November 21, 2000
Head Coach R.C. Slocum
Talk about how the loss of Jason Glenn will affect the team.
"He was a very experienced and productive player on the field. He was an emotional leader. He's a guy that likes to play football and our players look up to him and respect him. He's a guy that has really stepped up on our defense this year. He's been a aleader for us. We took a hit there. We took a hit in production. He's made some big plays and his enthusiasm on the field - you just can't replace that. In team sports, when you have a loss like that others have to pick it up. It's a team effort and everybody has to pick it up."
Would it be fair to say that Roylin Bradley has to pick up that slack?
"Roylin has to step it up, and the other guys on defense can't rely on Jason (Glenn) to make the plays because he's not here. He's been a solid player for us here. He's started the last three years and he played as a true freshman. He didn't have the benefit of a redshirt year and he's had some injuries that have slowed him down a little. He's been one of those guys who has been steady doing his job. He's a very solid player for us."
How do the two teams (Texas A&M and Texas) stack up against each other?
"To me, both teams match up pretty well on paper. I look at the game two years ago, and they kicked a field goal with five seconds left to beat us. There were any number of plays in that game that could have gone either way. This game is like that. It comes down to a play here and a play there. You never know when those plays are going to happen. It's exciting from a player's standpoint and a coach's standpoint."
Talk about how much Ja'Mar Toombs has improved from the first half of the season to the second half and the reasons for that.
"For one thing, I think his weight is better now. He has good feet. Another thing is he's jumping in and he's around the other guys. He's given us leadership on the field. In practice he's a leader and in the ballgames he's a leader. He's an upbeat guy."
Have the feelings surrounding this game been changed any because of what happened last year?
"I think it's pretty much back to normal. I really think that over the years, the guys compete very hard and they desperately want to win the game. I've never sensed a lot of hatred between the two teams, and I can certainly say from my vantage point I've never coached our guys to hate them. I have a great respect for Texas. I have respect for Mack Brown. I don't hate Mack Brown because he coaches at Texas. We've been friends for a long time before he went to Texas."
Is Texas a different team offensively with Chris Simms instead of Major Applewhite starting at quarterback? What about the rest of the team?
"I don't see them doing things a lot differently, depending on those two quarterbacks. In terms of our preparation, it's not different. I assume one or both of them will play. Both have been starters at different times during the year, and I don't see a lot of changes in their offense. On defense, their guys up front are really physical players. They're big guys, and you don't see anybody block them very much. If you run inside, they've got (Shaun) Rogers and (Casey) Hampton, and if you try to run outside because of them, they've got great speed. It's hard to keep them all blocked. They are a talented defensive team."