• Roster
• |
• Schedule/Results
• |
• Stats
• |
• News
• |
• Archives

Oct. 31, 2012

Co-offensive coordinator/running backs coach Major Applewhite
On Texas Tech's defense putting pressure up the middle: They have done a tremendous job on defense in general, but we have to have some things out on the perimeter to be able to give us some space. They do a good job inside. [DE Kerry] Hyder has played really well for them and [DT Devon] Simmons has, too. Their backers have done a great job so they have been stout inside, and they have done a great job on defense this year.

On thoughts about Tech's defense since a year ago: They are better aligned. They are more aggressive. Their guys are playing with more confidence, and it looks different just watching the tape.

On RB Johnathan Gray: He has got great acceleration. He can get into the hole. He has good feet as well so he can get to some things, accelerate into some cuts and open space that some other guys can't. When we look at the Kansas game, there are more yards out there. He had a good game, but there are more yards out there. And break an ankle tackle here or there and then run with a little bit better vision - there are more yards.

On if Gray might be too amped up this week: No. We have played Oklahoma. We played West Virginia at home. We went on the road with Oklahoma State. He started last week against Kansas. I know people are making it a big deal this week, but he started last week and did just fine.

On Gray's progression from here: Just continue to be an all-around back. They all come in with the ability to run with the ball, but they have to learn how to play in the passing game, which means route running, catching the ball and, obviously, protection.

On RB Malcolm Brown: He has been trying to get himself healthy, number one, but then he has been in our meetings. He has been out at practice, and there are even some portions of practice where he has been over there watching the scheme of the game plan to stay involved with the terminology and how we are evolving as an offense. But at the same time, he has tried to help to get back from that injury. He has stayed in-tune with the meetings, he has stayed in-tune out on the field, but he was extremely frustrated with it. But he's back and he's healthy and feeling like he can contribute.

On the team's resiliency: I think that is just the competitive nature. I think that is everybody. When your back is up against a wall as a person, you have to overcome the odds. Our back was against the wall after the Oklahoma game. It was a shootout against Baylor, and we got behind against Kansas on the road and we had to score on the last two drives. You don't want to put yourself in that situation but you also find out a lot about yourself as a person, player, team, and coach when you are put in that situation. So I think it is kind of a double-edge sword. You want to be in those situations to find out the character of your team. You just don't want to put yourself in that situation.

On what he has learned from this team being in those situations: Well the last two weeks have told us a lot. They had a great week of preparation going into the Baylor game, had a good week of preparation going into the Kansas game. For whatever reason, the mistakes that took us off the field, put us in long down and distances, penalties, dropped balls, assignment issues and sacks really threw our offense off last week against Kansas. You just find out a lot about the team on the last two drives. I mean it was do or die. That is it. As a competitor, it was playoff-like. If you don't score on these next two drives, it is over.

Assistant head coach/defensive backs coach Duane Akina
On Texas Tech QB Seth Doege: I think they are throwing it much better this year then they did a year ago. You can see it has been an emphasis for them in the offseason, and they have done a nice job. Even if there is one-on-ones downfield, they are just going to take their shot. You just take your shot - he's covered, they have some big receivers, throw the high-straight ones and see what happens. I think they have done a nice job with that.

On Texas Tech sophomore TE Jace Amaro: We are expecting to see them all. We are not sure, but we are expecting him to be back in the game. I'm sure when Texas comes into town or anyone comes into town after being out, he is going to want to play. He is going to do whatever it takes to get himself on the field. He is a good player, and I'm sure if he can go then they are going to want him out there for the run and pass game.

On working on spacing and making solo tackles in practice: I think with the nature of some of the offenses you see in this conference, there is a lot of spacing out there. What you have to do is really work hard at swarming the football and not leaving people in one-on-one tackling situations. I think the emphasis has been to swarm to the football and reduce open-field tackling situations and everyone understanding the leverages. It is not only how you pursue the football, but the angle and the approach, too. I thought we did a great job with that last week. We let one get out of the box, but in today's football I wish that you would leave a game with zero missed tackles. Until we can find a defense that does then we would know the recipe. I thought they really did a nice job with it last week, and we continue to work on that and continue to get better on that.

On junior CB Carrington Byndom's confidence: He's been steady all year. I don't believe his confidence has dipped. I see no signs of it. We play an aggressive style of defense, and he is still up there challenging. I can't remember him being in a tough situation in this last game against Kansas that warrants him to lose some confidence, so we will find out this week. He will have some good matchups this week against good receivers and another team that throws the ball really efficiently. I think they are third in the nation, so not many people have slowed him down that have lined up against him.

On Texas Tech picking up the tempo on offense: Yea, they up the tempo. That is the personality of this league really. It is a good concept for offensive coaches. They do a good job of running the football, throwing the football and I think they do a nice job with all the receivers. All the receivers do a nice job of blocking down field along with running routes. This is a good receiving corps. [They have] a nice balanced attack, and they have the ability to run the football. You can see they have really made an emphasis of it. I think it has helped their defense. It's part of [Texas Tech Head coach Tommy] Tuberville's plan; he is a defensive guy by nature. I think having that run game in their system, they still want to throw it. But they will run it, and I think a lot of it was to help their defense in the off-season.

On where senior S Kenny Vaccaro will play this week: We played a lot of base defense because of the nature of the offense they were running. We weren't looking at four wide-outs all game or five, so we weren't in our six DBs [defensive backs] quite as much. We ran some nickel, but when we run our four DBs, it gives Kenny a chance to play on top, which is good for him. It shows how complete of a football player he is. I've got to say that he is playing as well as any safety/defensive back in the country right now. With the job descriptions we are giving him right now, [they] are very similar to what we gave [former Longhorn and current NFL Oakland Raider S] Michael Huff when Michael was here. Just mentally and physically the things that he is doing, I think a lot of people really don't understand. He is playing outstanding. The wrinkle we put in the second half there to slow down the three [running] back offense, which they hadn't shown much or hardly at all. Kenny kind of ended up playing middle linebacker in that thing. He just continues with his job description, and his resume continues to grow as one of the best I've been around.