Michigan State University Athletics
Assistant Coaches Press Conference Coverage
10/25/2017 12:00:00 AM | Football
EAST LANSING, Mich. â€" Michigan State co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Mike Tressel and co-offensive coordinator/running backs coach Dave Warner spoke to the media Wednesday afternoon to review the Spartans' win vs. Indiana and preview this week's game at Northwestern.
No. 16/18 MSU will look to start 5-0 in Big Ten play for just the second time under 11th-year head coach Mark Dantonio as the Spartans take on the Wildcats Saturday, Oct. 28 at 3:30 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
The Spartans (6-1, 4-0 B1G) won their fourth straight game last Saturday at home over Indiana, 17-9, to remain in a three-way tie for first place in the Big Ten East Division standings, along with No. 2 Penn State and No. 6 Ohio State. The Wildcats (4-3, 2-2 B1G) are coming off back-to-back wins over Maryland and Iowa.
Co-Defensive Coordinator Mike Tressel
On what he's seeing from the guys at this point in the season…
The things that we thought we had and we needed to have to be successful, they're showing up, there's no doubt about that. In terms of, I think we had 27 or 28 guys play in significant moments last week. The guys are very confident in themselves. When they're confident in themselves they communicate with others so the communication is a lot better, leadership on the field. Those things are high right now.
On what stands out about Northwestern…
They're an offense that has a very good quarterback and a very good tailback. When you have those two things you're dangerous. That jumps out right off the bat.
On being consistent this year at linebacker without injuries…
Any position group is going to be that way. If you have your guys healthy, you're going to be better. There's no doubt about it. It's consistency. We've been able to have consistency with our lineups, consistency with our rotations. You're not trying to relearn things on the fly, which is huge. You're at week 8, week 9, you're in the middle of the season, you don't want to relearn things. Iowa last week for example, against Northwestern, had to move their Sam linebacker to middle linebacker and bring in a different Sam linebacker. Not only do you lose Josey Jewell at the middle running the show but another person has to learn another spot that they haven't been practicing. When you can keep consistency you can continue to grow.
On Matt Morrissey…
(He's) in the nickel package, in the delta package, how you name those positions it's sort of up to you. Hopefully they're all bouncing around, blitzing at different times and dropping in different areas at other times. He is a guy that can tackle in space, on third-down you have to be able to tackle in space. He's been trained throughout his whole career as a safety, build vision and break on the ball. Last year he played star linebacker for us in our base package last year. He's proven to be pretty multi-dimensional.
On the importance of being able to find roles for players and rotate players in…
It's important for a couple reasons. One, you're keeping more people fully engaged because they know they have a role. That's one reason. Second reason is as you get into games like Indiana who's averaged at 80 snaps a game or Northwestern is averaging 80 plus snaps a game. You want to be able to play more people, to just keep people fresh. When you have guys that can impact the game you don't want them standing next to you on the sideline.
On scheme and keeping guys mentally active…
It's a combination, it really is a combination. Do you want a third corner out at your nickel spot, that particular week or would you rather have a safety out there at that nickel spot that particular week. It also comes down to who's playing the best football and how do we get our 11 best for that particular situation onto the football field. It's a combination of rewarding guys that deserve it and personnel match ups and keeping people fresh. There's a lot of things that go into those decisions.
On if Joe Bachie has lived up to or exceeded where he thought he'd be at this point…
I wouldn't have guessed right now he'd have two Big Ten Player of the Week honors. It's hard to guess that about anybody. Certainly we did, we loved him from the get-go. We thought he was a Spartan tough kind of kid. He had good football instincts but fit our mold in terms of he's tough, he's going to smack you when in doubt, run through the wall. Well we didn't know, we heard from high school coaches and you saw it a little bit on high school film but you never know what the leadership is going to be like and truly what the football IQ is going to be like with the vast playbook that we try to put out there. I'd say exceeding expectations because it's hard to expect that from anybody.
On the parts of special teams he's in charge of…
Punt. Just punt.
On the impact of playing in Chicago with the wind…
No doubt about it. There's been years there where we had to use all different alternative styles of kick offs, you didn't try to kick off in certain directions. Same thing with punts. There's been times where in these two quarters we're only going to rugby kick it so we don't get it up there into that breeze. I remember when we ran our mouse trap fake with (Aaron) Bates as the quarterback (in 2010). We told him hey we will not run this fake into the wind, no matter what, so don't worry about that. Then the fourth quarter when we needed it he had to hang that sucker up into the wind. Sometimes plans change but bottom-line is you have to be prepared to have a plan for that wind. On Jake Hartbarger's progression this season…
Jake, he's done a great job. He's kept the ball in a location we needed. He's certainly boomed a few. He understands when the rush is coming so his get off times in those situations are very quick. If there's one thing just keep the ball out of the end zone. Too many dang touchbacks on the punting unit. That's a point of emphasis but he's doing a good job.
On if the touchbacks are on Jake (Hartbarger) or on the coverage…
When I'm talking to the gunners, it's their job to keep the ball out of the end zone. If the ball lands in play it shouldn't end up in the end zone. That's the gunner's job. When I'm talking to Jake, I say, Jake the ball is coming off of your foot, you're the one in control, don't let the ball into the end zone. That's your job. It depends who you're talking to. When Coach Dantonio is talking to me, Mike you're in charge of the punt team so keep the ball out of the end zone. All perspective.
On where the real difference is defensively between last year and this year…
We talk a lot about if 11 people execute, we will win. You look back on last year there were a lot of missed assignments across the board. It might just be one guy here or one guy there but that's the game of football. It's an 11 pieced puzzle defensively. You need 11 people to execute. It's not just missed assignments it's when things are rolling the wrong way, somebody tries to cover for somebody else or tries to cover guys or tries to do too much or wants to make a play. Right now we're just focused on all 11 people executing, do your job and trust your teammates. That's the biggest thing, consistency across the board.
On the confidence level of the defense…
That's exactly right. Sometimes I think you guys get bored when I talk it. It's about the confidence and believing in each other. As things snowball, the swag sort of rises. That truly is the case. Football is a game of momentum. It's a game of believing in each other and 11 people doing their job so that's what we're trying to do right now.
On surprise of the quick turnover and the defense adjusting to the sudden change vs. Indiana…
That's what we were hoping for, that's what we wanted. We came into this year with who knows who the starters were going to be type of thing, but a lot of people that we trusted and that trusted each other. When you have the coaches trust, when the players trust the coaches, when they trust each other and they'll all go to battle with each other and those are the guys you want in the foxhole with you, you're going to do well. On Antjuan Simmons…
(He's doing) really well. I'm excited about him. He really tackles well, he really bends his knees in space. Like we talked about with Morrissey being able to make plays in space, he does a great job. We're getting him more and more reps as we go. I think he had nearly 20 snaps on defense last week so real happy.
Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Coach Dave Warner
On opening up the playbook more…
We do have a lot in the playbook, there's no doubt. The formula around here for years at Michigan State has been to try and establish the run, so that's what we try to do against everybody that we play, from Alabama all the way through. It will certainly be another challenge this week against a defense that hasn't given up much rushing. I think Coach D (Dantonio) has confidence in our pass game, I have confidence in our pass game. We're still young at our quarterback position and wide receivers positions and obviously at the offensive line too, so we're young all around, so there are still going to be some learning pains right there. We're still going to be very selective in our pass game, but I think just being able to throw it around a little bit more makes everybody happy.
On establishing the run game…
I think that when you establish the run game, that brings everything into place. It helps your passing, your drop back passing, it helps you maintain possession, you know, it doesn't put you in third and long situations. It just helps everything we try and do as an offense. When you look at our goals each and every week, if we're able to run the football and not turn it over, those other things fall into place, it makes it much easier.
On Brian Lewerke's decision making on when to throw it…
Yeah, that's part of the learning phase. Especially something that's new to all of us a little bit within this offense. We're still sort of tinkering with some of that stuff, so it's learning for all of us.
On if Lewerke's decision making can be used as a weapon as he progresses…
Yeah, I hope so. With his ability to move around a little bit in the pocket, there's a phase of that where the quarterback runs the ball as well. All of that stuff I think will help us as we move forward.
On if Lewerke compares to Connor Cook's transition into quarterback in 2013 for the Spartans…
Yeah, I guess, yeah. There are some similarities there I believe. We got things rolling in '13 in that Iowa game, I guess it was â€" the fourth or fifth game, something like that â€" got rolling and sort of kept it going from there. You know, obviously we've had our up's and down's here. We need to look for that consistency. There's going to be up's and down's regardless, but we're looking for more up's than down's â€" more consistent.
On playing at Northwestern and how that differs from other road games…
I think it is. I think our guys, you know Coach Dantonio talks to them about the amount of green that will be in that stadium, which there is every time that we've been there. That makes it good for our guys. It makes them feel, not necessarily at home, but a little more relaxed and I think we always look forward to going down there. It's always a good game. Let's hope for some good weather this time.
On if Indiana got to their gaps well against MSU…
Probably, probably a little bit harder. You know when they're slanting angles it seemed like they were going hard. It was probably something we didn't duplicate leading up to that game â€" how hard they were slanting.
On Lewerke not getting as many rushing yards in the last couple of games…
I think teams are obviously aware of his ability. I think there have been some teams that are spying in pass situations, trying not to allow him to lock it down and run with it. It's just a natural thing, we don't do anything different. I don't think he's done anything different. Those things just sort of fall into place with your drop back pass game and some games we pull a little bit more of the quarterback run stuff, but really he has not done anything different on his part.
On Lewerke rolling and creating plays with his arm…
I hope so, yeah I hope so. I mean the big thing for Brian right now is, the legs are always something good. The thing we need from Brian is to, you know, for his pass game progression to be a little bit more disciplined in there as far as going through his reads and not missing any open receivers. Then, when that stuff breaks down or when he goes through that process he can take off from there.
On Northwestern…
Hank (Mike Hankwitz) does a great job with that defense, he's been there for a very long time. You look at him and you see a very simple defense â€" somewhat simple. I guess the better way to call it is that you know where they're going to line up. They do a great job of stopping the run as I'm sure you guys know. They've held four out of the last five weeks I guess to under 100 yards. Wisconsin was 109, maybe, so they stop the run. They do that with their front and they do that with their safeties. Similar to what our defense does. Very impressive, very impressive. They do a good job. They sort of take a little bit of that ‘bend but don't break' mentality. They've been able to play with everybody. They've gotten things going more and more as the season has gone on. Similar to last year they started off slow. They had some injuries maybe earlier this year but they've got guys back now and they're playing very, very well.
On what he learned about the offense in the fourth quarter last week…
I think we learned a lot about our football team. We learned that our football team has a tremendous amount of grit which I think they've shown through the season. That fourth quarter was pretty severe to the point where it was like, oh, we've got some problems. Guys hung in there and kept believing and made some plays when we needed plays made and that's what makes a difference in good football teams and good football seasons.
On finding different ways to win and if there is encouragement in that…
Sure, well that's part of learning and creating a strong football team I think. You know you learn something new every week. You have a new challenge every week it seems like and that's all a part of, yeah I think that's all going to help us as we move forward.
