Tuesday Media Luncheon Quotes and Audio

October 17, 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 23rd-ranked Aggies are preparing to head to Stillwater to face Oklahoma State on Saturday. Kickoff at Boone Pickens Stadium is set for 6:05 p.m. (CDT) and the game will not be televised.

Links to audio clips are available to the right.

TEXAS A&M FOOTBALL

Head Coach Dennis Franchione comments

Oct. 17, 2006

THE QUESTION: Coach what do you think is the identity of your offensive line? They seem to be a very physical, aggressive type of group.

COACH FRAN: Well, I think their identity is their style of play being physical and tough and gritty and -- you know they?™re fighting and clawing for every inch in there and probably nobody enjoyed the Train (Jorvorskie Lane) and ?24 power? more than they did Saturday. They take great pride in that. And of course they love a back that gets a few more yards than they blocked for them, too. But that play has probably personified them to this point in time. We?™re fortunate that they?™ve been together for a while now and have stayed reasonably healthy and have grown this last year and a half now at playing together and that certainly has helped a good bit.

THE QUESTION: Against Missouri?™s defense the offense didn?™t give up one sack or turnover, you must feel like the line is doing its job.

COACH FRAN: I think you have to credit them a great deal for that. Missouri had a lot of sacks going into last week?™s game and our guys did a pretty good job keeping them out and the backs did a good job of picking up the pressure. Stephen (McGee) did a good job of throwing the ball where it needed to be and throwing it on rhythm and you know when you go 19 for 23 with two throwaways you?™ve had a pretty nice day and they protected him to the point where he could have that kind of day.

THE QUESTION: Time of possession was huge the other day. As a rule of thumb, generally speaking how important is time of possession in a game do you think?

COACH FRAN: It?™s relative. You can win the time of possession and lose the points battle and it?™s not very important at all. You have to be able to do something with it. One of the things what this offense has been able to do this year is -- I believe we have had 12 drives of 80 or more yards for touchdowns. We?™ve been averaging two or three a game. And that?™s far above the odds. You know usually it?™s about one in 14 or one in 15 is what you would figure if you took every drive inside the 20 and -- how many times most teams would score. And these guys right now are ahead of that and so I think that says a lot about the line and the solid play of the quarterback and the running backs not having turned the ball over. Last year I think our offense had a hard time at times complementing our defense. We would score very quickly -- last year we had probably 12 drives of two minutes and 30 seconds or less and we just put the defense right back out there and they had a hard time getting off the field last year. This defense is getting off the field more and then when the offense has been out there for the most part they have been able to stay for a while which makes your defense really good standing over on the sideline resting.

THE QUESTION: Did you envision this offense being able to do the kind of things it did going into the season?

COACH FRAN: I think we had some hope of that and some thoughts of that going into the season. I don?™t -- you know, I don?™t know if you can ever envision 41 or 42 minutes of possession time. Part of that is due to Missouri?™s style of play as well as our style of play, too, but that?™s a pretty demonstrative type of number when you talk about amount of time you hold onto the football.

THE QUESTION: Seemed like Missouri really started to get tired defensively with Goodson and Lane playing off each other. They would have to chase (Mike) Goodson and then have to hit (Jorvorskie) Lane. Do you sense that?™s going to be a big advantage for you guys the rest of the season.

COACH FRAN: Well, I hope so. You know we?™ve got to be able to utilize all the components of our offense and find the ones each week that are the best. And we really have a nice fastball, change-up style. And I think 1defending that sometimes you can get used to Jorvorskiee (Lane) coming at you then all of a sudden this guy that?™s hard to catch is coming at you and that probably is a little bit concerning to a defense. I think it would be concerning to us to defend a duo like that because of the change of speeds that comes at you, the power and the elusiveness. It?™s worked pretty well for us so far.

THE QUESTION: Jorvorskie (Lane) broke 18 tackles against Missouri. Have you seen that from anyone before? Is that extreme?

COACH FRAN: I don?™t know if I can remember a day like that. Eighteen broken tackles is a lot of tackles to break in a game.

THE QUESTION: Coach, how much have you talked to your team about dealing with the success of being in the Top 25, and remaining focused.

COACH FRAN: A little bit. You know, my comment to them on Sunday was that there?™s a fine line between confidence and arrogance and when you cross the line you usually pay a price. I felt like I needed, as a head coach, to talk about that, but I did that maybe to make myself feel better than for them to really have to hear it because I think they?™re pretty grounded. I think they understand that they have to fight hard all the way through the game together and complement each other and pick each other up when one side is doing better than the other. And I don?™t sense really at all that there is -- we?™ve arrived or we?™re this or we?™re that. I think we understand that you know we?™re a few plays better right now and we just have to keep fighting our tail off and preparing well and again that is a compliment to the leaders on this team and a compliment to the team and their maturity. I think in this situation as a head coach you spend time talking about things that you know probably -- may not be there but you don?™t want to be there and so you try to be proactive.

THE QUESTION: Are there any similarities between what?™s going on now and when you guys were 6-1 in 2004?

COACH FRAN: It?™s different. The ?'04 team was almost a little bit giddy about it and I think this team is more grounded, I believe at least I have not seen any qualities or characteristics that would make me believe that they?™re like that at this point in time. I mean, they know going to Stillwater on homecoming is going to be a hard game and they know the next week on the road is going to be a hard game and they know November ahead of them is going to be a challenge and -- but they are confident that if they do what they have been doing they will be put in a position to win and that they can win. And so I really like where they are mentally right now.

THE QUESTION: Defensively could you speak to why y?™all have been so successful on third downs? Can you put your finger on one or two things?

COACH FRAN: Well, I think it?™s a reflection of our defensive coaches and their plan and their adjustments and the change in our defense. And then of our players?™ execution on those downs and the way they?™re getting to the football and Coach Darnell and his staff are doing a lot of good things with the defense but I think one of the best is that they are never overloading them. They?™re going to under-do it before they over-do it so that they can play fast and confident with great effort and that?™s really what you?™re seeing the most of right now. And then just maturity of these players. I mean, again, last year there were some young players out there playing that probably weren?™t quite ready for all they had to go through. But because of having gone through it they?™re more prepared this year. They just had to go through some tough days to get to it.

THE QUESTION: You mentioned not overloading especially on third down, do you just tell the players to try and stop them before they get to the (first down) markers? Do you try to make it not any more complicated than that?

COACH FRAN: What you?™re saying is accurate in the sense that you?™d always like to think as a coach that you can make a really good call whether it?™s on offense or on defense. But the fact of the matter is you make a solid call and the players execute it. And there aren?™t magic calls necessarily as much as good calls that the players are confident in and comfortable with and can play hard with. I think that?™s a different way of saying what you just said but along the same lines.

THE QUESTION: Can you talk about Oklahoma State?

COACH FRAN: Oklahoma State is scary on offense. Anybody that scores 42 points in less than a half is a little frightening at how quick they can score and how explosive they are. Bobby Reid is an excellent quarterback. We really liked Bobby when he was a senior in high school, but we got Stephen (McGee) so we were very pleased that we got our guy but Bobby has grown into the position, he?™s gotten some experience, he?™s stayed healthy and he can run and he can throw. They have a couple of outstanding receivers and an offensive line that is doing a nice job right now. The backs are doing a nice job. I said before the season Oklahoma State would be a much-improved ball club and they?™re in year two and I think that?™s the most vivid part. What you see is a team that is comfortable with what they?™re doing as compared with last year when it was all new. And they do so much no huddle that was probably a challenge for their players in the beginning and it?™s starting to pay its dividends now. Defense is solid. They have good team speed. Get to the football. They?™re younger on that side of the ball but still playing pretty well. They?™re kicking game is really pretty good. They are excellent in kickoff returns. They?™ve done a good job with their punt return game. They have a good punter. They have a good place kicker. So they?™re really a good ball club that can win a lot of games.

THE QUESTION: The defense seems to be much stronger in the second half this year, what do you think is the main reason for that?

COACH FRAN: You know, I can?™t put a finger on it completely because we?™d bottle it up and throw it out there in the first half maybe. I think part of it is you see so many varied offenses right now. You go from Texas Tech to Kansas to Missouri. They?™re all different. It maybe is taking us a little bit of a time to get settled into the speed of that type of offense, into the style. I think our coaches have done a nice job of giving our players some adjustments at half time that have been very beneficial. You have to credit our players for grasping those and still continuing to play with confidence and play hard. I think it?™s got to be a lot of those issues plus some more. I think we?™re a more experienced team that has a belief system of just keep playing. Jordan Peterson?™s play Saturday is an example of how we want our players to play -- to play to the very end and that type of play identifies exactly what we?™ve been trying to preach and they?™re doing that. So as the game goes on they?™ve gotten stronger and been able to finish.

THE QUESTION: How satisfying was it when Jorvorskie (Lane) came up to you before the last drive and told you that he wanted the ball?

COACH FRAN: I liked it. I loved it. But I think the thing you like -- appreciate about it the most is not only did he talk the talk, but he walked the walk. And you know that?™s the key. You can find some guys that?™ll say the right things but (Jorvorskie) backed it up pretty well.

THE QUESTION: Have the things that Mike Goodson has had to go through this year been pretty typical of a freshman running back? Has his adjustment been about what you expected?

COACH FRAN: I think pretty normal. Really I think Michael?™s done about as good as any freshman running back I?™ve ever coached. He?™s had to learn a lot. A lot of offense and he really has handled it. When we talked about him in August we knew that we needed to get him out there in September so that he would be better in October and you have to believe our coaches have handled that well because it?™s vivid that he?™s better in October so hopefully this will continue so that he?™s better in November. And with freshmen that?™s what you have to plan. I mean, they?™re not going to be as good on September 2nd as they have a chance to be on November 2nd if they stay healthy and continue the progress. I think our coaches have given Michael just the right amount to tax him and push him but not to stress him and so it?™s helped build his confidence. Helped build our coaches?™ confidence in Michael and our teams?™ confidence in Michael and it?™s grown by the week.

THE QUESTION: Speaking of Mike, he said he banged up his shoulder a little bit when he slipped and fell. Are you looking forward to when they get some traction or turf on that concrete track?

COACH FRAN: Yeah. That?™s a scary area in our stadium. I?™m really surprised that we haven?™t had some more significant falls there. Fortunately we haven?™t yet.

THE QUESTION: Do you talk to the players about staying away from it?

COACH FRAN: You know sometimes you can?™t stay away from it. I think they all know that. But sometimes velocity and speed don?™t stop fast enough to let you stay away from it. They have to learn the hard way it seems. It?™s slick for a guy in cleats.

THE QUESTION: Is there a reason that anything hasn?™t been done about that?

COACH FRAN: I don?™t know the background. I know there?™s a plan in effect to do something, but I don?™t know exactly all of that.

THE QUESTION: Is Jorvorskie (Lane) the kind of back that gets better in a game with the more carries he gets, or do you kind of see him as more of just a short yardage kind of back?

COACH FRAN: We have never thought as Jorvorskie as a short yardage goal line guy. The other day we were on the two yard line and used Michael (Goodson). What we try to do is to play Jorvorskie at the time where the plays are his strength and we try to play Michael at the time when the play call is his strength. And obviously they?™re in there other times than that. It?™s not always a tackle to tackle run with Jorvorskie and we wouldn?™t want it to always be. Our coaches do a good job of saying okay this is what each guy?™s strength is and let?™s try to put that person in this position to be able to use that ability. One of the dilemmas we have a little bit is that Jorvorskie can carry the ball 25 to 35 times a game but I think our most efficiency is when we have our change up going and when we use Michael and use Jorvorskie. You?™re going to sit in here in a couple of weeks and we?™ll h have given the ball to Jorvorskie 12 or 14 times and you?™ll ask him why didn?™t we give it to him 25 or 35 times. Let?™s head this one off before it gets there. And it depends on where we?™re at and what we?™re doing and the great thing about (Jorvorskie) right now is he?™s mature enough to understand that?™s what we?™re doing. And he understands what his strengths and role is. I don?™t think really last year as freshman he did, which is not unusual. Not saying anything negative about (Jorvorskie) when I say that. Freshmen think they can conquer the world and right now he?™s zeroed in on what he?™s best at and he knows the coaches are zeroed in on that and that?™s that process that you go through with players and right now his maturity and leadership already -- you know he?™s been a real strength for Michael (Goodson) and I?™m really proud of him for that growth.

THE QUESTION: When you bring that up, I remember that after the Iowa State game last year, (Jorvorskie) even sat in here and expressed disbelief as to why he wasn?™t getting the ball.

COACH FRAN: I remember those questions.

THE QUESTION: But that?™s all part of the learning process I suppose and what you?™re speaking to now?

COACH FRAN: Exactly. That?™s exactly it. And you know we have very capable backs. I don?™t think the answer for us offensively is to try to pound the ball all the time. I think we have to continue to play to the multiplicity of our offense and continue to use all the components and then zero in on the components that are going to be the best for us as we go down the stretch in a game. And if there was one thing our offensive coaches did very well Saturday was do that and you know Jorvorskie?™s statement about give me the ball was really not needed because I already knew he was going to get the football so did the other sideline. I answered that question by relating back to a Nebraska team we used to play that had lots of tendencies but still kicked the dog out of us with the same plays and they knew which plays we were going to run; their players were calling it out. There isn?™t much finer feeling as a player and as a coach than they knew what you?™re going to do and you know what you?™re going to do and you still do it.

THE QUESTION: Do you expect to get Courtney back in this mix eventually?

COACH FRAN: Uh-huh. We do.

THE QUESTION: Is he making progress?

COACH FRAN: Yes.

THE QUESTION: Is it nice to have -- going to make an assumption Jerrod Johnson is your scout team quarterback emulating Bobby Reid? Is it nice to have a guy like that play a guy like Reid and it also says something about the future of your program as well?

COACH FRAN: Coach Darnell has said several times to me after third, fourth, fifth week whatever it has been that the best quarterback we have faced is on Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday and that is a big plus. To have someone that can emulate the opponent?™s style and attack and Jerrod has been able to give that kind of look to our team. He?™s been very valuable in that regard. And we?™re obviously very excited about his future.