November 08, 2005
Audio from Tuesday's football media luncheon is available through the links to the right. Files can be downloaded and are in MP3 format.
A transcript of Coach Dennis Franchione's press conference on Tuesday at the Bright Football Complex is posted below.
The Aggies return to the field Saturday at Oklahoma. Kickoff from Oklahoma Memorial Stadium is set for 11 a.m. and the game will be televised by ABC.
Coach Fran Media Luncheon Transcript
It seems like the way things have been going for y'all, it just seems almost par for the course that Oklahoma is getting healthy as y'all are getting ready to play them...
"This is the third team that's had an open week before we've played them. It's kind of unusual to have that. There's nothing we can do about that. We've just got to stay focused on what we have control over and that's not one of them right there."
With a couple of games left in his career, what do you see as Reggie's legacy here at A&M? What do you think he'll be remembered as in 10 or 20 years?
"I haven't looked at all the statistics but I know he's going to have a bunch of records that will be his, and I think he'll be eventually remembered as one of the handful of best quarterbacks in A&M's history."
How clear is the big picture that with these two games, things can be accomplished and the team can still, in a way, be able to take some positives out of some negative situations?
"Well, our guys still want to get that sixth win. They've got two more chances to do that. The teams we're playing are good football teams, but anytime you can beat one of those two you've done something special. It's hard to beat both those teams. They are always good teams and certainly will be good."
Obviously OU draws some "venom", or whatever the word is, but especially Texas...and I know I'm jumping ahead a week, but I would assume there's got to be some positivity with the chance of playing them if they are undefeated and what they'll have on the line. How much does that play into the excitement of preparing to play?
"I haven't given a lot of thought to that one yet, but anytime in college football you get a chance to see how you stack up against the No. 1 or No. 2-ranked team in the country, you've got to look forward to that I think. Somebody's going to eventually beat them so, you want to get in line and take your shot."
A lot of guys on your team weren't around two years ago. Does 77-0 come up in practice?
"No. We're worried about this game. I don't think there's anything we draw from past games."
Can you evaluate the defensive front in relation to run defense--how they've done against the run?
"For the most part our run defense has been solid. We've had a day or two where we probably gave up a few more rushing yards than we'd like but I think we're like fifth or sixth in the conference in rushing defense. So I think the front's done okay there-the down guys."
Coming into the season a lot of people expected the front to be ahead of the secondary just because of experience. But has the front lived up to what you've wanted? Has it been worse?
"Oh, I can't say it's been either one yet really. Everything is interwoven on that side of the ball. It's not just one element of it. I think sometimes, in respect to our front, people have maybe rolled away from them or kept more people in or things like that--in respect to the pressure I think they could get sometimes. That has an impact. When they do that they've got less receivers out and you've got to do a good job in the secondary, so no matter how you look at it, they're still weaved together."
Last season, and coming into this season, opponents are clearly trying to do things to get away from your line and put more pressure on the linebackers, bootlegs and some of the other things we're seeing. Do you feel like you've been able to adjust well to what they're doing to you?
"We've had to make a lot of adjustments to handle sprints and rolls and things we've gotten more of, which means sometimes you're going to have to bring linebackers out of coverage or you're going to have to run some edge twists or things like that to get somebody up the field to contain. We've had to work at that more, I think, in the last year and a half than ever before."
Is what you're saying that the front four--as far as opponents are concerned--is the strength of the defense so (opponents) are trying to neutralize that?
"I think that's a safe way to say that."
What's the focus been coming out of halftime the last two weeks? The third quarter has been a trouble spot, with the game slipping away. What's your analysis of that and looking ahead?
"Well, I don't know if there's anything you can pinpoint it on. I looked at our offense...we've had 24 possessions in the last two games. Twenty-one of those 24 possessions we've taken inside our 26-yard line. Sixteen of them have been at the 20 or inside. We've had five drives for scores of 80, 72, 64, 80, and 83. So we're having to go a long way. And we're not able to recreate field position well enough right now to not have to drive so far all the time. Statistically the odds are difficult to go 80 yards all day long. That's kind of been a little bit of the problem there, probably, is that we're always in that situation--but, you know, there's other components I think to it, too. I mean, I'm not saying that's the only thing that we try to analyze and look at."
Do you look at special teams or defense?
"It's all interwoven together. You don't pinpoint one area. Obviously if we put together a drive, we have a chance to reestablish some field position or get points. If we don't, we punt and give it to them in decent field position. If we don't get a stop, then we get it backed up or after a score, we've had a lot of kickoffs out of the end zone, so you're starting on the 20 again, too. Our turnover came on the 4-yard line. Theirs came on the 37. It's not any one area. It's just a component of your team that's reflecting on each other in that regard."
A few weeks ago you expressed your confidence in your defensive coaches and stuff like that. You talk about how much you admire (Defensive Coordinator) Coach (Carl) Torbush. How much does it trouble you, or at all, that, Coach Torbush seems to be made a scapegoat for the struggles defensively?
"Anytime things are said like that it bothers you. The first responsibility is me...and he's second. I just know what kind of coach and what kind of person Carl is better than anybody else, and how he is to work with. So that's never an enjoyable thing to hear."
Is it ultimately something you're going to have to evaluate at the end of the season?
"You evaluate everything...yourself, your staff, everything you're doing. You always do that. You don't rush into rash decisions. You make them. You think about them and evaluate a lot of the areas, and certainly all those things will be looked at at the end of the year."
Was New Mexico the last time you made a change with someone not leaving on their own?
"That could be right...No, I think there was one at TCU."
(Quarterback) Reggie (McNeal) hasn't been able to get the big gains rushing that he's known for. Is that a product of the defenses? Do you need him to be able to have bigger rushing yards, especially if passing yards aren't going to be as big?
"I think in every game there's a multitude of ways that Reggie can get rushing yards. You know, a lot of times he gets it on scrambles, sometimes boots or nakeds (bootlegs), and sometimes he gets it on option plays. (There are) certain times we're not getting the quarterback keeping the ball as much as we have other games. When you run that type of a play, what you have to do is make them pay irregardless of who's carrying the football. We did that some the other night. (Running back) Jorvorskie's (Lane) run he fumbled on was one of those plays. That was a nice play, first down and things like that. I think there's a certain aspect that you take what's given to you, and that's what part of that is."
Do you study Oklahoma, and their defense in particular, and compare them to anybody else you've played--and their strengths as opposed to some of the other teams y'all have played?
"Well, obviously they have the best run defense we've played I'd say. (They are) probably the most athletic front that we have played since Clemson. They're coming together pretty good as a unit right now. You can kind of tell early in the year they had new faces and had some growing pains they were going through. But you can tell now in the last month that they've started to get into a rhythm defensively, and they're pretty aggressive in their calls. I would say it's maybe as good a defense as we've gone against this year-I'm trying to think if anybody is comparable at this point in time. I don't think there is."
On getting to a bowl game, two parts: How important is it for recruiting...then also, how important is it just for the development of your team to have that extra month of practice--especially with so many young guys?
"It's important in both regards. The extra practice is always very valuable and the intangible of recruiting is always valuable."
And by not getting to one...
"I think it hurts a little bit, but I think what you gain out of it is more time to spend in evaluation and recruiting. It's a little bit of a trade off that you gain I think sometimes."
Along the sidelines, some coaches jump around and are very animated. Have you always been very stoic on the sidelines and why is that? You have a very business-like approach obviously...
"Well, I'm working...and there's a lot of things going on on that headset. For me to be too animated and out of control is not going to lend itself to manage the game I think as well as it needs to be managed. You always have to be your own personality. The players see intensity and fire down there. That doesn't mean y'all have to see everything."
Was there a time when you were a younger coach that you were more animated?
"Yeah, I've had my times. I used to have dark hair. (laughing)"
Is there a coach, I don't know if "model yourself after" is the right phrase...
"No. I just try to be Coach Fran. It wouldn't be good to try to be somebody else."
What does it mean to the team to see all the students who are camping out for Texas tickets already, maybe 200 or 300 people? What does that mean to you guys?
"It just kind of reenergizes the thought of support that the 12th man student body means, and what makes this place special in that regard, and what makes that tradition special. Their excitement and energy towards looking forward to that game, much like they did the Cotton Bowl last year, that's college football for you, and that's one of the great parts of college football."
Any injury material that can be shared?
"Only thing I can say is (linebacker) Lee Foliaki might get to play this week."
Really?
"Uh-huh. He's made enough recovery that they can pad up his arm. He'll practice today so we'll judge how he goes through practice. But I think Lee's chomping at the bit to get back out there."
On that topic, playing an OU team that may give you a healthy dose of rushing, I assume having as many healthy linebackers as you can have...
"That's certainly at this point in time in the season a big plus for us. There's no doubt about that."
Could any of the guys that went off the field against Texas Tech be available?
"They don't have season ending injuries."
Does that kind of speak to Lee's toughness, the fact that he may be ready to go?
"Sure. There's probably a lot of guys on this team that could do it but it does take a pretty mentally tough person. We still have to see how he'll handle the week of practice with that. Lee's a tough young man, and he has a good attitude about wanting to get out there. He's missed it badly, and we're just grateful that we do have him and that he wants to be out there as bad as he does."
Can you analyze the Big 12 schedule? In looking at some of the other teams' schedules, I can't find one that has three very difficult teams stacked up in November like this (Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Texas). Next year, Tech goes to the early game and Nebraska comes in. Do you ever look at that and wonder "Why the Aggies"?
"Yeah (Athletics Director) Bill (Byrne) and I had a conversation like that with the Big 12 and somehow they rationalized that it was our turn to get that. I don't know exactly how that happens. But again, as I've said before, when you play in the Big 12 south, it's not going to be an easy November. How we got the luck of the draw to get Neb in there next November...it just sounds kind of interesting doesn't it? Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas, back-to-back-to-back. It's certainly interesting."
Do you need to take (Big 12 Commissioner Kevin) Weiberg out to a few more dinners or something?
"I don't know. I surely hadn't made him mad that early (laughing)."
-- transcript courtesy Paula Frederick