Sept. 10, 2001

On his Missouri Squad:
"I certainly think we can get better as a team. We have to get better, and as we run the offense and the defense more we will. We have worked on changing the level we compete, especially at the end of practices. We work a tremendous amount on tackling. We can get better. The frustrating thing is we have to get there quick."

On Turnovers:
"The kicking game - there were a lot of things happening, which is something important. Hopefully our players feed off that. They'll see the big plays, and want to make more big plays of their own. Defensively, we still need to get more. We were plus one this week. We'd like to get to the point that we have 3, 4, 5 [takeaways] a game. That's what we'd eventuallly like to do. We need to become more physical. We need to be quicker, faster, and hit harder. The more pressure you put on the quarterback, the more physical you are, the better your chances are in getting takeaways."

Coming Off A Win:
"Winning improves your self-esteem, if you use it the right way. You've got to continue to win to build confidence. We work hard with our quarterbacks. It's fragile, but we work with them. You have to have some mental toughness to survive, it's part of the game. We're not over-confident. We're playing a great team in Michigan State. We don't change much in our preparation, but we should be concerned, and I am."

On Michigan State:
"They may have as good of personnel as anyone in the Big 10. They present a lot of problems. They run well on defense. On offense they bring a lot. It's not just stopping the run. They're gifted in the air. They had a lot of big passing plays last week. Smoker and Van Dyke are both good quarterbacks. This game will present a lot of challenges for us. They're an excellent team. We won't go up there an play power football. We can't. Against Michigan State we wouldn't have a chance. We'll be best when we're balanced, and efficiently throwing the ball. "

On T.J. Duckett:
"He's a tremendously talented athlete, that can move and change directions with that size. There are very few people in the country that have a talent like that."