STEVE CASULA: Hey everyone, excited to be here in the state of Florida, playing in this game. It is great to have some warm weather. It has been cold in Michigan. We are excited to be here. Have had a good two and a half, three weeks of Bowl prep, pumped for the game. Proud of our players and staff, how they have approached this game. Very excited for it.
Q. This is the second year in a row you've been thrust into the offensive game-calling position. Can you talk about what you're looking to show?
STEVE CASULA: Sure. The most important thing is to be mindful of finding a way to play complementary football to win the game. I think what can't be lost in all of this is that we are competing for win 1,022. Overall, we have an opportunity to win our tenth game, which I believe would make us the 33rd team to do that at the University of Michigan. That is what matters most.
Putting that into practice, being in charge of the offense. Okay, what are we best at, who is best at doing what, being mindful of that, showcasing our players, giving them the best chance to be successful. So that's the goal -- the only goal is to, number one, win the game. I think we have good players, I know we do, that have continued to get better.
Having a young unit and a young team, having these extra -- I think by the time we play, it will be almost 15 practices -- have been critical. We have been really mindful and thoughtful about time on task and feel really good about where we are at.
Q. Over the last three weeks, how have you seen your own leadership grow?
JORDAN MARSHALL: Getting the younger guys ready to go and play and attack every single day. It is a long Bowl prep, and we can't have days wasted. That was a big thing we looked at during the three weeks, and just attacking every single day. No matter what is going to happen at Michigan, no matter, it is football at the end of the day.
Every time we step out there, we come together as a team. We trust in Coach Casula, we trust in our coaches that are there, and we go out there and just put our best on the field. That is what we had to do every day and attack those 15 days.
THE MODERATOR: Speaking of practice, how did you feel about your first practice while you were in town?
STEVE CASULA: It was outstanding, running around there with the sun out. It was not very long, but we had good energy, and the kids practiced well. It was good.
Q. Have you met Coach Whittingham yet, and do you plan on being here next year at Michigan?
JORDAN MARSHALL: Yeah, we got to talk to him yesterday. Good energy. Did what the coach was supposed to say and said the right things. Brings intensity for sure. Really like that about him. Definitely is somebody that the team, when I talk to guys, that they were like, this guy seems like he is going to be good. It's supposed to be like that after the first impression.
For me, I am just going to keep getting to know him, keep getting to know his staff, and communicate with him. I want to be at Michigan, and if everything works out, I want to be here. I love this place, truly.
Q. As an offense, what are you hoping you can show on Wednesday?
JORDAN MARSHALL: You saw what Coach Casula did last year. That is our plan to go in and trust him. When Coach Biff said he was going to be calling the plays, nobody was scared. They know what Casula can do and know how smart and what -- how he puts his players in the best position. He did that for me last year, and he is going to do that for me and the other guys out there on Wednesday.
Q. What has this offense emphasized to stay physical while still playing fast?
STEVE CASULA: We haven't spent as much time, like, out there. It has been similar amount of reps, but in a condensed time. I think like physicality, it has forever been a big part of the identity of Michigan Football. We have been mindful and thoughtful about that.
But physicality applies to every position, applies to how you run the ball, how you pass protect, how you run routes, and, certainly, it has been something on the forefront of our minds. Certainly, I think that something that Coach Poggi has done that has been outstanding is spending more time doing, quote/unquote, good-on-good or what we refer to as Michigan against Michigan, particularly early in Bowl prep when we were a little bit further out from the game.
It really kind of mimicked our fall camp or spring ball, those competitive periods, where you really don't have a choice, but to be at your best and be the most physical.
And don't misunderstand me, what we refer to as our "look" teams or scout team teams, some people call them demo teams. They are great and do an outstanding job, but when your best is going against the defense's best and vice versa, I think it gets you ready to play the game at a higher level.
Q. For both of you, what stands out about the Texas defense?
JORDAN MARSHALL: For us, watching film and breaking the game plan down, obviously, they have a lot of guys not playing, but it is Texas. They have good players just like we have good players, and some people weren't playing -- it doesn't matter. These are two powerhouse schools that it is going to be a good game on Wednesday, and it is just exciting to go against a defense like that with top players and top guys on their team.
STEVE CASULA: We played them in Week 2 of 2024. Like anything else, they have changed, we have changed, players have change. There have been tweaks to the scheme. But obviously, Jordan just touched on it, like, yeah, there is going to be some players not playing for them, but we were in the same circumstance a year ago. We had some players not play against Alabama and we still performed pretty well.
So our expectation, they are a healthy program, a deep program, Texas is, and no different than ourselves. Great respect for their defense from top to bottom. They have a very, very special player at defensive end. Coach Nansen has a ton of experience coaching and calling defense.
We know that they will be ready to play. When we played them in 2024 -- forget who the players were or what the schemes were or anything -- just in totality, they were one of the most well-coached teams, in my opinion, that I have encountered in my time here at Michigan. Our expectation is that we will encounter the same thing on Wednesday.
Q. You've gone through a lot of turmoil this year. Curious, where do you feel like the team's mind is and how they deal with all this, and is it hard to keep your mind on football?
JORDAN MARSHALL: I would say no just because how close we are as a family as just players. We talk about always being a player-led team, and, obviously, it sucks to have our leader go out, but I truly believe everything happens for a reason and we will get stronger from that moment.
It is just bringing our players together to accomplish something greater than I can see. You truly get to see what type of guys you have in your program when things like that happen. And to be around Bryce and Marsh and Zach and all these amazing guys to help each other, that is what football is about.
I have loved evident single day and getting back to just being myself and playing football, and that is what everybody does. When we step out there, like I said, you just go play. It is the only game that you can't let everything else affect it, and you only have a certain amount of time to play this game. It is truly a blessing, and just have fun.
Q. Jordan, when did you start feeling healthy and back to full go? And, Steve, wondering, how challenging is it for the staff to hold this together, knowing that there is a shift in the leadership at the top and knowing that you don't know what your future is here?
STEVE CASULA: Go ahead, Jordan.
JORDAN MARSHALL: The healthy part is I'm just trying to get strong on my shoulder. Obviously, just taking it day by day, and excited to go out there and play again.
STEVE CASULA: To answer your question, anytime that it has been tough to think about what is next, like it doesn't take much motivation, but to look at the faces of our players or the guys you are coaching with that you are in it with, and the first opportunity I had to speak to the guys, I touched on that subject.
It is going to be easy to think about what is next. I stressed to them, think about what has been best about their experience here, how blessed we all are to be here. I think at that time that was ten days out from that game, maybe a little bit more. I said let's just do everything in our power, the next 10, 11 days, whatever it was, to get the next win and enjoy our time together and don't be focused on what is next and don't be focused on any of the negative. Be focused and thoughtful and remember the best moments that you or we or anyone has had here.
That is what we have tried to do. I have tried to on a personal level practice what I preach to the guys. That's not to mean – there is unknown, sure, all that kind of stuff. If you get a chance to really know our young player, our players, it's not difficult to be motivated to go do your best for them.
Coach Wink early on said this: We are professionals as coaches, and the expectation is we are going to go coach and win the game. That is certainly the goal. The human element of it is, reiterate what Jordan said, how close our players are and feel like we owe it to them to give them our absolute best.
Q. As you alluded to last year, some of the younger guys stepping up in last year's Bowl game; namely, Jordan having a great breakout game.
STEVE CASULA: He did, didn't he.
Q. Is there anyone you're excited to get some run in the coming game?
STEVE CASULA: There will be guys that get some new or different opportunities. I think what is unique about this Bowl game, different than a year ago for us, is the majority of our guys, on offense, have played the majority of the year are playing in the game. We have had one guy opt out to get ready for the NFL Draft. I think that was touched on or announced yesterday. Max Bredeson isn't going to be able to play.
But safe for that, we are kind of rolling. I don't know that it is going to be necessarily a ton of new faces, perhaps, because we have played with so much, and I mean this as a positive, we had so many new faces play throughout the year.
But I can't wait to watch Bryce Underwood after 15 more practices, I really can't wait to watch him. I feel the same way about Andrew Marsh. Bryson Kuzdzal has been outstanding. I can't wait to watch Donaven McCulley play in his first college Bowl game. That was something that was really important to him and a goal of his, and he has really practiced well.
The tight ends, we play a lot of them. So selfishly, I am always excited for those dudes, without a doubt. But no, it is different than a year ago, we had a lot of guys get, I believe you said, their first run or first play.
This is going to be more -- it is almost, like I said, when you get ready for one of those Bowl games, and I have made this comment before, people think because this is a non-tournament Bowl game, this is so valuable to the development of a college football team and a college football player. Like I can't wait to watch 15 more practices Bryce Underwood play or Andrew Marsh, like I said. Excited about not just our young players but our veteran players to go out the right way and accomplish some of their goals as well.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports