis, Coach Dantonio makes a big deal about playing with an edge and motivation. How do you keep that edge when you have won so many games and you're the favorite on Saturday?
KURTIS DRUMMOND: I think that comes from the type of people we have in the program. We don't have guys who sit around and pat themselves on the back and sit there and let complacency come in. That starts with the coaching staff, all the way down to the leaders on this team. They do a great job of coming in each week and understanding that last week means nothing and going out every week with something to prove.
TRAVIS JACKSON: I think in college football each week is so important, no matter who you're playing. So it's taking it week by week and focusing that you need to go 1 0 that week to be able to be successful in your season.
Then being able to play in a game like this is obviously a really cool experience, a night game at home in front of Spartan Nation against a great team like Ohio State. It's definitely a game that is fun to get up for and it kind of why playing in the Big Ten is so cool.
Q. Jack or Travis, you guys are an offense who scores 40 or 50 points a game, runs reverses and throws the ball deep, and not so much the 3 yards in a cloud of dust type of Big Ten offense you might have been a few years ago. Is it harder or do you have to work to keep the gritty attitude? How do you maintain the blue collar mentality to keep it in the game?
JACK CONKLIN: Our main goal is to be the blue collar team that's going to get those 3 or 4 yards when we need it. I think that's what opens up the rest of the reverses and the deep passes, is teams have to be preparing for us for those 3 or 4 yards and we're able to get those, so the teams are packing the box and that opens upper plays and different possibilities.
Q. Jeremy, last year in Indianapolis, I think before your big touchdown run you got into it with Shazier a little bit. I think you got a penalty. How much do you have to contain your emotion in a trash talking game like this and contain yourself and try to stand up against some of the things that are said?
JEREMY LANGFORD: It's definitely hard, especially with the emotion going into the hype of the game. Anybody talking everybody is talking, but at the same time you have to be a leader and be in control, because I'm part of the team that has to make plays to help us win games so I have to control that as a senior, and as a star running back, it's hard but it's something you got to keep in the back of your mind, you've got to be a playmaker they want you to be, and not end up out of the game.
Q. Travis, how would you describe Jeremy as a runner? What makes him unique?
TRAVIS JACKSON: Jeremy is a special player where he can power it up in there and then his break away speed can get the long touchdown, too, and what makes it so special blocking for a guy like Jeremy is that he's willing to get that extra yard, extra half yard and when you see him working like that, you just want to block as best as you can for him and like Jack Conklin said, if we get our assignments, he's going to make that one guy miss in the backfield and that's what makes Jeremy so special.
Q. Jeremy, you get stronger and actually get better as the game goes on. Earlier in the year you didn't get as many carries, they were trying to balance it out and give it to other people. Last week they saw what happens when you primarily get them. Is it hard when you get in there and get in a groove or do you refer it like last week, just give me the rock, let me carry it.
JEREMY LANGFORD: To me, I know when I come out of the game and Nick (Hill) goes in or Delton (Williams) goes in, they'll get the 4 yards we need, so to have running backs like that behind you, that know offense and know what to do and maturity over time is not bad for me come out the game, I can go out of the game and get some hype, see that long run and be able to stay comfortable with them in the game.
Q. They were almost a touchdown favorite in Indianapolis, now all their players are talking about how they can't wait to come play, they're excited about it. Is there a different dynamic when you know that you're already up top and they're the ones trying to knock you off because of what happened last year?
KURTIS DRUMMOND: I wouldn't say it's a different dynamic just because - we're still chasing after something, too, everybody is chasing after Indianapolis. We are a hungry team and we have dreams and goals for ourselves and we don't feel like we've defended anything, we feel like we're still chasing stuff.
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Q. Connor, after looking at Ohio State now closely, how different is this defense from last year's?
Connor Cook: It's a little different, depending on the coverages. Last year there was more man coverage, I feel middle field close a lot, cover three and cover six this year you see a lot more open but that's the main difference. They mix it up a little bit with the fronts, trying to go odd fronts here and there, but this year I think you see more four man front, four three, pretty much but there is just a little custom differences, nothing too major, pretty much just the coverages, that's what I would say.
Q. Is it better?
Connor Cook: Yeah, their defensive line is very, very good, great linebackers, guys that are active, guys that are fast and they got guys that are strong in the secondary as well, so it's a good defense.
Q. Connor, you talked a couple of weeks ago about understanding what the Michigan rivalry meant to your teammates because you got to play Ohio State and experience it. This week what's it like for you?
Connor Cook: It's a little emotional, being from Ohio, everyone I go to high school with goes to Ohio State, roots for Ohio State, me growing up, guys that I went to elementary school with, this and that, it's not divided like Michigan. In Michigan you grow up you're either blue or green, Ohio State, you grow up in Ohio you're a Buckeye fan. Treating it like another game. Just another opponent, I would say great opponent, but obviously not trying to get too emotional or get caught up in it.
Q. Taiwan, what differences do you see with J.T. Barrett now running it?
Taiwan Jones: A little bit similar. I feel like with this offense that Barrett works better in this offense. I feel like he has a better arm, he's a way better quarterback than Braxton, but I feel like it's a big challenge for us and we're actually looking forward to it and working this week in order for us to be successful against this offense.
Q. Connor, what's the communication like with your friends back home? Are they texting you, talking trash a little bit to you? And maybe last year, too, what did they say after you guys won that game?
Connor Cook: Everything is friendly. I have friends that went to Ohio State that are my best friends from high school and they're obviously fully supporting fully supportive in me, wishing me good luck, they might be coming to the game, too, they'll be wearing Michigan State stuff but everybody from back home that I have relationships with, they're all supportive. No one is talking any trash. It's all friendly.
Q. Do you have a moment from last year's game that stands out that you remember more than anything else? Other than maybe at the very end of the game? Do you have one that stands out?
Connor Cook: Probably the end of the game, just taking that knee.
Q. For both players, obviously Big Ten title implications in Saturday's game but of course the national playoff is still in the mix and I know you can't concern yourself with that. Does that seep into your mind at all? The scope of this game, the size of the game, ESPN GameDay here and everything else and how do you not let that get too big?
Taiwan Jones: I actually feel like we have to make it get that big with both of us being playoff teams and both of us competing for the playoffs, I feel like this big stage is pretty it's a big step for both of us. It shows, you know, both of us can play good football and the team that comes out on top is, you know, pretty much going to be one of the best teams coming out of the Big Ten Conference, so I feel like that can help us move on to the next step with our season.
Connor Cook: I think for us as a team, I think all of us individually, I think that's why we come to a school like Michigan State to play in games like this, to be at stage with the implications on the line. It's not, you know, I think Coach talks about with pressure and stuff, pressure is good, stress is bad, and I think Coach does a great job with getting our minds right for the game so we're not stressed out or anything, we're ready to go out there no matter what the stage is, no matter who the opponent is, that we go out there and we're ready to play. And I think, too, the coaches do a great job of getting our minds right for the game and then obviously getting our minds way from the playoff stuff, whatever is going on outside. I really don't think we pay that close attention to that kind of stuff and we focus on the stuff that we can control and that's preparing our butts off each and every week and getting ourselves ready to play.
Q. Same kind of question. The media likes to label Saturday "Elimination Saturday," and that this is an elimination game. What does that mean to you or do you even buy that?
Connor Cook: What it means to me is that we gotta go 1 0, like any other game. I feel like no matter who the opponent is, once you start Big Ten play, every single game is a championship game pretty much because if you lose then you're done. So this is just going to be like the Purdue game, just like the Indiana game, if we would have lost to Purdue then we wouldn't be talking about this, so it's like any other Big Ten game, I know that sounds cliche but truly that's how we look at it.
Taiwan Jones: I agree with Connor, I personally feel like the playoff system starts this weekend, like you said, one game elimination, whoever loses, you know, not going to have one of the best chances to move into those playoffs so we take it one game at a time and continue working toward our goals.
Q. Also, if you guys can recall, both you guys, in that Oregon game, you played one of the best stretches of football this season over 20 minute span, I think it was 5, three and outs, you went from 18 to 7 down to 27 18 up. Do you remember that? And then from both sides of the ball, how do you recall how that stretch went?
Taiwan Jones: On defense, I feel like we just needed to finish. Coach always says in that game we played a total of 40 minutes of football we needed to play 60. So we need to finish games and that's what we've been working on being able to finish games because at the end of the day, you know, that he is how you win a game, it's not how you start it's how you finish.
Connor Cook: Yeah, I think just like Taiwan said, looking back had a great first half, not so great second half. The stuff that we showed in the first half going against a great opponent in Oregon, a great defense in a hostile environment shows what we're capable of doing. The second half didn't go the way we wanted to, but the maintaining that sticks out in that game is you gotta be able to finish and I think that's what we've been priding ourselves on and emphasize this gone year is finishing.
Q. Taiwan, can you talk about how the Ohio State offense looks different from a schematic standpoint than it did a year ago?
Taiwan Jones: It's not really that different. They try to make it a little bit more simpler for J.T. Barrett at the beginning but he's starting to pick it up a lot now. They have, you know, different running back, different o-line, different positions than they had. Guys had to step up, so it's a little bit different but it's the same thing that we have been seeing for the past three years since we've been playing them.
Q. Taiwan, can you expand a little bit? You said earlier that Barrett is a better quarterback than Miller. Are you saying a better passer? How would you compare those two as runners and passers and do they do as much with Barrett?
Taiwan Jones: As an athlete I feel like Miller was better but to fit in that offense, Urban Meyer, he fits well, like Tebow in that Florida offense with Urban Meyer, he feels like Barrett fits in that offense better and he can control the game better. We need to not let them control the game, but let us control the game.
Q. I'm wondering how the rivalry between Michigan State and Ohio State has evolved through the past two years and also what it means, it's importance to the Big Ten as a conference and kind of the level of football that these two teams have played with the level consistently?
Connor Cook: Going back to 2011, we played them at their place, it was a tight game, we came out victorious in the end and the next year we lost by one point and the following year, and last year, another tight game, down to the wire. It's a friendly rivalry, we respect them, they respect us, but it's been growing over the past couple of years and it's just a competitive rivalry. What it does for the Big Ten, is people see that, people from outside other conferences see the tight games that we have against Ohio State and the passion and the energy that comes with this game and I think it just does a great job of putting the Big Ten on the map with people just seeing how hard that we play against top teams in the country. I think we're both top 10 teams, or Ohio State whatever they're ranked, but two great teams going at it.
We'll see what goes down on Saturday if there is any pushing or shoving or whatever. I know I respect Ohio State, I know some guys on that football team that are nice guys that I've known growing up, but, you know, I wouldn't compare it to a Michigan rivalry at all. I think it's a competitive rivalry. Because me, you know, I respect Ohio State. I have no disrespect to them whatsoever.
I don't know, we'll see what happens, if they're going to talk trash or whatever, but I know us as a football team here at Michigan State we respect them.
Q. With regard to Coach Meyer's opinion on the game, he said to call this a rivalry would be to diminish the rivalry that Ohio State has with Michigan and yet Connor you spoke about this being a rivalry. What are your thoughts about having more than one rival and Taiwan, if you could talk about the Ohio State game and if it feels like a rivalry to you?
Connor Cook: I think rivalry games are there is always more energy for the Michigan game, the hits are bigger, the energy is just a little bit higher. There is more passion, stuff like that, so anytime you have more than one rivalry game, you know, things are going to be things are going to get emotional, they're going to get hectic so I think it's just more rivalry games, you have better games to watch, I think. I think rivalry games are entertaining, a lot of fun to watch.
Taiwan Jones: I think we treat it as a rivalry game because we have a lot of guys on our team who are from Ohio who take this personally. Some guys before the game they get up and want to talk to us, they said they weren't good enough, Ohio State never recruited them and a lot of guys that want to prove themselves.
I mean, like Connor said, you can always have more than one rivalry, dating back to my freshman year, 2011 when Wisconsin began to be our rivalry at the Hail Mary and in the Big Ten Championship and the overtime win, so I feel like, you know, you could always have more than one rivalry and whether they think it's a rivalry or not we're going to treat it like one.
Q. Connor, you and Ohio State are averaging right around 45 points a game this season. We don't necessarily see too many offensive shoot outs back and forth in the Big Ten. Is the prospect of a game like that exciting to you? Does it put more pressure on the offense?
Connor Cook: I wouldn't say it puts more pressure on our offense, but we're looking forward to it. Anytime you have offenses that are averaging those kind of points and are capable of doing what they have shown in the past it's going to call for a good game. I think we're looking forward to it, Ohio State's looking toward to it, it's going to be a great atmosphere, 8 o'clock at night, game day's going be there, so guys on our team are looking forward to it and it's going to be a great time.
Q. Connor, I think you said on one of the other night games that you love the atmosphere, you hate the wait. 8 p.m. game, biggest game of the year, what happens to you on Saturday? Do you nap? Go to meetings? Watch football? And how gut wrenching is that, to wait for a game like that?
Connor Cook: The atmosphere is great, playing at night; Spartan Stadium at night, it's a special place at night and the atmosphere is great, but the anticipation, the waiting all day is what gets to me.
I just try and - we have a four hour span, I will lay down, try and fall asleep, other than that we have meetings, watch tape, really don't watch football, try to get my mind right and focus on the things I need to for the game, but the nights, the anticipation is what I don't like but once it's game time then it's fun.
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