Behavioral Ecology Blog

Here are some quotes from the loser coach and the talented running back.. Notice the difference in accepting personal responsibility?

Michigan’s Coach Carr:
On if this is the most difficult start to a season in his career …. “I don’t think we could have a more difficult opening than we’ve had. We had tremendous expectations, yet we’re 0-2. We did some positive things I thought today in the first quarter. As I look back at it offensively, we knew we were going to have to score some points because Oregon is an outstanding offensive football team. We turned the ball over again and couldn’t sustain some things and missed a field goal there that hit the uprights. We gave them 21 points on big plays. The foundation of your defense has to be you can’t give up big plays, and offensively you have to find a way to win the turnover battle, and we did neither of those things today. We just didn’t get it done offensively or defensively.”

On what he’s been most disappointed in through two games … “We didn’t tackle well, and some of that I attribute to outstanding running back play. Certainly, if you’re a defensive team that gives up big plays and doesn’t tackle well — and we’re not tackling well, we’re not excusing that — we were unable to make some of the tackles when we were in position. They bled us for six or seven or 12 yards instead of three or four, which sustained their drives.

“I thought offensively (on the first drive) we took the ball and put a real good drive together and then we made a bad throw that got intercepted and was run back for 50 yards or so. Then we held and put together a great drive. We started off, I thought, very well. You’re going to have to score points against Oregon. We just have no consistency. Of course, Carlos Brown went in and played. Mike Hart had very, very few practice plays this week. Brandon Minor didn’t practice at all, and Carlos got some practice time. (Carlos’) hand is very close to being back. That turnover really took some wind out of us.”

On where the team is from an injury standpoint … “A lot of guys were dehydrated. It was really muggy down on the field. I don’t know how long it was in duration, but there were a lot of snaps on both sides of the ball. We had a lot of guys cramping, as did Oregon. We’ll just have to see tomorrow and Monday how the injury deal is. It will be what it will be. We just have to go on. I think (quarterback) Ryan Mallett got some good experience today.”

On what he will talk to the team about going forward … “I told the team after last week’s game what was going to come our way. I also told them that there is tremendous support out there for them as players from people who truly love Michigan. It’s not like they don’t have any support because they do. In my judgment, the battles we have to fight are confidence — we have to do a good job working hard in practice. There is no magic bullet. There is a lot of work that we have to do. We have a lot of young guys that need to improve. I think that we have the leadership on this team. Mike Hart, Jake Long and Chad Henne gave up the NFL to come back here. They’re not going to give in. They’re going to work hard. What we have to do as a team is stay together. As long as we do that and play our hearts out then at the end of the day we can look each other in the eye and know we didn’t give in, back down or bow down to anybody.”

Now let’s hear Mike Hart:
On why he feels confident going forward … “I’m always confident. Obviously, we got beat pretty bad today … I don’t think I’ve been doing my job as a leader so far getting this team ready to go. I think I’m going to step up my leadership this week and we’re going to come to win next week. I need to let people know that we have to go, it’s for real. I haven’t been easy, but I haven’t been doing my job the right way. I can do things better, I can lead this team better and I can prepare this team better. I think we need more enthusiasm — that’s something I need to give more of. I think if I do those things this team will be ready next week.”

On why the team is 0-2 and what stopped the offense today … “We just haven’t come out and played. We haven’t followed the game plan. We haven’t been out here just finishing. If you look at the offense today, we punted the ball one time in the first half and that’s because we had a delay of game. Obviously, they really weren’t stopping us. We were stopping ourselves once we got inside that 30-yard line. In the second half we didn’t come out and play, period. I just don’t think we came out and played.”

On who else needs to step up their game for the team to succeed … “Everyone needs to step up. When you’re 0-2 everyone needs to step up. I don’t expect people to do what I do. We have young guys. Everyone is not Mike Hart, everyone is not Jake Long, everyone is not Chad Henne. We are the guys who need to step up — we’re the playmakers on this team. When playmakers step up, people are going to make plays. Playmaking is contagious. If we start making plays the younger guys are going to start doing it. People are going to be enthusiastic. The young guys are going to block better. We’re not going to have those mistakes. So when I say I need to step up, that’s why I need to step up.”

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