April 3, 2006

Q: With one-third of the 15 allotted practices already in the books, how would you assess the team's progress so far this spring?

A: I'm both optimistic and excited about where the team is at this point. As a head coach, I'm never totally satisfied, but I like what I've seen on both sides of the football.

Offensively, we need to develop a greater sense of urgency. We're making far too many mental mistakes. As coaches, we have to keep in mind that we're dealing with a lot of new guys on the offensive side of the ball, so it's going to take some time for all the pieces to come together. We simply need to clean up our execution on offense.

Defensively, I really like the way that the players have gotten after it and competed in practice. We're running to the football better, and that's certainly good to see. We're much improved on the defensive side of the ball.

Most importantly, I like the demeanor and the tempo that we've been able to establish at practice. The guys are coming to the field to work, and they're enjoying it.

Q: You said that you expected Drew Stanton to make better decisions this spring and not force throwing the football. Do you like what you've seen from Drew so far?

Drew Stanton

A: Yeah, I really like the way that he's approaching spring ball. He's matured a lot in this offense over the last three years, and now he's showing the patience to allow the offense to work for him. Drew understands the importance of taking care of the football and not forcing any throws. I'm really pleased with his progress, and he's preparing himself for a special season.

Q: Has the battle for the No. 2 job at quarterback developed as you had hoped?

A: Right now, I'm comfortable saying that we have a No. 1 quarterback.

I haven't really seen either Brian Hoyer or Domenic Natale step up and create some separation for the back-up job. Both of these guys need to experience live bullets, and that's why Saturday's scrimmage is so important. They're going to see plenty of action in the scrimmage, and I hope they both compete. I want to see them doing things the right way under game-like conditions. You hope somebody responds to the challenge and creates the separation, rather than a guy taking himself out of the mix by swallowing the olive.

Q: You have three holes to fill on the offensive line. Are you pleased with the progress that group has made?

A: I'm really not worried too much about this group. We have a lot of talented, young players on the offensive line. As expected, they're making some mistakes, but keep in mind that Kyle Cook is sitting out the spring with a shoulder injury. Not only is Kyle arguably the best player on the o-line, he's definitely the leader of that crew. I'm pleased with the progress we've made up front, especially considering Kyle's absence. Those young guys just need a ton of reps this spring.

Mike Gyetvai is a good football player, and he's made the transition from right to left tackle without any problems. Jesse Miller is going to be an outstanding player at right tackle.

(Left guard) Pete Clifford is another guy that has improved a ton since last season. He's improved his strength and his footwork. Pete was a big kid (6-7, 320) when he came here in 2003, but he wasn't blessed with great feet. Like so many young linemen, his body hadn't matured yet. Like Jesse Miller, Pete has made great strides this spring.

Q: With his broken jaw, how much work has Matt Trannon seen at wide receiver?

Matt Trannon

A: Matt Trannon has made some progress this spring. He hasn't let the broken jaw affect him at all, and he hasn't shied away from contact. In fact, Matt has been demanding the ball more this spring, and that's certainly good to see. He's playing with a great deal of confidence right now.

Q. Michigan State had great success running the football last year, utilizing a three-back rotation. Talk about the development of Jehuu Caulcrick, Javon Ringer and A.J. Jimmerson.

A: I have a great deal of confidence in all three of those backs. Jehuu Caulcrick is still learning how to become a punishing runner. When he plays with a nasty attitude, he can be a load for defenders to bring down. At his size and speed, Jehuu can punish tacklers and this spring, he's beginning to enjoy that aspect of his game.

Javon Ringer and A.J. Jimmerson are home-run threats. Right now, those guys are looking around too much, trying to bang everything outside. We're trying to get those two to focus on running the ball downhill.

Q: You're awfully inexperienced at defensive end. Have you been encouraged by what you've seen from Brandon Long and Justin Kershaw?

A: We're going to be fine at defensive end. We're definitely looking forward to adding (junior college transfer) Ervin Baldwin to the mix this fall, because he'll have an immediate impact.

Brandon Long

I like Brandon Long because he plays with an attitude. Brandon continues to work at becoming a better technician. On the flip side, Justin Kershaw is a true technician. He tries to play technically correct all the time. Both Brandon and Justin have made progress this spring, but they'll continue to improve with more and more reps.

Nick Smith banged his knee last week, and it looks like he'll miss the rest of spring ball. That really hurts because Nick really needed the work.

With Nick sidelined, guys like Jonal Saint-Dic and Derrick Outlaw will get some extra snaps. Jonal has improved some, and I do expect him to earn some playing time this fall.

Q: Linebacker Seth Mitchell has missed the last two seasons (2004-05) after undergoing surgery to repair a bone in his knee. Are you surprised by how many snaps Seth has taken in contact drills this spring?

A: In Seth Mitchell's case, everything has surprised me. I'm amazed at what he's done so far this spring. Seth has been slowed a little by a hamstring injury this spring, but the knee hasn't been a problem at all. He hasn't experienced any pain or swelling in his knee.

Seth hasn't played in two years, so he's out there having fun. Coach (Mike) Cox tried to get him a break at one point during the last practice, and Seth waved him off. It's great to see him out there, playing the game he loves.

Q: Junior college transfer Nehemiah Warrick caught your attention the first day of spring practice. Is he still making a push for the starting job at strong safety?

A: Nehemiah Warrick is going to start somewhere for this football team. Nemo approaches practice the way you'd like every player to: with great effort, energy and abandon. He plays with a temperament that's infectious. Nemo is a physical, instinctive player. He plays hard and fast every snap and always seems to be around the football. When you watch the film, you see him making plays all over the field. He brings an excitement to the defensive huddle.

Nemo has made some mistakes, but he more than makes up for those with his abandon. He plays the game the way it was meant to be played. He's already a good football player, who'll do nothing but get better every day.

Q: Last year, the secondary surrendered its share of big plays, allowing 25 touchdown passes. With nine lettermen returning in the defensive backfield, have you seen marked improvement?

Demond Williams

A: I'm really pleased with the progress that's been made in the secondary. Ross Weaver tweaked his hamstring on Saturday, but he's taken huge strides this spring. Ross is going to be a solid corner; he just needs all the reps he can get. Greg Cooper has shown some improvement at corner, because he's beginning to feel a little bit more at home there. I expect Coop to continue to improve over the next three weeks. Demond Williams is more comfortable this spring, because he has a better grasp of the system. He's worked hard on his footwork and proper coverage techniques. At times last year, Demond reverted back to doing the things that he did in junior college. He's really taken the criticism to heart, and he's trying to do things the right way. Demond also has demonstrated some leadership qualities this spring.

We've improved the athleticism across the board in the secondary. As a defensive staff, we need to sit down and evaluate our (safeties) inside guys. We especially need to identify a position for Nehemiah Warrick.

Q: You were excited about getting a chance to practice outdoors twice last week, so you could take a closer look at the kicking game. How has Brandon Fields been hitting the football, and has a place-kicker emerged from the pack yet?

A: Brandon Fields is going to be fine. He really banged the ball Saturday. If John Goss gets a year of eligibility back, he'll put some pressure on Brandon for the punting job.

Obviously, the place-kicking job won't be decided until preseason camp when freshman Brett Swenson arrives on campus, but Todd Boleski has emerged as a legitimate contender for that role. Todd got his feet wet as the kickoff specialist late last season. He's got a huge leg, and he gets the ball up quickly. Todd has improved a ton since last year, especially in terms of his consistency. This spring, we'll continue to work on his get-off time on PATs and field goals. I really like what I've seen from him this spring, because he's kicking with a lot of confidence.

Todd also has the right temperament to be a successful place-kicker. Like all good kickers, he's a bit of a goofball, but that's okay because he doesn't let one miss affect his next kick. Todd has shown the ability to bounce back after a miss and kick the next ball through the uprights.

Q: The first scrimmage of the spring is scheduled for Saturday. What do you hope to accomplish in the two practices leading up to the scrimmage?

A: We're still in the (playbook) installation mode this week.

We may go a little overboard on snaps for the scrimmage because the young guys need the extra work. I suspect that we'll put well over 100 plays in the script for the scrimmage. Normally, we'd schedule 40 snaps for the first team, another 40 for the second unit and then 20 for the third team. I expect Drew Stanton to be pulled after about 40 snaps, and then we'll let Brian Hoyer and Domenic Natale get some work with the first-team offense.

The last week-and-a-half of spring ball, we'll focus on reviewing all of the material and polishing our execution.