October 19, 1999
On the Season:
"I think it has yet to be determined. We are over halfway through the season and we are about to start down the home stretch, and the way our season goes will really be determined over the next five weeks. At this point, we are 5-1 and ranked in the top ten in the country, so up to this point it has to be OK. It could have been better, but when you look at college football it could have been a lot worse. What happens from here on in will determine whether or not it turns into a good season or a disappointing season."
On Being a Championship Caliber Team:
"I said after the game on Saturday that we would have to step up our play from here on out. We are going on the road playing a quality opponent. To win this game, we will have to play better as a team than we have played throughout the season. This will need to be our best performance, and realistically it should be."
On There Being One Area Where the Team Needs to Improve:
"I don't think so. When you look at it, it's an across the board thing. I don't think we've played really badly in any area other than our effectiveness in the red zone. Other than that when you look at the numbers in terms of moving the football, our per game average is good. Our rushing numbers are down, but our passing numbers are up. Defensively we've given up some big plays, but overall we've played pretty well, especially on scoring defense."
On Defending Oklahoma's High Powered Offense:
"When you're playing an explosive offense, I've always thought that the best defense is to keep the ball away from their offense, regardless of how you do it. It doesn't necessarily mean you need to run the football, it just means you have to keep the football. You can't be going three and out and giving the ball right back to them."
On Jay Brooks and Michael Jameson:
"I think it is unique that you have two guys that aren't brothers, but they lived together in high school and played together and both play in the secondary. They've both been good players for us. Michael has been extremely solid for us this year. I've been pleased with the way he has stepped up. Jay has done a great job as a backup, and he has made some really big plays for us. Michael is further along as a player, but he played as a true freshman, and Jay got hurt and ended up redshirting."
On Oklahoma's Offense Compared to Louisiana Tech's:
"They run the ball better. With their scheme, they give you more run formations. Louisiana Tech almost never got in a conventional two-back formation, whereas Oklahoma will be two-backs, but they'll also line up with a lot of wide receivers. Oklahoma is a passing team, but they can still cause you some problems running the ball."
On Secondary Always Trying to Make the Big Play:
"I think there is a danger on putting too much emphasis on trying to make interceptions. Sometimes if you go for the interception, you better get it, because if you don't get it, you could give up the big play. Some of the guys that make the most interceptions are the ones that give up the most big plays. I think there is a fine line between playing aggressively and playing smartly. I think we are doing a good job of that."
On Eric Bernard's Running Style:
"I think he's a hard runner. He hits the hole hard, and he has a good burst. He got out in the open the other day, and I though that if he had the speed, he could have taken that one all the way. I think he is a hard hitting north and south guy with good toughness."
On the Attendance:
"I think it is indicative of the progress we are making. I read that A&M averaged either 27,000 or 29,000 during the 60's. It has crept up gradually, but it has taken a pretty big jump in this decade. You look at where other people were in the 60's and 70's and how far the difference was between us and them, and they've climbed a little bit and we've climbed a lot during that period of time. You look at other people, and they have gone dramatically down. Now the people that we want to compare us to, they've been there for a long time. We have come a long way in a relatively short amount of time. You hear the thing about the respect, and I think we get a lot of respect, when you consider that some of those teams have been operating for so long with so much more. We're just now starting to get some of those things that start to put us on an even footing with some of those people in terms of an overall picture and in terms of recruiting."
On What Coach Kragthorpe Brings to the Team:
"His dad was an offensive coach. He spent his entire childhood around offense, especially wide open offenses. He played quarterback in a wide open offense, and the teams that he has coached have had wide open offenses. He has had an extensive background around some good football minds. I would give him a lot of credit for helping the team evolve in the passing game, but I would also not want to minimize the contribution of Ray Dorr. Both of those guys understand the passing game and the benefits of the passing game, but still recognize the benefit of having a balanced offense. I've always wanted to throw the football, but I also recognize that we need to run the football effectively."
On What's Helped Him be Successful at A&M:
"There's not one thing I would single out. I've had good support from the A&M administration. There was never any pressure to have a quick fix and bring in a bunch of JuCo guys. They've allowed us to do it in a way that would make it more stable. I've had excellent assistant coaches. There has been a large turnover rate, but one of the reasons we've had high turnover is that I've hired good coaches. If I hadn't hired good coaches, they'd probably all still be here. When you look at who we've had, you've got the head coach at Auburn, the head coach at Notre Dame, the head coach at UCLA. Also, you've got about eight different NFL assistant coaches including the offensive coordinators for the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks. Because we've had such good coaches and good support here, we've been able to recruit some good players. That combination has allowed us to be a stable program and win a lot of games. People talk about us not winning the big game, but I think we've won some big games to get into New Year Day Bowls. I think the next point is to get where you win your share of those games. We've come along ways to get into those games. I'm certainly not satisfied with losing, but I am comfortable that we are making progress where we are a household name on New Year's Day, and we win our share of those games."