[Fuller]

News bullets and other items:

• There’s no timetable for Jourdan Lewis’s return (though he was listed as a starter on the depth chart provided to the media today)
• Chase Winovich, Ty Wheatley Jr., Mike McCray, and Wyatt Shallman are all injured, though three of those four could return to practice today.
• Joe Kerridge was injured Saturday. Harbaugh said they’ll get more information on the injury today.
• Redshirting Shane Morris is “a consideration.”
• Tom Strobel switched to TE in the spring, then back to defense, then back to offense about a week ago. Harbaugh thinks he’ll stay on offense, but considers him a two-way player.

Jourdan [Lewis] exited the game with what was diagnosed as a concussion. Do you have an update on him, and how long do you think he’ll be out?

“I don’t know. Uh…never really gotten into the business of predicting, especially when it comes to concussions. He’ll be evaluated by the doctors.”

There’s been a lot of talk about progression from game one to game two. After you watched the film, what jumped out the most to you as far as steps taken between those two games?

“It was a positive step in a lot of areas. Biggest one was got the satisfaction of a win. Lot of hard work put in, and that will continue this week.”

Do you expect to have Jourdan on Saturday?

“Again, I’m just not in the…uh…predicting of that. Not my area.”

You mentioned Chris Wormley on Saturday as a guy you wanted to single out. He’s had kind of a breakout first couple games of the year. What’s been the big difference for him flipping the switch or whatever to get him where he is now?

“I think he’s a very talented player that’s, you know, improving and getting better every day. Very graphic on Saturday. Thought he played a tremendous game. Probably our best defensive performance was Chris Wormley.”

[After THE JUMP: The nervous system wages war on the body]

Obviously this team has a long way to go. For this next step, what would be a few things you’d like to see this team do better?

“In the liking of seeing everything get better. You know, process of the team starting the season. Played two games and it’s a platform to get better at and improve from in every area. That’s what we’re striving to do.”

About the roughing the kicker call on Saturday, has anyone come forward to you and given you some kind of explanation of what happened on that play and why it was a penalty or why it shouldn’t have been called?

“No, not yet.”

Joe Kerridge left the game. Do you have any update on Joe, or is he good to go?

“Think we’ll get more information on him today.”

Darboh and Butt have obviously established themselves as a receiving threat. Do you just- if they’re open do you keep going to them or would you like to see other guys develop so maybe they still have to defend them honestly?

“Yeah, we’d like to see as many develop. All develop. Of course.”

Jim, you’re kind of known as a tight end kind of coach but obviously-

“I am?”

That’s the rumor. Those guys have been very productive so far. What is it about your offense that enables Jake Butt and Ian Bunting and AJ Williams to be so productive?

“Uh…I don’t know exactly…specifically. Had a lot…fact we’ve had a good track record developing tight ends and them playing well, so something about the system is good for tights ends…and other players. What specifically, though?”

Do you create mismatches for them specifically?

“I don’t- I wouldn’t go so far as to say that. Had a lot of good tight ends. It’s nice to see coming in here you’ve got a very good player in Jake Butt, and it’s nice to see the other players getting involved and improving.

“Guys like Ian Bunting and AJ Williams have been contributing. Henry Poggi’s doing a very nice job. Came over from the defensive side and in the mix at the fullback/tight end position. Michael Jocz is somebody who’s developing before our eyes as well, so it’s good for our football team to have players develop at all positions. Tight end included. I don’t have a list of why that is.”

Was the line as good on film or better as numbers would indicate from week one to week two, and how has Mason Cole graded out in the first two games?

“Yeah, there was improvement in the interior line.”

Mason Cole?

“Done good. Done a good job. There are things we think he can improve on, but better performance week two.”

There were a couple guys who didn’t dress the other day: Winovich, McCray, Shallman. Can you give updates on their status?

“Yeah, all three are working through something.”

Injuries

“Working through something, yeah.”

Any of those long-term, season-ending type of deals?

“No. No.”

Wheatley as well?

“Yep. Same thing. And today it’ll be interesting. I think all those…can you mention those names again?”

Winovich,-

“Winovich.”

Wheatley.

“Wheatley.”

Shallman.

“Shallman.”

McCray.

“McCray. Yeah, there’s a good possibility that two out of those four could be back today. Or maybe even three, so we’ll see. We’ll have more information. Same kind of status as Joe Kerridge. Day-to-day. And improving.”

MGoQuestion: What have you seen from Tom Strobel from the time he made the position switch [to TE] in spring to seeing game action on Saturday?

“Hmm. Just a real willingness to do whatever the coaches advise. Willingness to want to be on the field and a real gung-ho attitude as far as in that regard.

“He dabbled on the offensive side of the ball in the spring playing tight end, and then we had him at defensive line, and then over the summer and going into training camp we really focused on the defensive line and just recently- just within the last week- he’s come back over to the offense and, uh, you know, not a moment’s hesitation. Just, ‘Hey, Tom, what do you think about this?’ ‘Yeah, anything for the team, coach.’ And he wants to play.”

MGoFollowUp: Do you expect that he’ll stay on offense?

“Uh…I…yeah, I do. But he can do both. That’s what a two-way player can do. There’s a real value in there for the team, especially with the willing attitude.”

You mentioned the offensive line earlier. Was it as simple as better leverage? Why were they better?

“Coach Drevno really stressed the practice and technique and fundamentals and practicing the way you’re going to play in the game on Saturday, so it wasn’t simple. It was a lot of hard work during the week. We’re striving for that again this week.”

Can you evaluate the play of both your place kicker Kenny Allen and your punter Blake O’Neill, and have you ever had an Aussie-style kicker before?

“I played with an Aussie-style kicker in Darren Bennett. A lot of- all punters are starting to take and put that into their game in some form or fashion.

“Kenny Allen, he kicks the ball through the uprights when asked to do so. Also good in the kickoff game. Really good. Blake- another strong performance by Blake O’Neill.

“Really happy with the monumental improvement we’ve made in the operation of the field goal; the protection, the snap, the hold. It’s…we’ve probably come as far in that area since spring practice, since the start of training camp, as any area on the football team. Did good. Vast improvement just in the snap-hold-kick mechanics, and in protection.”

I know different teams have different ways of presenting scholarships to walk-on players. Did you guys do anything like that for Kenny?

“Just got up in front of the team.”

There was no fuss made of it?

“It’s, uh, it’s…I don’t know what you mean by fuss.”

I think Western did something where they kicked an onside kick and the guy recovered it and it said on the ball ‘You’ve been awarded a scholarship’ or something like that. There was no elaborate way of telling him? Just got up in front of the team?

“Yeah, I think that’s…that’s exactly what happened.”

Drake Johnson got in the game on Saturday. How close is he to full go? Was that just to get the rust off and get him up to game speed?

“Yes, that was…that was that. Just had a feeling that when you haven’t played in a while because of an injury your nervous system can really put your body in a position that you can’t recover from if you’re not—it feels almost like an iron fist. Your nervous system does that and your body just tightens it up. To be able to get acclimated to the feelings and emotions of playing a game, that’s what we were striving for, without putting him in a position to let his nervous system put his body in a position that it can’t recover from. So, I think we’ll be better for that this week and next.”

He’s available, obviously. Do you think he’ll have-

“A bigger role? Yeah, I anticipate that.”

The focus has shifted to Chris Wormley, but there’s always been depth on the D-line and Greg Mattison’s talked about it for a couple years. Just your impression of Taco and Mario on Saturday. Just your overall impression of the defensive line and the depth that you do have.

“Um, yeah, I would agree with everything that was just said there. And the best players get the most amount of snaps. Mainly concerned about that and then developing and playing at a high level. More concerned with that than evening out the reps. Want to see the best players play the most.

“I think it’s similar between the offensive line and defensive line and working together in terms of stunts and adjustments and communication and leverage, so I like the fact that players are separating themselves and the ones who are playing at the highest level will be out there playing football the majority of the time.”

Other than Chris, is there a particular D-linemen who has impressed you?

“Yeah, there’s definitely talent in that area. Willie Henry and Glasgow, [he] had a very good ball game. I like the way he hustles. I like the way he plays. You know, he’s been doing that consistently good. Obviously he did that in this ball game and really, really played well. Taco is really starting to come as well, so that’s all good for our football team.”

I was hoping you could clarify something you said Saturday about Shane Morris not taking the snap at the end. Did he not take the snap at the end because he’s the No. 2 quarterback and you just didn’t want to put him in that position to take a knee, or because you were hoping that maybe he could redshirt this year?

“Well, if that’s a possibility, I mean, that…yeah, it’s a consideration. Yes. You don’t know how that’s going to play out. You don’t have a crystal ball.”

If you don’t need him you won’t play him?

“Yeah. I think we’re all seeing this exactly the way it’s taking place. We’re in control of it. He’s the No. 2 quarterback, but not the No. 2 guy to go into the game to take two kneel-downs at the end of the game.

“Yeah, okay. I can see you shaking your heads.”

Makes sense.

“Makes sense?”

Yeah.

Obviously you work with the quarterbacks very closely. Jake [Rudock], he didn’t have much of a turnover history at all and you said after the first game there were a lot of other things involved with other people as well, but five in two games- is there a concern level that something’s changed with him, is it adapting to your system or is that something that can correct itself?

“It’s a critical part of the game. We’re improving on it. I don’t think he’s lost a tight grip on his mind in any way. He’s making good decisions.”

More physical than mental?

“No. No, no. Very detailed, went thoroughly through what we thought the issue was a week ago and we’re improving on it.”

What do you know about UNLV in preparing for them?

“We’ve just been watching them. They play with a lot of energy. Pretty fast team. I really like the way they’re coached. Very impressed with the quarterback, and they’ve got a lot of energy on their team.

“I like Tony Sanchez. I like him. I don’t know him, but I like him. That’s a good group. Where we’re at right now is just trying to figure out what we can do against this football team and putting our gameplan together.”

You have a different background than Sanchez, but you didn’t have a lot of college coaching experience when you took over. How hard is that to learn the balance of recruiting and being a college coach?

“Well…just dive in and start attacking it. That’s really how I’ve learned everything, so…it’s a process, but I like that he’s come from a non-traditional way of doing it. I like following him. I like watching what his career’s going to be like. He’s had success. Looks good. I like the way he coaches his team. I like the way they’re playing. But at the same time we’ve got to guard against and make sure we play well.”

Not being a college assistant isn’t necessarily a disadvantage?

“More than one way to skin a cat. He stepped up and Tony’s doing a fine job.”

With being a high school coach and only two games as a college coach, how much is there to scout on film of his style and approach? Is that a very small window?

“I mean, there’s other coaches on the staff. Kent Baer, we’ll study him, we’ll study his two games there and what he did at Colorado, what he did at San Jose State, Cal. It’s never just one coach. Lot of coaches contributing on any team. Plenty to scout.”