10/27/03

Player Quotes from Monday press conference

David Thomas
Will Nebraska be a big test for the team?
"Nebraska is a good football team and is part of one of the best conferences in the country. They have a lot of good players, so it's going to be a very good game on Saturday morning. We have to be ready."

Is this an opportunity to show that Texas is still a contender?
"Every game is important and we're trying to be a Top 10 team. As good as Nebraska is we have to come out and play our best game, and it should be a really good one."

Does beating Nebraska last year give the team more confidence for this week?
"We played well last year and were the only team to go in there and beat them in their home stadium during the last couple of years. That helps us out and it has to be in the back of their minds, but we just want to go out there and play our game. We have to play the best that we can and see what happens."

Rodrique Wright
How important will it be to get penetration by the defensive line?
"That's a big deal for this game. Penetration of the defensive line is going to be the key. An option team is going to try and get to the outside. If you can get all four guys penetrating and they can only make cuts in the backfield, then that will really help our defense."

Do you feel like you have something to prove against Nebraska?
"I think we have something to prove every week. People try to come in and run on us because of our play against Arkansas and OU. We definitely have something to prove against Nebraska because they are mainly a running team. They don't try to hide it; they're going to run the option from the first to the fourth quarter. Last year, Jammal Lord had a very good game against us and we're going to have to try and contain him this year."

What did Jammal Lord do so well last year that Texas will have to stop this year?
"When he gets into the open field, you never know what he's going to do. He can cut very well, he can spin and he's real quick. With a guy like that, you can't give him anything because he's going to take it. This year, we're going to have to contain him, not give him anything and make him earn everything that he gets."

How do you match up with Nebraska?
"We match up very well with them as a defense. I think one of the better things we do is play the option. All 11 guys on the field are fast and we have the mindset that we know they're going to run the option. Everyone has to do his job, and when that works, we do well."

Mike Williams
How does it feel earning your first start against Baylor and scoring a touchdown?
"It was a lot of fun getting out there and playing hard. It was something I wanted to do. It wasn't really planned, but I'm glad that I did it."

Will the game against Nebraska be a good measuring stick for the young players?
"It's a chance for us to step up against a great team and show what we can do across the country."

How do you and the other young guys stay ready for the chance to contribute?
"I think we just look for the leadership from the older guys and try to do what they do to get there. We have to play hard and practice hard."

Do you think the defense is ready for the task of stopping the option?
"I feel that with Rodrique (Wright) and Marcus (Tubbs) up the middle and Tim (Crowder), Kalen (Thornton), me or whomever on the ends makes up a strong unit as a defensive line. I think we'll be ready."

Justin Blalock
Is it good to face a Nebraska team that is back in the Top 10 in some polls?
"It certainly is. It's always good to play teams who are at their best. We have to try to get back up in the Top 10 and get some momentum going for the rest of the season."

What do you know about Nebraska?
"They traditionally have a very aggressive defense. Obviously on offense they're going to run the option. They play hard and are a very tough, hard-nosed, physical football team."

The Nebraska defense has not allowed an offensive touchdown in the last two games, does that motivate you as an offense?
"I think it's pretty easy to get motivated for something like that. Obviously you want to be a part of changing that. If we can go in and score on them, it will lift a burden off of us pretty quickly. Breaking a streak always makes you feel good. It certainly does help to get us motivated."

Is it critical to get the passing game going knowing they're going to try and stop the running game?
"They're going to try and shut down Roy (Williams), so we've got to emphasize the run a little more than we have been. In the past, we've been able to throw it a lot, but we're going to stick to a couple of passes for the game this week."

Roy Williams
What are your thoughts on Nebraska?
"Any team in the Big 12 is capable of beating another team. At Nebraska, they run the option a lot and really don't pass the football. I think that's good for our defense this weekend so they can just concentrate on the run and see what they can do."

How does Nebraska's defense look?
"Last year they played nothing but man-to-man. Their top corner last year got drafted in the NFL, and they strictly played press man the whole game last year. This year, I think they have a new defensive coordinator and he's mixing up the man and zone. It's going to be a different look from the black shirts."

Talk about the rivalry between Texas and Nebraska.
"Last year we went up to Lincoln and won in that great stadium, and it's hard to do that. My hat goes off to their fans, because they are very nice. The histories of these two programs are some of the best in the country."

Do you have a mental edge on Nebraska?
"I really don't know. This is a new team for them, and they're learning new concepts on defense and a little on offense too. I think they're coming together this year. Nobody expected them to be in the Top 10 all year, but they bounced back and have been playing hard."

Kalen Thornton
How hard is it going to be to stop Nebraska's offensive line?
"They're probably the most physical team in America. They have some very talented athletes who get after you. It's going to be a big challenge for us to see if we can stop their line."

How does Jammal Lord compare to the other quarterbacks you have faced?
"He's similar in the fact that he is very athletic. He's fast and very elusive. (Ell) Roberson and Matt Jones from Arkansas were like that, so we've seen it before. It's just going to be a matter of going out there and executing and getting the job done."

How good is it to have the young guys contributing to the team?
"It's a big positive. The fact that the young guys can come in and get that game time experience is great, because you can't simulate that during practice. With that, it allows us to have more depth in the stretch of the season where we have some big games coming up."

Derrick Johnson
Why did you pitch the ball to Nathan Vasher when you recovered that fumble?
"I think Nathan (Vasher) is a better runner than me, so I trusted him a little more to get the yards out of it. I heard him calling my name so I knew to pitch it back."

Is Nebraska's option going to hurt the defense?
"It's a big test for our defense. Nebraska runs the ball well and Jammal (Lord) is a great quarterback. He's like an extra running back out there, so it's going to be hard to contain him. What better way to test our defense this week?"

How much has Jammal (Lord) matured over the last few years?
"I think he's grown and matured well. This year, he's even better than he was last year. He had a great game against us last year, so we're going to have our eyes on him this Saturday. Like I said, it's going to be hard to contain him. He's a great football player and it's just one of those games that you have to keep your eyes on him."

How did Lord hurt the defense last season?
"Every time we made a little mistake during the play, he'd capitalize off of it. Most of the time, we held him in check, but he broke on three or four long runs. That hurt our defense a little bit, but we came out with the win. This Saturday, we're going to try to minimize that and still get the win."