A&M hosts LSU on Thursday (6:30 PM, ESPN).
Coach Sumlin's press conference is posted below, as well as a summary of his comments, along with the press conference videos for Coach Chavis, Coach Mazzone and players.
KEVIN SUMLIN PRESS CONFERENCE SUMMARY
Schedule this week.
Got back to work Sunday morning. Typically in regular week players get Sunday off. In short week had to meet, review game, move on to LSU. Practiced last night. Back on field today. For us today is Wednesday. Will be at practice this afternoon and go from there.
How important this one for you, probably last Thanksgiving night game for foreseeable future. Considering opponent. Considering bowl position.
Hadn't really thought about first part of question. Don't know that for sure. What's important is it's senior night. For these guys it's a very special night and really an emotional night. Guys have been through a lot. Not talking about football, talking about life. Guys we've known as staff through recruiting, came here and have had all kinds of experiences that are never really public. To get to their last game on Kyle Field can be emotional particularly when it's Thanksgiving. Heard me say before Thanksgiving is about the three Fs. Family, food and football. Families will be in town. We're real fortunate to be one of teams that America gets to enjoy while sitting on couch after dinner. Think that's big deal. Great exposure for our university, for our program. Also an emotional time for group of guys playing last game on Kyle Field. Everyone wants last experience to be as positive as it can be. That's where it is with this team. Group of guys that have been through different experiences but pretty positive experiences here at A&M. Lot have graduated. Some will graduate next few weeks. No matter what happens, whether they play at another level (or not), we've got a bowl game, this gives us a chance to probably climb up another tier and create another positive experience. Big takeaway is it's an emotional time that will be in that tunnel and sending guys out right way.
Positives moving forward to game being on Friday or Saturday in years ahead.
I get different feelings from different people. Think some of our older former students are really comfortable with Thanksgiving Day because of history and playing on Thanksgiving. Some people have moved into another role saying hey, TV is dictating a lot. When you change leagues and you change opponents there's going to be change. This is last one on Thanksgiving, may or may not be true. Thought four years ago that would be last one. Don't know what's going to happen. But you do know it's a great opponent for this football team and for these guys who have a few last chances to be together as a team. Having this happen as a home game at Kyle Field is a great way for these guys to finish their careers here, but also exciting for our fans. Great platform for national TV. Everyone laying around watching football that day. Something we don't take for granted.
Had some success against every other SEC West opponent. What would it mean to have success against LSU and perhaps reach double-digit wins.
That's the goal. Haven't won the game for whatever reason. Sometimes we've played well, sometimes we haven't. For us and you know how I am, the lump sum of things is one thing but this is another game. This is a game that's an SEC West game that these guys on our team want to win to put us in position for some real positive things in postseason play. From that standpoint that's where this thing is. And let's face it there will be lot of guys on that field Thursday that know each other, played on same team, or in same district, and coaches that have coached on both sides and know each other. Lot of familiarity. Logistically with them being in close proximity to us it will be pretty good atmosphere Thursday night.
How has LSU changed under Coach O and do you have any history with him.
Known him off and on for long time. Noel had worked there. I was in communication with Noel whole time when he came back to Ole Miss. He's done great job as interim at both places (USC). What you see is he gets immediate player buy-in. Creates enthusiasm. Energy on tape is very, very high. They're playing hard. Just like he did at USC that's a very difficult thing to do in middle of season or at any point of season, instead of being in room with handful of players you walk in and communicate your ideas and get buy in is not very easy to do. He's done that. See energy level on tape. Been real, real close in losses. Their energy level will be real high. Atmosphere will take care of itself. Something both teams need to match early. He's done great job this year.
Trevor was in here earlier saying he wants to play on Thursday. Anything changed since few weeks ago.
Here's where he is. That's kind of guy he is. He wants to play. Doctors and his rehab, everything else. His health and safety to me is what's most important. Just because you want to do something doesn't mean that's the right thing to do. He's a strong-willed guy. Had conversation with him week before that really with Jake (playing), he was kind of withdrawn, Trevor was. Thought we could use his energy and leadership a little more on sideline. There was a big difference last Saturday than the Saturday before. Did get concerned with him being out of his sling and in shorts on Saturday. But that's kind of guy he is. That's neither here nor there when gets to answering question. Prognosis I gave you few weeks ago is still the prognosis, we'll go from there.
Being one of few black head coaches in FBS and in SEC do you feel any extra pressure to succeed in paving way for other guys.
I've always said any success we can have here and any improvement from wins, or facilities, or moving a program that was a .500 program to being better can only help people that look like me. That's just a fact. The perception or whatever about coaches, particularly minority coaches, with winning and improving their situation, particularly changing leagues into one of the hardest leagues in country, can only help.
How have you improved as a coach over last few years.
Every year trying to get better. Whatever happens during season, week to week but also at end of year, you assess things you do well and you try to stay ahead of curve. You assess things that aren't going well. Made decisions last year that were difficult but ones that put us in better position to have success. There's maturity level on this team that's better. Different people here now. Life's about experiences and it's about the journey and being able to focus on journey more so than destination. In grand scheme of things how that journey works you have to look at that every day. Not the destination. If you can keep that in the fairway so to speak you have chance to get to destination and i think that's the biggest deal.
Possibly higher tier bowl with win. Do you specifically talk to guys about possibility of Sugar Bowl do you sense if kids even understand difference in Sugar Bowl as opposed to something else.
We really haven't talked that much about it until now because of what's out there. We're playing the early game this week. There are some positives and negatives to that in short week. Do get to play and then sit back and watch everyone else. Just like everything else our guys are aware of it. Without a doubt we still have opportunity to win double-digit games. Very few teams have that. That's what most important. In order to do that cant look past Thursday's and say that. Focus still remains on Thursday and trying to be 1-0 this week. After that it's really not up to us. What we have to do is put ourselves in best position by 10 Thursday night to see what happens. That's been our conversation. Gets back to what I was talking to about our seniors and their last game on Kyle Field and letting those guys leave here with right frame of mind and positive experience Thursday night. If that happens there will be some good stuff out there for us.
LSU defense.
They're good. One of top defensive teams in country. Allowed 11 touchdowns in 10 games. Ole Miss is only team to get 21 on them. The've been consistent. Got playmakers across board on defense. Big up front. (Arden) Key is prolific pass rusher. Will have two of best in our league on field Thursday night. Back end plays lot of man to man because of skill sets. Got interchangeable pieces back there that can play safety and cover. Gives them more flexibility. We understand the challenge. Something that believe it or not we came in Sunday and started working on. Our guys get it. We know it. Lot of good defenses in this league but this is one of the best ones.
How excited is your defense to see if they can repeat what they did last Saturday in terms of stopping run.
You know what you're getting in this game. Obviously Leonard Fournette is great player but Derrius Guice is a home-run hitter too. Proved against us last year what type of player he is. They have big, strong offensive line and they use it well with some big backs who are explosive and tough. Really good speed on perimeter. Will take their deep shots. Long receivers that can really stretch field. Talented football team. Because of that talent level and how they're coached they've been in every ballgame. Our guys recognize the challenge. In game like this special teams will become real, real important because of a couple different reasons, field position battle, trying to create long and short fields, and also points are precious in this game. Think everyone is focused offense and defense in this game but special teams will have lot to say about who wins this game.
Things this program maybe missing to take the next step where this game at end of season would be for SEC West title.
What you want to do is put yourself in that position. That comes with winning. Made some steps in this program. It's definitely improved. But for us to be where we want to be we do need to take that next step. Play for championships. Be involved in that conversation consistently. Where we are right now is a team that has made some strides since coming into this league. Probably more consistently than any other team in the west than one. Our goal is to be at that next level. Combination of a lot of things. Depth. Talent. Coaching. Luck, too, to be honest. Staying healthy. That's something that we strive for every day in what we do, from recruiting standpoint, from conditioning standpoint. Everything we've put in place here as far as player development and player retention. Just to have those guys here is not enough. All those things work hand in hand to get to that next level. That's where we are right now.
Know you leaned on him, but how much have you missed your dad this season.
Been little bit tough. Someone you'd talk to all the time. In good times and bad times. This year been a lot of both of those. So yeah. Been little bit tough.
JOHN CHAVIS PRESS CONFERENCE
NOEL MAZZONE PRESS CONFERENCE
AVERY GENNESY, EDWARD POPE, JEREMY TABUYO