Opening Statement
“We are steadily pounding that rock getting ready to go play Texas State, which will be an honor because we get to see coach Franchione. Coach Franchione and I go back a ways. I actually almost worked for coach Franchione when he was the head coach of New Mexico. I’ve got nothing but the utmost respect for him and his program, and we are really excited and looking forward to going to Texas and playing.
“We’re getting closer and closer each week. Our kids are starting to understand what it takes, and…we’ve got to learn to win games, not trying to keep losing games. There’s a big difference there.
“We have a sense of urgency to try and get a victory and it will be very difficult. Again, we will not be the favorite, nor will we be at any time this year. So, we’ve kind of relished that role and look forward to always being in that role for the rest of the year.”
Is there a way to teach the guys in practice how to win?
“We’ve put them in all kind of competitive situations all through practice. I think what it comes down to carrying it over to the game, having some confidence at the end, and just at some point making the play. You go back and look at the last game, and we’ve got the third down on the guy running wide open, and we just don’t get it. Or, the screen where we just don’t get it, and it’s just one thing after another. But, we keep working, and I like to tell them- from experience and I know that it works- just keeping working at it, stay at it…keep pounding the rock. It will break, and they will get into the win column and they’ve just got to persevere. That’s our word this week- perseverance.”
How to transition from defending a passing team to a running team?
“Discipline. We’ve got to have a lot of discipline on defense. coach Franchione has been doing this system [of offense] for quite a while…[I] coached against him when he was at New Mexico and coached against him when he was at TCU…he knows how to run the football, and you have to have discipline on defense, assignment-perfect football, and physical football.”
Injury updates?
“[Guard] Cade Yates is out. [Guard] Tim Wynn is questionable.”
With injuries on the offensive line, how difficult is it to get the running game on track?
“It’s been difficult injuries or no injuries, very difficult. So, we’re in an adjustment period and, again, I’ll remind you that bubbles, swing passes and screens are counting as runs for us.
It’s just not a strength right now. Our philosophy always is going to be ‘We wanna run the football. As long as we’re here, we want to run the football and try and run it down your throat.’ Sometimes, that’s not the skill level you’re going to have. Sometimes, your talents are set for other things. So until you bring in that to fit your philosophy, you have to go with what you have and right now its more steered to the perimeter guys.”
We’re you pleased with your up-tempo offense?
“Sure was. We started it on Tuesday. We basically started it to give our defense a look and then looked at each other and said, ‘Wait a minute, let us look at it.’ So, we decided to put it in and do it some in the game, and I thought it gave us a spark.
“Sometimes, it makes [defenses] line up consistently. When you do that…you can pick and choose what you need to do.
“Now this defense this weekend, no it won’t go. They do a lot of different things. So, it’s predicated on how you line up. Give them certain personnel groups or formation, they’re gonna do one thing, and if you give them another, they’re going to do something else. This is a very complex defense we’re playing”
