From The Lockerroom
11/1/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 1, 2003
Recap?|? Final Stats?|? Notes
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan vs. Michigan State
Spartan Stadium - East Lansing, Mich.
Nov. 1, 2003
Michigan State Head Coach John L. Smith
Opening statements
"Oh boy. I don't have a lot to say other than that we played an awfully good football team. Michigan deserves a lot of credit because they are a good football team and they really got after us. On our end, particularly in the first half, we made far too many mistakes and I don't know what it was. It was a big game, but you can't make any excuses. We didn't play like we should have played, but we came back and made a game out of it and our kids deserve a lot of credit because they fought hard. They tried to do everything that we asked, they kept believing and working at it, but we have to realize that it takes a team effort to win. We all lost that game, from our coaching staff to our offense, defense and special teams. We just have to come back with a renewed effort tomorrow and get to work to prepare for Ohio State."
On Michigan's formidable running and passing game
"Michigan is the most balanced team, without a doubt, that we have seen. If they are going to run (the ball), we have to decide, at what point do we pull someone out of trying to bracket a guy or double a guy? So it becomes a great chess match, and that is what it was."
On the Spartan outlook for the remainder of the season
"I want (the team) to look in the mirror and, first of all, know that we did not play like we should have, like we could have or like we can. I want them to look in the mirror and ask themselves, 'Did you do everything that you could have done, do it as hard as you could for your teammates, unselfishly, on every play?' If you did, that is great. If you didn't, show up (to practice) tomorrow to get that done. We all had a hand in (the outcome of the game). You win as a team and you lose as a team, so we will never see a finger pointed at somebody else. We still control our own destiny and we can still have a great year. We lost to a good football team, but don't ever hang your head in losing to a good football team. I think that our success so far this season is because we have worked our tails off. The only thing that we know is that we are going to come back (to practice) tomorrow with a renewed enthusiasm and we are going to work as hard as we have been, or even harder, so that we can get better and control our season from here on out."
Michigan Head Coach Lloyd Carr
On the heated rivalry
"This was a typical Michigan-Michigan State football game. It was hard-fought and it's a good example of the rivalry that these two great universities have. The game was played the way that it should have been. I am extremely proud of our football team and the way that we played today."
On the play of his stars
Chris Perry has the heart of a champion. I love that kid - the way he plays, the career that he's had at Michigan. And I think that John Navarre was again outstanding. He proved what kind of heart he has, what kind of competitor he is. He threw that interception early, what he did on third down... but I think Navarre was outstanding."
On the overall play of the Wolverines
"I think our defense against a very, very good offensive football team was great. We had control of the game out there. Twice in the third quarter we felt like we could control the football and put points on the board. But we had a blown coverage there after we went ahead 20-3, and let them back into the game on a big play, but then we came back and answered. Then of course, they answered with a field goal. When we really had the game under control, right at the end, we put John (Navarre) in a bad position. Michigan State made a great play - they had a good defensive call and knocked the ball loose picked it up and scored. Then we answered. Our offense answered with six minutes to go."
On playing at Spartan Stadium
"The crowd is as intense as any crowd you can find. We did a great job offensively and defensively. Michigan State is not a particularly hard place to play, but I can guarantee you that it's a hard place to win. And so we are very happy to come out of here with a win."
WR Agim Shabaj
"We kept fighting but that first half killed us. We made too many mistakes and shot ourselves in the foot. We feel like we lost this game on our own terms, me made too many mistakes and too many dumb penalties. It's over with, we have to take it how it is and get ready for Ohio State."
QB Jeff Smoker
"They did a good job of controlling the ball. I think that might have been part of their game plan, to try and control the ball. We can score pretty quickly sometimes when we have the ball and they wanted to keep the ball out of our hands and they did that."
On the dropped passes
"It really kind of stops the drive when you are a passing offense. Every time you think you have something going, you drop one here or there and stop the drive."
On losing to Michigan
"I hate every loss. I hate this one, too. It has been a long time since we have lost and it is such a difference between winning and losing."
On playing from behind
"It is different. The past couple of weeks we have been coming out and jumping on people by seven or 14 points in the first quarter and it wasn't that way today. We showed that we could come back offensively by moving the ball..."
RB Jaren Hayes
On today's game
"We just didn't make the plays today. We can look forward to next week and give our best to win. We prepared for what they had, we just didn't execute today."
On the last play
"The last play Jeff put it up and we couldn't come down with it. We didn't quit. We played until the clock said zero. There are no quitters on this team."
On next week
"Their game plan was obviously to run the ball and they stuck to it. We had a streak and hit a bump. At this point we just need to look forward to Ohio State. We're just going to keep doing the same thing we have been doing, work hard all week in practice and stay focused."
LB Mike Labinjo
On MSU's mistakes
"There were too many missed opportunities on our part; guys dropping balls, people missing coverages, and pretty much allowing them to run the ball down our throats. I compliment Michigan, they came to play and executed very well. We shot ourselves in the foot today with penalties, dropped passes, and defensive mistakes. It's tough losing rivalry games like this. I was shocked by their running game. I knew they were going to run at us but this was not what I had envisioned."
On next week
"We need to look towards Ohio State. We're still tied at the top of the Big Ten. We just need to get to work, all we can do now is win our last three games."
