October 03, 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 travel to Kansas on Saturday. Kickoff at Memorial Stadium is set for 11 a.m. (CDT) and the game will be televised by FOX Sports Net.
Links to audio clips are available to the right.
TEXAS A&M FOOTBALL
Head Coach Dennis Franchione comments
Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2006
THE QUESTION: Coach, can you talk about regrouping your team, getting past Saturday and getting them ready for this upcoming Saturday?
COACH FRAN: Well, you have to do that in this league. You have got to play them one at a time. You can?â„¢t let a win savor too long and you can?â„¢t let a loss dwell too long. That probably would have been a challenge no matter what happened on Saturday. But I think our guys are -- this group is different. I think they?â„¢re ready to get back to work on campus.
THE QUESTION: What was the mood like on Sunday when you guys got together?
COACH FRAN: It was all right. Obviously, when you go through the game and find a play or two here throughout the game you would like to have back or done differently but after the team meeting is over with about 5 o?â„¢clock (on Sunday), you put that one to bed and move on to the next one. We went right to work on Kansas and they were very intent on that.
THE QUESTION: With Stephen (McGee) possibly having a concussion on Saturday, did you see any visible signs or anything that he might have been shaken up or needed to come out? That can be a dangerous situation.
COACH FRAN: I certainly didn?â„¢t notice anything. You know, I knew he was maybe a tad not sharp yet but there was nothing that told me anything. He missed a signal but I mean that happens now and then. Nobody really knew anything until he mentioned it after the game.
THE QUESTION: When you said ?a tad not sharp? are you speaking in terms of his passing?
COACH FRAN: Uh-huh. You know he -- like I said he missed a signal -- just things that he doesn?â„¢t do usually.
THE QUESTION: Has he been cleared to practice?
COACH FRAN: Yes.
THE QUESTION: You normally don?â„¢t talk about injuries why was it different in this case that you disclosed this?
COACH FRAN: You guys asked about his performance. When you asked (on Saturday night) I had no idea even that he had anything like that. So it just kind of explained his situation a little better for him.
THE QUESTION: When he does tuck the ball and run would you like to see him maybe slide a little more often? I know he?â„¢s a tough guy but maybe he could slide more. I mean he is the team leader.
COACH FRAN: Yes, I would. I think I?â„¢ve got him to run out of bounds a time or two now. I don?â„¢t know -- I just don?â„¢t think that?â„¢s Stephen McGee. As hard as I might try to do it that?â„¢s not his personality. That?â„¢s not the way he leads this team and that?â„¢s not the way he plays this game. You admire him for it and want him to be smart about it.
THE QUESTION: On the flip side of that, do you worry that it might end up getting him hurt?
COACH FRAN: Sure. I?â„¢ve seen him get hurt in practice, I?â„¢ve seen him get hurt in a lot of ways. You can?â„¢t sit and worry about those things. You do your best to deal with it and avoid what you can but you know at that point in time in the game Saturday you have got to play the game and do what you can to win.
THE QUESTION: Option plays have a tendency to get your quarterback hit some. Is that a concern with him -- taking some poundings?
COACH FRAN: You know, I haven?â„¢t seen our quarterback get hit very hard on one of those plays yet. I?â„¢m a lot more concerned about a blind sided hit in the pocket sometimes that he doesn?â„¢t even see coming, than when he?â„¢s running the zone read like so many people are today he can see what?â„¢s happening in front of him.
THE QUESTION: Coach, after a loss like this coaches to an extent are somewhat shielded from criticism. You can go back to work, get in your rooms, but the players have to really get out and go to class and be out there with the people. Do you feel for them? I mean, do you tell them anything special or do they just have to suck it up and deal with it?
COACH FRAN: Sure I think you feel for them, that?â„¢s not a enjoyable part of all this. They made choices to play at this level and at this school and those are ramifications that you have to deal with.
THE QUESTION: Got to take the good with the bad I guess?
COACH FRAN: That?â„¢s right, all the good things people say about you is like poison too. If you don?â„¢t swallow it, it?â„¢s ok. It?â„¢s the same with this, you?â„¢ve got to move on.
THE QUESTION: Where do you think Stephen is in his development as a Big 12 level passer?
COACH FRAN: I think he?â„¢s fine. I?â„¢m not disappointed with his play at all. We?â„¢ve had some up and down days but I think his percentage completion is very good, he?â„¢s only thrown one interception. He has thrown the ball away when he needed to and pulled it down and ran when he needed to. I?â„¢m not disappointed at all with what he?â„¢s doing within our structure.
THE QUESTION: You mentioned on Saturday that maybe a couple of times in the first half he pulled the ball down maybe too soon. Is that just something that comes with experience -- knowing when to stand in there longer?
COACH FRAN: I wonder if that was a result of maybe his head, because both times it was very uncharacteristic of him to do that and that was the one thing I did note in the second quarter that seemed a little unusual for him because he hasn?â„¢t done that. So I don?â„¢t know if there was anything to that part or not.
THE QUESTION: All of those things said is he okay for Saturday from what you can tell?
COACH FRAN: Yes. I mean, he was really fine after the game. He just finally told trainers that he lost remembrance of the second quarter I believe.
THE QUESTION: That goes back to that tough guy aspect (about Stephen McGee) ?- Martellus (Bennett) talked about it, I believe. He would just kept his mouth shut and would never say if he was hurt during the game; is that correct?
COACH FRAN: You know, he?â„¢s -- that?â„¢s Stephen. I brought a quarterback in to visit a couple summers ago and he would have been in Stephen?â„¢s class and I told Stephen he?â„¢d be the only quarterback I would recruit in that class. So before I would do anything with this quarterback I asked Stephen how -- you know he had to sign off on it or I wouldn?â„¢t do it. And he thought about it for a day and he just said ?coach, I want to be the guy and you told me I would be the only one in this class?. I said ?you?â„¢re right?. I said ?I just got to plan for if you get hurt?. He said ?coach I won?â„¢t get hurt?. I said ?I know you?â„¢re tough and you don?â„¢t think that way but you know we have to kind of be aware that that might happen, you know got to think that way?. He said ?coach I won?â„¢t get hurt?. I said ?You know things happen in this game?. He said ?I?â„¢ll play, coach, don?â„¢t worry about it.? That?â„¢s his mentality, and you love him for it. Thirty-four years of coaching and I?â„¢ve never had a quarterback that?â„¢s want to please, wants to lead his team, wants to give everything he?â„¢s got for his team, wants to be perfect any more than that young man.
THE QUESTION: When you recruited him did you see him as a guy that could be an effective option type of guy?
COACH FRAN: Not necessarily.
THE QUESTION: How did that process go where you said he can run this type of option?
COACH FRAN: He had great speed when he got here. We didn?â„¢t realize his speed. We?â„¢ve been running the zone read stuff for a long time and we started incorporating some of the stuff where he can get the ball to the perimeter and get it out of his hands and he?â„¢s done a good job with it. Makes us more difficult to defend.
THE QUESTION: Do you see more potential of throwing down field -- high school is high school --
COACH FRAN: Let?â„¢s back up here. He threw for 300 something yards the week before. He threw the ball down the field. He?â„¢s played five games in his collegiate career so people, let?â„¢s keep this in perspective.
THE QUESTION: Obviously as effective as the option has been, it has led to less of an opportunity for him to get experience passing. Is it ever a concern that he?â„¢s not getting the experience to improve because you?â„¢re so good at the option?
COACH FRAN: Our nature of our offense is balance. It?â„¢s not throwing 60 times -- that?â„¢s what we are and that?â„¢s what we?â„¢re going to continue to be. One week it?â„¢ll be more heavy one sided than it is the other. The script we had for Saturday in the second half was an excellent one, we just came up a little bit short. But ball control -- move the ball well on the ground we had three drives of 14 plays or more. Thirty-eight minutes of possession time. You know if you want to draw up a game plan to try to have an advantage in a game especially one like that, that was a pretty good one. It led to the comeback and gave us a chance to win the game, it just didn?â„¢t quite work out.
THE QUESTION: One defensive play on your part that kind of sticks in your craw other than the last touchdown pass. How about the pass to Filani on the sideline where he broke free in the flat? Just kind of go through that play and why it happened like it happened.
COACH FRAN: Well, it happened because we missed two tackles. We only missed six tackles in the game and that?â„¢s a pretty key part of defending their offense. He is a pretty physically strong guy and we probably hit him a little high and bounced off. We should have maybe hit him a little lower, but he did a good job of staying in bounds. Some of our guys may have thought he was out of bounds, it looked like. Needless to say we still had two guys there and didn?â„¢t do much to get him on the ground. We were in man-three coverage and when two guys miss on that then you have to have somebody else to help make up for it.
THE QUESTION: On Tech?â„¢s second to last offensive play, the pass to Filani looked like he might have trapped the ball, did you give any thought to calling a time-out so that maybe the play could be reviewed?
COACH FRAN: I had a pretty good look at that one. It was over on our side, I thought he caught that one. Yeah, I did think about using my challenge but there were still a lot of events to happen.
THE QUESTION: They changed the rule this year to add the coach?â„¢s challenge but still the possibility that the officials can call for a challenge. Do you like that sort of dual situation? Would you rather it be all one or all the other?
COACH FRAN: I think I like it. I used my coach ?'s challenge on the last play but they were going to review it so I didn?â„¢t need to use it. They?â„¢re reviewing every play. I mean, I think what happens sometimes is do they have enough time to review the play well enough, and you know that?â„¢s when I think -- what it appears most likely is happening is we?â„¢re using that to stop the clock to make sure it?â„¢s reviewed well enough. Because I know they?â„¢re reviewing every play. Especially in critical times in the game like that. I think it?â„¢s good the way we have it right now. I wasn?â„¢t for the challenge last year but I think I am now.
THE QUESTION: Can you talk about going on the road to Kansas and first true road game and what that means to you?
COACH FRAN: Kansas has won nine in a row at home. They put up nearly 600 yards of offense Saturday night on Nebraska, that?â„¢s pretty impressive. They?â„¢ve got a running back that?â„¢s had three 100-yard rushing games, three good tall receivers and a senior dominated offensive line. You know the (Adam) Barmann kid played well the last three quarters of the Nebraska game. Struggled a little bit the first quarter but gosh after that he lit it up pretty good. So they?â„¢re playing pretty well. They?â„¢re having success at home. It?â„¢s Homecoming, I never quite know how to take those kind of games even when I was hosting them so -- you know, that?â„¢s for what that?â„¢s worth. Their defense, they had to do a little bit of rebuilding from last year but they have done a pretty nice job of it. They?â„¢re probably fairly athletic upfront, aggressive. They?â„¢re giving up more passing yards than rushing yards, they?â„¢ve been tough against the run, so we have to take all those things into account. Should be interesting. I think they?â„¢re playing with a good spirit about themselves right now.
THE QUESTION: In terms of preparing for them does it matter if it?â„¢s (Adam) Barmann or (Kerry) Meier?
COACH FRAN: I think Meier is a little more apt to be the running quarterback. But I mean they?â„¢re not going to change their offense dramatically I don?â„¢t think for either one. They will just do a few more running things with Kerry than with Barmann -- at least in what little we?â„¢ve gotten to see at this point in time.
THE QUESTION: Coach, when you look at your offense from what it does passing wise -- I mean, where do you feel the guys are right now as a passing offense.
COACH FRAN: We?â„¢re averaging 200 - 200. That is always what we strive to be is 200 - 200 plus, whatever we can get plus above that. You know Tech is good in pass defense; they?â„¢re ranked No. 1 in our conference. When you stand to look at things they face it all the time they?â„¢re going to be pretty good at it and I thought they were good at it. We always want to get better and improve in that area. We?â„¢re probably not as far along in either area (rushing or passing) as we want to be but were not too bad at either one.
THE QUESTION: But I mean are you at a point right now where you feel like if you needed to go into a Big 12 game and pass the football to win that game -- I mean, is this offense at a point now where it can do that or are these guys experienced enough is Stephen (McGee) ready at this point?
COACH FRAN: Well, that?â„¢s hard to tell. We?â„¢re close I think. I don?â„¢t think that?â„¢s the best formula for us to be in but we have enough guys that can make plays against certain teams I think we can do that.
THE QUESTION: Was there a reason that Jorvorskie (Lane) was not in the game for the most part in your last drive.
COACH FRAN: We went with the two speedier backs, we getting the ball to the edge a lot, and fatigue a little bit at that point in the game.
THE QUESTION: Can you talk about getting Courtney Lewis back and what he means? Is he really a hundred percent?
COACH FRAN: I think Courtney was a hundred percent. I think he?â„¢s rusty maybe. You know he needs practice time. Just needs to get out there and get more reps and get better, get more comfortable.
THE QUESTION: Talk about the field goals (Layne) Neumann hit and did that solidify his spot and what that meant to him Saturday?
COACH FRAN: You said that well. You know, it was good to see him do that. We needed that. Obviously the first three or four games field goals were an up and down experience a little bit. It was good that he went in and cashed them in and let that give him confidence down the road.
THE QUESTION: Going back a little bit coach you talk about Stephen?â„¢s (McGee) not wanting to come out or whatever did you talk to him after this about -- if that happens again, you know, maybe you should say something to you because -- I mean, because the long term effects?...
COACH FRAN: Sure, of course you have talked to him a bunch about those kinds of things. I don?â„¢t know if he really was aware of it at that time either. I think in looking back he was. And he was caught up in the game, too. It wasn?â„¢t as -- some guys immediately you know they?â„¢re out and they can?â„¢t go. He never appeared even close to that. But you know we all -- we know that with Stephen we have to kind of listen to what he says and look at what he -- how he looks, too. He is -- he?â„¢s going to push it to the highest level in that regard. He?â„¢s a tough player.
THE QUESTION: Was that the highest your offensive line graded this year, the most knockdowns? How did the offensive line grade?
COACH FRAN: The offense line played very physical. They graded pretty well. I think we had about 95 knockdowns and I think we?â„¢ve had that many before. I?â„¢d have to go check all five games to tell you if that was their highest grade, but a pretty solid grade. Be close to it if it wasn?â„¢t.
THE QUESTION: How much did Yemi (Babalola) get in there?
COACH FRAN: Yemi played 16 or 18 plays Saturday. It was good to get him back out there and I think he?â„¢ll be ready for more duty this week.
THE QUESTION: Is it special going back to Kansas for you personally?
COACH FRAN: Sure. I grew up there and I?â„¢m getting way too many calls for tickets that I don?â„¢t have. You know my high school coach called me yesterday and wanted tickets to the game. That?â„¢s kind of a special feeling when those kind of things happen. This is home for us now but we have family and friends in the stadium and certainly want to play well and do well.
THE QUESTION: What is (your high school coach?â„¢s) name?
COACH FRAN: Ken Gentry.
THE QUESTION: How concerned are you about the penalties, specifically the roughing the punters the previous two games and now 45 yards in personal fouls this week?
COACH FRAN: We talked about this last week. I haven?â„¢t changed how I feel from last week. I don?â„¢t want to second guess our officiating -- I thought both of the roughing the passing penalties were tight calls and I thought if those were roughing the passer then there was probably one that we should have got in return and -- I think you know if we want to protect the quarterbacks like that, I understand. I don?â„¢t have a problem with it. They were just very close calls I thought watching the games.
THE QUESTION: Did you send those tapes in?
COACH FRAN: No. I?â„¢m not saying I have a problem with the officiating. That?â„¢s the way he officiated and that?â„¢s the way we have to learn.
THE QUESTION: Isn?â„¢t that kind of the way to deal with that is to send the plays in and have them review it.
COACH FRAN: It is. I trust John Bible?â„¢s judgment. I think he?â„¢s a top notch official. That?â„¢s the way he called it. I don?â„¢t always agree with the decisions -- I talked to John during the second half, he was starting the play clock awfully fast and he said he was doing it like he always did. I don?â„¢t want to say I?â„¢m critical of the official I just thought they were pretty close.
THE QUESTION: What was Danny?â„¢s (Gorrer) penalty on the sideline?
COACH FRAN: I think there was a scuffle late at the end of a play and he was not done when the whistle had blown I think is what happened.
THE QUESTION: Did he play after that?
COACH FRAN: I think -- I think so, that was in the third quarter.
THE QUESTION: Coach, you said after the game that if you could replay that last offensive play and put anyone on that man you would still put (Jordan) Peterson. As a freshman what kind of things has he shown to earn that kind of confidence?
COACH FRAN: He?â„¢s a very good young man, a trustworthy young man. If you put people in situations like that, you want to put people that you trust immensely and you do have trust for Jordan. A lot of people believe in him. Our players have a lot of belief in him. His coverage techniques for the year have been solid; he made a great interception in the Army game. Of all of our corners I still have no hesitation that he was the best one to be in that situation and gosh looking at y?â„¢alls pictures and the film he covered it pretty darn well. It?â„¢s a game of inches sometimes.
THE QUESTION: Based on all that I?â„¢m sure you have confidence he?â„¢ll bounce back?
COACH FRAN: I think so. Jordan?â„¢s a mature, special young man and he?â„¢s intelligent. He?â„¢ll come back and play well.
THE QUESTION: When you say a pass drop in like that with the coverage in the situation do you almost just shake your head and go ?what can you do??
COACH FRAN: Sure. Just that. We did -- we covered him awfully well. You got to give credit to the receiver. He made a great catch and with great coverage and it was a great throw, great coverage. I mean there weren?â„¢t many places on the field over in that corner that ball could have been and been caught. He did a great job of keeping his feet in bounds. Jordan did everything he could but touch the ball and knock it away.
THE QUESTION: Is pass interference an option in that situation?
COACH FRAN: Yeah. If you think you?â„¢re going to give up a touchdown. I think it?â„¢s an option. I think he -- not second guessing Jordan on that one. He was in great position all the way.