December 29, 2019
THE MODERATOR: Coach, we’ll begin with an opening statement from you and then we’ll open it up for questions.
DON BROWN: Well, we’re having a great time in Orlando in terms of preparation for the game and, obviously, our kids being part of this great community. So with that being said, we’re excited about our opponent, obviously excited to be here and looking forward to the challenge.
Q. Coach, can you just talk about the receivers a little bit and the challenge of facing those guys?
DON BROWN: Oh, they’re pretty good now. They’ve got a nice group. You know, it sounds like DeVonta Smith is back at practice, so that just enhances their ability to get down the field. Jerry Jeudy, obviously, Bilentinikoff winner a year ago. Ruggs, Waddle and Metchie, with some of the injuries that they’ve dealt with, has made a name for himself as a young guy as well.
So we understand the challenge that’s in front of us. We’re confident in our ability, you know.You know, you’re not going to beat them one way. You’re going to have to play a number of different coverages. And, you know, we’re confident in our ability to do that.
Q. When you look at Matt Jones, their quarterback, how does he change their offense?How do they look different, other than Tua?
DON BROWN: To be quite honest, I don’t think they’ve changed all that much. I think they’ve stayed systemically right on track to where they want to be. He does a great job of getting the ball out quick, which is obviously a trait for their offensive football team, as they want to get it out quick. So, you know, I don’t know if he’s changed all that much, but he’s certainly been efficient and has certainly kept them playing at an elite level, for sure.
Q. Coach, going back to the wide receivers, in terms of the amount of time they have over the years, where do you think they kind of rank over the wide receivers you’ve kind of faced since you’ve been coaching college football?
DON BROWN: Boy, I’m going to have to say top three to five. One year at BC, we had Sammy Watkins and company when we faced Clemson. And, you know, I would think this group might have some similar traits. But the bottom line is, when you have four of them, that makes it a significant challenge because you’ve got to be strong at all your defensive back positions and, you know, yourlinebacker’s got to be in sync in the coverages that we’ll utilize. So this is probably the deepest group across the board. But, you know, [we’ve] seen individual talent like these guys in the past.
Q. Coach, what have you seen from Najee Harris through the season, how he’s developed?
DON BROWN: He’s probably the best jump cut guy I’ve seen. You know, in meeting him, when he was a senior in high school, to see his development physically, he’s certainly taken his physicality to a different level. But the thing that I’m most impressed with is his ability to change direction and jump cut and be in the strong side A gap, end up in the backside B gap, or vice versa. So a good back, a guy that we’re going to have to tackle, for sure. You’re not going to be able to onearm, whip him down on the ground. He’s not one of those type of guys. He’s kind of a throwback because of his size and strength.
Q. Don, just in the weeks since the Ohio State loss, what has this group’s response been and what have you seen from them in bowl camp?
DON BROWN: Yeah, we’ve moved on from that. I mean, obviously, you can’t let a significant loss like that linger. If you let it linger, then one loss leads to two losses. And I think our guys have done a good job of just putting that behind us and focusing on what’s in front of us. We’ve got a great challenge coming up here next Wednesday and, you know, that’s our 100 percent focus.
Q. For Hudson, what did you think about Najee when you see him on tape?
KHALEKE HUDSON: I think he’s a very good player. Just like Coach Brown, I knew him from recruiting, his senior year, when he came to Michigan for his official visit. But I really think he’s a really good player. I really think he has speed. He has power. He has a really good jump cut. He knows offense well and he can see the hole very quickly. So I think he’s a very good back and, you know, it’s going to take our whole team, our whole defense to be able to slow him down and stop him.
Q. So after what happened against Ohio State, how are you preparing to face a team with a similar level of offensive talent?
DON BROWN: Well, I mean, obviously, after every game you always go ahead and evaluate what went right, what went wrong. You know, is it human error? Is it schematics error? So you go through those processes and you set your game plan for a new opponent and you try to fortify your weaknesses and play to your strengths.
So, you know, we’ve got to get back we went eight weeks in a row with giving up about 11 points in a game. We’ve got to get back to that style of play. And we still have to maintain our own identity but at the same time be ready to adjust to the strengths of our new opponent, which is Alabama.
Q. Coach, who are some of the young guys in bowl practices that you’ve seen make a leap?
DON BROWN: I’m going to let Khaleke answer that one. Go ahead, bro. I’ll give you that one.
KHALEKE HUDSON: Guys who have taken a leap is D.J. Turner. He’s done really well. Zach Charbonnet, he’s done really well, as he’s been doing throughout the whole season. Mike Sainristil is doing really well. Mazi Smith is really stepping up and handling his business and, you know, guys like Anthony Solomon.
Just all the freshman, really, to me, they’re really trying to hone in the defense and really starting to know what they’re doing and starting to show because it’s allowing them to be able to move faster and be able to think faster and just be able to be in practice, just doing what they do and that’s making plays.
