The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1252590
JUNE/JULY 2020 THE WOLVERINE 9 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Michigan offensive coordinator Josh Gattis has been preparing for the sea- son virtually with his team, conducting meetings via Zoom video chats and self-studying. Gattis talked about the offense, run- ning backs and more in this Q&A: The Wolverine: How have you been preparing the offense for the 2020 sea- son when you're not allowed to see your players in person? Josh Gattis: "We're doing one install per week, diving into the details. Un- fortunately, not having spring ball, [but] we've stayed on the schedule with spring install. … Going back and watching all our last season cutups with our players, creating new cutups and study ideas. "… I think there are some areas we can improve offensively, and that's not just with the players. That's how can I can help them with the call; how can I help them with the situation? Are we too ag- gressive, not aggressive enough?" The Wolverine: How critical is it to have the same offensive staff return- ing in 2020, in terms of continuity? Gattis: "Retaining the offensive staff is very, very important. The ability now to go back through … we're doing a lot of offseason studies and making sure they understand all the details in the thought process, what I think, getting those guys on the same page as me in alignment. I think that is very key and critical. "It's difficult when you're coaching something for the first time as com- pared to coaching for the second time. I think for a lot of our coaches the com- fort level is extremely high now going into year two in the system. "I think we've got a great offensive staff. We've done a lot of studies this offseason on ourselves where we're breaking down everything, and I've been meeting with the offensive staff every morning." The Wolverine: You get fifth-year se- nior running back Chris Evans back af- ter a one-year suspension. What does he add to the offense? Gattis: "We're excited about Chris. He's a veteran player, played a lot of football. I remember being in this con- ference [at Penn State], seeing Chris play as a freshman, seeing the impact he was able to [make]. He has a unique skill set, not just because of his versa- tility as a runner, but his ball skills are pretty elite for a guy at his position. "Our job is to maximize as much out of players as we can. I think his role is one that provides versatility. There are a number of different ways and oppor- tunities we can get him out in space and get the ball in his hands. I think that's where he's going to be exciting; all the ways we can use him. He fits right into what we do." The Wolverine: You'll have to replace four starters on the offensive line. Where do you begin? Gattis: "When you look at the of- fensive line position, you potentially consider we have about three starters coming back. Considering [redshirt junior] Andrew Stueber is a guy who has played in the past, we have three guys who have starting experience with [redshirt sophomore] Ryan Hayes in the mix as well [to complement red- shirt sophomore right tackle and re- turning starter Jalen Mayfield]. "We feel like we have a good nucleus of guys that have played in games, whether it's been late in games or start- ers, and then a good group of young guys that have been here over the past year-plus that have gained valuable ex- perience from a depth standpoint. "I'm excited … I think we actually can be a little bit more athletic up front. I think that's going to help us signifi- cantly in the run game, but I think the challenge for this group will be catch- ing up to our previous group in the pass protection game." — Chris Balas Gattis has stayed busy with virtual meetings and in-depth studies of last season. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL Sitting Down With Michigan Offensive Coordinator Josh Gattis