Oct. 19, 1999
Opening remarks on Iowa State and upcoming Kansas ?Its always a challenge to go (to Lawrence) and play. We have experienced a lot of difficulty in the past. They are always ready to play. Our football team really has to improve itself and take out the little mistakes. We are getting more balance between the run and the pass. But all that really matters is that you get the ?W?. The guys played a little better, defensively, last week. The kicking game is going to be another critical part of the game. We have to put the last game behind us and focus on one thing?that?s the KU game. That?s the way it has to be the rest of the year. We are still an average football team because we are 3-3. I think we have the chance to be a good football team, but it has to go week-to-week, team-to-team. I can?t look ahead or look behind. That is the worst thing that you can do.?
On the new quarterback situation ?I think that we were all comfortable with the two quarterback system. Both guys brought a lot to the table. If I had my druthers, I would have things back the way they were. I think it puts a lot of pressure on Jimmie (Dougherty) and stretches our quarterback ranks very thin because our #2 quarterback was at Jefferson City High School last year. That lack of experience is a big concern. Justin Gage has excellent talent and has done better on the practice field than I ever expected him to. I think Jimmie can handle it and do a good job.?
?We won?t run the option eight or ten times but it will remain in the offense to a certain degree. The key thing is to call it at the right times.?
?Jimmie is physically tough. He is a lot tougher than his body is. Mentally he is very tough. He is a coach?s kid, so he understands the game and how you have to get ready every week. He?s a gamer. He?ll go in the game and do things to win. The fact that he played the whole game, took us down the stretch and gave us a chance to tie or win the game, that says a lot for him. Our team rallied behind him.?
On Wide Receiver Travis Garvin ?Travis is a very young player that is just beginning to scratch the surface. Like Eric Spencer, after he catches the ball, he can run with it. When he catches the short ball he can turn it into a long play. He and Spencer give us another step, speed-wise, that we haven?t had in the last few years.?
On Missouri?s leadership ?You have to look at your seniors. Rob Riti, Jeff Marriott, Barry Odom are three people that jump right out at you because they have been in the program the longest. Then there?s Kent Layman. Those four guys know what it takes. I do believe that there are younger guys that can step up too. The guys that make plays can jump in there. You can?t just pin it on one or two people. It takes everybody to do it. It?s not going to be one or two people that are going to pull you through.?
On the Missouri-Kansas rivalry ?I think that when you?re 3-3, your backs are to the wall. That?s an approach we?ve taken. It?s going to take more than one game to win a season. Because of the rivalry, we are going to want this more than anything we?ve done so far. I don?t think you want either?desperation or panic. That?s why everything has to be total focus on who you?re playing, not to think of where you?ve been or where you?re going. The thing is to take the situation you?re in and how you handle it. That?s the key. Every little thing falls in there.?
On backup Quarterbacks Justin Gage and J.R. Romine ?That?s a decision that we haven?t really made yet (as to when the backups will be utilized). We are playing for this season, not next season. I don?t know what we?ll do. We just have to get focused on (Justin) being the #2 quarterback. J.R. Romine is going to be our #3 quarterback. He will be able to run our base offense. He?s an excellent athlete and was an option quarterback in high school. He could go in and finish a game if he had to.?
On the difference between passing and running the football ?We want to balance up (the offense). We knew that we had to get the ball out there to guys that would make the plays (in the last couple of games). As our quarterbacks progressed we moved the ball around a little more.?
?The more passes you throw, the more yardage you get. But in this conference you have to be able to run the ball. I would like to be able to average 200 yards or more running and 225-250 passing. I think you can call the run more and call the pass less to do it. If you are having success running the game and winning, I don?t believe in changing the play calling.?
On the defensive secondary ?I don?t think they are comparable to last year?s (backfield). I think Carlos (Posey) is playing with a little more confidence now. He has just done some better things. Andre Roberson is getting more and more experience every week. I think that Julian (Jones) is playing pure free safety and doing some pretty good things. Clarence (Jones) has gotten more confidence and made more hits. We have been able to reduce the broken coverage in the last few weeks.?
On Kansas? defense ?They?ve changed their defense in the last few weeks and gotten a lot softer. The first four or five games of the season they were giving up a lot of big plays. Now they?ve softened their coverage so that they can keep things in front of them.?
On Kirk Farmer?s injury ?The key thing is that they got to (the broken leg) right away and had it set, on the field, within 30 seconds which reduced a lot of swelling and there was no tissue damage. Second, they got him to the hospital, got him operated on and got the rod inserted within an hour. That all alleviated any tissue damage or swelling. The doctor told (Kirk) that if the rehab goes well, he should be ready to go for spring practice.?
On rumors concerning changes in the Missouri coaching staff ?I can deny it. I think any idiot that wants to put anything they want on the Internet is a moron. It ticks me off that we give people the freedom to print any story they want to. There is no truth to that. Jerry Berndt is coaching the quarterbacks and is our offensive coordinator and I haven?t made or planned to make any changes.?