Texas Tech University Athletics
Press Conference Quotes, Baylor Game
November 10, 2003 | Football
Nov. 10, 2003
BJ Symons
On how he's feeling today:
"I just have to work hard all week. We're going to work hard all week to get me in the best condition I can possibly be in on Saturday. Right now, I'm just taking it day to day, and trying to make a little improvement each day and see how I feel."
On going into this weekend's game against Texas:
"It's a big game for us, no doubt. I've never played against Texas in my career at Tech, so, it would be very disappointing not to be able to go out there and play. It's going to be my only shot against them, and I expect to play and play well, and have a good game. Kliff mentioned last year beating Texas at home, as his last game at home and being one of the best feelings he had and it was a big win for him. The University of Texas has a program, and everyone knows what they are about and tradition, so it's defiantly a big game for us, and myself, and I'm just looking forward to going out there and being able to perform against them and I'm looking forward to the challenge."
On people not giving Tech a chance against Texas, does the team have an "us against the world attitude":
"Not really because they are playing well right now. They've had a couple of good games in a row. I don't think we're really approaching it like it's us against the world, or nobody's giving us a chance, we're not looking to get motivated that way. We know what's going to motivate us. If we go out there and perform the way we can, on all three sides of the ball, then we realistically have a chance of winning the game if we just play well, and I think that's our motivation, not the lack of respect or odds on us not winning the game. I just think if we go out and play well, we know we have a chance, so that's all we can do."
On how comfortable he felt on Saturday against Baylor:
"I felt very comfortable. I think when Ryan Aycock made that interception, it gave us a little boost and when we made that first touchdown, we relaxed offensively and got into a groove. Me personally, I felt really well throwing the ball and seeing the field. From that stand point, I felt really good out there, and it was unfortunate that I took the hit to my knee and got setback a little, but even when I went back in there, I still felt good. Overall, I definitely felt better this game than I did in maybe the game or two games before."
On how important it is for the team to get a fast start on Saturday against Texas:
"Obviously that's important, you want to come out and start fast. You want to be right there in the beginning of the game and have things go your way. It's really important to start fast, but it's not like you have to. We definitely expect to, but there's going to be some adversity we're going to have to deal with, I can pretty much guarantee you that going down there. Before we even play, I can say there are going to be some adverse situations. Starting fast will definitely help relax the team a little bit and we're looking forward to a fast start. You just have to be mentally strong enough when you go in there to not be distracted and make things bigger than they are. We're in a good position the way I see it as a team. We have nothing to lose these last two games, and we can go out there and lay it all on the line. We know we're not going to win the South. I wouldn't go out and say I expect Baylor to beat Oklahoma this weekend, so I would be surprised if that would happen, so we have nothing to lose. We can go out there and put everything on the line and play to win the game, and not play to lose. I think other times when teams play not to lose is where you see hesitation and a slow start. We're definitely going to go out there with nothing to lose. I know personally, myself I'm not going to hold anything back and I don't want to have any regrets after the game, so I feel like that's the approach the team's going to take this weekend."
Coach Lyle Setencich
On how he felt about the defense's performance against Baylor:
"They played harder for a period of time, they played somewhat similar to the way they played against Colorado. They tried hard and they were running the ball well."
On mental toughness:
"I think it's important. We have a few mentally tough kids, but most of our players are just starting to get an idea of what that means. Its experience and age, and you get put into tough situations, and you either do or you don't. Over a period of time as a player gets older, he begins to respond in a more mentally tough fashion. Against Baylor, I think there was some toughness exhibited by them. I could see signs, little bitty signs, but there were things you could see that were pretty good. I think they're mentally tougher than they were earlier, but not at the stage you'd like to be. If you would look at some of the better defenses around the country, over a period of time, you'll see relentlessness and a determination to get the football by all 11 players, which is the reason they are really good. Each year you see some team like that. There are a couple of teams this year that are like that, Oklahoma being one, they chase the football like it's their last breath. Ryan Aycock is mentally tough, Mike Smith is mentally tough. Then we have some surges, other guys show it. We have some surges, John Saldi shows some toughness, Nitschmann does, and then we just surge."
On if he is happy with Keyunta Dawson's performance:
"Sure, for a freshman, he's doing a great job. He'll be a really good football player down the line. He makes four to five plays in a game that you look at and say, 'boy, wait a while'. He really knows what he's doing. He got a sack by accident the other day. He didn't even know he ran into the quarterback, he was trying to make a spin move and happened to run into the quarterback, which was great for him."
On whether he's looking for more of the younger players to step up:
"You'd like to hurry them up, but I don't know anything that hurries them up except age and playing experience. When you get a group of 11 guys starting in the Big 12, and you have the least guy have 20 starts in the Big 12, now you have a chance now. If you get some guys with 30 starts, now you have a chance, and that's what you're looking for. You'd like to build a group of kids that you bring together and you get 10, 15, 25, and then 30 starts and then you really have some kids who know what's going on."
Coach Mike Leach
On Texas and how they are playing right now:
"I think Texas is playing really well. They're solid from top to bottom. They're working on all cylinders right now, offensively and defensively, and I have never been here when they're not a good opponent and I'm sure they'll be a really good opponent this week."
On Tech being out of the running for the south title and how he approaches Texas now:
"The biggest thing is, we have one game this week, this is the only game we have and so our total focus and time is on this game. All these hypotheticals, what if this happens five games from now and six other teams win, and five other teams lose, or something like that, is a waste of time. There is nothing I can do to control that, and I don't even really care to think about it. You just worry about what you can control. We can control how we can practice this week, we can control how we prepare, and go out there and play well this game this week."
On letting the team play into the rivalry with Texas:
"I just tell them that the biggest thing is to prepare well and have a great week of preparation, do your best every day in practice and then do it out there in the game. I don't think that all that hype totally serves you. Somewhere inside you have to be committed and willing to give your best every day in practice and just build on it, and go out there and put that out there on the field on Saturday. If you successfully do that, you're chances of success are pretty good. That's what you're fighting for, that's what you're shooting for is to go out there and give your best every time. That's easier said than done and that's why there are so many ups and downs, keeping the mental emotion on the high level along with the physical, I think is tough. We're going to hopefully have a good week of preparation, which I think we will, and then go out there and do it on Saturday."
On BJ getting Detmer's record this season and how he thinks history will view BJ Symons' season:
"I think it's impressive anyway you slice it. Whatever numbers he put up, he put up against one of the best schedules in the country. That's indisputable. I was always entertained by the fact that last year's schedule was ranked fourth or fifth, or something - behind who? That's what I would like to know, behind who. This schedule is very similar and he's done this against some tough competition in the country, and I think that's really impressive. I think a lot of his success comes with the other elements of our team playing well together. I think it ought to reflect him pretty highly. I mean he has a lot of touchdown passes and all the rest. I love the system question. Well, why didn't your system allow your players to do that?"
On what he thinks about the zone read play that Texas and Missouri like to call: "I think it's pretty good. I think that with the quarterback, they are trying to get a one man advantage. What you're saying is I don't have to block the end with my back side tackle, so I can get an extra guy to the play side, because the end has to keep his eye on the quarterback, so then the quarterback takes off periodically just enough to keep their attention. It's a pretty good idea, it's not new, it's fairly old stuff but is has resurfaced lately. I think that anytime you have a quarterback that runs pretty well, it's a play that's pretty appealing to your package. Oklahoma runs it a little too, but it really fits A&M, Texas, and Missouri. I think Iowa State runs is a too, Seneca Wallace was probably more suited for it."
