Tuesday Media Luncheon Quotes and Audio

September 26, 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 host Texas Tech on Saturday at Kyle Field. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. (CDT) and the game will be televised by ABC Sports.

Links to audio clips are available to the right.

TEXAS A&M FOOTBALL

Head Coach Dennis Franchione transcript

Sept. 26, 2006

THE QUESTION: Is there an extra air of excitement going into this week?™s game?

COACH FRAN: I think there?™s always excitement going into Big 12 play and getting the opportunity to open up at Kyle Field with an ABC game and you know coming off the stretch of the four games that we started the season with.

THE QUESTION: Talk about those four games as a whole, just what you learned and why that was better to play a non-conference schedule like that than to go on the road and play a top 25 team.

COACH FRAN: Well, a number of positive things happened. You know we got to play a lot of players. We?™ve stayed relatively healthy and probably the opportunity to play a lot of players helped us do that. Instead of playing 75 or 80 plays they were playing 30 or 35 plays maybe 40 but not as many as they had played the years before. The confidence of winning four games certainly is a distinct positive. And then you know you find out strengths about offense and defense, kicking game. Helps you be a little more prepared in organizing a game plan certainly to go into this game with, or any game from here on. You know, I think I said this the other day -- if somebody would have said back on August 1st that this is where your defense would be today, I probably would have felt pretty good back then. Now that it?™s today I would always hope for better because I?™m a coach and I always -- that?™s what my job is, is to try to make them better and put them in a position to be better. Stephen McGee has had four good games and now he has five games as a starter at quarterback and I?™m not willing to say he?™s reached veteran status yet but that?™s certainly been helpful as it would be for any first-time quarterback. We have a great spirit among our team which is probably as pivotal -- the attitude and mental side of what we?™re going into conference play with.

THE QUESTION: A lot has been made about how many young quarterbacks there are starting across the Big 12, are people making too much of it or too little of it? What is your experience on the impact that it can have?

COACH FRAN: Well, I don?™t know for sure if it?™s too much or too little. I think any time a division or a conference is kind of starting over at quarterback it adds a little air of uncertainty to what?™s going to happen as opposed to having the Vince Youngs the Reggie McNeals the Brad Smiths and those kinds of people back. That I think is a story that has to develop as the season goes on maybe more so than in other years.

THE QUESTION: Is the kicking game a week to week battle between Layne (Neumann) and Matt (Szymanski) or is Layne maybe putting a little distance between him and Matt now? How does that work?

COACH FRAN: After Saturday night I think that may have given Layne a little advantage but I think it?™s still a day-to-day competition, which is healthy. Matt is our kickoff guy Layne was our place kicker last week but you know we?™ll watch them Tuesday, watch them all thru this week and I?™m sure Coach Tommerdahl will give me a report how they?™re kicking in pre-game warm-ups too. It?™s a pretty close competition.

THE QUESTION: Has Layne gotten more consistent -- he?™s always had a strong leg but seems like lately he has been much more consistent.

COACH FRAN: I think that?™s true, Brent. He has been. I think early in camp he was erratic but he has kind of smoothed that out and I think he?™s kicking the ball more confidently and more focused and doing better.

THE QUESTION: Coach Leach commented on how versatile your offense was and how much you can change from week to week, which makes it hard for them to prepare. Do you take pride in a statement like that and hopefully maybe can catch them off guard because of that versatility?

COACH FRAN: Well, that?™s part of our design and hope of our offense in that we are multiple enough that we can make changes week to week, we install a lot of offense in August and in spring practice then we go into each game with our condensed plan for the game. Unless you just have superior talent you have to be able to keep people off balance I think and today even with maybe superior talent you still have to have that element with you and so that is -- that does help me feel like what we?™re trying to achieve is happening.

THE QUESTION: Ever feel like you try to incorporate too many elements?

COACH FRAN: Sure. There?™s a very fine line. You know, you have to -- as coaches we constantly are dissecting whether we have prepared our players for the situation because in the end it does not get down to how much you do as much as how much you do well. And you know, our offense staff are great teachers. It takes a lot of planning and organization to maintain the multiplicity that we have been able to have.

THE QUESTION: Did you feel against Louisiana Tech that it seemed like there were several plays where you were faking the run whether it was a play action pass or looked like a fake option and then seemed like not surprisingly Louisiana Tech bit (on the play action). Do you feel like you?™ve reached that point where you can sort of play off what you?™ve done before and surprise people that way because they?™re going react to what they?™ve seen on film?

COACH FRAN: I don?™t know if it?™s a surprise. I think what we have done the last two weeks is that the running game was there against Army not that the passing game wasn?™t but the running game was there. Against Louisiana Tech they over committed as you?™re saying to the run and so it opened up passing things. We threw the ball 11 times one week and we called 41 passes last week. So -- you know, we?™re able to -- to find something within our scheme to go to based upon how they are playing us and it took us a quarter the other night to find that rhythm a little bit but once we did, we got some points and yards.

THE QUESTION: Where do you say your special teams are right now overall?

COACH FRAN: Well, I think three out of our four games have been pretty solid. We always try to calculate hidden yardage advantages based on returns and kick coverage and things like that and obviously we had some glitches in the Army game that you know hurt us. We have a fine punter. Our kick off coverage has been pretty good. Our punt coverage because Justin?™s (Brantly) such a fine punter we?™ve kind of out kicked our coverage and they have gotten some return yards out of that, but at least we have gotten them on the ground and the net (yardage) has worked out positively. We have been up and down trying to kick an extra point or field goal a little bit, but it?™s good to see what we did the other night. So we?™re not where we want to be but I don?™t -- I don?™t feel bad about us. I just know that we -- you know, we need to avoid those, you know, like the roughing the punter last week. That was -- we shouldn?™t have had that and the guys know that and we need to avoid those kinds of bad plays that happen like that.

THE QUESTION: You talk about the four parts of the kicking game, what are the four parts??

COACH FRAN: Kick off, kick off return, punt, punt return and then you have to keep in mind PAT and field goal offense and defense. So really it?™s six parts.

THE QUESTION: Fran, do you feel like your team has been adequately challenged during these first four games?

COACH FRAN: You know we can sit and talk about that one for a long time. We -- you know the Army game was a great challenge. And are there going to be big challenges ahead? There certainly are, but I don?™t feel -- I?™m not sitting here worrying about that today. I like what?™s happened for us and what the first four games have given us and the mental side -- you know, we think so much of this as a physical game but the mental -- emotional aspect of it is so important and I think we?™re going into this game strong in those areas as a result. I don?™t think there?™s anybody sitting around worrying about have we been challenged enough. I think we feel like we?™ve been prepared.

THE QUESTION: Did you kind of know -- I mean, did you anticipate that there would be some criticism; no matter what would happen in these first four games? I mean, even if you had a positive outcome with this type of schedule people would probably kind of pick at certain aspects. Did you anticipate that?

COACH FRAN: Oh, yes. I think you-all know that?™s going to happen. I?™m sure you wrote down 4 and 0 for us before we played a game. A lot of people did. As coaches and players we know not to -- there?™s so much more to it than that. I mean, there?™s so much for this defense to get through to get to this point. There was so many different mental sides to this game for us thru this schedule that have helped us and -- you know, I understand the nature of, you know, what people think. I?™d rather be us sitting here 4 and 0 today than looking at Colorado for instance 0 and 4 and they might not be a bad football team, probably aren?™t. They played Georgia. I think I read the other day that they have only given up 68 points in four games defensively. So obviously they are not very far away from being 2 and 2 or 3 and 1. I don?™t remember all their scores, maybe they could have won all four. You know, they?™re sitting there I?™m sure trying to piece it back together and we?™re sitting here with a totally different frame of mind and I would a lot rather be sitting where I am in that regard.

THE QUESTION: So have you worn out that Tech vs. TCU game tape or...

COACH FRAN: (Laughing) Let?™s just say we?™ve watched it.

THE QUESTION: What did you see that TCU was able to do that was so effective against Tech?™s pass offense?

COACH FRAN: Well, they played their base defense. There?™s -- they got some pressure on (Graham) Harrell, they did not sack him a lot of times but they made him move in the pocket. I think their secondary played aggressive and physical and covered very, very well. They gave up some plays, but they got up and played the next play and played with poise and broke up a lot of balls. You know Gary (Patterson) did a great job with his scheme.

THE QUESTION: Have you and Gary talked much about this game and about -- you know, maybe what works against Tech?

COACH FRAN: Sure. Gary and I are close friends. We worked together (at TCU). We trade ideas on a lot of things and certainly Tech would be one of them.

THE QUESTION: Fran, did y?™all change up a lot of things with the pass coverage from last year to this year?

COACH FRAN: We have. I mean, we?™re -- probably the biggest change for us in this defense is in the secondary which is why I was interested in this. I wanted to have more multiplicity to fit to our players?™ abilities to put them in better positions to be able to make plays.

THE QUESTION: Is it a plus that Coach Darnell ran the spread at Western Michigan before he came here?

COACH FRAN: All of your coaching experiences are valuable and probably his knowledge of being in that set certainly is helpful. They threw the ball very well when he was there at times. So I think any defensive coach is a better defensive coach when he understands offense and vice versa and being a head coach for that period of time. He certainly had to go through that.

THE QUESTION: Coach Darnell was saying earlier it?™s not so much that they throw the ball it?™s what happens after they catch it that makes them so dangerous. Can you elaborate on that a little bit?

COACH FRAN: I think he?™s talking about yards after catch and that you have to make plays in the open field and that their receivers and backs -- you know, that if you just got them on the ground where they caught it all the time you know you could be okay. That?™s probably what TCU did pretty well in their game. But they -- they?™re excellent at doing things after the catch, too.

THE QUESTION: Coach you mentioned the roughing the punter penalty. Are penalties an area of concern for you right now?

COACH FRAN: Well you don?™t ever want to have that many penalties. Some of them came late in the game. I?™m not overly concerned with penalties at this time. We played a lot of players and did a lot of different things. You?™re going to have some of those kinds of issues. I don?™t think our first four games are characterized by having too many. I mean, I know we had one game I think we only had two or three. So -- I?™m not overly concerned.

THE QUESTION: Back to the offense real quick. The 2004 offense was very machine like with players that could score at any time, and often did. How close to you think this offense is with the talent and depth it has to being that type of offense that can put up points almost at will?

COACH FRAN: I think they believe they can. I don?™t know how to answer that for sure, Jeff, how close we are to that. Time will tell more. I like the way that we?™ve responded with being able to run the ball, being able to throw the ball and being balanced, those kinds of issues. And again, I think our players -- they feel like they can move the ball and are disappointed when they don?™t, and that?™s a good, positive thing that has come out of these first four games offensively.

THE QUESTION: When you came to the Big 12 what differences did you see between Big 12 offenses?™ and SEC offenses?™ and did any of that surprise you?

COACH FRAN: The Big 12 is a little bit more of a spread league. The SEC is a little bit more of a black and blue league. They?™re going to throw the ball in the SEC pretty well but it is a power run type of offense much more than we see in this conference.

THE QUESTION: How much was the approach to the 4-2-5 defense reaction to what kind of offenses you are going to see in the Big 12 over and over again?

COACH FRAN: Well, I don?™t know how to quantify that for you for sure Rachel but it was certainly a part of my decision. I think any time you?™re -- you design your offense and defense you have to -- you have to spend some time determining what you?™re going to face and it certainly was part of my thinking in that.

THE QUESTION: It seems like this game has been circled on a lot of people?™s calendars for a while now. Do you feel like it can be a defining game in your coaching tenure at Texas A&M?

COACH FRAN: I have no idea. This is my next game and it?™s an important game because it is the first game of conference play, and it is a Big 12 South opponent and it?™s Texas Tech. I spend no time thinking about me in this equation. I spend all my time thinking about our team and our players.

THE QUESTION: What does Courtney?™s (Lewis) absence or ability to get back in the lineup -- how does that change the offense at all in terms of your preparation? He adds obviously speed and a guy to the outside?

COACH FRAN: Well, he -- as we?™ve said before he?™s capable of making people miss and turning 8-yard gains into 48-yard gains. He had a run in last year?™s game he went 50 yards on a play and we didn?™t get everyone of them blocked but he was able to make one -- one or two miss or elude them somehow and that?™s -- that?™s the burst that he?™s able to give to you and he?™s improved himself as a blocker. Hadn?™t had to do much of that yet this season but he?™ll be called upon to do some of those and that?™s a hidden thing we as coaches and players we notice much more so than maybe y?™all do.

THE QUESTION: Could Courtney (Lewis) and Yemi (Babalola) have played this last Saturday?

COACH FRAN: I probably suppose we could have got them out there.

THE QUESTION: Coach Tech?™s defense has played well the last few years. When you look at this year?™s defense, what are some of the strong specifics that they do?

COACH FRAN: I think three of their four games they haven?™t given up a touchdown so that?™s -- man, that?™s a pretty strong statement right there for anybody to make no matter who they?™ve played. Their front is big and strong and physical, linebackers are active. One of the advantages of their program is that the way their offense throws the ball, it prepares their defense well -- the secondary against the pass. You have to labor a long time over the film to find an area that you think you can attack. I mean, they just don?™t have a lot of weaknesses.

THE QUESTION: How much do you enjoy the feeling, the fire for a big game? You always talk about the pageantry of college football. Walking across campus do you try and take that in?

COACH FRAN: Unfortunately I haven?™t been across campus in a while. I don?™t get out of that room very much except for practice. You know, I think that?™s part of your enjoyment in this game though. I mean, it?™s exciting. I don?™t get involved in those things. My vision is strictly on this team. Probably Saturday when we go through the spirit walk or get in the stadium you?™re going to enjoy the moment. I?™ll never forget when we played Tech here two years ago, the fans and the 12th man and the noise and the crowd. It was just unbelievable. I think the best maybe since I?™ve been here, at least that one has stuck in my mind. So you do notice those things, but if they don?™t make a word Saturday -- or noise Saturday I still got to get this team ready to play that?™s what I?™ve got to stay focused on and kind of enjoy those things but really what you end up doing more as a coach is reflecting instead of absorbing which is sad for us in a way. We don?™t get to enjoy some of the things that are great perks about this game as much as we wish we could just because of the job at hand.

THE QUESTION: Melvin said y?™all prepared a little bit for Tech each week. Is it sometimes tough keeping the team focused on the game at hand with Texas Tech being first?

COACH FRAN: We didn?™t necessarily prepare for Tech but we -- two of our conference games are going to be against an offense somewhat like this. So it made sense for us to -- 25 percent of our games in conference play were going to be against an offense like this so it made sense for us to spend time, you know, making sure we would be as prepared as we could be for it.

THE QUESTION: Does red-zone defense become even more important this week because it?™s been a strength so far this year. Tech can still get 300 yards but if you keep them out of the end-zone, it is still are very winnable game.

COACH FRAN: You know, one of the things that can sometimes affect a passing game is when the field shrinks. Being able to get stops or make plays is important. I remember when I hadn?™t been in coaching very long Coach Dickey was telling me the story about being at Kansas and they were a passing team and they would get inside the ten yard line and he said they would almost hope to get a penalty to have more room to throw the football which I didn?™t digest completely at the time but I?™ve remembered that for a long time. It does condense down the area you have to cover.