Oct. 5, 1999

MISSOURI FOOTBALL MEDIA LUNCHEON Press Conference with Head Coach Larry Smith Tuesday, October 5, 1999

Opening remarks on Memphis and upcoming Colorado ?It was a very good victory. I thought the team really responded following the Nebraska loss . The first half defensively probably was our best half of football to this point and time. I thought that offensively we played quite well. We didn?t take advantage of all of our opportunities. I think we got started off of a bad foot in the third quarter on the kickoff return because it put us in bad field position. In the fourth quarter our whole team turned it up a notch. It started with the sack by Justin Smith. From then on the momentum was all on our side. (Quarterback Kirk) Farmer did an excellent job with the offense. It was a very good victory.?

?This week we have to take that intensity that we had in the fourth quarter (of the Memphis game) and move it into Boulder, Colorado, for four quarters. That is the kind of game it is going to take to beat Colorado. They have a very strong, powerful, balanced offense. They make a lot of big plays, score a lot of points, gain a lot of yards. They have a lot of veterans. (Mike) Moschetti is a very fine quarterback. He does a great job with their offense. They are a big play defense. They really come at you. They combine the strength, size and quickness to give you a lot of problems on defense. They have an excellent kicking game. Their return game is one of the best we will see all year. (Ben) Kelly is a very dangerous weapon back there.?

On starting out 3-1 ?I think that you?d like to be 4-0, but winning all three non-conference games and being 3-1, based on our scheduling, is good. You can never be satisfied with where you are. Every week we have to play better and we have to improve as a football team in every phase. We?ve made some progress, but every week we have to get better.?

On Missouri?s quarterbacks ?(Kirk Farmer?s) production is right around 40-50 percent. The feeling I get on the sideline is that early in the game, Jimmy (Dougherty) really gets us off to a good start. Kirk is a slow starter, but once he gets into the flow of the game, he seems to really pick it up. He is a strong finisher. Farmer has to learn to get off to a good quick start and Jimmy has to learn to be a good finisher. So they both have something to learn if they want to be the complete quarterback.?

?Jimmy probably knows (the two minute system) the best, but Kirk has a stronger arm. But it depends on how you are moving the ball. If you have enough time to mix it up, you probably use Jimmy. If you had to just throw, throw, throw, and get the ball downfield quickly, you?d probably go with Kirk.?

?I?m quite satisfied with the way things are going now. As long as (the quarterbacks) can continue to improve and produce, that is what it?s all about.?

On surprises this season ?I think Joe (Chirumbolo) is probably the biggest surprise on offense. He has come in and given us some good play at fullback while (Rob) West is trying to get himself back on the field. The next person that would probably jump out on defense is Sean Doyle. He has stepped way up there. The other person would be Andre Roberson. He really came back ready to play and has done an excellent job in the secondary.? ?The biggest surprise of the season may be the way we started out. The second and third games were struggles for the defense where, coming into the season, I would have pictured the offense to have struggled a lot more. But (the offense) has rolled along pretty good and been very efficient. I felt that the two began to come together (in the Memphis game). I think our kicking game has progressed. I?m pleased with that. Each week I see some improvement in our kicking game. I think that our defense is getting their guns going and feeling better about themselves. I think offensively, we think we have a run game, but we really have to work hard from here on out in our passing game and build more balance.?

On Missouri?s kicking game ?It?s critical that you get that 4.2-4.5 hang time to give your coverage unit time to get down the field. You also have to work hard on your people up front to get the blocks and make tackles. A guy like (Ben) Kelly (of Colorado) does command a certain amount of respect.?

On Punter Jared Gilpin ?I think (his hang time has) been average to good. Fifty to 60 percent of his kicks were in an acceptable range of hang time. Our punt game in general still has some work to do. The thing (Gilpin) hasn?t done, knock on wood, is line drive 3.2s and 3.4s because those will come down your throat. They will bring those back real quick. He has gotten them up enough to where we can survive.?

On the possibility of forming a rivalry with Colorado ?I think the last two years probably got their attention. Our guys want to beat them too. When you?re called out, I think you are going to be ready to play.?

On kicking the ball off away from the opponent?s returners ?You want to kick away from (their return guys). But it?s like a golfer trying to hit the hole or hit the green. They are not going to just stand there like bumps on a log, they are going to move around too. You have to cover any way you look at it.?

On Tight End Dwayne Blakley ?Dwayne has gained the confidence that he can be a very fine receiver. You move him around enough, he uses his body. The quarterbacks have enough confidence that if he is in a jam, throw it up high and he will go up and bring it down. His concentration has been good. It has been a good thing for our offense to add that dimension and get the ball to him. We still have a long way to go in how we want to develop him, but he?s playing with confidence. He is a very fine athlete. He is finding the holes and making the catches.?

On Defensive End Justin Smith ?I want him to make the big plays, but make them after he takes care of his assignments. He has no problem pulling the trigger. Sometimes he just pulls the trigger too quick.?

?Most of the time freshmen play in peaks and valleys, no matter who they are. He is no exception. We just had to get him back to the basics and fundamentals and let him go.?

On preparations for playing in a different altitude ?It?s never been a problem before. We?ve been up there three times. We always have oxygen on the sidelines in case a guy needs to take a deep breath of oxygen. We?ve just never been bothered by it. We aren?t doing anything special to prepare for it.?

On Tailback DeVaughn Black ?When he became academically ineligible, I thought I would never see him again. But when he got back, you are always skeptical, once a player comes back, that he will make it all the way back. (I felt that way) up until the middle of last season when the maturity started to show. I was skeptical, not negative, just skeptical because of the past record. He hung in there and I think he learned his lessons. He took care of himself (in junior college). We didn?t run checks on him. He did it all on his own. The fact that he stepped up the way he has, has really given us a lot of maturity and stability at that position. When it?s been needed for people to take charge out on the field, he has done it. I thought he really played well and ran hard (against Memphis).?