Texas Tech University Athletics
Press Conference Quotes, Colorado Game
November 03, 2003 | Football
Nov. 3, 2003
On the defensive performance Saturday night being a confidence booster:
"It felt really good. Knowing that for the last couple of weeks that nothing went right on defense. Everything that you think could go wrong the last couple of weeks went wrong. With the media talking badly about us, and us trying to stay focused. For me personally, I felt like for the past couple of weeks that the defense let the offense down. For once, we finally stepped up and helped somebody out this week."
On the need to keep up the momentum from this game and confidence levels:
"That was the first thing Coach said after the game, and at Sunday's meeting. He told us that we have to keep this up and not let this be a one time fluke, but let everyone know that we can do this every game. It meant a lot to us, knowing that we can finally help the offense win a game for once, knowing that the offense doesn't have to score 50 points for us to win, and knowing that we can hold people to 21 points."
On being anxious to get back on the road:
"Yes, our last two road games we lost. We have to show people that we can win on the road."
On whether anything eases up for the Baylor game this weekend:
"We can't do that. I bet Colorado came out there thinking that is was just Baylor, and they beat them by two touchdowns. We have to come out there just like they're OU."
On how important it is for the team to put a game together on all three sides of the ball:
"It's very important. I feel that if all three sides of the ball played perfect, our offense could probably put up 100 points, and our defense could probably hold people to no touchdowns at all."
Coach Setencich
On whether he was still satisfied after watching film of the Colorado game:
"I was pleased that more kids played harder for longer. I don't know if it was excitement or mental toughness, but they did play harder for longer periods of time, which has not been the case with some of our players."
On whether the defense is good on the pursuit:
"They show it sometimes. They were pretty happy, and should be, because I think they gave up less than a yard per carry in the third quarter. I think it was about 4 yards average per play that game. We were pretty pleased, our kids were pretty pleased about that. I said to them I was associated with a team that gave up less than three yards per play over a period of three years, so when they get that way, I will be a little happier. I'm just tickled that they did it for a quarter."
On the Baylor match up this weekend:
"I think they are balanced, and I think they are coached very well. I think they really have a very good plan of what they want to do. I think most of those folks are new over there, and I think they have a really good plan of what they want to do. Sometimes their kids may not execute what they're trying to do, but they put you in situations that if you're not really smart defensively and don't give yourself leverage, they can come out and get plays on you. They leveraged Kansas State very well."
On whether some of the younger players stepped up in this game, like Seth Nitschmann:
"Yes. I really believe that if Seth Nitschmann was completely healthy that he would be a very effective player at this level. His pad level is very good, he's very quick, he's super intelligent, he understands situations, and he plays plays. I think if Seth becomes healthier, he has to have surgery once the season ends, if that proves effective and he becomes completely healthy, he could be a very good player. Huddler made some nice plays for us. There were maybe eight kids that down, I bet at any given time during the game, they made two or more plays. We have not had that, where you could look at the tackles and say they made four plays in the game. If you looked at those players, Nitschmann had two or three nice plays, and he doesn't play very much. McGinnis had a couple of nice plays, Huddler did, Patrice Majombo Wamba had a couple of nice plays. Fred had a couple of nice plays. That's what you're looking for on defense. If you can get all 11 guys making somewhere between five and eight tackles a game, then you're going to play pretty good defense. When you get one guy making 12-13 tackles, it shouldn't get to that one player every time."
On whether he feels like the secondary played better in Saturday's game:
"There were a couple plays where we were beaten badly, but we hit the quarterback. In the last eight minutes of the game, there were some nice plays by some secondary guys on some routes that they did not make the same play earlier in the game. It's a combination of all the groups, because in some of our packages you have five or four corners, or five corners and two safetys, and a couple where you have three safetys in and one corner."
Coach Leach
On BJ's performance in Saturday's game:
"I don't think BJ nor I were big fans of his performance in the first quarter. I don't think there is any quarterback out there playing on any level that hasn't had a game like that. To have your worst game to be one where you throw for 399 yards and are still lucky enough to win, I think that's pretty good, of course, that was based on a lot of contributions from other aspects of the team."
On whether Colorado did their homework for last Saturday's game:
"Colorado deserves all the credit they deserve, but all we can control is ourselves, and that is pretty much what I'm focused on. The biggest thing is we just have to play better. Offensively, I think we played well, but I just think he was a little off. If you can name me one quarterback in the history of football who hasn't had a game where they are off, I'd love to hear who it is because I've never seen one. But, he was off and I think he needs to spend this week and pull himself out of the hole."
On how he handles his quarterbacks, in good times, and bad:
"As far as yelling goes, I think you reserve yelling for when you're not getting great effort. Anybody in the world can give great effort. I think that's required of everybody. If you're not getting great effort, I think you don't hesitate to get their attention. If you're getting great effort out of somebody, but they're just doing it incorrectly, I think it's your job to teach him. I don't think effort was his problem, I think more relaxation was his problem. I think he needed to relax."
On facing Baylor this weekend:
"They are pretty aggressive, they play a lot of man coverage, and shift their looks around with blitz and such. They have a really solid defense and I think they do a good job. They will do some eight man fronts, and I'm sure they'll have a disguise or something for us."
On the differences he has seen in Baylor with the new coach, Coach Morris:
"I think it's just a renewed sense of energy. I think they're playing hard. I think they have some new schemes, for example, offensively they've kind of narrowed down what they do, which I think has helped them. Rather than trying to run everything, I think they have zeroed in on specific things. I've always thought Coach Goodner's defensive scheme was pretty tough, it's constant pressure, and the offense tries to break those guys down and make some plays, but you have to do it with somebody breathing down your neck all the time, and so I think it's a good scheme."
On the defense's performance in Saturday's game:
"I think they played very well. I though defensively we had a great performance. I think that when you have guys that are new to the picture, they're going to improve rapidly, but there will also be some pitfalls along the way, but then they're going to improve quickly. We just need to utilize that and build on it."
