Patterson Holds Weekly Presser
11/9/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 9, 2010
FORT WORTH, Texas -- TCU football coach Gary Patterson held his weekly news conference Tuesday in the Four Sevens Team Room of the Meyer-Martin Athletic Complex.The third-ranked Horned Frogs can clinch at least a share of the Mountain West Conference championship when they host San Diego State Saturday at 3 p.m. It will be the final home game for 26 TCU seniors as well as the last contest in the existing Amon G. Carter Stadium before its $105 million renovation.
Included below are excerpts from Patterson's meeting with the media.
On what this week means ...
"It's the last game in the great Amon G. Carter Stadium. It's a big week. It's the last home game for our seniors. More importantly, it's an opportunity to get to 11 wins. It's a very good San Diego State team that is six points away from being undefeated. We've got a lot of work to do."
On the emotions surrounding this week ...
"I watched the Amon G. Carter Stadium video online and already got emotional. We're going to have close to 400 lettermen, who have played here in the last 70 or 80 years, on the field. This is the last game at home for our seniors. There's a chance to win the conference title outright in the next two weeks."
On San Diego State ...
"(Head Coach) Brady Hoke has done a great job at San Diego State. They've got talent and a good defense. They have two wide receivers, a tight end and a running back who are as good as anybody in the league. Their quarterback has really matured. They're a team that has won a lot of football games."
On San Diego State quarterback Ryan Lindley ...
"Yardage wise, he's the best we've faced besides Robert Griffin III from Baylor. He's throwing for almost 280 yards per game. He has two really good wide receivers who are both averaging about 100 yards per game and a tailback who has already gained nearly 1,100 yards."
On the success of TCU's defense against Utah ...
"They played very well. It's pretty easy to call a football game when you're up 23-0, as opposed to 7-6. When Andy Dalton plays the way he played Saturday and against Baylor, it becomes a lot easier to call a game. Not to take anything away from our kids, they played very hard."
On the play of linebacker Tanner Brock this season ...
"He plays very strong. He has played at a very high level for a guy who's a first-year starter. No. 1, Tank (Carder) and Tanner both really want to be great and, No. 2, they can both run. Third, they're smart. What you teach them in practice, they learn and they understand what they're going to get from the opposing offense. That makes a big difference."
On the importance of having a big crowd on Saturday ...
"I want it to be so loud that they have to go silent count for the whole four quarters in Amon G. Carter Stadium. That is a goal of mine to have the crowd be involved, and they have to take timeouts because they can't hear their signals."
On memorable games inside Amon G. Carter Stadium ...
"They all seem to run together. There are a lot of ballgames that have made a difference. More than the ballgames that stick out, is just remembering the players. Getting phone calls from student-athletes who have played and are coming back is the most memorable part, along with the Utah and New Mexico games last year when the fans rushed the field. The fans felt like they were a part of it. We've gone from 17,000 in the stands to averaging 42,000 this year. All of it coming together has been the coolest part for me."
