um first of all uh super proud of our team you know um this is a tough place to come and win you know they obviously had won 23 in a row here and um this is a you know obviously a quality opponent and so for our players to come in and play with the Poise and composure that they played with um but yet also um the physicality and the toughness we had to play with today um I thought they just did a really nice job and as much as you know that first drive gosh we kind of stubbed our Toe with some self-inflicted wounds I really thought they the offense regrouped and settled in and found a nice Rhythm there especially in the second quarter and defensively just continuing to win on first down which which enabled us to play second long third and Long football uh in our favor you know there's not many games I've been a part of when you you win the turnover battle three to nothing it's generally a pretty good result for your team and so the ability to take care of the ball offensively um and create some turnovers defensively I thought was also huge in the game um you know I thought also offensively the fact that you know we stayed ahead of the chains you know we just didn't have many you know negative plays tackles for losses kind of stayed in front of the chains and then the third down conversions were huge you know I think we were eight of 10 in the first half 10 of 16 overall for the game uh and I think holding them to like three for 12 or something like that so we were getting off the field there as well um so all in all super proud of our team um in again a tough building against a tough team that uh you know over 111,000 people here today uh but I got to give credit to LongHorn nation y'all showed out man that was awesome what what an environment uh what a moment for for our players and our staff to uh see the Eyes of Texas there at the end with with the amount of orange in the stands was was really a special moment for our players so uh at the end of the day like I said earlier in the week this one game isn't going to Define our season um but I think it would serve as a pretty good barometer of the type of team that we could be and uh you know I I think that our versatility showed up today in all three phases um our ability to run it be physical our ability to uh to play the run on defense but yet minimize the explosive plays on defense uh and be effective on special team so all in all um it's a good start to the season we're two and 0 but we we got a long way to go other questions Danny go ahead um Steve how much growth have you seen from gner um your time with him and just what did he give you all today yeah I mean Gunner is a you know he's a warrior for us he um he's a guy a lot of times kind of got overshadowed the last couple years with JT um but but was a really viable player for us a year ago and and served a big role for us but then coming into this season I thought Gunner did a great job of getting himself in in in tip top shape um you know I thought he's he's moving better than he ever has and his ability to not just catch balls but now make people miss and create explosive plays but bigger than that for us is his leadership that Gunner provides you know he's a guy who's been in our program for four years now you know he came in that was that first recruiting class and um you you what I love about his story is the development and again I go back to this because so much in today's world is instant gratification and it's about the true freshman that play and so on and so forth Gunner's kind of worked his way and earned his time to be the Frontline starter for us in year four and um he does things the right way and he's a great leader for a lot of the guys in that locker room so um I'm just I'm proud of them I'm happy for him back middle Kevin qun make some nice throws on the Run threw the ball away he needed to one the things you said about last week of the interception you know away what was your take on his job no I I thought he played really efficiently um you know he got completions I didn't feel like there was a throw that got force today um you we knew we wanted to take care of the ball um we knew that we just did not want to give these guys a short field and we wanted to make them Drive the length of the field so his ability to take care of the ball but yet make throws when they were available and uh you know we had the one touchdown call back to DeAndre Moore which was again another him out of the pocket type play um but he got it to his checkdowns he got the ball to our guys in space uh which was something we wanted to do and then when those throws were there down the field um he was able to make some of those plays as well so all in all I thought he was in really good command all day long and um you know like you said took took his shots when they were there but also took care of the ball extremely well goad CT Steve you feel like the team proved anything um I don't know we weren't really trying to come to prove anything I I just we wanted to play our brand our style of football and not uh you know I was hoping to learn about ourselves would we be over overwhelmed by the environment you know we had a lot of new faces and a lot of new people and uh we weren't you know I I again I I credit our coaching staff I credit the leaders on our team our guys played a very composed football game um they played tough they played physical um we look fast and um you know again it was more about could we handle the environment and then play this style and this brand of football and um I think we were able to do that you want to take the ball right off that was more of a strategic thing because of the win um in anticipation of you know being a tight ball game you'd always like to have the wind at your back in the fourth quarter is affecting our kicks a pretty good Mount and pregame warm up warmup so it's about an eight yard difference and so once it once it gets over five you really have to start to think about um you know what would the fourth quarter look like if you got a kick a field goal and try to win a ball game front middle Eric Steve in a game like this environment like this those two third down stops they both were in your End Zone Third and shorts how did they help set the tone and set the environment game well you know I think that's a mentality right there's a level of physicality and in Michigan's a very good running football team they believe in in running the football they're physical um and so when you're able to get those stops you know I I think it's just it's more of a mentality thing that hey we can stand in here we can go toe to- toe we can play our brand of football and and that's going to be good enough today on your left Dennis sarc you've been passed for three years since the SEC came up about the line of scrimmage matching up what's it like to do it what you did today how does that answer that question against the defending national champs yeah I mean um you know we felt like we've recruited the line of scrimmage well um and we we've recruited it especially in the offensive side of the ball through the high school ranks you know this was an odd year for us just because of the way our depth played out we had to go to the portal and get three players out of the portal um but yet you know I felt like you know we can play that style of football but but I also think Dennis like we're not a one-dimensional team like we we don't we can play in space right we can you because I think that's important especially in the Southeastern Conference as much as the line of scrimmage is really important if you don't have the athletes on the perimeter that's going to be hard too so you have to have both for it to work and I thought those two things showed up today on your far right coach you're talking about young guys coming you know rising to the moment that I guess it was your third series Wisner and Jerry running the ball Well everybody's blocking well but to see wiser lower shoulder and for that to be a touchdown Drive how pleased were you with the way that drive played out well it's it's important to us because we're we're at our best offensively when when we can run the football when we can RPO when we can play action pass when we can drop back when we can screen you like we we try to do a lot and we try to make it difficult on our opponents trying to defend all that we can do and if we can't run it and if we can't run it with a physical mentality then a lot of the other stuff gets difficult and so um you know hey I hated losing CJ before the season I hated losing Christian um but we got a ton of belief in in the guys that we have and in Jaden and in In Trey and in Jerick what they're doing and they know how to run the football and they can run physical and that's the way we practice and so they just took the practice to the field over here any far left Steve over Jimmy wat cleveland.com how much how much you mentioned you wanted to see your guys not get overwhelmed by the atmosphere how much does it help to have an experienced quarterback in that situation particularly I mean it was a while ago but Quinn's been in this building before yeah no I think it was helpful you know I reminded the guys about um you know we we've gone into Tuscaloosa and played and won you know we we played in a big 12 championship game we played in the college football playoff and so none of the moments should feel too big for us anymore and and that's just what I commended him for in the locker room and that you know this is who we are this is how we know how to to play and um there's nothing better than going on the road and when you have great composure and you can play that way um because that that's a way to kind of take over a game when you can start to eliminate a crowd and then that fuels what we what we're doing sometimes it's it's almost easier than at home and so um when when we can go in with the right mentality and and we can embrace the challenge um but also keep our mental intensity but there's that fine line of not crossing over still staying poised and and composed and and I thought we were able to do that but we've been doing that and and I think that's something I wanted to impress upon our players is like that's that's just who we are now and and so um again if that if this helped reiterate that to them I I think he was good for him middle onward um of course have to look at the film with the offensive line seemed to be blocking well and of course Those runs just a quick stop shot of what you saw up front yeah I felt I felt like he played really well up front you know I really do like we were we were you know reestablishing the line of scrimmage um we were moving people we were giving our Runners running Lanes um you know I you know the the perfectionist and me wishes we would close it out a little better at the end I I got on them but that's that's my job as a coach I got to continue to push these guys to to be the best that they can possibly be and so um it's unfortunate you know because we had a couple plays down there where we go the wrong way at running back you know and and we end up taking losses at back on stuff that I think we should be better at um so we got work to do you know that's the beauty of it but but I think everything we do offensively starts up front you know when those guys can play well in the Run game and in pass protection that makes a lot of the other things go and for a young Runner there's nothing like running the ball when you're not seeing color right in your face we're covering people up and we're moving them now they can feel comfortable running the football to your left Josh Steve just a followup that question cam has a tough opening Series with a few penalties what do you say to him or was say coming off the field after a drive like that I gave him a big hug and then and then and then DJ Campbell got jealous so I he I had to give him a hug and then Jake and then Hayden and then and then kelv I had to give all the linemen a hug before the second series to calm everybody down but you know we we were doing a couple things with motions and shifts in there and and we were kind of sitting at the line of scrimmage and cam got a little antsy you know I I argued at pretty good length about I didn't know if that was a hold or not I got to look at the tape I felt like he blocked the guy pretty good maybe it was I don't know but what a response for him for a guy in his first year of really starting um on the road in that environment you get three penalties in one drive I've seen a lot of guys you know melt and I thought he stood strong he he you know got himself recomposed and and played a good football game over on the far left chip Steve can you just talk about the confidence that your defense is playing with right now especially in the back end seemed like your safeties were all over the place yeah I I thought uh I thought defensively there was a level of physicality that we played with today um and a lot of that you know a lot of times we think of that starting up at the line of scrimmage and that's true but I think our safeties are tackling really well right now and and that comes with confidence and belief and and it's not one guy I mean you saw you saw tap today tackle you saw makuba you saw galani you saw Derek Williams those guys are tackling well they're communicating well and then what I like about our back end is it's really versatile a lot of guys can do different things and it starts with j a just because of his versatility um but but all those safeties can cover I me we actually played galani Sumit nickel today as well so we did some different things um because of the versatility that those guys provide in the back end stand the left Joe I think there was right after that Wingo run there was a little kind of skirmish but there was a time a few years ago when none of your guys would defend Quinn or your quarterback like that so how much progress have you seen when you have a guy even though it cost you 15 to stand there and defend your quarterback when that wasn't in your program previously yeah I don't I I mean I can't speak to previously I I don't I don't know I I just hey we got a tightnit group you know and these guys are these guys are in the fight together you know and and I say that figuratively you know that that obviously we go into every game and and we understand that we got to play as one and nobody nobody likes to see their quarterback you know getting pushed around shoved around and those guys got a lot of Pride we got you know four four returning starters with a lot of starts under their belts up front they've been in some some real battles with Quinn on the field so I just don't think that they're ever going to stand there and and let him kind of be a l wolf you know they're going to stick together back middle coach Quinn has now won at Alabama and Michigan you if any players have ever done that I'd love for you guys to research that for me has anyone ever done that before in their career what can you say about his composure it's Google all you guys Google real quick you you'll give me an answer in 30 seconds his composure in those what can you say about yes sir sorry yes no I think there's something about Quinn in his demeanor he's um he's a very calm guy you know he's really collected he he never rides the emotional roller coaster you know you'll see glimpses of him celebrating a touchdown but he's never over the toop exuberant and when things aren't going great you never see his Dober just go down you know he stays pretty even Keel and I think that demeanor helps him in these environments because he just doesn't get affected by crowd noise or emotions of a game he stays really clear-minded and focused on what he needs to do um and and I think there's some learning lessons in there too you know you got to remember he didn't have a great game his first year with us at Oklahoma State and so we had to grow through some of that with him um but man it's paying off you know we can go into some of these tough environments knowing our quarterback's going to be really under control got time for two last ones middle set you mention qu's um just call miror there's a trickle down effect I me even though you guys didn't score that first drive you could just see people over on your side knew that it was going to be okay because he was dealing on them um how does that reverberate through the locker when you're most visible player yeah you know I I'm um you guys have heard me say this before but but you know the quarterback is the most important position in sports because yes I think it's physically the most challenging right you what what is asked of a quarterback to do every play but I also think it's the most important position in sports because a quarterback instills confidence and belief into a team into an organization and it doesn't matter if it's at the NFL level college level or Little League Football you always feel great when you've got a really good quarterback that you know when he trots out of the tunnel a lot of people in the organization will say themselves we got a chance today because number three is playing and he's playing good now we know we got a real chance and so but that's at any level and and you guys have covered the sport long enough to know it's like when you've got a quarterback that everybody can believe in that just fuels confidence and belief that hey let's go do our part because the guy that's holding the ball every play is going to be is he's on point tonight last one up front how much time did you give yourself to enjoy that postgame celebration and did you look around and see the burnt orange kind of all over the place yeah no I I took it in I I uh I I love that kind of stuff you know this was year ago was a really special moment in tuscala and uh to turn around and do it again this year in an Arbor Michigan um you know snapping a 23 home game winning streak and then looking up and seeing the amount of burnt orange in the stands was was special like I was saying it was super special so to sing the eyes to to to go make sure that we we gave a lot of the thanks and gratitude to our fans they showed up today it was awesome LongHorn nation was big time so um we got to keep going thanks coach