Michigan State University Athletics
Assistant Coaches Press Conference Coverage
11/15/2017 12:00:00 AM | Football
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State assistant coaches Brad and Mark Snyder spoke to the media Wednesday afternoon, to review No. 22 MSU's loss at No. 11 Ohio State last week and preview Saturday's game versus Maryland for the Spartans' Senior Day.
No. 22/24 Michigan State hosts Maryland on Senior Day Saturday, Nov. 18 at 4 p.m. in Spartan Stadium. The Spartans (7-3, 5-2 Big Ten), tied for second in the Big Ten East Division standings, are looking to rebound from last week's loss at Ohio State, while the Terrapins (4-6, 2-5) remain in the hunt for a second straight bowl bid despite falling to Michigan at home last week, 35-10.
Saturday's game marks the ninth meeting between Michigan State and Maryland. The Spartans lead the overall series, 6-2, including a 4-1 record in East Lansing. The Spartans are 2-1 against the Terrapins since Maryland joined the Big Ten in 2014. After winning the first two Big Ten games against Maryland in 2014 and 2015, the Spartans fell to the Terrapins in College Park last season, 28-17. In the first-ever matchup between the two schools, Michigan State shut out Maryland in College Park, 8-0, on Oct. 20, 1944.
According to the NCAA, MSU has played the third-toughest schedule to date in the FBS (opposition with a 57-30 record; .655). The Spartans have played four teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25, including two wins (No. 13 Penn State, No. 19 Michigan).
Michigan State will recognize 15 players in a pregame ceremony on Senior Day: C Brian Allen (Hinsdale, Ill.), DE Demetrius Cooper (Chicago, Ill.), OT Dennis Finley (Detroit, Mich.), LB Chris Frey (Upper Arlington, Ohio), LB Sean Harrington (Commerce Township, Mich.), RB Gerald Holmes (Flint, Mich.), LB Shane Jones (Cincinnati, Ohio), TE Hussien Kadry (Dearborn, Mich.), WR Brock Makaric (Saginaw, Mich.), OL Nick Padla (Berrien Springs, Mich.), FB Joe Palange (Cleveland, Ohio), PK Brett Scanlon (Dowagiac, Mich.), OG Jeremy Schram (White Lake, Mich.), OG Casey Schreiner (Bethel Park, Pa.) and QB Damion Terry (Erie, Pa.).
The 2017 Senior Class has helped Michigan State to a 33-16 record since 2014, including two bowl berths (2015 Cotton Bowl, 2015 College Football Playoff Semifinal at Cotton Bowl) and one Big Ten Championship (2015). The 33 wins rank tied for seventh most by a senior class in school history.
A trademark of Mark Dantonio's Michigan State teams has been their ability to produce wins late in the season. Under Dantonio, Michigan State has compiled a 26-11 record (.702) in November. His teams have won 20 of the last 28 games in November (3-0 in 2010; 4-0 in 2011; 1-2 in 2012; 4-0 in 2013; 3-1 in 2014; 3-1 in 2015; 1-3 in 2016; 1-1 in 2017). During MSU's three Big Ten Championship seasons (2010, 2013, 2015) under Dantonio, MSU is 10-1 in November.
The following is a select transcript from Wednesday's press conference:
Quarterbacks Coach Brad Salem
On what he sees from Maryland defensively that tells him that Maryland is better than their record…
You see a team that plays really hard and they have good team speed from really all aspects, as far as how well their linebackers run, how well they run in man coverage, playing multiple guys in the back end. You see a team that sustains and plays hard through a game, even in the fourth quarter so they're finishing games. Somebody that you have to be physical against.
On Rocky Lombardi's maturation…
Well those are your hopes for your quarterback, your young quarterback, that has a chance to compete against your first-team defense every week. Rocky's done a very nice job sort of mimicking the opposing quarterback but yet just playing his own style. So you're hearing very positive things about how he's playing on that field.
On using Brian Lewerke's performance last week and learning from it moving forward…
The main thing is how do you bounce back from that performance. You will have adversity as a quarterback, as a football player so excited to see how he responds. There's growth, there's life experiences in every game so you hope that he pulls those, I know he has. From negative things that happen to you as a quarterback and just more experiences, how do you respond to certain things?
On if Brian Lewerke started to rush things last week…
As a quarterback, the key is that you feel the rush, you don't see the rush. There's going to be many games like that where there's talented guys on the other side or certain schemes that may be pressure a quarterback. But again, continue to grow and keep your eyes down field as a passer.
On Brian Lewerke having to take hits without the ball…
It's things we've gone through, through the fall but he's the one who brought it up, too. I think he understands; how do you make a play successful? There's going to be times, obviously defenses do things well too, but how can you make that play finish in a positive way.
On what he's seen from Damion Terry entering Senior Day and what he's seen from him throughout the years and bittersweet for him…
It always is. It's hard to see seniors and now we're fortunate in this day and age that we've sort of been here through the process. I've known him since his junior year of high school and then he's here with you for five years in the same room. We're going to miss him as a person, as a leader. He's been a great contributor through his career. He had the opportunity to play early and play in a lot of different games, and be part of championship teams. I think the thing I'm most proud of now is how he's responded toward the end of his career and how he has helped develop Brian (Lewerke) and the other quarterbacks and taken leadership in that room this fall.
On Damion Terry's role on Saturday…
Obviously you hope for opportunities for him. We'll just play the game as it goes and see what happens.
On having sympathy for Maryland with quarterback injuries this year…
You do. You don't play for those things to happen through your season and you hope that, obviously your next guy in line's got to step up, but there's always a little bit of a step down as you go through that process. We've been fortunate in that way this season but it's always hard to go through that as a coach and as a player.
On the pressure it takes off the coaches knowing who their quarterback is…
Yeah, it's eliminated it.
On Messiah deWeaver's play against Ohio State…
Part of it is you go through training as a quarterback and then when do you get the real reps? I think there's growth from his experience. You're looking at rhythm and trying to get the ball out in three steps and knowing where to go with the football. He took it as very much a positive. I think the reality of what needs to be done. As you train at quarterback, whether it's just one rep here in practice in a team period or skelly that has to be as real as you can make it. Now Messiah has something to pull from that he's played in the game, the speed of it, the tempo, calling plays, those types of things.
On the process of when the coaches put Messiah deWeaver in…
Well, clock left in the game, probably was the last series we'd have the football. It's an opportunity game where you get a chance to put a young guy in, see how he performs.
On Messiah going in without his wristband last game…
Yup, got to make sure you have it on.
Defensive Ends/Special Teams Coach Mark Snyder
On what he sees from Maryland that makes them better than their record…
Well, I don't think there's any question they're better than their record. This is a team that's flying underneath the radar a little bit. They've got two really good running backs, an offensive line that's played together all year, moving people off the football and special teams wise they're ranked up there. Obviously I haven't seen their defense much in the crossover games (on film). I know offensively they're flying way underneath the radar.
On still being able to appreciate how far this team and the defensive line has come…
Well that would be at the end of the year. We've got a great group of kids that's worked extremely hard. We're all extremely proud of them. We'll look at that when the year's over. Right now we're focused solely on Maryland and stopping that running game.
On the differences between the two quarterbacks (Max Bortenschlager and Ryan Brand)…
He's more of a drop-back kind of guy where, from what we understand, the other guy who went to the Naval Academy Prep, was an option guy coming out of high school. He can throw the football but he can hurt you with his legs too, maybe a little bit more than 18 (Bortenschlager) can.
On if that's tricky in game preparation…
We're at part of the season now where we've faced mobile quarterbacks, immobile quarterbacks, throwing quarterbacks, all those experienced quarterbacks, inexperienced quarterbacks. I think we're equipped to handle whoever comes out on Saturday.
On Coach Dantonio saying that the Spartans have not had their best game yet…
Yeah, no doubt. I agree with Coach; we haven't had our best game yet. We have not put all three phases together yet. It'll be exciting when that happens, some good things will happen when that does come to fruition, some good things are going to happen for us, I think.
On his message to the team going forward from Ohio State to Maryland…
Well unfortunately we didn't play very well and Ohio State had a little bit to do with that. They didn't let us play well and that's what's fueling the fire right now a little bit at practice. We're looking forward to the next week. It gives you a little bit of fuel going into this next game.
On if he's different with the defensive line and linebackers, seeming more spirited and if he sees that change…
Really I don't. I would say that when you're coaching the linebackers you are kind of coaching the quarterbacks a little bit. I mean, you're coaching the quarterbacks of your defense or offense or whatever. Whereas when you're coaching the d-line, it's a little different, it's a different ammo, it's a different approach. A little less cerebral, little bit more oomph, if you will. That's got to come out of your pores if you're coaching the defensive line as opposed to the linebackers. There's some of that with the linebackers too, but you got to have some poise and patience with the linebackers a little bit more because they are making all the checks and they are getting everybody lined up and communicating front-end to back-end. There's a lot more to it than coaching the d-line and we're going to go strike that guy across from us and tackle the guy with the ball and sack the quarterback.
Well I still go in that room everyday and they come in my room everyday. There's still that comradery there, it's just a little bit different approach when you're coaching the front as opposed to maybe the back-end.
On keeping the anger after the loss with a week between games…
I think it's self-inherited. The kids are working extremely hard. Had a really good day at practice yesterday and we'll see what happens today and see what happens come Saturday. If you got any kind of grit to you, any kind of mettle to you, you're going to want to bounce back in a big way and perform like you know how you can perform.
On if his group has been a little ornery more than usual…
Well I just think that's human nature where if you're competitive… Obviously we didn't play well, we didn't play our best football. I think that these kids are made of the right stuff that they're going to come out and do what they know they can do.
On what Senior Day means to him as a coach…
It's hard. It's always hard on me, personally, it's hard to see kids. I'm sure for Harlon (Barnett) and Mike (Tressel) and Ron (Burton) it's even harder because they've been with these guys four, five years. I've been with them three now and it's rough, it's hard. You spend a lot of time together, a lot of time together. To watch the maturation process of young men is pretty special. Then you see their parents, that makes it a lot… especially if you're a parent, it makes it all the more, a little bit emotional.
On if Senior Day is the worst day of being a college coach…
A little bit because you know the end is coming close. I was messing with Shane Jones yesterday a little bit and I was like, 'we've got bowl practice, I'm not going to mess with you too much yet because we still got a little bit of time left together.'
On steps he takes to maintain relationships and keep guys involved in the program after they graduate…
I think Coach Dantonio does a fantastic job, the best I've been around, with the guys I've worked with. I've tried to do that as a head coach myself. The greatest pleasure you get is getting a letter back from a former player and Coach D gets them once a week. When the kids come back, you're doing something right when you've been here as long as Coach D has, and I see that. I see it every week and that's pretty special.
