October 06, 1998
What are some of the things Texas A&M has to do to beat Nebraska?
"We have to stay out of predictable situations. You could say that about any team you play, but it's even moreso against Nebraska. If you get into a situation against them where they are able to just cut loose and come after you, they're so talented that they overpower you. We've got to stay out of that situation."
What did Oklahoma State do to put themselves in a situation to beat Nebraska?
"From what I could tell they played it fairly close to the vest on offense. They hit a few play-action passes but didn't give Nebraska a lot of chances to beat them up. They played good enough defense that Nebraska didn't get way out in front of them. But I think they contributed to that on offense by not giving them a bunch of easy plays, where they're turning the ball over and letting Nebraska play on a short field. "
Is Nebraska sometimes underrated for their kicking game?
"Coaches don't underrate them. They have a great kicking game and there's a logical reason for it. Just like Florida State has a great kicking game. Programs who have had great success have their 'waiting in the wings' defensive backs, running backs, tight ends on special teams. Most good teams have good special teams, but that doesn't mean they work harder or have better schemes; they have better people. They have 10 better athletes running down on coverage than the team that says we can only muster six good athletes and the rest are 'filler' kind of guys. That shows up in games."
Missouri head coach Larry Smith says that Nebraska is a different team when they play on grass as opposed to turf. Have you noticed that?
"I think most coaches would feel that option teams aren't normally as good on grass as they are on AstroTurf. The cuts they make, the changes they make, the footing on AstroTurf is a lot better than it is on grass."
(Follow up question) Do you get Mr. Pickard out there with a garden hose?
"That wouldn't be all bad. Slow that thing down and get them in a mudhole...We've got good footing (at Kyle Field), but it's just different. Teams are quicker on AstroTurf than they are on grass, and if you have the style of offense that makes a lot of 90 degree turns, then you prefer playing on AstroTurf."
With not many people giving A&M a chance to win, do you feel the community rallying around the team, kind of an "us vs. them" type situation? "I'm looking more forward to this game than if it was just some other team coming in here this week. The day-to-day preparation will be fun, the meeting with the coaches will be fun and I think our practices will fly by this week. Playing this type of game is really what it's all about. I've got more friends and cousins coming out of the woodwork wanting to see the game this week. It intensifies everything."
What memories do you have of the 1997 Big 12 Championship game between A&M and Nebraska (a 54-15 Nebraska win)?
"We caught them last year when they were smelling the national championship. They had lost the year before in the conference championship game. Their coach was going to retire. They had everything going their direction, along with being a very talented football team. They were a good football team hitting on all cylinders when we played them. We got off to a bad start and really never made a contest out of it."
What can your kids learn from last year that they can apply to this year?
"I don't want to say we were in awe or intimidated, but the game was pretty much over before it started. I told them at halftime that we have a great challenge here and we can either go back out there and let them run up and down the field or we can settle down and play. I thought we did a good job of competing in the second half. Now Nebraska already had the hay in the barn and probably weren't as revved up as they were earlier in the game. But I thought our guys competed in the second half and some of the aura of their team may have wore off a little bit. Then we played a good UCLA team and I didn't see any of that. I didn't see any of that when we played Florida State. I think maybe that (playing Nebraska in Big 12 Title game) helped us grow a little bit. Since that time we have played several good teams and I think we'll be a little more relaxed going into the game."
Talk about playing at Kyle Field vs. playing on the road...
"We've got a pretty good record here at our place. I don't have any doubt in my mind that some of those games we won, had they been on the road, we wouldn't have won. (Slocum's teams have compiled a 50-5-1 record in games at Kyle Field) We won some close games that we hung in there and got things going and eventually won in the fourth quarter. I think most teams would be the same way too."
Has the confidence gap closed between A&M and Nebraska?
"Yes."
What about the physical skills gap?
"The pure athletic gap probably hasn't closed that much, if I had to say. Nebraska is still really talented. When you win national championships three of the last four years, you normally recruit pretty well under those circumstances. That's the ideal circumstance for a team to recruit. So when Nebraska had been good and won national titles, then they've also recruited well and added talent to an already talented team. That really shows up in their special teams, which are always good. Their young, developing players in a lot of cases are better than other teams' young developing players. Without a doubt there is still a gap in the talent (between A&M and Nebraska), and I'd say there would be a talent gap with most teams in college football and Nebraska."
How will the loss of 12,000 fans due to the stadium reconstruction affect the atmosphere at Kyle Field?
"At some point, loud is loud. It will be a great atmosphere. We will get everyone we can into that stadium. I think it will be a good atmosphere, but Nebraska has played in front of enough big crowds to where I don't think they'll be in awe of the noise level. But it can be a factor. The biggest thing is whn things are going well (for the opponent) the crowd isn't much of a factor, but if things start going bad then your ups and downs are magnified by the crowd. If you go on the road and have a few bad things happen to you it seems much worse than it is because of the crowd. You're actually having to defeat the crowd and the other team."