Mike Leach Quotes from Monday's Press Conference
September 04, 2000 | Football
Sept. 4, 2000
LUBBOCK, Texas - Quotes from Monday's weekly press conference.
Head Football Coach Mike Leach
"This week we play the University of North Texas. We're going to prepare for them like any other opponent. We're looking forward to the football game. Tech's had their problems with them in the past, but if we get a week better and do a good job preparing, we should be ready to go."
On preparing for North Texas this week
"Regardless of the problems [Tech] may or may not have had in the past, if we prepare for North Texas the way I think a team should prepare for every game, we want to get a week better. We want to go out there like it's a regular game. You just prepare for it one game a week. We only get one game a week. No matter who we play, they deserve our best effort, because if they don't get our best effort, then we're not going to achieve the improvement we need to get that week."
"I think we just coach hard and pay a lot of attention to detail and stress the importance of getting better this week. If we're able to do that, then we expect to go out there and be successful. We do have to have a great week of practice. I felt like we did the last two weeks. I didn't feel like we performed as well as maybe we could have against New Mexico, but I thought we had a good week of practice leading into it. I thought we had a good week of practice leading into Utah State. I think we're continuing to do that. What we're executing in practice is eventually going to surface."
On spreading the wealth among the receiving corps
"Carlos [Francis] has been doing a lot of that in practice, so he wasn't entirely a surprise. He certainly had a good game. Carlos has been practicing real well, and we knew he was capable of catching some balls and making things happen."
"Tim Baker's caught a lot of balls in practice, and Derek [Dorris] should be healthier this week. Shaud [Williams] had a heck of a game. Of our players, Shaud did the best job with the ball and away from the ball and rushing the ball. He had a great performance, as well, and I think he could get better this week as he practices and does his drills."
On spreading the defense down the field
"You have to spread [the defense] vertically, too. I think what it gives you outside the obvious fact that you might get a big completion. I think you have to throw it down there some to open up the other things, the intermediate and the short stuff. I think you do have to stretch them horizontally and vertically. Horizontally we get it by formation, as well as our routes. Vertically, when you see it and have it there you've got to throw it. Most of our routes have a stretch route on it, but you better throw it a couple of times to keep them honest."
On the North Texas defense
"The more we have for them to worry about, the better off we are."
"They play pretty good defense, and they get up for big games. Last year they beat the two best teams on their schedule, Boise [State] and Texas Tech. I think it's just that we continue to do what we do, and find the leverage they give us and identify their blitzes and attack them. We're just going to continue to run our plays and our package and mix up the formations."
On the running game against Utah State
"I thought we could have gotten a few more yards on the run, but as far as the carries, what they gave us, what we had, I thought that was fine. We were close to breaking a couple of those things. If we got just a little more push or hit the hole just a little big different. I think that will just come with time."
On the offense getting better each week
"I feel like we're making progress. I think that we were able to do some things against Utah State that kind of illustrate the kind of progress we're making. We've still have a long ways to go."
On QB Kliff Kingbury's progression in the offense
"I think the combination of Kliff [Kingsbury], the offensive line and the backs did a really good job of blocking, an excellent job of blocking. Guys were flying around everywhere and getting cut everywhere out there on the field. I think the combination of [Kliff], the running backs and the receivers running better routes and anticipating when he's going to throw [the ball]. Really just sharper timing has made it slower. I don't know if the game got any slower. Their thought process and what they're seeing and what goes through their head is about two steps faster is really what I think happened."
On injuries from Saturday's game
"They're both sore. I'd say [Jonathan] Hawkins is more sore than [King] Scovell. Last I heard they think Hawkins broke his fibula."
On catches by Carlos Francis in Saturday's game
"Carlos does a pretty good job on the vertical ball. That first vertical ball he caught, that was just a great catch. Late in the game, he caught that curl and made a great run. One of his long catches, they busted coverage and he was just sort of standing there and we threw it to him."