Gary Patterson Holds Weekly Media Luncheon
11/25/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 25, 2003
FORT WORTH, Texas
(On SMU): "In our first season in 1998, they beat us at their place. The year before, they had a chance to go to a bowl game and we beat them. We have to get ready to play. It's hard for both teams when you don't have a conference championship at stake. Thanksgiving makes it tough for the kids to get up because they're used to mom's turkey and stuffing.
"It was more of a rivalry when both teams were still in the Southwest Conference. But, you still want bragging rights in the Metroplex. They have motivation not to go winless. For us, we still have a chance to go to a bowl game and win and be nationally ranked. Our guys need to understand that we've accomplished a lot. We have a chance to be 12-1 and no team in TCU history has ever won that many games. To be able to send the seniors out knowing that Davey O'Brien and Sammy Baugh didn't do that is something special. We have a lot to play for.
"I think SMU is the best 0-11 team out there. They plays great run defense. You have to throw the ball to beat them. They have an athletic quarterback (Chris Phillips) and they've changed their game plan with him in there. They still have a great running back (Keylon Kincade) as well who has a shot at making it to the next level.
"This is a dangerous situation. They've been off for two weeks preparing and probably been thinking about this game since last year. This can make their season."
(On continuing the TCU-SMU rivalry):"I'd like to play SMU every year. It's good for Texas football. I'd like to leave the game as it is."
(On what it's been like since the Southern Miss game): "It's been a funeral. Not that night but the next two days afterwards. It would be a lot easier to stop practicing and think about a bowl game but we hade everyone practicing Sunday. You find out what kind of team you have when you're down. We've had more guys that have responded well than not.
"The next month is about getting ready for next year. We're already putting a depth chart together for the spring. Losing is like a disease. The longer you let it go the worse it gets until you're on your deathbed. The next chapter in our history needs to be written right now."
(On the seniors' morale): "We won't know their mentality until Saturday. Then we'll know how bad they want to win."
(On getting involved emotionally with players): "Some people are scared to cross the line emotionally with players but I'm not afraid to do that. Some coaches are more corporate and I haven't gotten to that point and hope I never do."
(On the fourth quarter comeback against Southern Miss): "We lost. We know it's about scoring one more point. Our kids showed what they were made of, but we don't have moral victories here anymore. You have to beat a Southern Miss or a San Jose State to get a shot at going to a BCS game. That's why you treat SMU like it's a conference championship game. We're trying to shut the doors on people who didn't believe in us. It shows our character."
(On which bowl game he'd like to go to): "I don't think there's a bad bowl. When you go, it's not about the bowl game. It's the 15 extra practices you get. It may not be fun for the seniors, but they get to try and win their last game as TCU players. You're still in the spotlight for recruiting as well."
(On how Brandon Hassell has taken the Southern Miss loss): "He's done well. He doesn't say a whole lot. He's not a high or low emotion guy."
(On TCU's brightest spot this year): "The young wide receivers. They are what made us get better. A lot of the credit goes to LaTarence Dunbar, Adrian Madise and Kevin Brown. They helped those guys mature last year."
(On Reggie Harrell): "He's just as good as any wide receiver in the conference. I don't think there's anyone better than him."
(On Nick Browne being name first-team All-America by the FWAA): "It's a great honor. Nick does it on both sides of the fence. He's been a 4.0 student and won ballgames for us. He should probably be first-team academic All-America as well. He's been fun to be around, and he's been good for Mike Wynn. It'll be Mike's job to win or lose starting next week."
(On Robert Merrill): "He's a smart man like Sugar Ray Leonard. You never get a good shot in on him. He's like lightning going past you. You think he's coming with a jab and he gives you an uppercut. The guy is good at what he does.
"With Lonta Hobbs back next year, we'll have one of the best one-two punches in the nation. It's also going to be fun for me to sit back and see how the quarterback situation plays out with Brandon Hassell, Tye Gunn and James Battle coming off his redshirt year."
(On Robert Merrill and Reggie Harrell possibly setting school records at the SMU game): "They'll take one more point than getting the records. We'll have a better chance getting more than one point if they do reach those records."
