Sept. 19, 2012
TE D.J. Grant
On the bye week and Big 12 play starting next weekend: Right now we are coming off of 3-0. That is what we push for, and we break our scales by seasons. So we just finished pre-season and now we have to get better and get ready for conference. Get ready for Oklahoma State. Keep our eyes on the game and not look to the future. We had some success last week, but we have to watch film and still find ways to get better and keep fighting and practicing hard. This week off has given us a chance to really break down their defense, see what to expect from them, and for us to come up with the best game plan. I know [co-offensive coordinator] Coach Bryan Harsin is going to do a great job on that.
On QB David Ash: David has impressed me a whole lot. He is coming along real well. He is growing up out there. I can see it. His leadership is coming in. He is talking more. He is more verbal. He is more comfortable with us, and we even joke around. I can just see that back there he feels more comfortable. I always tell myself that if we protect David like we need to, he will do his job and get it done.
On things to work on moving forward: Just small things like finishing, continuing to play hard. Never play down below your standards. Aways play at the Texas standard, and keep a high motor going.
On how to keep the momentum going: It is just all about staying focused and looking at the big picture rather than letting yourself come down after a big success. Just go out there and keep working harder as the weeks go by. Need to keep composure up, keep working hard, and keep studying and other things to keep you going. Like keep your goals up, your body fresh, and keep your mind right
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RB/WR D.J. Monroe
On the seniors wanting to leave this program how they found it: That is one of the main things [we want to do]. We didn't have the best seasons that we wanted. When I came in, it was a program going up and I would like to leave it the way I came in. The seniors take a lot of pride in that, and we take it upon ourselves to lead the team and not be selfish. We want to be as unselfish as we have ever been as a senior. We are going to try and lead the team into victory every time. Bottom line, we are 3-0 right now, and that is all that matters.
On being unselfish: Everybody would like to carry the ball, but we have a lot of explosive players on the team. When your number is called, you go and do what you do and then you come out. That is how we look at it. No one is being selfish right now, and I think that is what [Head] Coach [Mack] Brown loves about the team. This is not a selfish team, and we do not have any conflicts. It is not about me, but about the team and how we are developing right now. It is not about me and how many carries I get, but if there is a "W" on the board at the end of the day.
On running more physical this season: I am the smallest person in the RB [running backs] room. I got a little bit stronger. A lot of guys see me as a shifty person. They say, "He is going to try and juke so we'll go down and hit his ankles." Now I just lower my shoulder. I wasn't strong enough to do it [earlier], but now with [strength and conditioning head coach] Bennie [Wylie] when we worked out during the summer we hit it hard every day - right at noon for the hottest part of the day. We would go outside and run and then come in and hit the weights. The best time to do it to get stronger and faster is when your body is broken down and tired. This summer was a real big summer for me and the RB's and the rest of the team. We all just came in focused and wanted to get stronger and faster. We wanted to let everyone know that we weren't intimidated by an 8-5 season. We are going to come back stronger.
FB Ryan Roberson
On becoming a more attack-oriented offense: We all hold ourselves to a higher standard. We know what is acceptable and what's not acceptable. We go out there and play hard and try to play mistake-free. We play every down like it is a game. We pride ourselves on running hard and blocking hard and being physical all the time. Whenever we do our job and be physical, it motivates the offensive line and everyone around us to be physical.
On getting a touchdown against Ole Miss: It felt really good. I have to stay humble and hungry as [co-offensive coordinator] Coach [Bryan] Harsin always tells us. We have a 24-hour rule. I understand that I scored, but I can't live on that and need to just keep moving on and progressing every day.
On being nervous about the big play being called for him: I was more anxious than anything. I knew that I was going to end up getting wide open, because we practice that play every day in practice. We do it so many different times that it was just me going out and executing and simulating practice reps. It happened kind of fast. I knew it was coming as soon as [sophomore RB] Malcolm [Brown] cut the end.
On the intensity in practice being different during an off week: No, we are just trying to simulate game reps and practice as close to the game as possible. The intensity is still there. We still have to be physical, bring toughness and execute everything. Just because it is a bye week, we cannot slack off. We are still trying to be the physical offense that we are and can be.
RB Jeremy Hills
On where the offense can improve after such an impressive outing: There is always room for improvement. As far as the running game, after going back and looking at the film there are a couple of times where we could have hit a few holes a little quicker. Things open up and close a lot faster in college ball.
On the difference of being 3-0 this year compared to the last several: We are not satisfied. The last couple of years we have been 3-0, and we have been here before. At this point of the season we are going into the second phase. We are about to start conference and the number one thing we want to do is win our conference. You can't win your conference if you can't beat the first team. So we have to go out there and prepare for Oklahoma State, and then it will go from there with Oklahoma and West Virginia.
On the message changing now that conference play is here: It is about the same with one game at a time and one play at a time. One snap at a time is kind of what we were going with. Just as far as us among the guys who have been here and had a chance to see how it was done in the past with your Colt McCoys and Jordan Shipleys and guys like that. It is time to hone in and clean up any little mistakes that we are making. It is time for more film and for getting your body right. In the middle of the season your body starts to wear down a little bit, so you have to start taking care of your body and eating right. It's the little things that you have to be able to do to sustain for the rest of the year.
DT Desmond Jackson
On where the nickname `Tank" comes from: Yes, my mom gave me that name when I was three years old. I used to just run around at full speed, and she just started calling me "Tank" and the name just stuck when I started playing football.
On preparation for Big 12 play next weekend: I think they (Oklahoma State) are a good team. I have seen a little bit of film on them, and I remember from last year they had a pretty good squad. This week I think we are just going to get ready and prepare for the tempo. I know they run a pretty quick tempo from what I remember from last year. This week we are just going back to the basics, getting ready to play next week, and taking things one day at a time.
On the defensive tackles: I think we all just work hard, and I don't think I am better than anybody else. I just think I go out there and give it everything that I have like I am supposed to do.
On the coaches' message about broken plays vs Ole Miss: They just told us that we have to take one step at a time. The 31 points was on us, and I think that as a defense, we looked at the film and we just decided that most of the plays could have been prevented if we tackled better. We could've had a lot more tackles for loss. We could've had some picks, and we just had so many missed opportunities. We just have to go in there, keep working and strive forward. This was the best thing for us. We just have to brush it off and we know we are doing good, but we have to push harder.
TE Barrett Matthews
On if there is friendly competition among the tight ends: Yes, there is a lot of competition throughout tight end because we all want to meet the standard of Texas. We build to strive to do things right and to get a win each week.
On his reaction to concerns about the position: We took it as a challenge to dominate the defensive games, dominate the pass game, and just to stay on the field. We took it as not so much as an insult or a letdown, but we took it as a compliment for us to do better.
On how he would grade his performance the first few weeks: It was all right but there is more to come. I still have a lot of games to play. For the last three games, I feel like I played just all right.
On where improvements are needed: I feel like I can improve the most in getting my steps down, getting more people on the ground, and making more room for my running backs to get around the corner.
On the tight ends' performance: For the first three games I feel like we have done great. Like I said, there is still more to come, and we still have to keep on striving and doing our best and getting our ends cut off. Just to be a complete package with whoever is in the game.
