TEXAS A&M FOOTBALL WEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCE
Monday, November 21, 2011 - Bright Complex - College Station, Texas
Head Coach Mike Sherman
On the status of Cyrus Gray
"Cyrus [Gray] has a stress fracture in his shoulder. He's day-to-day. We'll see where he is the next couple days and, if it gets better, he'll play. If it doesn't, he won't. He can play without practicing. We don't want to put him in a position where he'll be jeopardized. It happened when he hit the ground hard. He might've had one carry after that, it didn't come out right away."
On Ben Malena's possible start on Thursday
"Ben Malena has been running with our twos. Cyrus [Gray] and Christine [Michael] were running with the ones. He's had a bit of experience in practice, not as much in the games. I thought he did a good job on Saturday. He's a good pass protector and catches the ball well out of the backfield, so given the opportunity I have faith in him."
On the emotional aspect of playing Texas
"Certainly this might possibly mark the end of a century of playing a particular rival. Those emotions will play out in the game, I'm sure, with the players and coaches and fans. It's been a great rivalry over the years, particularly in the last 30 or so. Game day will be the best test of that. There's so much to do right now in preparation, getting ready on offense, defense and special teams. You know the emotional part will be there, but it hasn't quite sunk in. Once you get the game plan done you start thinking about the actual game itself. I'm sure that'll bring back a lot of memories"
On facing Texas' offense
"Their offensive struggles don't really affect how we prepare. They're running the ball really well. Ranked in the top-15 in rushing, I believe. They have some big backs that can grind it out. They're playing with young quarterbacks and it takes a while for those guys to get comfortable. They have some excellent receivers ... it's not like you can ignore them. They have a lot of variety where
they can run some fly sweeps. There'll be some trick plays, like they seem to run every game. They try to get a big play on you."
On the status of Coryell Judie
"[Coryell] Judie practiced some yesterday and it looks like he might finally be healed up and ready to go. I'm hopeful he'll be able to go for us."
On facing Texas' defense
"I think they're the best defense, collectively, we've faced this year."
On playing Texas for the last time in the foreseeable future
"I hate to see the end of anything that has such rich history and tradition come to an end. I wasn't here when the SWC was disbanded, but that was a lot of gnashing of teeth and giving up on something that had so much history and tradition ... and this is somewhat similar to that. We're not playing it in the future, as it looks right now, but it'll be a game you think about and a game you miss. Without even knowing what our schedule is next year, it's hard to fathom where it would fit in at this point. It's a very special game. Former Texas high school football players play against each other. It's been a marquee Thanksgiving game. It's hard to walk away from that."
On facing Texas' special teams
"They've had a couple kickoff returns for touchdowns. They block very well. It's not supposed to be as windy in this game, but this time of year, field position is critical. And they've been very good on special teams."
On preparing to play on a short week
"The over-analyzation of the game probably comes more from the coaches than the players. They have what we give them. As a coach, you feel a bit pressed when you play on Thursday because everything is moved up considerably. It's a Monday now but it's a Wednesday-type practice. I'm sure the players relish that they won't have as much practice time."
On Coach Sherman's gut feeling of Cyrus Gray playing on Thursday
"On what the gut says about Cyrus [Gray], it's doubtful ... to questionable ... to probable (widespread laughter)."
On the impact of the Texas game on recruiting
"I think being at A&M and in this atmosphere on a Thursday is a big plus in recruiting. Just getting kids on campus in that type of game, the emotion and passion that will be played out, will be a big plus for recruits at that game to see what A&M's all about."
On Ryan Tannehill's possible NFL career
"When I talk to the NFL guys that come in to watch practice and look at a fair share of our guys, I say what you see isn't exactly what you're going to get with him because he's still improving every week. His understanding of coverages is far superior to a lot of kids his age. His ability to grasp an offense ... we do a fair amount of things. Getting us into the right protection and call and looks, he's extraordinary at that. He keeps getting better and better. They don't talk much about his athleticism; I'm usually the one that brings that up. In practice he's not running around a heck of a lot unless we're rolling him out. He's an athlete, but he's a quarterback, without question, and at that level and can play for some time."
On Jeff Fuller's Status
"Jeff Fuller has a bit of turf toe, but he seems to have worked through that. I thought he did good off the bench on Saturday. It's possible he's done enough to start again."
On Howard Matthews switching to the running back position
"Howard Matthews has his hands full on defense, we're not going to try to overload him with the complexities of the offense in order to try him at running back."
On Will Randolph's performance on Saturday and upcoming game on Thursday
"It's good to get Will Randolph the experience, and especially to get the fumble out of his system. He got back to the sideline and I asked him what happened and why it happened and he was able to tell me. He wasn't protecting the ball like he should; having a big lead helped us. It took a bit of pressure off of him, getting ready for a big game this week."
On the player's that have been here all four years with Coach Sherman
"We had 17 commitments when I got here and we added another seven ... there aren't a lot of those guys still here, honestly. We've added to it with Coryell Judie and [Jonathan] Mathis, but for the guys who have been here with me and worked through it all with me, we have something special because we've been through all the peaks and valleys together. We haven't met expectations this season, but those expectations were there because of them. I credit them for raising the expectations at Texas A&M."
On Jonathan Mathis' possible medical redshirt
"Nothing official as of right now regarding a medical redshirt for Jonathan Mathis. You appeal to the NCAA, have to have documentation of time played, treatments, doctors' reports."
On Lionel Smith's performance this season
"Lionel Smith is impressive because he is where he is right now. He was a little lackadaisical when I first got here and was relegated to the service teams. He finally figured out the way to practice and play and made those adaptations and was able to get himself on the field. I'm proud of how far he's come. A lot of guys don't ever get it figured out, and he did. He's already graduated. He's grown up and he's a man and he'll be successful in life."
On Ryan Swope's performance
"The fact that Ryan Swope is a hybrid type of player helps. We throw bubbles and we know he's going to make somebody miss. He does take a bit of a beating, so we have to be cautious with him. Yesterday he was a little sore, but he does bring a lot of toughness to the table. He's such a fierce competitor on the sideline during games. He's into every play, special teams and defense, and he can't wait to get out there and make a play. To have a guy like that is neat. You can talk to him on a football level and he knows what to do and how to do it, and he has the toughness to back it up. He did drop some balls, though. He should've had a touchdown later on as well."
Defensive Coordinator Tim DeRuyter
On Damontre Moore's performance
"Damontre [Moore] is getting closer to the circle of trust. He's really starting to mature. You don't want to put him in there and get burned by it, but we like what he's been doing."
On playing Texas on Thanksgiving
"I watched A&M-Texas when I was younger. It was Thanksgiving ... that's just what you did. It was fun last year but I'm especially glad that we're going to be in Kyle Field this year. I'd like to see it continue."
On facing Texas' offense
"They have a very impressive running attack. They're a power running team. It was a big blow for them to lose number two. They have a good back, he has really improved this year and was one of the better backs in our league. They still have a couple high school All-Americans back there in Bergeron and Brown. They put Johnson in the wildcat and he's a load at 250 pounds. They're going to run it down your throat like K-State."
On preparing to face Texas' two quarterbacks
"It's tough to prepare for two quarterbacks, but they've also got to get two ready. We have plans for both of them. They'll throw the ball a bit more with [Case] McCoy. I think they've kind of settled in with [David] Ash, letting him run their whole offense instead of just making him strictly a running guy like they did earlier in the year."
On the amount of pressure they will put on Texas' offense
"Any time you're up against a team that is going to do a two-back, power-running game, you have to be careful about what pressure you call because if you don't fill a gap, they'll gash you. We'll mix up our pressures."
On the defenses' performance against Kansas
"The thing I think impressed me the most was that our guys attacked that game, regardless of who we were playing. We could've been playing Texas and our guys would've played the same way. They answered the bell. Our guys didn't go out and just go through the motions. They played inspired, and I was really proud of our leadership from our seniors. We attacked the run pretty well. Have to do a better job on third downs, that was disappointing. And finishing, we didn't finish the game right with our backup group, but they were a little rusty."
On what they did last week to prepare for Kansas
"We probably spent some more time in individual in practice last week. We try to keep it light for our guys. With the expectations we had this year, I feel like our guys felt like the weight of the world was on their shoulders sometimes. We want them to go out there and have fun."
On the impact that Coryell Judie will have if he plays on Thursday
"It'd be huge to get [Coryell] Judie back. This being his senior year, he's really fighting his tail off in treatment to get back for this one. He really wants to play in this game. He gives us a physical presence at corner. He's a guy we can match up and feel really good about. You've got to be able to play man with your corners in this game, because you have to get your safeties involved in the running game."
On playing Texas for the last time in the foreseeable future
"This game's never just another game. The fact that it's the last one for a long time ... Coach Sherman and I have hit this with our guys: It's the one you're going to remember for years, 15 or 20 years down the road you'll be talking about it. It's your chance to affect that."
On Steven Terrell's performance
"Steven Terrell comes to work every day at practice and really works on his technique. He's one of the hardest workers on the team and he's got a lot of talent, but one of the things he's not done in games is translate that. On Saturday, he translated it. He had pressure, made the pick ... that was great for him, because he's starting for us against Texas and he'll be expected to make plays. The only thing that's been holding him back is his confidence."
On playing different players on Saturday
"Floyd Raven is a fun guy to coach. He played extremely hard on Saturday and it was good to get him some extra reps. Howard Matthews got in there, still a bit of a 'band player,' either our band's playing or theirs is in his head. Deshazor Everett got out there. It was good to get them out there."
On Brandon Alexander's status
"Brandon Alexander still isn't 100 percent, but to have him play like he did, hopefully that will give him confidence because we'll need him in the mix."
On Lionel Smith's performance this season
"Lionel Smith has a lot of talent. He hasn't gotten enough reps, but he's gotten better every single week. He did a great job on what we've coached him on. He almost forced a fumble on Saturday. He's been relatively dependable in man coverage - nobody's going to get it 100 percent of the time - but when he gets his technique right, which he usually does, he can stay with most receivers."
On playing on a Thursday night
"Not a big fan of night games. I know our fans love it, but I hate waiting all day long to play. I don't think the fact that its Thursday will be an advantage for us or them."
On the impacts of takeaways on the game this Thursday
"That was our formula for how we won last year, forcing takeaways. Our offense has done a great job the last couple of weeks taking care of the ball. You win the turnover battle, you should win. We're gaining confidence. Win the takeaway battle on Thursday and you have a good chance."
Senior Quarterback Ryan Tannehill
On playing Texas this Thursday
"It's exciting to play in this game under these circumstances. It's something only one team will experience. It's a big game and we really need to come out with a win and we're excited about the opportunity. It's huge and we realize that and we're excited to play in this game. I think the rivalry should continue, but that's not really for me to decide. A lot of people get paid a lot of money to decide that, not me."
On the emotional aspect of playing Texas
"It becomes just another game after the first snap. The emotions calm down once you get on the field and it just becomes playing your game and taking it one snap at a time. The buildup is exciting, but once you get on the field it becomes just another game. I redshirted my first year so I had this huge buildup to my first game against them, but it wasn't anything special once I got on the field. It's a game we've been playing our whole lives."
On what it means to be an Aggie
"It means a lot. This school stands for so many good things. Character, integrity, all the things it stands by. When I came to A&M those were a few of the things that stood out to me and things I believe in. Those are things our school believes in and our team believes in. Coach Sherman has preached those things since we came in and he really tries to help us connect to the school."
On Ben Malena and Will Randolph
"Ben Malena brings a lot. He's gotten some action this year. He's a hard, physical runner. He's going to hit the holes and keep his feet moving the whole time. He's a great running back, he just had Cyrus [Gray] and Christine [Michael] in front of him so it's hard to get on the field. We're excited about him. Will Randolph is an extremely fast guy. Hasn't been with the first team much, but he can take it the distance any time he touches it. He's a big-play guy."
On playing Texas' defense
"I've watched them a bit. They're a good defense, athletic, have some young guys on the outside. They're good players across the board. They bring exotic blitzes at you, zone pressure, man pressure, they play a lot of man. They're going to mix some things up and throw a lot of things at you."
On our offensive line
"The offensive line is doing great. We've settled on five guys that have been in there the last few weeks and that's helped them gain togetherness and continuity. The more they get to play together, the better they get. They're getting better each week. I didn't feel much pressure against Kansas at all. They're great, not just on the outside but on the inside and in the running game. And that's what gets us going."
On the impact of winning big against Kansas on the Texas game
"It was great to win big on Saturday, but it's a completely different week, completely different team. Everything starts over on Thursday. We want to build off of what we did against Kansas but we have to play well on Thursday. Saturday doesn't really mean anything anymore."
Junior Wide Receiver Ryan Swope
On playing Texas for the last time in the foreseeable future
"I went to quite a few A&M-Texas games when I was younger. I grew up a Longhorn, but things have changed since then. It'll be a fun game, lot of history and tradition. It's too bad (it'll end), because I've been watching it for so long and it's a lot of fun. There's so much history and tradition. In this game, it doesn't matter who's ranked higher or who's the better team, both teams will come out swinging. We get to play in Kyle Field on Thursday, that's huge. Night game, hasn't happened in a while. It'll be electric. It'll be a fun game to play, especially on a Thursday night on Thanksgiving. I personally think it should continue, but I'm not the one to make that decision. There's so much history and tradition that I think it should continue."
On the chemistry between him and Ryan Tannehill
"It's huge to have a quarterback and receiver on the same page and to have that chemistry. Ryan Tannehill has done such a remarkable job this season on and off the field. In the spring and the summer, he did such a good job of being a leader. I've been working with Ryan for quite a while and I think it's showed. It's been great to have him and watch what he's done this year."
On taking big hits this season
"I take quite a bit of shots to my head for some reason ... don't know why people like to go after my head. But no, I'm doing good and fortunate to be here and still playing and healthy. Haven't missed a game; as long as I can be healthy and be smart, I get dinged up a bit, but that's part of the game. It's a physical game, and that's part of it."
On committing to A&M over Texas
"I did get recruited by Texas, but they didn't offer me. A&M offered me pretty early and I came over here and it felt right. I didn't feel like I needed to pitter-patter around, so I committed. I was loyal to my commitment. I had a breakout senior year and they came back to me and asked if I was going to stay committed and I was. No resentment toward Texas. I love this University, I love its fans, but I'm glad to be here."
Senior Defensive Back Terrence Frederick
On playing Texas for the last time in the foreseeable future
"This game means a lot. It'll be the last time in a while, and we want to end up on top this last time. I think it should continue. I feel like the rivalry and tradition these teams have had for so many years should still continue."
On what it means to be an Aggie
"I didn't understand coming in, but as soon as I got here, the tradition and the 12th Man and the trust everyone has, that's what I feel is most important. When you go to other schools you really don't get that. I've heard that from players around the country."
On Ben Malena and Will Randolph
"[Ben] Malena runs hard. He has some breakaway speed. Just has to go out and do that constantly every day. Same for Will Randolph. We just have to protect the ball. We trust in them and we know they'll go out there and do whatever we ask them to do."
On facing Texas' offense
"Going into any game, they'll have explosive players. Texas is a big run team but we know they have some good receivers with a lot of speed. We have to go out, do what we did last week and just win the game."
On motivation to beat Texas on Thursday
"This is the last go-around. We'll have beaten them four of six years. There'll be bragging rights. They'll come out and give us their best shot and we'll give them ours. We just have to go out, win this game and go out on top."