Everything Sherrone Moore Said in Final Press Conference Before ReliaQuest Bowl

A full video and transcript of the Michigan head coach's press conference in Tampa.

Michigan football head coach Sherron Moore smiles at fans during the first half against Iowa at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer and Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore met with the media one day before the Crimson Tide's matchup with the Wolverines in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

Here's everything Moore said...

Full Transcript

Transcript courtesy of ASAP Transcripts

Opening Statement

SHERRONE MOORE: Just want to thank everybody for being here. We've had a great time this week. Looked as it as a business trip, and our guys have really taken hold of that and had a great week of prep. Really excited about the game with a great opponent. I've known Kalen for a very long time. We talked about our days when we were in the MAC, going around Chicago, and I was at Central and he was at Eastern, and I've always had a lot of respect for him and how he runs his program and what he's done.

Obviously we faced last year in the National Championship, and just tremendous respect for him and how he's built programs and has winning traditions. But really excited for this game. Our players are excited. It's going to be a great challenge with a great team, great opponent. Ready to kick this thing off.

Q. There's a plethora of sports movies being made today. If they decide to make a movie that you're in, what actor do you want to play you? Coach Moore, I'm thinking Cuba Gooding, Jr.

SHERRONE MOORE: Yeah, I haven't really thought about that. If I had to put some deep thought -- the first person that comes to my mind in any movie would be Denzel Washington because he's an absolute animal in any movie that he's in. But just really excited for this game.

Q. Coach Moore, can you talk about the offensive line and who you expect to play tackle in this game? And there are reports that Juan Castillo might be joining your program again. Can you talk a little bit about that?

SHERRONE MOORE: Yeah, we're really excited about the guys that are going to play in the game. Evan Link, obviously been there, moving over to left, Andrew Sprague getting a start, feel really confident about him. He's a guy that's super talented that we've moved into the game a little bit and played, and then the guys that have played inside are the same guys. Super excited for them. Super excited for the opportunities that they have.

Coach Castillo has been a guy I've known for a long time, obviously been here and been back, so he'll be back helping. Just a veteran guy that's been in the NFL, that's been in college, groomed really high quality offensive linemen. Obviously that's an important position for me. I want guys that I feel like can help that position as much as possible, and feel like he can bring a lot to the table.

Q. Coach Moore, now that Mikey Keene has signed and you can comment on him, what made him someone you guys targeted in the portal, and how do you expect he'll factor into the quarterback competition in the spring?

SHERRONE MOORE: Yeah, experienced guy that's played a lot of football. Really excited about him. We played him in the first game, so we know how tough he is. We know the type of throws he can make. Just heard great things and tactical things about him as a leader, and really excited for him to push that room and give us an experienced guy that we feel that he can win us games, and that was the most important piece of it.

Q. Coach Moore, now that you've had basically a month of bowl preparation for this game, who do you feel has made the most of their experience in terms of practice, and who do you feel like has really taken their game to the next step?

SHERRONE MOORE: Yeah, you just look at everybody on the team, and I don't think there's a position group that's overachieved or overexceeded. All those guys have really taken the opportunity to get better. You look at from the O-line to the D-line to the DBs, the quarterback, running backs, all those different positions, everybody has taken the chance to get better, and they've really invested the time that they've had to get better. Really excited about the young players that are going to get to play in the game, the older guys that are playing in the game. They just want to strap it up for Michigan.

Q. Sherrone, your impressions of Jordan Marshall during practice? Second question on Evan, he took some heat this season. How do you think he progressed later on in the season, and how confident are you at left tackle with him?

SHERRONE MOORE: Yeah, first Jordan Marshall, he's a young kid. He's dynamic. We really felt really good about him throughout the year. Had a couple of bumps and bruises and was limited a little bit, and is at full strength now. He's got a chance to be a really special player. So really excited about him.

Then Evan has been great. He switched in fall camp from the position where he naturally was at, and he's done a really good job. Really excited about him. Really the last two games he played exceptional. Played really good in the last game of the year, and he's had a really good month of prep, and excited for him and what he's going to do.

Q. Sherrone, when you bring in a transfer quarterback, what's the message to him about the potential starting and getting into games?

SHERRONE MOORE: Yeah, it's open competition. Nobody is promised a certain spot. Everybody has got to earn it, and he really understands that, even with the guys we've brought in. So he's really excited to push the whole room. He's a guy that's played a lot of football, that has a lot of experience and made plays at all different levels. He's familiar with Chip Lindsey was really huge. They had a connection previously. That helped.

But just all the reviews that we got from him as a person, as a player, and then it was huge that we played him this year. We saw him live in action. We saw him make some really good throws and do some things dynamic. So really ready for him to get going in this program.

Q. Last year you guys were playing in the Rose Bowl in the National Championship, so late. I know that that sort of hindered things within the portal and the way there was going to be development. I guess this year how much do you have to do in the portal and what's your balance been like preparing for obviously another important game here but still obviously been successfully attacking that, as well?

SHERRONE MOORE: Yeah, I think there's always going to be that balance. With the calendar how it is, regardless of if you're in the playoff or a big-time bowl game like this one, you're going to have to have some balance with the recruiting piece. The recruiting piece never stops. It's 365, even when it's a dead period. People are still calling you, texting you. It never stops, so for us it's been a continuous emphasis on what we have to do and the guys we have to get. There's still a few positions we need to get and we want to get. But ultimately they've got to be the best fit for the program. But the main thing right now is to go try and win this game.

Q. In the trenches, is that the positions where you're --

SHERRONE MOORE: It's a mix of different positions for sure. Always want the best guys up front.

Q. When you're looking at film of the opposition, offense, defense, is there anything similar to teams you played when you look at Alabama?

SHERRONE MOORE: I mean, for us, you start off offense, and Jalen is special. He's not like any quarterback we've played or the ability that he has to impact the game with his legs. They've got great playmakers on the outside, a big offensive line. It's just a different animal. It's a different group.

Defensively, again, NFL players everywhere. We've played some really good teams all year. We've played Oregon, played Texas, played Ohio State. So similar to those guys and the guys that we've played, the top competition that we played all year.

Q. You guys had a connection in the portal this off-season with Damon Payne and Justice Haynes. Can you talk about what you saw from them on film?

SHERRONE MOORE: Yeah, both those guys, I can't really comment on those guys right now. I'll just go from there. Both great players at Alabama, and I can't really comment on those guys right now.

Q. Sherrone, Max Bredeson, a cornerstone of the offense, a captain, he's here and said he hasn't made a decision about his future, but can you speak on the impact his leadership and his play on the field have had in practices so far?

SHERRONE MOORE: Yeah, he's the ultimate competitor, ultimate leader, everything you want in a captain and a guy you want on your team, as physical of a player in college football I would say, and he's everything you want from a leader on your team. He impacts our team not just on the field but off the field in huge ways and making sure the locker room is aligned in every single way. I just can't speak highly enough about that young man, and just excited for his future and making his determination, whatever he does.

Q. What has your experience been like here in Tampa? What kind of bonding things have you been doing? And what do you want your guys to get out of this experience?

SHERRONE MOORE: Yeah, it's been an awesome experience. The bowl game has provided a great opportunity for our players to just sit back sometimes and get some time off their feet and relax but also get some time to do different things as a team. Going to Busch Gardens, guys riding roller coasters, doing different things, feeding giraffes and animals, they really honed into that and loved that, and spending time with each other when there isn't football around.

But when it's time to do football, they're really excited about that, and just like Kalen said, not having class at the same time, they can really study the game even deeper, and those guys love to do that. They love to embrace the opportunity to get better, especially with film study. Just anytime we eat a team meal, guys are sitting down and just talking and just talking about nothing, talking about random things and talking about life, I think it's cool to get that opportunity as a coach but also our assistant coaches to be able to sit down with their players and just have that time and not have those time restrictions of different things that they can do.

It's been a great opportunity for our players and our staff to get out here and enjoy this, and obviously coming from Michigan, the day before we left it was like 19 degrees, so 66 and 70 feels really good to us, so we love -- this weather has been great for us, and just continuing to embrace these moments with our players.

Q. Sherrone, Steve Casula alluded to this earlier, that Michigan's offense is always going to be Michigan's offense, but what you do specifically is always going to be dictated by specific personnel. With so many new faces in the mix, whether it's Steve or Chip Lindsey popping in here and there, different players, does that allow you to do anything a little bit different this week, maybe a more individualized approach that sets you up for maybe something a little different or more success this week or maybe later on down the line that can be beneficial?

SHERRONE MOORE: Yeah, I think the best thing about offense is just if you're going to have a really good offense you've got tell a story in what you do and how you do it, and you've got to get the best players the ball and the best players involved and do things that our players are really good at. At the end of the day, that's what we're going to think to do this week and this game, and not try to be too crazy and be out of the box, but we'll have some specific things that we have for the game, and when you're attacking this defense, this defense is difficult to deal with and you've got to have a plan for different things that they do. For us, it's going to be about getting the best players the football and making sure they can impact the game and control the clock.

Q. You were both in the College Football Playoff last year. If you cannot be in it, is there a better place to tee it up than Tampa, Florida, on New Year's Eve at the ReliaQuest Bowl?

SHERRONE MOORE: Yeah, it's been a great experience for us, the staff, the players. Wouldn't want to be anyplace besides the playoff, but this has been a great opportunity for us as players, as staff to continue to bond and build our camaraderie and to get better and feel good about it, and just excited for the game.