December 16, 1999
TEXAS A&M HEAD COACH R.C. SLOCUM
Can you guys hope that Penn State will come into the game flat or down after the way they ended the season, or do you have to assume they're going to bring the best they have?
"I think if you look at their team, their talent and Joe's (Paterno) record in bowl games, we are expected and prepared to get their best shot."
I know you have a lot of respect for Joe Paterno and Penn State. In a way, this is a good opponent for you because of the way they run their program. You've always admired the way things are done up there.
"Well, I have. I've admired the consistency of the program over the years. They're always pretty good. They are a good, sound football team, and they are hard to beat. The way they've done it, you don't hear a lot of negative comments about that program. Their players usually handle themselves well. I think Joe is a straight-forward guy. He's a very principle person. I've just always admired the way they've run their program. A lot of other programs have kind of come and gone with a flash, but he's been there throughout the whole time. I think it's a good experience for their players. I just admire everything they do."
They have three All-Americans on their defense and you're offense has been up-and-down all season. That match-up would seem to be critical when you look at the game.
"Well, there's no question that when you go into a game there are three phases - the kicking game, offense and defense. They've got a very talented defensive team. I think they're good on offense, too. They are explosive on offense. They've got two quarterbacks, good backs and a couple of fast receivers. I'd say their defense has some recognized players on there. If you look at their team and say that their defense is better than their offense, I'd say that both are pretty good."
Over the years, you've played some teams in bowl games that have some great talent. Now you look at this year and the opponent you get with the fourth bowl slot from the Big 12, your opponent is clearly stronger than at least a couple of other Big 12 teams' opponents. Do you make the bowl gods mad at some time?
"That's just the way it has worked out. That's the one thing I get hammered for as a coach, and you take that. If you go back and check the opponents, we've been the underdogs in most of those games, and sometimes pretty heavy underdogs. I don't think there's any question that this year out of the Big 12 schools, we've got the toughest opponent. When you look back at how many times the underdog has lost in bowl games, it's a high percentage of the time. That's been our role lately in bowl games, including this year."
A couple of players have talked about the need to win a bowl game. It seems like it makes your task that much more difficult. They have that need, and you have the task of facing such a talented team.
"It is a challenge. It's something we'd like to do. One of the things that I think is part of it is that in the bowls over the past ten years or so, we have played teams that are traditional bowl teams like Florida State, Ohio State, Penn State, UCLA and Notre Dame. If you check the number of bowls those teams have been in and their experience of playing in bowls, and then you check our record you'll see a difference. For us to get better, that's the next step (playing in those bowls). We've really haven't had a bad performance. A couple of years ago, everyone thought UCLA was going to drill us. We came very close to winning that game. Last year, I think Ohio State was 15- or 16- point favorites, and that ended up being a 10-point game. We're close, but it goes down as a "W" or and "L". With our players, I told them we are going down there with every intent to win the ball game. We'll give it our best shot. We'll find out which team's better."
You've won the last two games of the season, and now you get to go play in San Antonio with that comfort zone that the crowd's going to be jacked up. Is that something you can feel good about going into the game?
"I think we'll play well in the ball game. I think our guys are in a good frame of mind. I think it will be a great atmosphere. Sometimes you can get caught up in being in front of a large crowd, but when they kick that ball off, it's going to be our guys against their's. They are a very talented football team. They won nine straight games, and they lost a close one. Then they lost two to Michigan and Michigan State, two very good football teams."
When you look at the films, do you see anything you feel you will be able to do against Penn State?
"You never know. We've tried very hard in the last two games to be balanced. I think we definitely have to do the same thing against them. You don't want to get into a situation where you're having to drop back and throw the ball every down. If you do, their multiple-front defense will give you a bunch of different looks. That just wouldn't work. When you get behind and you get into a single-mode thing where you have to throw the ball, it's hard. It's the mode one team gets into where they say we're pinning our ears back and rushing the passer every down, regardless of whether they run. You can't into that situation against Penn State. They're too talented. We'll have to mix it, run it and be patient."
Outside of uniform colors, these programs are two of the most similar programs in the nation.
"I think that's a heckuva compliment. I would take that as a big compliment, other than the fact that I wouldn't want them to think that both teams have old coaches. When I took over as head coach in `89, I looked at other teams and said if I could pattern my program after any team, and which one would fit A&M, then I'd say that image you have of Penn State is an image that would be fitting of A&M. I've always had a good impression of them.
This is your first chance to coach against Joe Paterno in a game as a head coach. Is that fun, in a professional sense?
"Well, it's fun to go to a bowl game. It's fun to go there and spend a week with a guy you respect, and in this case it is a real honor for us to be in a game with a storied program like Penn State. If you look back at the top four or five programs over the last 30 years, then they are certainly one of them. If you look at the top two or three coaches over the last 30 years, Joe is up there. He has spanned over several generations of coaches. He's in the class of Bear Bryant, Woody Hayes, John McKay, all of that generation of coaches. He has continued on through that generation. He has outlasted all of them. There's a big part of me that's still a little kid, because I can remember seeing Joe Paterno on TV. It's always a thrill to me, because I never dreamed that I'd grow up to know a guy like Joe Paterno. I love the guy. I admire him. It's something special to me to be around him. I know now on gameday, the guy is very hard to beat."
TEXAS A&M PUNTER SHANE LECHLER
Do you think Penn State is in the same position Kansas State was last year, after competing for the national championship for most of the season, losing at the end of the year and playing in the Alamo Bowl?
"They did lose their last three games, but you have to realize they were ranked No. 1 or 2 most of the season and there's a reason behind that. That's a good football team over there. I think they will definitely not be disappointed, because of the fact that they are such a disciplined team. They come and play hard every game, and I don't see why this one would be any different."
What does it mean to your team to be playing a team like Penn State with the name recognition?
"My first year here was in `95, and I redshirted, but we did face Michigan in the Alamo Bowl. We were kind of in the same situation as we are right now. We were the underdog going into the game and Michigan came in with a lot of hype. I think they really expected to blow us away in that game. This game is going to be won on the defensive side of the ball. Our offense might have trouble against their defense because they have two or three great players. If we can play a field position game with them, I believe we can win."
As you regroup for this game, what do you see at stake in this game for this team and the program?
"A chance at another win in a bowl game. We won the bowl game in `95, we didn't get a chance to go to one in `96, and we lost the last two. To win a bowl game would be pretty big around here. People say we have trouble winning the big game, well here's another chance. Penn State is a very top opponent, and I believe they probably deserve a little more recognition than they got toward the end of the year. People kind of wrote them off after the second loss, and after the third one, they dropped them way down. I just see that we are facing a very disciplined opponent, and we are going to have to come out and stay focused and play a good game. Getting a win would really help us out a lot this season."
TEXAS A&M OFFENSIVE LINEMAN CHRIS VALLETTA
There seems like there's a little irony in the fact that you fell into the fourth Big 12 bowl slot, but you may be facing the second-toughest opponent in Penn State. Nebraska is playing Tennessee, but Texas is playing Arkansas and Kansas State is playing Washington. Most people feel that Penn State would probably be favored over those two schools. Do you like it that way?
"I'm glad people view it that way, because it seems like people match it up that way as the Big 12 versus the Big 10. We need to beat a team like that. That's how you get respect, and that's how you deal with the people that tell you that you can't win against a big-time program like Penn State. There's no question they are (a big program).
Is there any chance that Penn State won't have their heart in this game?
"Absolutely not. They're too disciplined, they have too good of a coach and their program is too good for their heart not to be in this game. We know what it's like to lose a game, and when you do, the only way to get that flavor out of your mouth is to go and beat somebody and beat them bad. We know that this is their defensive coordinator's (Jerry Sandusky) last game, so we know their defense is going to want to send him out on a good note. So their heart's going to be in this game."
So, you're not counting on getting any help from that standpoint?
"None whatsoever. They've got three first team AP All-Americans on that defense. They're solid all over the place. Their defensive line is huge. Of course, the linebackers are just all-world."
Your offense has kind of been up and down all season, and they do have three All-Americans on their defense. A lot of people would look at that match-up and just roll their eyes. What kind of challenge does their defense present?
"We are aware of the talent they have on defense, but people said the same thing when we played against Texas, and rightfully so. Texas had a great defensive line. What can you say to that? All you have to do is go out and play. I know we can out and respond well to those challenges, so we're not worried about that."
What do you guys see that you can do against that defense?
Obviously, there's Lavar Arrington. You really don't want to run outside against them. You just have to hit them. You have to run straight at them, and see what happens. That was our game plan against Texas, and we're not really going to change anything for them."
Does it bug you when people bring up the fact that the bowl record hasn't been nearly as good as the regular season record?
"We are aware of that. I haven't won a bowl game since I've been here. We definitely want to win a bowl game. Not only just to win a bowl game, but to boost this program and our national status and show that we are a team to be reckoned with and get back into the national championship race."
TEXAS A&M LINEBACKER JASON GLENN
What do you think Penn State's mind-set will be coming into the game? Do you think they will come in flat?
"They had high hopes for this season, and they just went downhill and lost a couple of games at the end. Hopefully, they won't take us lightly, because we are coming out to play football. It doesn't matter who you are, we are going to come out and play.
Do you think Penn State might take you guys kind of lightly, or if they might not be very pumped to play in the game?
"Against every big team, we are always the underdog no matter what. They have great linebackers, a great defense and a pretty good offense. We're just going to come out and execute our plays. Coach Hankwitz and Coach Kragthorpe have an excellent gameplan. We are going to have to go out there and play the best we can."
What do you guys stand to gain from this game in terms of winning a bowl?
"This could spring us big-time. Last year against Kansas State, we got publicity. We were a good team last year, and we are a good team this year. By beating Penn State, hopefully people will start respecting us a lot more than they do now."
When you look at them, they have Lavar Arrington, Joe Paterno, they're Penn State, things like that. Does that get you pumped up?
"Oh, yes it gets me pumped up. They do have Arrington, but our linebackers are just as good. We don't get the recognition they do. We've got Brian Gamble who is a freshman who came in and is doing a good job. Cornelius Anthony has a lot of tackles, and Roylin Bradley speaks for himself, when he comes and plays. With the depth that we have, our linebackers are just as good. I believe our linebackers and our backups could start anywhere."
So which school really is "Linebacker U"?
"I believe it's Texas A&M."
TEXAS A&M LINEBACKER BRIAN GAMBLE
Could you talk about what it means to play Joe Paterno and Penn State?
"I think we kind of got lucky going to the Alamo Bowl, because we get such a great opponent. Whenever you go to bowl games, you want to play the best competition possible. About a month ago, Penn State was in the middle of the national championship race, then they had some games they dropped. They are still a great opponent, and we are really looking forward to playing them. We're not going to let the mystique of "Joe Pa and Penn State" get to us.
Is it a bad deal for you that you are playing the first- or second-toughest opponent for a Big 12 school in bowls this year?
"No, that's a good deal. That's what you want to do. You want to play the big schools that are known for winning and get some notoriety on the national level. That's what we are looking to do - we're looking to play the best competition out there, and get our name out there on a national level and let people know we can play with the big boys."
In the past you haven't had a lot of success in the bowl games. Is that a step this program needs to take?
"Definitely. That's the one big step we need to take. In the past couple of years, we've had some success beating teams in the Top 10 and winning at home, but we haven't the bowl game. We're looking forward to going into this bowl game against a top-notch opponent and coming out with a win. That would be an end to a pretty good season this year."
TEXAS A&M QUARTERBACK RANDY McCOWN
You look ahead now to your last game in the maroon and white. Explain what that feels like as you prepare for Penn State.
"It's kind of crazy. Four and a half years went by like that. I'm really thankful we get to play a team like Penn State. It's going to be a real tester for us. We won our last game here at Kyle Field in the maroon and white. Hopefully, we can our last game ever in the maroon and white."
The offense has been up-and-down all season and they have a defense with three All-Americans. It seems like you guys have your work cut out for you.
"You always want to know how good you are. When you play a team like Penn State, those are the teams that test you. We're going to get tested and I have every bit of confidence that we can beat these guys. It's going to be a great game. We're really looking forward to the challenge, and hopefully it will come out the way we want it to."