Oct. 16, 2012
OT Luke Poehlmann
On how the team can improve the run game: I think a lot of the same focus on what we’re doing. And working together as a unit, as an offensive line, will help us look to some things that we need to fix. And focus on those. Focus on working together. I think that’s the biggest thing we can do right now.
On the level of intensity: I think we can be more intense, for sure. We need to step it up a lot. We’re working on that. And really we’re just focused on individually getting better and getting better as an offensive line.
On improving the run game: We just need to work together. And that’s what we’re doing right now. Working on getting past Oklahoma. Working on Baylor. Trying to get better – all five of us as a unit, getting better. And not [having] a drop off anywhere. That’s what we’re doing.
On the team’s confidence: We’re still the same team. We’re the same players. We still have the same skills. The same talent. The same gifts that we’ve been given. Nothing has changed. I'll never forget one year, we had some bad games. And [head coach Mack] Brown took a $20 bill out, crumpled it up, and said, “It’s still a $20 bill. It’s still worth the same.” And I still I see that the same. Every single individual player we have, and every one on the offensive line, to the receivers, everybody on offense and defense - we’re still the same team. We’re still going to work like we’ve been given the gifts to play.
On if Baylor is a must-win game: We’ve got to win because it’s the next one. That’s what we’re focused on. As players and as a team, we’re focused on getting better each week. Having fun with the guys we’re playing next to. That’s what we’re focused on. That includes [that] we need to beat Baylor. We need to win. But really, I’m more focused on our team right now. And our players. And us getting better as a team and playing hard.
DE Reggie Wilson
On being prepared for Saturday’s game: Obviously you can’t replace a guy like [junior DE] Jackson Jeffcoat. He’s a great player. I know my role. Go in and step up and help us win the next game.
On what he brings to the team: My ability. The speed. I mean, you can’t replace a guy like Jackson. Jackson’s a completely different player than I am. I just have to play my game, do my part, and help us win games.
On the defense: I think we’re fine. It’s just one of those things. We’ve just got to go back to work. Correct our mistakes we made. And just prepare for Baylor. That’s what we have to do.
On how the defense is changing the way they prepare: Just the amount of intensity. Everybody knows that season isn’t going like we wanted it to go. We just have to go back to work and focus on our next opponent. Prepare hard. Hopefully we will turn it around this Saturday against Baylor.
On DE Jackson Jeffcoat’s advice to him: He’s a great teammate. He just told me, he said, “Reg, just got out there. Play hard. And don’t let anything distract and just do your part. Don’t worry about everybody else. Just do your part. And let the rest of the guys take care of their part, and we’ll be fine.”
On preparing for Baylor: All the guys, we’re just locked in. We all know we got embarrassed by a great team in Oklahoma. It’s one of those things that we feel we just have to go back to work. A lot of guys have pride here. That’s why we all came to Texas – to win all the games. So whenever things don’t go well, we know we have to come together as a team and work harder to get it fixed. So that’s what we’re trying to do this weekend.
DT Desmond Jackson
On the first practice since Saturday: The practice today was really, really great. We had a lot of intensity. We played in the rain. It was pretty fun today. We did a real good job with the energy and the charisma we brought today.
On what the defense has to change: We need to get in a good flow. We need to come together as a team and get back on track.
On the defense: Everybody we are playing right now is pretty good. I think for the most part we are playing in a hard conference, and we are always going to have someone who can come in here and play us. All the teams are physical in our conference. I don’t think it’s much of a surprise for me, we just need to improve on what we need to improve on. We are a pretty good defense, but we need to come together as a unit.
On Baylor’s offense: They have a real high-profile offense. They have one of the top offenses in the country. So we need to focus on stopping the run and stopping the pass.
On losing junior DE Jackson Jeffcoat: Jackson Jeffcoat is one of the best defensive ends I’ve been around. We have young guys that have to step up. I know that [sophomore DE] Cedric Reed will have to step up and prove his game. I know he has been doing a really good job this year, but now this is an opportunity for him to showcase what he has. With [Jeffcoat] being gone, there are a lot of guys that need to step up, including myself.
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OT Josh CochranOn the mindset of the team: I think we are ready to go. We are excited about the opportunity to play Baylor. We are just taking a step back to refocus and just moving on to the next game against Baylor. Baylor is a good team, and we know that. So we have to come prepared, and we are ready to go.
On practice today: [There was] lots of energy, which is what we needed. It was awesome. You could see that we were ready to go. There was some rain and that made a lot of energy and fired everyone up.
On depth on the offensive line: I think the whole offensive line is establishing more depth, which will really help us out. Guys get tired and guys get a little banged up as the season goes on so as that happens it is great for guys like that to step up. As we establish depth, that should help us out. They look really good right now.
On the ability to adjust to the left tackle position if need be: I played left tackle last year, and I played left tackle throughout my high school career so it should be fine. [Senior OT] Luke [Poehlmann] has already established that he can play. He is a good tackle. So if that happens we will be fine up front.
