Everything Michigan HC Sherrone Moore said on Sunday ahead of Texas game

On Sunday, it was revealed that Michigan will head to Florida to take on Texas in the Citrus Bowl. The Wolverines are currently underdogs in the game, but there will surely be opt-outs that could change that.

Head coach Sherrone Moore held a Zoom meeting with the media to answer any questions. Moore talked about Texas, Kerry Coombs' hiring, and the status of several players.

Here is everything Moore had to say.

After playing Texas last season, thoughts on the Longhorns this year?

Yeah, a little bit different, a little less experience, but still a lot of talent. A lot of guys that we played last year, played this year. Very, very talented team. Obviously it starts with Arch at the quarterback position. They've got skilled guys all over the place. They do a really good job scheme-wise. Coach Sarkisian does an outstanding job from an offensive standpoint of scheming up defenses and executing at a high level. So, and defensively, they're fast, they're physical, good up front. So it's gonna be a great challenge for our program.

Will Justice Haynes be available

Yeah, it's something we'll look at and we'll see. His progress is going really good. So we'll see, we'll get more of an answer and clarity as we go through this week.

Are playing high-profile games worth the risk after Texas missed the CFP this year

I mean, there's two ways to think of it, right? Like for our student athletes and for our coaches and for us to play in those big time games, it's why you come to Michigan. I'm sure that's why he [Sark] went to Texas to play in those games.But, you know, to Coach Sark's point of what happens when you're judged on those losses at the end of the day, those wins and losses, it can affect you.

So I think those are conversations as we get through this, as we get through this season and we get into the college football players conversations, those wins and losses matter. And, you know, we've got, as a university, you have a certain way of doing things as -- from conference to conference. You have a certain way of doing things. So those are decisions we'll have to make as we go through, but, we're excited about the challenge of playing Texas. And we know we got to play them later on down the road.

Does Texas look like a CFP team

Yeah, I mean, they do, especially watching that last game against A&M. They played their tails off, their physical defense. Offensively, they're explosive. They've got playmakers all over the place. So yeah, absolutely they do.

What the next couple of weeks looks like in terms of meeting with players and potential opt outs

Yeah, I mean, for our expectation as we go through the week, these guys got finals in these next two weeks. So they'll finish those out. But we'll practice. We have a good steady pace of practices and some skill workout things that we have to stay within the 20 hour rules that we have to do. So we'll still have practices as we go out for the week to get -- start to get implemented in the game plan and coaches will start the game plan..

But really it's gonna be about getting better at football and our young guys, our older guys, everybody doing that. As far as opt-outs and guys who play in the game, we'll have more of an answer as we go through the week. You know, there'll be guys that have already thought about it and what they're gonna do, a lot more playing than not playing. So that's a positive, you know, but we'll have more of an answer as we go through the week.

On the hiring of Kerry Coombs

Yeah, he brings a lot of energy, excitement, a veteran presence that's done at a high level. In the NFL, in college, obviously. And then in high school, I think it's awesome when you've brought somebody in that has high school experience, but you know, it's an elite recruiter and developer event. And I'm very excited about the hire and the connection has just been built over time and he's gonna do a great job for us.

Is there anything in players' contracts that incentivizes them to play in the bowl game

I think that goes school to school. You know, we just really want guys that wanna play in the game. You know, you don't wanna have to promote people based on what they get from RevShare or in the game to play in the game. You want guys that just wanna play football, that wanna play another game of football.

So those guys that do wanna play, just like last year, we had a bunch of guys that wanted to play and they put their tails off. So we'll treat that the same and the guys that don't wanna play or have other things, and there's not gonna be many of those, I think. So we'll find out as we go through, but as far as the contracts, I don't really speak on it. You know, exactly what we talked about from terms legally.

Why it's important for Michigan to play this game

I mean, I think another opportunity to go play football, especially against a great opponent on a great stage, is just another opportunity and why you come to these places like this. So for us, it felt like it was important, not only for the development of our coaches and our players, but just the development of the program, right?

And what you get to do, and it's a reward to be able to go do things like that. You know, it's nice, it's about 20 degrees here too. So going to Orlando would be nice for the week, not only for the coaches, the coaches' families and the players. So we're really excited about the opportunity that we have to go play in such a high-profile bowl game. And, you know, like you said, you can't speak on everybody else's decision, but it's another opportunity for us to go play football and practice and we're really excited about it.

What was the players' response to losing to OSU

I mean, yeah, disappointing, right? We were all disappointed.Y ou know, usually you give it the 24-hour rule, we give them more of the 48-hour to let it sit in, but there's guys are chomping at the bit to get back to work and, you know, they've been working out, doing things, getting their bodies right, healing, recovering throughout these past couple of days to make sure they get their minds right and their bodies right to the game. So there'll be a lot of guys excited to go play in this one.

Is Coombs in Ann Arbor and does he expect any other staff changes

Yeah, Kerry's here, starting to work, you know, legally we'll get all that stuff binding as far as contract and all that. But, you know, he's here. And as far as other staff changes, not as of yet.

On Ernest Hausmann

Yeah, you know, Ernest is going through some things just I don't really want to talk on or speak on, just things from a personal standpoint. You know, he's also been dealing with a thumb that happened in the Northwestern game. So just things that he's been dealing with and we're just here to support him.

Is he not expecting any more staff changes

Yeah, no, no, I'm not.

Will Coombs coach the bowl game and status of Jordan Marshall

Yeah, yeah, Kerry will coach in the game. And then, yeah, Jordan, Jordan will be great. He's, he fought through that. You know, he had a shoulder that came up in the game before, tough through a man and tried as much as he could. And I mean, you wish he could have played the whole game,right, with six carries for 77 yards. But really, he pushed as much as he could. And when he couldn't, he couldn't. So, but he'll be ready for the bowl game, absolutely.

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