Patterson discusses BYU game
11/6/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 6, 2007
FORT WORTH, Texas -- TCU head football coach Gary Patterson held his weekly media luncheon Tuesday in the John Justin Athletic Center.
The Horned Frogs will look to continue the momentum from the 37-0 victory over New Mexico when they travel to Provo, Utah, for Thursday's 8 p.m. Central game at BYU. The contest will be televised on VERSUS.
Included below are excerpts from Patterson's comments to the media.
Opening statement ...
"We have three games left, and we have to win one to become bowl eligible. You always wonder how a break will help or hurt you, and it looked like it helped us against New Mexico. We now have a quick turnaround with BYU."
On the BYU tight ends ...
"We're known for running backs and BYU is known for quarterbacks and tight ends. It's just what BYU does. Dennis Pitta was a wide receiver and cornerback in high school. He went on a mission and, three years later, he got bigger and stronger and now he's a tight end."
On the BYU receivers ...
"They're very good. I've been at three different schools and played BYU. It doesn't matter who the head coach has been or where the game has been played, because they've always been good at what they do."
On BYU quarterback Max Hall ...
"Max Hall is doing a lot of good things. It's not about how many yards you throw for, but how many games you win. That offense will put up numbers. (BYU offensive coordinator) Robert Anae gives the offense that physical demeanor because he's an offensive line coach by trade."
On BYU's defensive system ...
"They run a '50' and recruit big linebackers. If you look back at the last 20 years, that's what they've always been able to do. They have very physical defensive linemen and fast linebackers. They have guys who are smart and play strong within the scheme. They don't give up big plays, and they tackle well."
On playing in Provo ...
"It's a bigger crowd than what most people play in front of in the conference. They're rowdy and excited about their Cougars. I saw they average 16,000 or 17,000 students a game. That brings a lot more intensity to the stadium."
On BYU making a push for a top-25 ranking ...
"I voted for them, because I think they're a very good football team."
On the Mountain West Conference earning more respect nationally ...
"One of the ways to get votes is through coverage. The world saw us play against Utah. If the world could have seen us against New Mexico, they might have a different opinion. That's the way I feel about TV. If you're winning and playing on TV, it's a great advantage. If you're losing and playing on TV, it's a big disadvantage."
On Tommy Blake's performance against New Mexico ...
"He did well. He played between 30 and 35 plays out of the 58. We'll just see how he feels the rest of the way."
On the Frogs not departing for Utah until early Wednesday night ...
"Besides helping ourselves academically, we'll be able to do more work if we stay here later as far as plays and running things on a Friday practice. It's nice to break the normal schedule. We have three games left, and we need to play with reckless abandon. There's no reason to worry about what's happened thus far. We had a 16-day break and a four-game season left. Right now, we're 1-0. We have a lot of football left to play in a short amount of time."
