August 29, 2006
Texas A&M coaches and players met with members of the press on Tuesday at the weekly football media luncheon, held at the Bright Football Complex.
The Aggies are preparing to open the 2006 season on Saturday against The Citadel. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. (CDT).
Links to audio clips are available to the right.
Coach Fran Weekly Media Luncheon Transcript
"Kyle Field looks nice, doesn't it? All the new things in there... And the banners and things they put up. It will be interesting to see that scoreboard and all that ribbon board in full action."
Kirk Elder was talking about his progression through the years now of learning mentally how to prepare for a game and how he's learned how to do that. How much of that is team-wide and the difference it makes with just that experience with that type of experience now?
"There is a difference there you know. Freshman come in and they're used to preparing for high school games. The intensity, the physicalness, the focus that it takes to come to this level is a little higher just like it is when you go from junior high to high school and when you go from college game to the NFL. The guys that have gone through a year can look and see, I was really prepared to play this game and I understood what it took or they can go through and see, you know, I didn't play very well so let me reflect back as to why I didn't play as well and they can look back at their preparation to get back to play a game at this level. When you don't have experience you're not quite sure when you've entered that zone of focus that I think all great competitors have, at the level that's new to you. So those guys that have played I think are at an advantage most of the time."
What are you hoping to get out of the first four non-conference games? Be prepared?
"Four "W"s. (laughing) Well, I hope we get off to a good start, I hope we can build our confidence. I hope that we have some situations where we can play more players. There are certainly no gimmes in this game. You look at Citadel's history, for instance, last year I believe it was 10-3 with just a little bit of time left in the first half Citadel was ahead (against Florida State). It ended up at 14-10 at the half. It was 3-0 Ole Miss at the half against them. Any time you're in games like that they're not going to be easy and we don't want to ever say anything that insinuates or comes across that way because we don't feel that way because as we have said we don't have that Clemson to start the season with that we've had or Utah and you hope over the course of your non-conference season now you'll be able to get players in situations to see how they respond and get your older players really game ready for Big 12 play and get the four wins. That's one of our goals."
Ideally if the first teamers take care of business and give you an opportunity to play some other guys is there ideal minimum number of quarters for 'garbage time'.
"I would like to have about 3 1/2 quarters of whatever that garbage time is. I don't know Rachel. I don't have a thought in that way. I'm going to go into all these games with respect for our opponents. I've been the under dog before. I've taken a division II school and beaten a I-AA school before. You know, any of us in coaching have been through enough to know that we can't ever think a great deal like that. Now, you always have a substitution plan and you always have a pattern that you would like to go to and we'll certainly have one with our first and second units for the game and then how deep we can go with that substitution plan will remain to be seen. But you know we can't think of anything other than a 60-minute football game. I mean it would be foolish for us to look at it in any other way."
Is Layne Neumann at the top of the charts as kickers go? Is that an open audition or will you use more than one kicker in this game? Or the first couple of games?
"That depth chart was as of Sunday or Monday and that depth chart could change by game time. Especially at that position. And I see us probably using both (Neumann and Matt Szymanski) in the game."
Neumann last year was kind of your long distance guy. Is he good with the short kicks too?
"Layne, obviously, if you can handle deep ones you can handle short ones. Layne was not as consistent as Todd was last year. We had a lot of confidence in Todd once we got in the right area of the field. I think right now Matt and him are very close. Matt has got a strong leg. If Matt has one big advantage I think right now over Layne it's that Layne is driving the ball a little bit more and Matt is getting the ball up faster which on field goals can be the difference in getting one blocked or not. Layne historically has gotten the ball up much faster than he has been getting it up lately."
Kickoffs the same thing?
"I can see us using both of them during the game."
How has Mike Goodson come along?
"Mike Goodson has done well. You know with the ball in his hand he'll make you hold your breath once in a while. He has great moves and great vision and acceleration and he's going to be an outstanding running back. Where Mike has to continue to improve is without the ball in his hands when he's blocking or faking or understanding protections and knowing when to get out, when to stay in, to pick up the linebacker or safety or whatever it may be. But that's not unexpected at this time going into his first college football game. Michael will have a role in the game Saturday night. There's no doubt about that."
You hear a lot about Misi Tupe's hits in practice. Tell us about what he's done??
"Misi is an explosive guy. You know he is a tough guy. He's a warrior type guy. And he has really good instincts, learns very quickly. He has probably the guy that's had the to most oohs and awes on hits throughout our August camp. He's been very impressive. He's the only defensive player that I've seen in our one-on-one drill, which we call Aggie drill, to tackle a running back for a loss which is highly unusual. But he's done that. He's won far more than his share of battles in that drill and played very well in 11 on 11. (Tupe) and (Chad) Schroeder had quite a collision last Thursday and Schroeder was okay but Misi bounced right back up and was ready to go again. He's going to really be an exciting linebacker. I'm really excited to see him play Saturday night. He has good range, he has good speed and he has the ability to put some good hits on people."
How do you plan on using him and (Mark) Dodge?
"I think if (Coach Darnell) were here with me we'd be in harmony I would say Misi will get about maybe 60 percent Dodge 40, but it could end up very much 50-50. I think they're both going to play."
Misi is probably a little ahead of Dodge right now?
"He may be a little bit ahead of Mark. Mark missed some time in practice. He got nicked but he didn't miss too much. And he's not a lot ahead of him."
Some seasonal transition with four new coaches and a new scheme defensively, just how comfortable are you right now? As comfortable as can be going into this game?
"Well you're never going to be comfortable going into the first game I don't think. It will always be an anxious time. But really the transition with the coaches has been really only one change on offense that was (Coach DeBesse) and that's been a pretty good one. Defensively I've been real pleased with the way the coaches and players have meshed together. We're still in transition obviously we haven't gone through a game yet. But from the stand point of how it's progressed and how it's gone, I think you would always hope for more but if somebody said this is where you'd be today I'd say well that's probably pretty good."
Is there any one position you're looking forward to seeing the players out in the field on the game the most to see what they can do in a game situation?
"I don't know in there's one more than another. Obviously the secondary is one that we're anxious to see how they play with a little more experience under their belt than they had last year. But I don't know after that if there really is."
(Jordan) Peterson and (Danny) Gorrer are listed as first team right now at cornerback. How solidified are they?
"Well, we will play four corners in the game, I'm sure, maybe five. There is not a great deal of difference between those guys so we're comfortable right now playing more than two. Jordan and Danny have been the most consistent throughout fall camp and that is a position that requires consistency because when you're inconsistent that means that the scoreboard lights up and the band starts playing and it's usually not yours so that's not good. And those two guys have been down in and down out probably the most rock solid throughout August."
Where is Danny now compared to where he was a year ago?
"I think Danny is ahead. He was a redshirt freshman last year and I see him as much more confident. Danny has grown up, he's much more mature. His focus is better. I mean, he has his life in order there's not all those things tearing at him. He's handling everything. Really his transition and Pierre Brown's, as far as maturing, have been excellent. Those are two guys I would pick out and say 'wow these guys have made dramatic changes in maturity level over the last year.' "
How do you anticipate the rotation for your running backs especially in this first game?
"Well, certain plays are going to require certain people. We kind of feel like we have two starters in Courtney (Lewis) and Jorvorskie (Lane) in regard to one back sets. We'll be in two back sets ant they may both be in the game. Brandon Leone will rotate with those guys. You know we have got confidence in Brandon. Michael Goodson will rotate in there, we have confidence in him. Keondra Smith and Samson Taylor are other guys that may get some action in there, but those top three are going to be the ones that get the first reps I would say."
How are you using Samson right now?
"As a running back."
So he's back to being full-time running back?
"Yes."
What is Chris Alexander's role in there?
"Chris is our fullback when we go under center. That doesn't mean he wouldn't play in a one back set. I shouldn't have slighted his name there (when talking about the RB rotation). He's pretty valuable to us. He is another young man I think has had a really good August camp in there and is much more ready to play than he was last year at this time. He's improved his game."
If Bryce Reed indeed stays on top of this chart right here Saturday I think this would be the first career start for this former fullback. He is kind of a feel good story, not many seniors on this team and this one gets his chance to play.
"He is a feel good story. I admire Bryce a great deal. He's survived the test of time and I admire him. His brother lives with him and goes to school. Bryce has had a few days he's walked in and said "Coach I need to miss this because I have to go up to school to check on my brother's grades" and I really admire him for that, and I have to kind of chuckle a little bit under my breath thinking ' gosh, it was me checking your grades a while back and now you're checking your brother's. You're getting a taste of this.' I admire him and what he's doing and the way he's handled himself as a senior especially what he's given to the team. I think Bryce is a great story. He hasn't had an easy road. He's worked really hard."
In terms of talent obviously he's at the top of the depth chart but is he the best player at that position? Are you satisfied he'll be able to do the job in his position?
"Well, you know, our philosophy is to rotate a lot of people on the defensive line as it has always been. Bryce is going to be the first one called to duty out there Saturday night but there will be a lot of people playing in that rotation. But, yes, we are confident in Bryce and there are certain things that he's really good at and we need to make sure that we play to his strengths as much as we can."
Where in the rotation is Jason Jack working right now, is he still doing to do both?
"He's probably been a little bit more at defensive end than defensive tackle but he has the ability to play both positions."
Seems like what you and Coach Koenning have said about Goodson is that he's very talented but raw in sense of holding onto the ball and blocking, is that accurate?
"I think that's accurate if raw means 'still in transition and learning a college offense and making some mistakes,' yeah, that's very true. We would like to have Michael farther along in those other areas than he is, but I don't want to sound a bit disappointed about where he is because you know, I think a lot of people underestimate running backs. I mean, we all see when they carry the ball and make a first down and make a long run but there are so many other things running backs have to do for faking, to picking up line backers on the blitz, or if the guard misses his guy and a guy comes free to help on him, or making a play fake on a bootleg across a formation, maybe picking up a safety coming from that side, to catching the ball out the back field to getting out on time if the blitz is not coming. We could go on and on about the things that a running back has to do without the ball that sometimes just takes time and I think Mike is in that area right now. Just going to take a little time for him to have enough reps to do that week in and week out. But he's getting better every day and understanding that more every day and he's been exciting to watch in camp. He's had a couple of runs that every one of the coaches just kind of went wow. And you like to have those kind they can overcome your coaching sometimes, and that's the kind we like to recruit."
Misi and Dodge are both older guys. Does that affect how you feel they pick things up or is there a dimension there that's different?
"Well, yes. There's a lot different. I mean they're much more mature, they understand the focus and intensity that it takes to play. They understand how to learn and take it to the field and rep it. Their age is certainly an advantage I think. They're just much more prepared for everything that comes at them."