Oct. 17, 2000

Head Coach Larry Smith

On the Tigers' running game against Kansas

"I think we have to put ourselves in position to run the ball. If you look at the play distribution from the first half, first of all we didn't keep ourselves on the field. Secondly, it was probably 50/50 between the run and the pass and then we got into the third and fourth quarter and got behind. We felt that we had to throw to catch up and give ourselves a chance to win, so we abandoned the run game."

On the Texas Longhorns

"Texas is an outstanding football team. Perhaps the best if not one of the best two or three personnel teams we'll see all year. Their skill level is as high or higher then anyone in the conference. They have great speed in the secondary, at linebacker. Their wide receivers and backs are outstanding and they have two excellent quarterbacks. They have the complete package."

On Longhorns' running back, Hodges Mitchell

"Our defense thinks he's the most complete back we'll see all year. He does a great job running the ball, but they throw the ball out to and he's a tremendous pass protector. And then he does a good job catching the ball out of the backfield, so he's a very complete back and we have tremendous respect for him."

On QB situation at Texas

"I think [Major Applewhite] has been the most productive for them. He's the most experience and most productive at this point in time. But I will say this, Chris Simms is a very, very talented young person, you can see that on tape."

On football in the state of Texas

"Football is important in the state of Texas. Football in some cases may be more important then education. Football is a way of life in Texas. I don't care how small a city or school might be, football is important, and for the players coming out of there, football is important to them. They have been exposed to probably the best high school coaching you can find, and the most complete programs. They're very well prepared for college football. There is an abundance of talent, and it's excellent talent."

On Sean Doyle

"He's a throwback from the old times. A kid that just loves football. He wanted very dearly to play against Kansas because that's where his dad graduated and that's where his brother was a senior. More importantly Sean Doyle just loves football. He'll do anything to play. He'll play hard for 60-minutes no matter what the score is. His instincts are tremendous. He has a great nose for the ball and he finds a way to get back to the ball if he's blocked away from it."

On how practices help the team

"There's no easy way to get better. It comes down you have to go out on the field and work your butt off and you don't just go out there to practice, you go out and practice to get better."

On possibly changing the game plan

"There's nothing wrong with our scheme. We're playing with a kid that has two games of experience. I don't care what scheme you have, a kid doesn't come in and overall master it over night. You can't change back to the old offense or go to the wishbone because players are schooled from spring practice on with the basic game plan."