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C O A C H S P E A K • E X C E R P T S F R O M J A M E S F R A N K L I N ' S W E E K L Y P R E S S E R How does Michigan's speed on de- fense compare to your first three op- ponents? Do you have to be aware of where Jabrill Peppers is on every play on defense? Yeah, you know, I think you do have to be aware of where Peppers is. You've pretty much got a good idea where he's going to play. The way we look at it, they really play with three safeties and they list him as an outside linebacker and nickel. But the way we look at it, they play with three safeties in a lot of ways and he's one of those guys. Yeah, I think their speed is a factor, but the biggest thing is how big and strong they are. We have 12 seniors on our team. They have 13 seniors on the two-deep on defense, and 13 seniors on the two-deep on offense. They're just a big, strong, physical, mature team, and then they do have some speed aspects. Jabrill does that for them on defense, special teams and offense. Their re- ceivers do that, as well as their tight end, [Jake] Butt. So it's a challenge, there's no doubt about it. Can you describe the physical chal- lenge that Michigan's passing game presents, the tight end and those two wideouts, and what it's going to mean for your safeties and your corners? They made an awful lot of plays against you in last year's game. I think it really starts with stopping the run. What happens is, when people are able to have success running the ball, you start to overcompensate to stop the run and people get out of posi- tion. And then they're put in conflict in play-action pass, whether it's safeties or what we call trap corners where they run support with corners in the cover- two style defense or whether it's line- backers. Those guys are put in conflicts. So being able to stop the run and being physical across the defensive line and gap-sound and things like that is going to be really, really important, because if they can establish the run and play-ac- tion pass, they're really difficult to de- fend. And obviously when they have playmakers like their two wideouts, big, long, athletic guys as well as their tight end who is a very giAed route runner and receiver, that causes some real challenges for you. So the biggest thing we'd like to do is make them one-dimensional. They have a new quarterback who is starting for them. He's not a young player. He's been in the system now a couple of years. I think he's a junior. So you'd like to make him one-dimensional and force him to drop back and throw the ball. How do you make turnover preven- tion into a focus without turning it into a stressor or something that lingers in your guys' minds. I think you're exactly right. You've got to make the point and show the evi- dence, you've got to drill it every single day, which are all the things that we do. For us this year, it's fumbles and we've been pretty good with that in the past. We do a ball-security drill that really deals with how to carry the football and how to protect the football every single day in circuits. We'll continue to do that. We'll continue to show them all the statistical evidence that shows the importance of controlling the football. Then obviously, as quarterbacks mak- ing decisions with where to go with the football and then the receiver's mental- ity when the ball is in the air, nobody comes down with it but us. It's all those things. So we'll keep talking about it and stressing it like we always do. But you're exactly right. You can't go too far in ei- ther extreme with anything in life or it won't have the type of effect you want it to. We've heard a lot about Koa Farmer's athletic ability, his poten- tial. We've seen him some. But where's he at in his development? How can he help you more defen- sively? What kind of player can he be? I don't know if you've seen the most recent depth chart that's come out, but he's listed at linebacker so he's going to create some opportunities for us as well. Sam linebacker with Manny Bowen, both those guys at the field line- backer position. He was predominantly an offensive player in high school. We think his best position long-term is outside line- backer. He's a guy who has had to fight to keep his weight down. At one point I think he was as high as 227 playing safety. I think now he's around 222, somewhere in that range. But genetics are telling him one thing. And I think obviously playing running back in high school and defensive back and safety, that's where he was most comfortable. So, you know, it's a transition that we think is going to happen. He did it a lit- tle bit since he's been here: the line- backer position, especially being out in space, not necessarily in the box. The problem is that when you play 22 per- sonnel people or 12 personnel or 21 per- sonnel people, they're going to get in heavy sets and try to pound you. That linebacker is no longer to the field. That linebacker is no longer in space covering the receiver, he's in the box, which is a completely different world, being a space linebacker compared to a box linebacker. So those are some of the things that he needs to continue to grow at. I know he's excited about the oppor- tunity. He has a lot of potential. But there is a transformation that has to happen from going in and being basi- cally a running back in high school to a defensive player. Some guys pick those things up faster than others. Michigan's defense has allowed op- ponents only four conversions out of 38 chances, and your third-down conversion rate right now is 27 per- cent. Can you put a finger on why your conversion rate is so low? Is there more concern about it this week because Michigan is so effective at stopping opponents on third down? Well, a couple things. Yeah, they're very good on third down. I think a lot of it is because they're really good on first S E P T E M B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 6 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 12

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