... the Big Ten and more. Here's the former U-M defensive lineman, on...
• Junior safety Josh Metellus' 73-yard touchdown return with an interception: "That was our play we were looking for. We all had pretty high expectations for what this defense was capable of. We've been kind of waiting on a big play, defensively.
"That's what we needed at the time. It was nice to have that play. That kind of set the tone and started that snowball of us getting on top of them. It's definitely deflating for a team going into the half, driving and trying to tie the game and all of a sudden, you're down two scores.
"Big play, but it's something that we should reasonably expect from a defense like we have."
• The targeting call that cost Michigan junior viper Khaleke Hudson: "I've got to tell you, I've got a spot that I just really dislike the targeting call, and the approach to it. It's an unfair disadvantage placed on defenders, to have to consider how they're making their plays.
"Now, I understand trying to keep people safe. But in the heat of the game, if something is going on and he leads with his helmet, or something like that, sure, throw a flag, 15 yards. But an ejection is such a critical element to the game, and can be such an altering factor to a game. I just really dislike it.
"I'm probably a minority, but I would like to see something like in the NBA: Flagrant 1, Flagrant 2. If you get a targeting call, all right, he's got a yellow card. He gets another one, or he gets another personal foul, anything like that, then eject him. Oh man, it just really changes, drastically changes, how the game is played. It drastically impacts your team.
"If I'm a coach or I'm a player, honestly, I'm not thinking about that rule. I've got another guy behind me. If something should happen and I go out, because I'm trying to make a play and I'm aggressive, I'll live with that. I'm not dialing back the intensity, I'm not trying to hit softer to keep guys in the game. It's unfortunate that it's impacting the game.
"Honestly, if we're going to do it and call it defensively, we're going to be talking about, in the next year or two, running backs coming through the hole and dipping their head down, and leading with their head through a hole. If he's leading with his head, what do you want us to hit?
"It's a frustrating thing. Guys that are ball carriers, when they're bracing for impact, they're tucking their shoulders, they're putting their head down, and that's the surface they're providing to contact. We're going to see so many impacts, and we're going to see that impact defensively, over and over and over again.
"I want to see something happen on a blindside block, a crack-back block. The wide receiver comes in motion and cracks the defensive end that's not looking at him. That's targeting. You've even drawn on Xs and Os that he's going to hit him. It's very frustrating, at least for me personally, to see how it's being called and how it's impacting games."
• The Big Ten so far: The Big Ten is going to be a race to see who can get better by the middle to the end of October. That's when the bigger match-ups start happening. Wisconsin, they get that other division, where there's not a lot as much competition, but they drop one to a non-conference opponent. They're still in the driver's seat, with regard to how the Big Ten is going to shake out.
"It didn't look good for the Big Ten. The Big Ten has not had a strong showing thus far this year. That's not even in conference play, just non-conference. We're on the same page as a lot of teams. I don't think Michigan State or Penn State or even Wisconsin has anything more figured out than Michigan does. I do like that we're trending up.
"I watched a little bit of the Ohio State game, and I'm very hesitant to provide any compliments to that school, but they do look like the most polished team in the Big Ten right now. Everybody else is playing catch-up, to get to be as good as Ohio State is playing currently.
"Luckily for Michigan, we get them always at the end of the year. As long as we keep improving, I give us a chance in that game. But Ohio State looks to be the top of the conference right now, and everybody else is playing catch-up."
Here is the full podcast: https://michigan.rivals.com/publishing/contents/1960122/edit
• Junior safety Josh Metellus' 73-yard touchdown return with an interception: "That was our play we were looking for. We all had pretty high expectations for what this defense was capable of. We've been kind of waiting on a big play, defensively.
"That's what we needed at the time. It was nice to have that play. That kind of set the tone and started that snowball of us getting on top of them. It's definitely deflating for a team going into the half, driving and trying to tie the game and all of a sudden, you're down two scores.
"Big play, but it's something that we should reasonably expect from a defense like we have."
• The targeting call that cost Michigan junior viper Khaleke Hudson: "I've got to tell you, I've got a spot that I just really dislike the targeting call, and the approach to it. It's an unfair disadvantage placed on defenders, to have to consider how they're making their plays.
"Now, I understand trying to keep people safe. But in the heat of the game, if something is going on and he leads with his helmet, or something like that, sure, throw a flag, 15 yards. But an ejection is such a critical element to the game, and can be such an altering factor to a game. I just really dislike it.
"I'm probably a minority, but I would like to see something like in the NBA: Flagrant 1, Flagrant 2. If you get a targeting call, all right, he's got a yellow card. He gets another one, or he gets another personal foul, anything like that, then eject him. Oh man, it just really changes, drastically changes, how the game is played. It drastically impacts your team.
"If I'm a coach or I'm a player, honestly, I'm not thinking about that rule. I've got another guy behind me. If something should happen and I go out, because I'm trying to make a play and I'm aggressive, I'll live with that. I'm not dialing back the intensity, I'm not trying to hit softer to keep guys in the game. It's unfortunate that it's impacting the game.
"Honestly, if we're going to do it and call it defensively, we're going to be talking about, in the next year or two, running backs coming through the hole and dipping their head down, and leading with their head through a hole. If he's leading with his head, what do you want us to hit?
"It's a frustrating thing. Guys that are ball carriers, when they're bracing for impact, they're tucking their shoulders, they're putting their head down, and that's the surface they're providing to contact. We're going to see so many impacts, and we're going to see that impact defensively, over and over and over again.
"I want to see something happen on a blindside block, a crack-back block. The wide receiver comes in motion and cracks the defensive end that's not looking at him. That's targeting. You've even drawn on Xs and Os that he's going to hit him. It's very frustrating, at least for me personally, to see how it's being called and how it's impacting games."
• The Big Ten so far: The Big Ten is going to be a race to see who can get better by the middle to the end of October. That's when the bigger match-ups start happening. Wisconsin, they get that other division, where there's not a lot as much competition, but they drop one to a non-conference opponent. They're still in the driver's seat, with regard to how the Big Ten is going to shake out.
"It didn't look good for the Big Ten. The Big Ten has not had a strong showing thus far this year. That's not even in conference play, just non-conference. We're on the same page as a lot of teams. I don't think Michigan State or Penn State or even Wisconsin has anything more figured out than Michigan does. I do like that we're trending up.
"I watched a little bit of the Ohio State game, and I'm very hesitant to provide any compliments to that school, but they do look like the most polished team in the Big Ten right now. Everybody else is playing catch-up, to get to be as good as Ohio State is playing currently.
"Luckily for Michigan, we get them always at the end of the year. As long as we keep improving, I give us a chance in that game. But Ohio State looks to be the top of the conference right now, and everybody else is playing catch-up."
Here is the full podcast: https://michigan.rivals.com/publishing/contents/1960122/edit
