Oct. 19, 2009
QB Colt McCoy
On improving for the next week: We just have to play more completely. The defense is playing lights out. I knew this game was going to be like that because (the Oklahoma) defense is really good. You know their defense actually exceeded my expectations going into the game. You know they’re 3-2, and came in and just knew they were going to throw everything at us. They had blitzes I had never seen, and they just did a lot things that were really key and kept us off the field. You know when your defense gets you turnovers and a short field; you have to take advantage of them. You we have to do that. We have to play more complete. Obviously our running game came along, but it had to because they took completely everything away in the passing game, so our running came along. But we can be better. There are so many ways and so many areas that we can be better in and just keep plugging along.
On looking back and film: It is good for us. I think I learned more from watching the game against OU than I have in a long time. You can sit there and think you played really bad, but then there are things that you really couldn’t have done. Their defense was really good at least in situations. You have to learn how to handle yourself in a game like that and definitely coming out on top in the end was good for us. I’ve been around this game a long time. I have seen the past 10 games against OU, and in games like that, we have lost prior to this game. To be able to have a game like that, a tough game, where there defense is really playing well and find a way to win, that is good for us. Our goal at the beginning of the year was to be 6-0 at this point and we’re 6-0. We couldn’t be happier about that. There are definitely areas to improve on and get back to work.
On being sick and compared to this week: Just frustrating. I was just really frustrated. I had the flu against Texas Tech, probably our biggest game prior to this one, and then Wednesday night, I just started feeling bad again. It is just frustrating. Maybe I got all that bad stuff out of the way; I need good luck after this. It’s okay.
On third in the BCS: It doesn’t really matter to me. I just heard that a while ago. We don’t care about that. We care about beating Missouri this week. Other than that, it doesn’t matter.
On seeing different things against Oklahoma and adjusting: I think it is just one of the things as a quarterback you have to handle. Playing here for four years, I know I am going to see new things every time I get out there. Somebody is going to show something different. I felt like going into the OU game, I was prepared as I have ever been for that game. I was not going to go out there and not be prepared, but they showed us stuff that I had never seen before. You just have to be able to handle it and let your teammates know that it is cool, and I got this, and just keep plugging away and keep fighting and that’s what we did. We showed we could come out on top in a game like that and rush the ball like we did against their defense. Their defense basically said, “We’re not going to let you throw the ball. We’re going to blitz you, we’re going to zone pressure you, we’re going to match up your receivers on your high balls. You’re not going to throw the ball. If you can re-group at halftime and run the ball and find a way to win, that’s pretty good.”
On Dan Buckner: I think our game plan was a little bit different going into this game. I think we knew going into this game that we were going to need more protection. Dan is a receiver. His position is wide and then when you have a tight end in the game, last year we had a little more protection. That was kind of our focus for the game.
On running the ball more: I understand that I am going to need to run the ball. Saturday was the first time I had plays called for me to run the ball. Take away the fumble, and I think I was pretty efficient at running the ball. I understand that. From the beginning of the season, I am going to do what the defense tells me to do, what the coaches tell me to do. If I need to carry the ball 15 times a game and we win, that’s exactly what I will do. We’ll see. Down this stretch, I think it will be important to run the ball a little more.
On if it matters which running back plays: No, I thought Fozzy and Cody did a great job. I think you have to understand that game. When they are completely taking away one thing, you have to be able to do the other. So being able to run the ball effectively, like we did, is the reason we won the game. It doesn’t matter who carries the ball, who catches the ball, who makes plays. If we’re just going to do what it takes to win offensively, then that’s what it’s all about.
On the fumble he had and what he would do differently: Yeah. I wish my thumb wouldn’t have been jacked up. That’s what happens. I had made a lot of yards. I had a great read and may even have made a guy miss, I don’t remember. I was just so mad I fumbled. You make it down there, you make it inside the 10, you just find a way to get down. I just didn’t have that much strength in my thumb when they stripped it. It just came out. That’s definitely a mistake that should not happen. That can’t happen. It might have changed the game. Regardless, we were going to get three points out of that possession. That can’t happen. I was definitely frustrated about that
On the Missouri defense and LB Sean Weatherspoon: They had the same defensive coordinator. They have a defensive end that is a good player. I think they play well. They are well coached. We’re going to have to have a solid week this week and be able to handle their twists up front, and I think (Weatherspoon) plays the weak side linebacker. He’s able to match up with the running backs a lot of times. You definitely have to account for him where he is.
On how his thumb is: It’s okay. I did it in the second quarter, and I still played, so I think it will be okay.
WR Jordan Shipley
On what Oklahoma did to slow him down: Well the main thing I think they did was come into the game with the mindset that they were going to stop the pass. They did a lot of zone blitzing and a lot of things that we hadn’t seen on film, and hadn’t seen them do in several years. I think you’ve got to give a lot of credit to them; they played a great game. Fortunately, we came out in the second half and ran the ball well.
On if their defensive scheme was frustrating: It’s part of the deal. Sometimes, you see different coverages and things like that. I’m just glad we ran the ball well and got the win. That was definitely a huge win.
On what is different about this week than past weeks: The different thing about this week is that we play Missouri instead of OU. It’s another game; it’s a huge week this week, so it’s back to work. We’ve got to get ourselves ready for a huge game on Saturday.
On if other games are as exciting as the OU game: Coach Brown does a good job keeping everyone focused. He makes everyone understand that this game is just as important as any game we’ve played so far. Once it’s over, you go straight to Missouri. It’s fun to celebrate and enjoy it. Coach Brown always makes a big point to make sure you enjoy a win; especially a win like that, but at the same time, when you come back up here, you’ve got to put that out of your mind and focus on the next week.
On the importance of having another threat at wide receiver: I think our guys this year have done a great job. Everybody has contributed at different times. We’ve got a great group, and we’re still seeing what different people can do. This week Marquise (Goodwin) stepped up and had a big game. I think we all feel really good about our group and we’re all really excited to see what everyone is going to do this week. I think it’s just that you never know who’s going to step up.
On how they handle teams that use new schemes against Texas: I think it’s important that our coaching staff does a great job of making adjustments. That’s part of the deal. I think a lot of teams come in and they do different things than what we’ve seen on film. We understand that. A lot of our game plan ends up changing when the defense does different stuff to us. I think that’s a huge credit to coach (Greg) Davis and the offensive staff for making half time adjustments. Like I said, we came out and ran the ball well in the second half.
On how much influence the players have on adjustments: There are always some things that you see during the game that you tell the coaches about what’s going on. The main adjustments come from the offensive coaches and coach Davis. So sometimes we’ll tell them what they are doing, but they do the majority of the adjustments.
On their rankings in the BCS: I don’t really know how all that stuff works. Sometimes they say ‘You’re No. 2 in this poll, you’re No. 3 in this poll.’ I think coach Brown does a good job of making us understand that we’re in a good spot. If we take care of our business every week, we’re going to be where we want to be in the end. Our main focus is not on the rankings or anything like that. Our main focus is trying to take care of our business every week.
On the Missouri defense: They are good. They were really good last year, and they’ve got a lot of guys back. They’re going to be really solid this year. We’re going to have to execute really well and be ready to come out and play on Saturday.
DT Lamarr Houston
On Gerald McCoy: I enjoy watching Gerald McCoy play. He’s a great defensive tackle. I feel like a little kid when I watch him play. It’s fun to get to catch other defensive tackles playing around the country. Sometimes it’s fun to get to sit back and be somebody else’s fan. Anytime I get to watch what they’re doing, I try to adjust it to my game plan and work it in with the way they play. Everybody’s a different player, but when you watch somebody and see what works for them, and you try and critique it and get it to work for you, it’s always a great thing.
On this year’s improvements in turnovers: It was more improvised in the offseason, in training camp, and in practice. That’s what we work on every time. Even when we’re going against the offense and we do our individual practices, we always practice as far as tipping and hitting the ball. It seems a little funny when somebody’s running away and we still hit the ball out at the last moment.
On Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert and his injury: It takes a little bit of game plan, because he’s a really mobile quarterback, but I always keep the saying in mind that great players show up at great games on big days. You never know what he’s going to be capable of on Saturday.
On Earl Thomas: Earl’s playing great right now. I think that goes to show with his experience and coaching, that our defensive backs are capable of anything right now. He’s playing really well and he’s one of our leaders on the defense and I’m happy for him.
C Chris Hall
On getting the Golden Hat: Yeah that was exciting. I mean you know, it is kind of hard not to want to put the hat on. It’s kind of a once a year kind of deal. Maybe it is only proper to put it on after the game after you win. I don’t know. It was definitely a blast.
On last year’s game compared to this year: We just want to keep putting up Ws, especially as a senior. In the context of what happened last year, we feel like this past week was such a great win for us. It is just kind of a phase kind of thing in football. No matter what they look like or how we come by them, we just want to keep winning games and if we do that, things will turn out.
On Oklahoma’s defense: OU did a great job. Their defense was really, really good. They played a great game really. Their front seven, I don’t really know about the DB’s much because I don’t really play against them, but the front seven, those were good football players.
On running game: Obviously, that is something that we really emphasized during the week. We really wanted to run the ball better than we did the week before. The coaches really helped us out with scheming and helping us look at what we were going to do and see Saturday, as far as the run was concerned. Other than that, we just played with passion and you could see it turned out with the running game with Fozzy (Whittaker), with Cody (Johnson), with Colt (McCoy); they did a great job.
On seeing new things and having to adjust: You know it does come up. For example, against Colorado last year, not this year, but the year before, they ran a defense that they basically didn’t run again the rest of the year. The defenses now do a great job for customizing their package for who they are playing. It does happen. OU did a great job of that, but we have a great staff who can help us to adjust and help us to see and talk about on the sideline what we’re seeing on the field.
On being 6-0: I know we’re excited about being 6-0. We have a six-week sprint to the end. We just want to clear every hurdle. We just have to get there in an efficient way. We’d like to get a W this week. We’re excited about playing Missouri. Going up there to play Missouri, Big 12 North game, it will probably be cold. That is just such a great environment for us. We don’t get to see that too often, so we’re excited for sure.
On the BCS rankings: I haven’t really thought about that real hard. I didn’t know until somebody told me we were No. 3 over there, but especially with knowing what happened last year. We lost a game and that bumped us out. It really helps emphasize that no matter what the rankings are, we just need to focus week by week. We’ve got Missouri this week in front of us. We have a really good Tiger week in front of us. We want to go up there and get a win, and after that, we’ll go in to the next opponent. As long as you win all your games, things will probably turn out all right.
LB Sergio Kindle
On the Golden Hat: I did get to put it on. I mean it was heavy, but I got a couple snapshots.
On creating more turnovers: I mean we put a lot emphasis on causing more turnovers. We worked so hard, and I am glad it is paying off.
On defensive coordinator Will Muschamp working on the next team: I believe it, 100 percent. As soon as the clock goes down to zero, he is working on the other team and that’s how he wants us to be. He wants us to enjoy the win, but it started the next day. It was time to start working. Today is our workday for Missouri and throughout the rest of the week.
On Missouri’s offense: I know they are a fast-tempo offense. Those guys are used to putting up big numbers. If you try to play their game, it is not going to work. We just need to go out there and play Texas football and try to stop them and then go from there.
On the next two weeks: They’re two great teams, you know. Last year Missouri put up 35 points against us. And we beat Oklahoma State by three or four. That just speaks for itself. Those guys come to play every time. Not only that, we’re going to their home fields. They are going to have a big fan base, a big crowd and the momentum from the start, and we just have to take it.
On the emotion around away night games: It was something like that. The coaches would tell us to stay poised, play our game, play how we practice. If you let that atmosphere get to you, then it is not good.
On Emmanuel Acho’s ability to recover fumbles: I don’t know, him and his brother. That guy’s Spiderman. He has a like a ball and a magnet. I don’t know; it’s something. I’m glad we have him.
On Aaron Williams: He’s grown throughout the season. Throughout spring gall and two-a-days, he worked his way up to start. I can’t stress how much of a leader that guy is in the secondary. Just being a sophomore and being capable of doing the things he’s doing, on defense like he has. Being able to play all three corner positions and the third one being the nickel, switching in the middle, like it’s nothing. It shows how much he has grown. He has a high football IQ, and it shows on the field.
On Earl Thomas: The sky is the limit for that guy. He is playing lights out, literally. He played lights out to me last year. That’s Earl though. He wants to take it up another notch every chance he gets. That’s what he is doing.
On Thomas being influenced by other players: Regardless of whether Earl made the interception, he made it because it was thrown to him; he is the type of guy that would tell the front line that he appreciated the pressure on the quarterback making him throw a bad ball, so he could intercept it. If he got the game ball, he would probably give it to somebody else because that is the type of person he is.
OG Charlie Tanner
On the running game: It was a great feeling. Anytime you can run the ball, and it just makes the passing game open up so much more especially against a defensive line like OU had; they had some great pass rushers, so when we could get the ball running, it helps with game control, too. We could get the clock run down. It also a good feeling when you can just pop the ball like that.
On Missouri: They are really good, and I haven’t seen their offense, but their defense, I just got done watching some film on them, and they have a really good defensive line also. Weatherspoon is a really good linebacker. We have to keep our eyes on him. They have a bunch of returning guys from last year. We just have a lot of work to do this week, and we just have to get back in the grind.
On getting back to work: It is something we talked about as a team. We don’t want to forget beating OU. It is a great feeling. It is a great accomplishment. The main thing this week is that we get back in into things, get working real hard, back in there watching film, and it wasn’t a problem Sunday with Mad Dog (Jeff Madden) getting us back in the weight room, getting the soreness out of our body.
OT Adam Ulatoski
On the win against OU: It’s always great when you come home with the win; especially in that game. Everybody was battling out there, and it was a whole lot of fun. They were really good and talented and you have to give credit to them, but obviously there were plenty of things that we could have done better.
On the offensive line: Offensive linemen are taught schemes and rules and they try to apply them; sometimes they work and sometimes you need to go to the sideline and talk about it with the coach and have everybody get on the same page. You only see part of it; you can’t see what they’re doing on the other side, so it’s important for everybody to be on the same page and to not let somebody go through that shouldn’t.
On offensive line improvements: Obviously you can do more. There are things you can do better and there are always going to be. We’re going to continue to go and work.
On challenges of preparing for the next game while fixing mistakes: We have time for fundamentals and we have time to work on the team that we’re playing in practice. The coaches are good at balancing in between those two things.
DE Sam Acho
On the Oklahoma game: It was a great win on Saturday. It was a hard fought battle, but it helps to play games like that.
On the Texas defense: Every time we get out there, whether it’s a turnover or we kick it off to them, we want to go out there and show what we can do as a defense. I think coach Muschamp has done a great job in practice. It shows how what we do in practice translates to what we do in the game. If we get two turnovers, we want one more, or if we get three interceptions in practice, we want to carry that over to the game.
On the Missouri game: We just want to make sure we focus. If you look at Missouri, they were ranked before they lost last week. We don’t want to look past them. We try to stay focused on one game at a time, and not get too caught up in one victory. We beat OU last year, but we didn’t get caught up in that, and we came out and focused on Missouri. This year, they have another great offense. Their quarterback has a cannon; it’s unbelievable. They’ve got a really good receiver as well. We know we’re going to have to prepare and not let down the team.
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