Nov. 23, 2009
COLLEGE STATION, Texas--Head Coach Mike Sherman and players of the team meet with members of the press to talk about the upcoming game against Texas.
A full transcript of Coach Sherman's press conference, along with selected quotes from players, will be available soon. Audio clips are available in MP3 format to the right.
HEAD COACH Mike Sherman TRANSCRIPT
Talk about your helmet, and the emblem you're going to wear Thursday night, and the significance of that...
"The helmet and the decal on the side with the ribbon are in honor of the 12 young men and women who lost their lives 10 years ago in the building of Bonfire. The 12 on the back is obviously symbolic of those 12. I think it's a great representation of what that event meant to this University."
You coached here when Bonfire was annual event. What do you remember about that tradition and how it played into Thanksgiving showdowns with Texas?
"Well, the obvious is the burning desire that all Aggies have to win that football game. It's a great rivalry, the fourth longest in the country. And it's two great universities with a lot of history and tradition on both sides meeting on the playing field in front of their former students, exes. It's just a great tradition. I've been a part of tradition games in the National Football League, but this is one of the greatest traditions of all time. This state looks forward to this game every single year. Both sides are represented by Texas high school football players. Every high school coach that has a player on those teams is sitting on the edge of his seat watching this game. It's a very special game in many ways. It's an honor to coach in it."
Does the win last Saturday take any of the pressure away from the preparation for this game in that you got that sixth victory?
"There was a little bit of pressure in the ball game last week, I guess you'd say. I thought our players handled it very well. I'm not one that makes a big deal about the obvious. They read the paper, they do the math, they know the implications of what last week was all about. So to their credit, they responded to the challenge. That speaks volumes. I wish we didn't have to deal with the ups and downs this season has presented to us. But I think they've done a great job of handling the adversity they've faced in the context of the season. Going out to Lubbock and winning in Lubbock in the fashion we did after losing on the road to K-State the way we did, and then coming back after Oklahoma with our tail tucked between our knees...to come back at home and win a football game we had to win speaks volumes of their character. So to answer your question, yes."
When did you start looking at Texas? Was it back in the summer?
"We do an off-season study, and certainly did preparation there knowing this was going to be a short week. And then during the off week as well. The last two weeks we would get our game plans done by Wednesday, and then the coaches would spend a morning getting work done on Texas."
Last week Von Miller seemed somewhat uncharacteristically wound up at certain points of the game. What was going on and what got into him?
"Well, I got into him a little bit because the penalties were avoidable. Sometimes in the contest of game certain things happen back and forth, and some penalties are almost just part of the game. But there were other penalties that we caused in this ball game that were avoidable, that you could walk away from. I think there was frustration on his part, that certain things weren't being called. He felt like he was being held and it wasn't being addressed by the officials. That's just part of the game, part of life. You've got to be able to handle that. He and I have had a long talk about it on two occasions, and I feel like we're headed back in right direction. He realized he didn't handle himself appropriately and it's been addressed. I think he's back on task and will handle it better next time."
What has he meant to this defense this year?
"With the pressure he's creating, even when he doesn't make a sack or doesn't make a tackle, he definitely warrants attention by opposing offenses. (He's created issues) just with the attention that he's drawn, even when he's not making a play necessarily. He didn't have a sack this past weekend but he caused some pressure by what he's able to do. He's meant a lot to our defense."
How important will it be for you to get pressure on Colt McCoy?
"They have a great scheme and an excellent offensive line. That's going to be a challenge for us. When he gets comfortable back there, it certainly allows him to pick and choose where he is going with the football. And he has a lot of different weapons. It's important for us not to let him to get too comfortable back there. That's going to be a challenge for us."
What has Lionel Smith meant to your special teams?
"Lionel Smith has really stepped up. Actually, yesterday he was named special teams captain of year. The team voted on him. He's really stepped up and made some really nice plays on special teams. He's faced adversity. He's played defense, we moved him to offense, there were times over there he would struggle catching football, so we moved him back to defense. But he's really found his niche on this team. As I've told all the players, you have to have a role in order to be on this team. We're not just going to keep guys on the team if you can't find a role. Some guys' roles are they are great service guys. Some guys' roles are they are great special teams players. And he has found himself a home there on special teams. He has really been a force there and done a marvelous job this season in stepping up his game and realizing that's his role on this team. He's made a significant contribution in this area."
And in terms of his background and Hurricane Katrina, that's the reason he ended up at A&M...
"I'm not quite as familiar with that, because I didn't recruit him. He was here when I got here. But I understand that he had to face some issues off the field as well as on the field, and I think he's handled both of them very well."
How do you attack a defense as good as Texas', especially against the run?
"They play their scheme. They have the right players for the right scheme. When they get in that 30-front, they play two-gap and they keep people off of those linebackers. Those linebackers they have recruited, they run very fast and make a lot of good plays. Obviously people have not had a whole lot of success rushing the football against them. They're very good at what they do. They have a good scheme with good players. That's a tough challenge for us, but it's one where we're looking forward to seeing what our guys and our scheme can do."
With your wins this year, which one gives you the most confidence going into this game? Is there one game you can point to?
"I don't know if it's one win that would give you confidence to go in and play one of, if not the best, teams in the country when we play on Thursday night. I think it's collectively the things that I've come to know about our guys. I think we've played well on Kyle Field this year. Even in our one loss, to Oklahoma State, I thought we played well in that ballgame. Not well enough to win, but I thought we played well. I feel good about being at home. I feel good about Kyle Field, the 12th Man, the environment we are going to have to play this game in. Our guys are very excited about the challenge. This is Rocky Balboa versus Apollo Creed. It's one of those types of deals, where we have a chance to play against a top-notch team that certainly has not stumbled one time this year. They've played very well in every ballgame. It's going to be quite a challenge for us, but it's one we're looking forward to."
What is the biggest challenge, between their offense, defense and special teams?
"(Laughing) The challenge is they don't have any weaknesses. Every area they're very strong in. If one side isn't up to par, the other side is beating you, whether it's special teams, offense or defense. If one side just isn't clicking, the other two are. They never go with all three not clicking. They're always clicking in one or two of the other departments, if the other side is just finding their way a little bit, which isn't often--they usually are clicking in all areas. It's a challenge. No question. But it's one we're excited about. The team is really looking forward to playing this game. To answer the question though, having played last week, and had a good home game with a great crowd, we can really cut loose in this ball game, and go out there and really put the pressure on them, and play hard and hopefully play well."
Do you attribute most of the up-and-down nature of the team this year to the youth?
"I think that plays a part in it. When you are playing 18 to 20 freshmen, (it can be) how they handle themselves. I remember, going out to K-State, for some of the guys it was their first time on a plane. For some of those guys, it was the first time they've been in a college stadium that wasn't Kyle Field, or a friendly Dallas Cowboys Stadium. Some guys had never been in cold weather before. It was a first experience for some of them. And trust me, the expectations I have and this team has is to win in spite of youth, adversity, age, injury...it doesn't matter. You're still expected to win. It's certainly not an excuse. But I did think going into this season that our youth and inexperience would cause kind of a mercurial type of season in having some highs and lows. My concern was how were they going to handle the lows, and would they be able to bounce back. And I think they've done a decent job of that. I know this, the Colorado game took us a while...out of all the games we've played, the Colorado loss, that took us a while to recover from, as I look back on it. We weren't as crisp on Monday and Tuesday as we had been in previous weeks. A maturity level allows you to handle that a little bit better, although I had my own struggles with that myself."
Does it help any that you've beaten Texas two of the past three years, when they came in as the better team, the ranked team?
"You know, I don't put a whole lot of stock on previous years when it comes to our team this year. I think each team is specific to itself and has its own challenges. The fact that it has happened maybe gives a little credence to the possibilities. But the number one thing is you have to play better than they play and you have to do things better than they do things. Really, on game day, that is what is going to make the difference, the opportunities you take advantage of. If we have penalties like we had the other day, it will be very difficult. It would be very difficult to win any football game."
After the two biggest losses of the year, in terms of margin, you've bounced back and had your two best rushing games of the season. Can you explain why that is or is it just coincidence, or is it just how you matched up with the opponent?
"I think part of it is how we matched up with the opponent. If we'd played Oklahoma the other day, we might have had some struggles in the run game because we had struggles when we played them. A lot of it had to do with some matchups that we had. And maybe part of it had to do with the demeanor that we had as well. The attitude that we took into the game maybe helped us initiate some of the push we needed to be able to run the football. I think matchups play a part in it as well. I'd like to say it was all our attitude, but matchups do play a part."
With your young team is it important Thursday to not a dig hole early and have to rally out of that?
"Youth or not, when you're playing a team like this, and the explosiveness of their offense and stinginess of their defense, as well as the field position created by their special teams, you can't bury yourself very early. I thought if we could have generated something on offense last year, we were hanging in there with them in the first quarter, and we just let the game get away from us. They had a lot to do with that, but I thought we were hanging in there. When you're hanging in there, you have to take advantage of your opportunities. This year, if we have the opportunity to slow them down, our offense has to find its way into the end zone. It can't be three downs and out. Against a team like this that's so explosive and can turn the tide on you so fast, you have to make sure that you're battling early in the ball game and you come out swinging. You can't wait to make your move. You better make it pretty quick."
Can you talk about Jerrod's development as a quarterback and as a leader?
"I really don't know if I've been around a player that's made the progress he has made. He was so disappointed after the game that he didn't play well enough. I told him this morning that the sign of a great quarterback or a pitcher in baseball is to be able to win a game when you don't have your best stuff. In that first half, he didn't have his best stuff. He missed some third-down conversions that he should have made, but he generated some conversions with his feet, managed the game and didn't do anything that was going to lose game for us. He found his way in the second half, was able to connect on some balls, and I think that's the sign of a good quarterback. You're not going to always have your `A' game. To be able to handle those days and not be defeated by it is huge in the development of a quarterback. He's a guy that continues to get better every single day. He's very, very smart. He's a lot more football savvy than I ever gave him credit for last year. I think we threw a lot at him last year and he was just trying to process it. Now he really thinks things through. You tell him something about ball security, you tell him about making great decisions, which last year was a nemesis of his...I think he has five interceptions. As many balls as he's thrown that's pretty dang good. I really think he's matured a lot as a quarterback and as a leader of our team."
How is Patrick Lewis doing?
"Patrick is doing better. He sprained his ankle in the ball game. We had an opportunity to play Matt Allen at that time. Pat could have probably gone in but there wasn't a need to, so we kept him out. Hopefully we'll have him rested up for this week."
How about Dustin Harris?
"Dustin has made a lot of progress. He ran on Monday and looked better. Hopefully he'll be available for us this week as well."
You mentioned Rocky Balboa. You have a boxing match ready for Wednesday night like you did before Texas Tech?
"No, I think we've gone through the boxing matches. I've run out of video clips. We've done that a couple of times actually. No, we don't have anything for this one. We have a couple of other things."
Will we see Rocky I or Rocky II?
"I don't know if I remember Rocky II necessarily..."
He won in Rocky II...
"Did he? Well, hopefully you'll see that one. (laughter)"
Talk about Rhontae Scales and his situation...
"I don't know everything about that situation. I have talked to him and I've continued to discuss things with him. College kids, out at night after a ball game, and not making the best decisions sometimes. I'm still investigating that and getting all my facts together. But that will be something I'll take care of."
Saturday talked about the seniors and the adversity they've gone through, the switching of coaches and stuff. Can you elaborate on that?
"You're saying switching to me was adversity for them? Is that what you're saying? (laughing) It probably is adversity, there's no question. I think anytime you're recruited by a head coach and then there's a coaching change, and your new head coach, he has his own ideas that may not be better or worse, but they're just different, and you have to adjust to that...it's hard. Just like in anybody's profession, you change bosses and you try to learn the nuances your new boss wants, it's hard. These seniors have been through a fair amount of adversity. Last year, my first year, was a tough year for them, as it was for me. They're either going to be on board or not be on board at all. They all jumped on board, the kids we have here with us right now. Some elected not to, and the ones that stayed I think are happy they did stay. We have a fun group of guys. The seniors have really done a great job of embracing these freshmen. I told them back in the summertime, `Hey, these freshmen are going to come in here, and I'm going to play them, and they'll be a part of what we're building here. I need you guys to not put them through some rite of passage. What I need you to do is help them along and encourage them and teach them.' They did a marvelous job of doing that. I'm very proud of them and the unselfishness they demonstrated by taking these freshmen in and really teaching them how we do things, teaching them the offense, teaching them the defense, teaching them special teams. I really can't say enough about our senior class. The guys that start, the guys that don't start...we've got guys in our senior class that are service team guys that bust it ever day out there, give us everything they have to give us a great look. It's a fine group of men. They'll all be very successful in life."
Do you discuss last year's game, in terms of it being lopsided, with the team?
"Once it's over with me, it's over. You move on. I don't necessarily equate last year to this year in any way, shape or form. I think each season, each game, each practice is different. I spend my time in the present. That's how we deal with this game. When you put 130 guys in a room and 13 coaches, every year there's a different chemistry in the room, and different talent levels, and everything changes from season to season. To say that there are relationships between one season and the next, I've never been able to do that, because every team is different. We won't reference that. Don't need to, don't want to.
Whenever Von Miller decides to take the next step up, how do you think he projects in the NFL? What type of role do you see him playing in that league?
"Whenever that time is, and he and I will sit down and discuss that at the end of the season, or once we've met our challenges that we have on our plate right now. I think he's proven that he has a lot of potential to be a heck of a player."
As an outside linebacker, or how do you see him?
"I think lot of teams would probably view him as a 3-4 linebacker. He'd be an excellent blitzer. His size will probably keep him from being a defensive end, how we play him a lot of times. But as an outside linebacker."
Can you discuss your 5-1 home record, and what you think the differences are for this team playing at Kyle Field versus on the road?
"Well, I think a lot of that has to do again with youth. The more mature you get, the better you play on the road. The comfort of home...these kids have their families here watching them, the 12th Man screaming for them, there's a lot of encouragement here. Being the young football team, when I talk about the type of season we've had and the ups and downs, a lot of the downs have been on the road and lot of the ups have been at home. The comfort level that these young men have playing here on Kyle Field, in front of our fans and family, may help them through some tough times in ball games."
What have you learned about this rivalry with Texas?
"It's a rivalry that's anybody's in spite of where you are in your season, because you have primarily Texas high school football players playing against teammates and past opponents in high school all-star games and playoffs. Anything can happen. I think that's been proven year in and year out."
You said you don't have Rocky cued up. What do you have in store this week, or can you tell us?
"Well, we'll just kind of keep those in house for now. It's a short week, so my creativity is a little bit on a standstill right now. But it better be dang good because this is going to be a big game."
Did you like the way Jordan Pugh returned kicks the other day?
"Yeah he did nice job. I thought Jordan Pugh probably played one of his very best ballgames that I've seen him play. He was very dominant in a lot of areas. I told the guys before the game, `Believe it or not, someday your grandkids or your kids, in the society we live in, will be able to access and watch you play the Baylor game at home. You're going to have to explain to them how you played in that ballgame.' Someday, if they can't do it already, they'll be able to access these games and watch them. I think Jordan Pugh kids and grandkids will be proud of how he played the game."
Some of A&M's greatest games against Texas have been at night, on Thanksgiving, at Kyle Field. You've been a part of some of those. How excited are you for that scene, the only game on on Thanksgiving night?
"Certainly, to be on a national stage, particularly this year where we've been a little bit limited in that area, it's huge for us, because it shows a great university. It'll show our fans. It'll show what A&M is all about. The A&M family will be on national television with no other TV show on, competing from a football standpoint. I think it really puts us in the spotlight. It's a spotlight that A&M deserves to be in, and this game deserves to be in, two great universities right here in the state of Texas battling it out. It's very much a premier game year in and year out."
Can the 12th Man kind of "will" you to win this thing? Do you feel that kind of electricity?
"Well, as much as I love them, they are not going to catch any passes, or rush the quarterback, or block anybody. But they do play a part in elevating our play. I've seen it when we are home. I saw it the other day. I think we ran to the ball defensively as well as we have all year long. With the 12th Man in your back pocket, that little catalyst can keep you going through the course of a game. That's something you don't have on the road. When you look up in the stands and you see those people and those fans and those students standing over there, you're reminded of who you represent. Our players are very understanding and very appreciative of the impact the 12th Man plays."
What's your best memory from your first stint in Aggieland from this rivalry?
"Back then, we were in a much more elevated position at that time, and Texas was having their struggles. We were very fortunate to win a fair amount of those ballgames. I think any time you beat Texas, particularly here on Kyle Field, it's a special memory."
ADDITIONAL QUOTES
ASST HEAD COACH/DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR Joe Kines
on facing Texas... "If you look at the University of Texas and their program and where it is right now, it's got to be one of the greatest college football teams in the country, with great people. Sometimes you say that and in the next sentence say, 'Well yeah, but they've got a left guard who can't do this, or a wide receiver who can't do that.' But that isn't the case at all here. It's quality across the board, they know what they're doing, and they know how to do it. They do it with some of the best college football players in the country. Coach Brown has put together an amazing offensive package."
SENIOR DB Jordan Pugh
on the challenge of facing Texas... "We look forward to the challenge every week. In the Big 12, you face high-powered offenses every week. This is just another one that we've got to get ready for. It's a big game, a big rivalry game. As far as us on defense, we're looking forward to the challenge."
on this being his last game at Kyle Field... "I've thought about it. I've thought about it over and over again. I want to end it on a good note. I want to end it with a big win over a great team. I guess you could say that's my dream story to end on Kyle Field."
SENIOR OL Michael Shumard
on this being his last game at Kyle Field... "Every game is important, but since the seniors have been eligible, we've been 2-1 against Texas and I would like to end 3-1. There's no better way to leave Kyle Field and thank the fans for all they've done."
on the challenge of facing Texas... "They're all good players. They all hustle and are big, strong guys. That's how it's always been since I've been here. It's always a great challenge and it's always something to look forward to."
JUNIOR QB Jerrod Johnson
on playing Texas on Kyle Field on Thanksgiving night... "I just tell the guys to enjoy it. There aren't too many experiences in college football like this. There are not too many times where you get to play against these guys. There's maybe four or five years and it's over. I'm down to my second to last one and I'm looking forward to it. I tell them to prepare for the moment so you can enjoy the moment. When you get out there, you can't worry about being nervous under the lights. Prepare and go out there and show your talents."
on the challenge of facing Texas... "If you beat that team, you beat a great team. If we win on Thursday, we will have beaten a great team. Taking nothing away from them, if we win they are a really great team and they will still be ranked high and go on to whatever they go on to. Just the fact that you beat them and you kind of have bragging rights for the state of Texas for that year, it's fun to think about. One of our motivations is to beat Texas every year along with every other team, but for me to say that this game doesn't have a little bit more than the rest, I'd be lying to you. I'm definitely looking forward to it. Whatever they do after us, I wish them the best. But when they play us, we definitely like our chances, we're going to go out there with all we have."
JUNIOR JACK Von Miller
on the challenge of facing Texas... "They're a really good team. They're solid all over and their offensive line is good. Texas is a really good, solid team. Every year when we play Texas, we feel like it's even. This year it's no different, we've got some young guys but they don't act like young guys. It's Texas week, everybody is up for this game and it's the biggest game of the year. It's probably going to be the biggest game in my career so far. It's really just another big game that we've got to take care of."