Oct. 18, 2004
Opening comments...
"We're looking at a very good Oklahoma State football team. They're a very interesting football team. Les Miles has done a great job building that program. We played them my first year here, and he's done a remarkable job recruiting and developing their players. They're number one in the nation in turnover margin, they're very sound in the kicking game and they run the ball as well as anyone in the country. Defensively, they're doing an outstanding job. It's going to be a great challenge for us. We're starting out the second half of the season with one of the best, if not the best, teams in the conference."
On Oklahoma State's difficulties to overcome early deficits...
"Every offense has to deal with what they have to deal with. They have a younger quarterback, but he's a really good player. He's an impressive athlete, and he does a good job running their offense. If you get behind a little bit, it puts more pressure on your offense. You want to get as big a lead as you can, if it's possible, but against their defense that's difficult to do."
On the play of the Mizzou offensive line against Texas...
"We're getting better. We've certainly played some great athletes, and we've done some good things. The inexperience factor is completely over with now. Your first few games you struggle, and our players don't make excuses for anything, but we don't really need to discuss the youth of our offensive line anymore."
On splitting time between two running backs...
"We're going to play them both about the same amount we've been playing them. We're very pleased with Marcus (Woods), we're very pleased with Damien Nash and we certainly feel very fortunate to have two good tailbacks. Marcus has had to come a little further because he hadn't played, and you'll see him run a little better. Both of them are getting better."
On senior wide receiver Thompson Omboga's willingness to catch passes over the middle...
"Andy Hill, as a receivers coach, wants courage from his players. You don't want anybody to shy away from contact. There are some guys who are maybe a little more courageous, or maybe they go in under any circumstances and don't really care. He makes plays in traffic and we've all seen it. He's a tough athlete, and I can't tell you how pleased I am with his progress in this program. He's got that ingredient. He doesn't care where it's at. He's a tremendous plus for us, and he's a great visual aide for our other receivers."
On his philosophy regarding the recruitment of junior college players...
"As a general policy, what you'll do is see two to five junior college players on a team. We always look for areas where we think we need immediate help. We try to go in and take care of those problems. It's our job to evaluate any needs that we have, and you have to be honest with yourself so that you can get personnel in immediately if you have issues."
On junior safety Jason Simpson's on-field leadership...
"He's doing a great job. Jason Simpson is a great competitor. He plays with remarkable emotion and he's a verbal leader out there. I'm very proud of him as he's matured through the program. He's a different type personality guy, which I like. You want as many guys like that as you can get on defense."
On Evaluating His Season...
"Last year, a new defense was put in, and everybody was sort of struggling with the techniques. Now, we know it so well that everybody can just go out there and play. They (the coaches) have me in a lot of positions to help the team out and get my job done. I have a lot of confidence in myself and my team."
On Causing Turnovers...
"That's something we have to do every time. It just so happens that three of the fumbles we had (against Texas) fell back into their hands. Nine times out of ten, that's not going to happen, and we can't get discouraged. We just have to keep on popping them out." On His Leadership Role...
"The (coaches) have talked to me about (being a leader) the past couple of years. I just knew I couldn't be that on the field. I had to get my whole life right so people can follow me, so when I am out there I can motivate people and keep them up after a bad play. It's good for our defense and team."
Brad Smith Getting Ahead Oklahoma State Early...
"Any advantage you can get in that aspect you take advantage of, especially if we can score whenever we get the ball and put the team (Oklahoma State) in a difficult position that they're not use to. That'd be important to us."
If the Cowboys Get Up on Missouri...
"You just play the game, and we just want to execute offensively to put ourselves in a good position. You never know how the game is going to go, so we just react to it, and whatever happens you just try to make the plays necessary."
Thoughts on Thomson Omboga...
"He just wants the ball, and he'll go up and get it. He'll fight for it, he'll make blocks, he'll do whatever it takes and I'm seeing that more and more."
Learning from Texas Game...
"There's just a lot of plays that we just missed. We could have all done something different. It was the two turnovers that were important. (We) just have to make more plays."
Nino Williams On Jumping Ahead of Oklahoma State...
"It would be a big deal. It's always good to be up. We have to make that work to our advantage; that's something we have to do. We cannot let good football teams stay in it, and sometimes it works. Oklahoma State is one of those teams that you don't let hang around, and it would be real big for us to go up and maintain a lead."