Oct. 3, 2000

Redshirt Freshman Quarterback Daruis Outlaw:

On going into the game after Farmer's injury: "When I first walked onto the field I was fine, and then all of a sudden, [nerves] just totally hit me the second play. It hit me real fast and I had to get over it."

"After I got out there, I knew what I had to do. I just felt like my teammates were behind me and it was just time to go play football."

On being ready to play this week:

"I have to be ready as well as my teammates have to be ready and if they keep the confidence behind me and I keep the confidence behind them, everything will go great."

"My life did a 360-degree turn around real fast. I'm excited and so are my teammates."

" I'm going to go out each weak and progress. I'm not going to go out and be perfect. I'm going to let my teammates make plays and maybe even make a few plays myself."

"I feel like if I go out and practice and work hard my confidence will be high. And the way I see it, if we practice like we play I'll be pretty confident."

On his spring performance:

"Spring was real rough for me. I was letting a lot of people down, I was letting my teammates down and I was letting my coaches down. When I went home for a month I totally decided to go down the right path. I was just being lazy. And I went home, discussed it with my parents and I never missed a day of summer. I just want to be a team player."

"In my mind I was letting a lot of people down. And what could I do to change it and make it right. I just had to get away and I came back this summer with a whole new attitude. I felt I was real cocky in the spring, and I hate to say that, but I think that might have been one of the words used to describe myself"

On being given a chance to play:

"It's a chance to go out and give it a shot. Kirk did a great job and I have big shoes to fill. He's an athlete just like I'm an athlete. He was a starter for a reason. I just have to go in and fill in where he was."

"I got a chance and now I have to go out and take advantage of it and prove myself. I want to do so much for this team and guide myself in the right way."

"It's not an 'I' game, it's not a 'me' game, it's a team thing. And I love all my teammates and I'm happy to just be here and to have a chance to play."

Junior Linebacker Justin Smith:

On teams performance up to this point

"I felt we should of won some games we didn't win, but that's college football. It happens. Certain things you get to win then all of a sudden it's not there. We have to put all that behind us and focus on every game from here on out and try and get into a bowl game."

On Sean Doyle's Injury:

"Sean is a huge part of this defense. When he's in there everything is just clicking."

On defensive play against Nebraska:

"I think we did a pretty good job of containing Crouch and the running backs and the passing game. We just kind of shut them down, but we didn't make the big plays. We need to start getting interceptions and stripping at the ball and getting the ball back to our offensive to score points."

On Oklahoma State:

"We know we have to win this game and it's a big game because of that. OSU is a good football team and it's going to be two teams out there fighting for their lives."

On Darius Outlaw's performance against Nebraska:

"We have confidence in Darius. He really came out in a tough situation and he played well. And I don't think anyone expected that from him, except Darius. He handled himself with a great amount of poise and made some big runs and passes. The way he played there really showed his character."

"There is no other player like [Darius] that I've faced. He can throw the ball real well and he can run the ball. He's kind of skinny and lanky, but he can run. He can make some plays and he showed that against Nebraska and we have confidence in him."

Head Coach Larry Smith:

On Oklahoma State:

"We have Oklahoma State coming to town and I think it's a very, very important game in our schedule at this point in time and it's important we find a way to win. But our focus just isn't on that. We also have to focus on how we continue to get better."

"They're a team that's very much like ourselves. It's an important game for them. They at time hurt themselves. It's going to be a hard fought game. They like to run the ball first, throw it second. Defensively they lead the nation in run defense up to the Texas game. They're going to line up in every possible front and you're not sure where they're going to line up."

On progress of team against Nebraska:

"The offense was starting to click and the pass protection scheme I thought was very good. I thought we were running the ball better and overall we were making better plays. I think kicking game wise we're settling into consistency. We need to continue to strive and make more big plays on the kicking game. Our kickers in general are doing a good job. Our returners are doing a good job but I think we need to get them some more blocks to help them return the ball"

"Defensively we've had our ups and we've had our downs. The second half our defense played pretty well and very had. The secondary is an area we need to continue to get healthy and play well which will help us play better up front. Our linebackers are making a lot of plays. The key maybe the rest of the season is not just how much our offense can improve but how our defense can improve. Particularly making plays and forcing turnovers. We have to make big plays."

On Farmer's injury and the team's reaction:

"The thing that really sold me was the other night when Kirk went down I didn't sense the big let down of the 'gloom and doom' thing that I felt a year ago from the team. I felt a sense of more fight. Nobody was walking with their head downs. Intensity of play didn't slack off and it seemed to intensify more. And that tells you something about the character of this team."

"I know he wants to be back out there and he will do everything humanly possible to get back out there, and the doctors will too. But If he's not [ready] he won't be back out there."

On senior Pat Mingucci:

"He had a great game against Nebraska. He played against that all-American center and it was quite a battle to watch and I think Pat got the best of him. He played maybe the best game he's ever played since he's been here. He's one of those guys that in the fourth quarter he was going just as hard as he had in the first quarter. I can't say enough about him."

On Darius Outlaw:

"He has the ability to be a big player and that's his nature - to make plays. He's a playmaker and we have to make sure we give him time to make decisions and the plays. As far as his strength of arm, quickness and athletic ability I don't worry about that. It's a matter of making good decisions with the ball."

On Justin Gage:

"We're trying to feature his athletic ability and some of the things he can do. I think being able to move him around is a big help."