Gary Patterson Addresses the Media at Weekly Luncheon
10/21/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 21, 2003
FORT WORTH, Texas
(On the BCS Rankings): "For me, coming here six years ago and to be in consideration now is a tremendous accomplishment. Being in the top 15 in the county in anything is a good thing, especially considering where we've been. It's a positive in a lot of ways. It's great for recruiting and for the fans.
"What has helped this program is we've run it very much like a business. We put everything in perspective. We don't get too high from the highs or too low from the lows."
(On Brandon Hassell): "Brandon isn't a freshman, so I expect more things out of him because he's a junior. Being part of a team means stepping up when you have to. I'm not sure if we've played well as a football team but we've played very hard, which has made up for a lot of mistakes. The important thing is no one is panicking."
(On being 7-0 like the 2000 season): "The good thing about it this time is we're playing a team we know a lot about. We didn't have that when we played San Jose State in 2000. Every game with them has been nip and tuck. They're just as talented, if not more talented, than we are. They do some unconventional things that can cause problems, defensively. They've settled down and are making plays. Their staff has done a great job utilizing what they have.
"I haven't let my mind wonder too much about being an undefeated team. I'm not as relaxed as I was last year. Every week the players are getting their money's worth from the coaching staff."
(On the team's goals): "The only way you get anywhere is to dream. You have to let opportunity and reality meet somewhere in the middle. It'd be great to go 12-0, but all we really want to do is be the best team we can. That mentality has given us the opportunity to be where we are. The best teams we've had are the ones that have played with their backs against the wall. We've had a younger and injured football team this year but we've found a way to win."
(On scoring in the red zone): "Right now, we're getting points on the board and that's the key. As a coach, I'd like to score more touchdowns. Some of it may be a combination of youth and injuries, but really we have to make plays. We run the same offense as last year but the difference is we don't have two NFL wide receivers out there anymore.
"Look at the way Bill Parcells is winning with the Dallas Cowboys. They're 5-1, they're moving the ball and kicking field goals. All that matters in the end is that you score one more point than your opponent. You have to have a plan, and are we always right? No, but we try to talk about things during practice, in meetings, before the game, at halftime. We went for it on fourth down the other night because it looked like we were running the ball well but UAB made a nice stop.
(On Tye Gunn's status): "He won't practice today. We'll see how he feels Friday and then Saturday. If he doesn't practice tomorrow Brandon Hassell will start for sure on Saturday."
(On Houston's freshman quarterback Kevin Kolb): "He's done a lot of damage to defenses. He's not really a true freshman. He's like a fifth year senior because he's been in Coach (Art) Briles' system that long. He doesn't win the game himself. He uses the people around him. Houston has a lot of good athletes and now that they have become well coached there're a good team."
(On playing another Texas team this weekend): "One of our goals is always to be undefeated in Texas. It's great for recruiting and for pride."
(On what the Houston game means for recruiting that area): "The success we've had has allowed us to get big names from that area, like Cory Rodgers and the Schobels. Winning and losing makes a big difference.
(On the impact of conference realignment on recruiting): "Our kids come here because most of them are from Texas and want to stay close to home. Conference realignment doesn't affect us very much because we don't recruit heavily out-of-state."
(On conference realignment): "I've always thought if you already have a good house why would you want a new one? Someone needs to give me a reason why another one is better than the one we already have."
(On LaDainian Tomlinson's impact on recruiting): "We should probably start recruiting more in southern California because of how visible he is in that area. Robert Merrill could have gone to a lot of other schools but he came here because he wanted to run where LT did. LaDainian certainly gave us a lot of national attention, which has helped with recruiting."
(On punter John Braziel's improvement): "He feels more confident. You have to play a certain amount to get better. We changed him to a one and a half step punter. He's doing a good job pooch punting the ball now as well. John has grown up a lot. When you have a Nick Browne and a John Braziel as part of your kicking team, that can make a big difference in a ballgame."
