Dykes Comments From Monday?s Press Conference
October 25, 1999 | Football
Oct. 25, 1999
General game comments:
?It?s nice to win in Waco. We?ve been to Waco a lot an played good
teams, bad teams and everything in between and it?s always been tough no
matter what the situation was So that?s a good win for us. The defense
continues to improve. We are getting more consistent. We certainly have
a lot of catalysts on the defense. I think the secondary probably played
the best they?ve played in three or four years. To hold Jermaine Alfred
to what we held him to was phenomenal. The special teams were special.
We gave up a kick-off return and there was some vulnerability because we
were maybe a bit overaggressive. The offense was productive. They did a
good job but we?re still inconsistent. You can?t turn the ball over
three times. But anyway we overcame those things and it was a good
game.?
Injuries from the Baylor Game
?Anthony Terrell was injured in the game and will probably be out for
the season and it looks like that will be the only significant injury.
We?ve got some other guys banged up but everyone should be okay by
Wednesday or Thursday so we feel good about that.?
On this week?s opponent, the Missouri Tigers
?Going to Missouri will be new for us. It?s something nobody on this
team has ever done except Larry Hoefer. You don?t know what to expect.
Going there will be hard. Last year they beat us here in a barn-burner.
They?ve fallen on a little harder times than a year ago. They lost the
first three non-conference games and lost the last four conference
games. They?ll be a little like a wounded elephant. Larry Smith is a
great coach. He?s always been a coach who can bring his team back from a
loss. They got the same players basically, besides the running back and
quarterback as they had last year and defensively they?re nearly back in
tact. I?m sure they will be at their very best when we go up there
Saturday.?
Talking about the winning streak
?This team?s won two in a row now. That?s no big deal but you can?t win
three in a row unless you win two in a row so we?ll try to make it
three in a row. That?s all we?re focused on right now is trying to win
this ballgame and get better.
Talking about the play of Darrell Jones, Kevin Curtis and Dorian Pitts
?I don?t know what to say about those guys. Kevin Curtis continues to
amaze me. He plays great. Last week national player of the week, this
week a great interception. How that?s not a touchdown I don?t know. He
left the ground about three yards out and in the field of play. Landed
about three yards deep in the end zone, in the field of play and they
say he was down at the one. He must have gone out somewhere in between.
I guess it doesn?t make any difference since we scored on the next play.
Dorian Pitts always plays hard. He?s dependable and he?s a big play guy.
He blocked a punt. We had a return on and it was only a two man rush but
he got there. Darrell Jones continues to do good. The confidence level
he has continues to get better each time out the chute.?
On the upsets in the Big 12
?Every Saturday in college football somebody is going to get hot and
upset someone else. We said we?d know a lot more about the Big 12 after
this weekend and I guess we do. Texas had a great win, Oklahoma had a
fantastic, decisive win. You could?ve busted me if you had told me that
was going to happen. Who knows as to what the future holds, but it looks
like that?s going to be business as usual. Every Saturday someone who?s
not supposed to is going to win.?
On sharing the Big 12 south lead
?The thing we try to guard against is start talking about things that
are still far off. I think the worst thing that can happen to football
players is they sit around during the summer and look at the schedule
and think this game will be easy, this one will be tough. They?re all
going to be tough. Someone asked me how it feels to be tied for first in
the south division. It?s great?but it doesn?t really matter. I think the
guys know where we are, they know what we?re doing. If we don?t beat
Missouri it?s not going to matter.?
Talking about John Norman
?John is unlike ?Prime Time? and people like that who are short strided
guys. John is a long strider. To have a long strider who is a return
specialist is rare but he does okay. The key to being a punt returner is
to make people miss. If you can make the first people miss you have a
chance and that?s what John did on that particular punt.?