Nov. 11, 2002
On Texas Tech~ They had a great win over Oklahoma. Certainly, a remarkable performance by (Reggie) McNeal, their freshman quarterbacks. They're an impressive football team. They're a very impressive defensive team. Offensively, they've kind of changed philosophies as they made some internal changes. They've been very productive yardage wise and point wise since the change. Both quarterbacks do a good job. R.C. Slocumb has done an exceptional job, and that program has been there for a long time.
On how well Darius Outlaw handled the media after his fumble to end the Colorado game~ I tell my players in the beginning that they have to talk to the media. Whether they play great or they play poorly, they have to be responsible. We'll all get judged by the adverse times and how we react to them. I think that is when a person shows true character rather than when they have to handle success. I like to think all of my players do that. They probably do it better than me sometimes. I also know his background as a quarterback certainly helped too because the nature of the position.
On if Coach expects Texas A&M to have a slip up against them after an emotional win over Oklahoma~ I think every coach looks at the team he has to play in the next week. And, you kind of think about what you are going to see, but I think it would be wise to take the approach that you are going to see their best football game. We hadn't had too many people play poorly against us this year, unfortunately. I would have loved to see a bunch played bad against us. I would assume that they will play at their highest level, and preparation wise, with your football team, we've always taken that approach.
On the state of the program~ We're still coming up close. We're putting ourselves in a position to win. Last year, we hardly ever did that, especially against good teams. We're just not finishing. A year ago we couldn't put ourselves in a position to win. You can see the difference in the scoring in the second half. We're playing better in the second half. Some people suggest I should talk to the team in the first half the way I talk to the team in the second half. My friend told me that today. That was a short conversation. You get all these different things, and you improve on them. By doing that, you improve your chances of winning. Last year, we were just getting mashed in the second half. Well, that's all changed. You start to see my plan work and what my program is all about. We're going to get better and better as we go, but the problem is you're not seeing the victories. It's frustrating. It's frustrating for me and my players. We're right there, but we're still coming up short.