Lincoln Riley already had a pretty solid breakdown of his expectations of USC’s matchup against Michigan football on Monday during his appearance on Trojans Live, but he went much deeper on Tuesday evening.
Riley met with the media and most of the questions he fielded were about his expectations of the Wolverines, including Alex Orji being named the starting quarterback after Davis Warren started the first three games for the maize and blue. He also fielded questions about Wink Martindale and the defense and the challenges that the front four presents the Trojan offensive line.
Here are the pertinent things he had to say about the Wolverines on Tuesday.
On Sherrone Moore naming Alex Orji the starting QB on Monday
I mean, I understand it. I mean, I can understand where they’re coming from on it. There’s two trains of thought. They both have relevance. But I’m not going to sit here and guess why they did, or why they made that choice. That’s their decision. We got to be ready for everybody that they have. (It’s a) very multiple offense, very good on offensive line, backs are good, tight ends elite. A lot of really gifted coaches over there. So, big challenge, regardless of who’s under center.
How he’s preparing for Orji
We got a couple of guys that we’re trying to use a little bit, but he’s a really good athlete. I told people last night I was familiar with him. We recruited him a little bit coming out of high school. Remember him, have a lot of respect for him as a player and an athlete, so we’ll do the best we can with the bodies that we have.
On Wink Martindale
He’s a really good coach, obviously. I mean, a ton of success in the NFL. He’s been a kind of a pioneer defensively in that league, and certainly for some of the things that they do schematically. So, yeah, never quite imagined that we’d be going up against him, just because he — obviously, so much of his time in the NFL and such a storied career there. But yeah, an elite coordinator, and certainly the way they’re playing right now, you can see his impact on their defense.
Evaluating the Michigan defense
There’s NFL players all over the place, and a lot of guys that were part of winning a national championship last year. There’s a lot of good players, a lot of good coaches at that place. Again, everybody — we live it every year. It’s not anything new. You understand it. But I mean, everybody wants to write the story after a couple games in the season for everyone, and it’s just a long season, man. That’s a good football team that we have a lot of respect for, and to have anything less would be a mistake on our part.
The Michigan defensive front
It’s a big test. Big test. Tremendous, another tremendous defensive line, the second, really good defensive line that we’ve played here in three games. Super accomplished. I mean really, and all the guys, even some of the guys that rotate in, can really play. Obviously, the two defensive tackles are tremendous, but the edge guys are good too. So big challenge that we got to embrace.
Thoughts on Mason Graham
Tremendous player was one of the guys that we attempted to get in on right when I got the job, really enjoyed him and his family. It was just one of those things. It was, it was too it was just too quick. There wasn’t enough of a relationship there, and he was far enough around down the road with those guys that, you know, it’s one of those things that things been earlier. Maybe it would have been different. Maybe it wouldn’t have but a ton of respect for him. I enjoyed the time I had with him here right when I got hired. And no surprise to me, to see the kind of player he’s become.
Will he prepare for Orji throwing the ball?
You always do. I mean, you don’t play quarterback at this level without being able to throw the ball some .So, yeah, I mean, it’s when. To sit there and think if he plays the entire game, that they’re going to run it 70 times and throw it one time or something like that. I don’t think that’s going to be the case. So now you definitely have to account for it, because he’s certainly going throw it and make you pay.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Lincoln Riley goes deeper into Michigan football, Alex Orji, the defense
