Oct. 27, 2008
Tulsa, Oklahoma -
Todd Graham PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES OPENING STATEMENT:
"Naturally, we looked at the film last night. We're real pleased with our guys' performance last night. We thought we got better as a football team. That's the goal each week. Our kids are playing extremely hard. The biggest thing that sticks out to me is how our players, there's not any panic and they're starting to mature. Like I said at halftime, there wasn't that panic-mode setting in. Our guys are really mature and they kind of expect things to work as long as we just focus on our job and stay poised about what we're doing. I'm really pleased with our guys and really proud of them to be sitting here 8-0."
"I think we got better in the last seven quarters defensively. I'm really pleased with the pressure we were able to put on the quarterback and how the guys executed the plan that we had. I thought Moton Hopkins and Wilson Garrison were really dominating up front. Mike Bryan had his best game. Tanner Antle had his best game. George Clinkscale had his best game. James Lockett had his best game. You can just go on and on through the lineup. I think that's critical for us, for us to get where we want to be, we have to continue to play better defense. They have 178, 180 yards of total offense, and 38 yards in the second half. The guys were really dominating. That was a good team. We dominated a team that has had some success with other teams. You look and compare the scores and see how they played Miami, South Florida and Boston College and how they played us, you can see we have a pretty good football team."
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"I give Central Florida a lot of credit. Joe Burnett, the cornerback, is one of the best there is. He'll be a great NFL corner. He picked us off, that hurt us turning the ball over a little bit. We turned the ball over in the kicking game. We had some mistakes there, but the guys didn't panic and came out in the second half and did what a championship team does, that's dominate and get back on task and on plan."
WHAT WAS THE DIFFERENCE IN THE SECOND HALF?
"Just the elimination of the mistakes. Like I say all the time, if we don't turn the football over, we're going to score points. But you have to give them credit. They were putting pressure on the quarterback when we threw the interception and made a big hit on Damaris (Johnson) and had a great kick, a great location on the kick. He turns the ball over there. I think we get backed up on our own end with a stupid penalty. We've had one penalty on special teams all year long. One. That's probably the biggest focus that we've had is not doing things to beat yourself. We get that one, we're backed up on our own end, then we have a bad snap and give up two points. Just about everything that could have happened bad was happening there. Our kids weren't panicking. When one side kind of falls back, the other one picks it up. I like how our kids responded. I think we're maturing as a football team."
"What I really liked was the halftime. I thought Coach Patterson and Coach Randolph made great adjustments on defense. Naturally, the adjustments on offense really weren't much. It was 'execute the plan.' All we have to do it take care of the ball. We went back and did that. It worked very efficiently. I liked the locker room. I liked when I walked in there at halftime. There's not a bunch of yelling and screaming and panic. It's just real calm to say hey guys, we have 30 minutes and we're going to be fine. Let's settle down and execute the plan. All we have to do is take care of the ball and keep doing what we're doing on defense - eliminate the errors and we're going to win. There's no way were losing this game. A lot less coaches talking and speaking in the locker room and a lot more players talking in the locker room and being positive. They were looking calm. That's the thing that I like. I liked the poise."
YOU GUYS ARE OFF TO YOUR BEST START SINCE WORLD WAR II?
"We're really proud of that. Tulsa has a great tradition. It's something that's very important to this staff and this program. We had some of our greatest players back this past week in Steve Largent, Jerry Rhome, Howard Twilley and Coach (John) Cooper. To listen to Coach Cooper to get and talk about how proud he is of this program and what we're doing gives me a lot of gratification, as well as Steve Largent and Howard and Jerry ... they're so excited about where we're going as a program. I do think that revitalization and the things that we focus on with our past. Our kids' knowing what the tradition is here has inspired them. We're really blessed to be where we are. It's an exciting time. We're just scratching the surface on what we can do. We're really proud of that. We just have to keep our head down and focus on nothing but the next one."
IN LOOKING HAD TO BEING A POSSIBLE BCS BUSTER, HOW DO YOU KNOW IT CAN'T BE A DISTRACTION?
"The thing that we have to do is guard them from ... each week it becomes more and more of a distraction even for myself. Every week, it becomes more and more things to take away from my normal routine. Our guys, we had a definite plan when we came into the season. We really planned where we're at right now. The key to that is for our kids to stay grounded on the next step. The time we spend speculating doesn't do any good. We have to be focused on one thing right now, that's being 9-0. We're facing our biggest test of the year. A big physical offensive line, a big physical defensive line, great skill players. Playing in Fayetteville will be a big challenge. This is the biggest test so far. Our kids aren't focused on anything but Arkansas.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE QUICK TURNAROUND?
"It's not ideal, but it's something that I wouldn't have traded last night's national exposure for anything. You go to work and you do it. Our players are off today. They're always off on Mondays. Basically, it's one less day to get ready physically. It's really a day and a half or two days. We'll have a different approach and make sure the guys can heal up the little bumps and bruises. The only one it inconveniences is our coach's. We're a day behind and right now we're less than half a day behind. We also plan for that. There's not a lot of time to procrastinate. I'm ready to go."
DID YOU HAVE TIME TO SLEEP?
"We worked all night last night. Gus and I were pretty much here all night. The defensive guys and Coach (Herb) Hand were here early, around 4 o'clock. We work a lot, so it's not a big deal."
DID YOU GO HOME LAST NIGHT?
"No."
HAS THE NATIONAL EXPOSURE AND RECORD HELPED WITH RECRUITING?
"Winning has paid off in recruiting big-time. We have 18 commitments right now and we've never had that. The quality of player we're getting is tremendous. That's by design, too. We designed what we're doing to be attractive. You play wide receiver, running back or quarterback, it's an attractive offense to play in. If you like to blitz and attack ... putting in the no-huddle last year, we had so much focus. I probably focused too much of my energy into that. I was so worried about where we were going to be offensively, which wasn't probably good planning on my part. We had Paul Smith, so we were going to be pretty good. I worried about that transition because when I made that transition at Rice, going from the wishbone to the spread no-huddle, it was something I spent a lot of time on. It set us back a little bit defensively last year because I took for granted the system we had in place. We're just now getting back to playing the style of defense that we played in 2005, that's attacking, pressure and turnover-oriented defense. It's coming together and we're only going to get better. The key for us is did we get better last night as a football team? Yes we did. Every single day of this season, we've gotten better and we have to continue to do that."
USUALLY TULSA WOULD BE AN UNDERDOG TO ARKANSAS. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT BEING THE FAVORITES IN THIS GAME?
"Favorites get beat every week. I don't look at the history of them, even though I love the history of college football. I don't look at any of that. All I look at is what we have to do to get our guys ready to get step No. 9. There's nothing else involved. We have kids from Arkansas. I think our kids aren't focused on that. Gus isn't focused on going back to Arkansas. He's focused on one thing and that's being 9-0, reaching our goals and what we're trying to do. I don't think, from that term of being a favorite or not being a favorite, in my mind we're a favorite every week because I expect us to win every week. So do our players and our coaches."
THE LAST 39 GAMES HAVE BEEN PLAYED IN THE STATE OF ARKANSAS. OU AND OSU CAN COME HERE. CAN ARKANSAS COME HERE?
"I sure hope we can get them to come here. My ideal schedule would be each year, our guys and this community and this city, we want to play a perfect rotating schedule would be playing Oklahoma one year, Oklahoma State one year and Arkansas one year. I'd love to do a situation where we could get them to come here. We have a great deal with Oklahoma where we go there twice and they come here once. I'd love to work out something like that with Arkansas. We'll see what happens. This is a step toward that. We worked hard to make this thing happen. Our fans like these games. I like the fact that fans can get in their car and watch this game. For our players and for recruiting, these are big games for our kids. Our kids want to play in this type of game. It's big for our program. We don't want to just play in them, we want to win them. We have a relationship with Oklahoma State and Oklahoma on a rotating basis. There is a tradition here. Our two teams have played and it makes sense because we're so close together. I'd hope we could work something out in the future."
HOW DID THIS GAME COME ABOUT?
"They had an opening in their schedule and we had an opportunity to play them. Bubba (Cunningham) approached me with it and we talked about it. We thought it was a no-brainer for our program and an opportunity to play a team of regional interest and a big-time program."
IT'S BEEN SEVERAL YEARS SINCE TULSA BEAT A BCS SCHOOL. HOW BIG A HURDLE IS THAT?
"I think it's a thing that we have to do. We talk about that as a conference. Britton (Banowksy), our conference commissioner, say these are the type of games we have to win to give our conference national credibility. As a program, this is the next step for us to take. Those steps aren't easy. This will be a very difficult game. It'll be a big challenge for us, and we're up for the challenge and the opportunity. The hardest thing to do in college football is win on the road, and that's what we have to do and this is the next step for our program. If we want the national recognition, you have to go out and win these kind of games."
HAVE YOU COACHED AGAINST COACH PETRINO BEFORE?
"I haven't. I thought he did a tremendous job at Louisville. Everyone sees the job he did at Louisville was impressive. I know coaches that know him and worked for him and say he's a great coach."
YOU SAID GUS ISN'T FOCUSED ON GOING BACK TO ARKANSAS. HE IS POPULAR, WHAT KIND OF RECEPTION DO YOU THINK HE'LL GET?
"I just go by my relationship with Gus. It goes back 15 years. Every person that I have on my staff, I hired because they're great men with great character. Gus is a very important part of our team, but he would be the first to tell you he is part of a team. Anyone that knows Gus will say he's a class person. This has worked very well for him here because of our system and philosophies ... When you walk in the door here, there's not anyone that works in this building that questions what we're going to do. We're a no-huddle football team. You have certain places you fit. I know everybody that I meet, when I go over there recruiting, are very positive. He's a Tulsa Golden Hurricane now and proud of it. We're proud of the young men we recruited from Arkansas and we're going to continue to do that. We're pleased with the type of kids we've gotten out of there. This is a big game for them as well."
"Too much is made out of that kind of stuff. You have coaches that leave different places. If I told you every detail of my departure from Rice, there are two sides to every story. There are two sides to what happened with (Malzahn's) deal. The key is in coaching, you better look, do your research and make sure you fit a place. That's the key to being successful. I was very lucky to come back here. This is a great fit for me. A lot of people look back and say it's like apples to apples. I don't think they think that now. This has been a good decision for me. We're not focused on any of that. We're focused on going 9-0. Gus has a lot of good friends and people he cares about in Arkansas, but his focus is with this football team. We have two offensive coordinators. We have Herb Hand, who does a tremendous job of coordinating our run game. When you work here, you check your ego at the door and it's about winning. I'm pretty hands on when it comes to that stuff. We have a great synergy with our coaching staff. We have great kids with great character and synergy. That's the core and foundation of starting to win."
HOW DO YOU EVALUATE THIS ARKANSAS TEAM? "I spent last night watching them. They have very good personnel. Their center (Jonathan Luigs) is the best I've seen. He's an All-American candidate. Their offensive line is big and powerful. It looks like an SEC offensive line. The running back (Michael Smith) is real impressive. Watching him and the things he does with the football will be a real challenge. They have a young core of receivers that I know how good they are, because we were involved with recruiting some of them. They stretch the field. They're young, but capable and fast. They have that athleticism. They've just come up short. They beat Auburn, lost a close one to Kentucky and Ole Miss. They're a good football team and capable defensively. In special teams, you see speed. What I see, when I look at the overall picture, it's the best football team to this point, as far as how we match up. They're big and physical on both sides of the football. We have to make sure we get ready for a physical match."
YOU PLAYED Charles Clay ON DEFENSE EARLIER. WILL THAT CONTINUE?
"He will. He got banged up the last few weeks and we limited his play. He was full-go last night, but we limited him as we got ahead in the game. He'll play on third down. He's a heck of a pass rusher."
DO YOU HAVE A GRASP OF HOW MUCH THIS GAME MEANS TO YORU FANS?
"I know the history well. The thing that's helped me learn the history is the reconciling of all the football lettermen and them coming back. Last night, after the game, I was told about 50 stories about Arkansas. I know how much this game means to us. Make no bones about it, it's a big game for me and our program and where we're at as a program, and what an opportunity we have. We're going to do everything we can to make it a successful opportunity. I'm very aware of the history, especially going to Fayetteville."
BESIDES THE OBVIOUS HISTORY, THIS IS A BCS TEAM WITH SEC-TYPE CALIBER. THEY ARE STRUGGLING, BUT THIS WILL HELP YOU GET NOTERITY?
"This is a game where we have to go out and show we're deserving of our ranking and we're deserving of consideration. To do that, the road to that goes through Fayetteville, Arkansas. It's going to be a challenge. Coach Petrino is a very good football coach. They're very capable and close to putting it together. They have the athletes to do it. I'm very impressed with their personnel. It's the best personnel that we've played. Central Florida's defense had really good personnel. Arkansas' personnel is every bit as comparable to them."
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT Slick Shelley?
"Slick's been incredible. I was involved in recruiting Slick when he was at Southside. He winded up going to Tennessee and things didn't work out for him there. I think a lot of times, when you transfer, it doesn't always work out. When he came here, we go about things real different. I'm pretty old school in how I do things. At first, I wasn't for sure if old Slick was going to make it. We're pretty set with how we go about doing things. He's been the biggest turnaround we've had on our team. He's bought in, not just on the football field, but how we do things and the discipline and structure. Our kids go to class every day. You don't go to class, you run at 5 in the morning. If you're late for class, you're running. That was a little different. He wasn't used to that. He had to work unbelievably to make (classes) up. We're a higher academic institution, so a lot of his hours didn't transfer. He had to take an enormous amount of hours. The work ethic to play as a receiver, these guys run about 3 miles a day in practice. He has really bought in and has been a big-time impact player, as well as Damaris Johnson. I'm really proud of Slick. I pointed him out as not only a guy doing an exceptional job on the field, but in the classroom.
PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES FROM TULSA COORDINATORS
Keith Patterson PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
Defensive Coordinator
About the defensive performance last night against UCF...
"I think we are getting better defensively every week. We are much better physically against the run than we have been in the past. We are giving up 126 yards per game and we knew they were going to come in and try to establish the run. We felt like if we could make them one dimensional, and we have been able to do that the last two weeks, that allows us to pressure."
"James Lockett has done an outstanding job of creating pressure off the edge, and he has been a great surprise for our defense."
Talk about the nine sacks and the dominating second half against UCF...
"When you know that someone is going to have to throw the ball to try and move it on you, it becomes a great advantage to us. We were very explosive with our edge pressure and we did some things to attack their protection. I felt like we had a beat on them and their quarterback was pretty much a sitting duck."
David Johnson said last night that the offense fed off the defense's intensity. How does it feel to hear that?
"I think Coach O'Leary said it earlier in the week that our defense does compliment our offense. At times we force the issue and we are very aggressive, and there are times when we defend. It kind of depends on how the flow of the game is going. When we are scoring at a very fast pace we will get into a defend mode. Then when they are struggling like they did early, we know we need to force the issue. We came up with a turnover and our offense fed off of that and scored."
Talk about Arkansas and what you have seen on film from them on offense...
"For us it is going to be a big challenge. So far from what I have seen from last night and this morning on film, they have a very good running back and they seem to be very big, strong and athletic up front. It will be the biggest challenge we have faced so far from trying to stop the run, and it will be the best running back we have seen to this point."
"They are very aggressive up front in trying to run the ball off tackle. I think last night's game prepared us for what we are going to see this week."
What is your take on what they do offensively, scheme-wise?
"I think they want to run the ball and set up play action passes. They also want to pick and choose their shots vertically. Once again, he is very similar to Coach O'Leary with their NFL background. You can tell they want to run the ball and set up their play action passes."
James Lockett was named C-USA Defensive Player of the Week, talk a little bit about him...
"James has probably played better than anyone has all year long consistently on defense. He brings a work ethic to practice everyday and has a smile on his face. You can be yelling at him and he sits there smiling at you. Our kids have really rallied around him. I don't know how many tackles for losses the guy has but he is extremely explosive and elusive coming off the edge. He has provided a spark for us defensively and I think all of the other players are starting to rally around that. "
"We are starting to find our niche defensively. We seem to be very successful when we are very aggressive, and we will see how that works out this week."
With all the numbers the offense puts up, do you think the defense gets overshadowed at all?
"I don't think so. It is a team and we do what it takes to win. I never sit there and dwell on that. I couldn't tell you one time how many yards we have thrown for or rushed for. We focus on what we need to do to win."
"I think that the game has changed. I don't get caught up in the stats. The big ones we focus on are takeaways and scoring defense. The name of the game is to score more than they do and sometimes it works out like it did against UTEP when you give up 28 points in the first quarter, and then the next three quarters we hold them to 70 yards of offense and seven points."
Coach Graham said you guys didn't get much sleep last night or get much sleep the rest of the week...
"That's no different than any other week."
Arkansas doesn't have a very good record, but they would seem to have SEC talent at a lot of spots. They have the players to start winning at that level right?
"I think so. First of all, we have great respect for Coach Petrino and he is going to do a great job there, because he has a tremendous work ethic and brings a certain toughness. He has a very similar coaching style to Coach Graham and I know he is going to bring that to their program."
"It is evident on film that they do have talent on offense. I am very impressed with their running back. I think running back-wise and offensive line-wise this is going to be the best we have faced all season. We've seen similar types of receivers with UTEP and some of the guys we faced last night against UCF - big, strong and athletic wide receivers. They also have very good receiving and blocking tight ends."
"You are going to see a lot of different motions, shifts and formations. They definitely know what they are doing by trying to get you out-flanked and run the ball on the perimeter."
The more you guys win is it getting tougher to keep the kids from looking ahead, or how do you go about keeping the players focused?
"Number one, it starts with leadership. Coach Graham does an outstanding job, because he started preparing our kids for this last spring. Therefore, it isn't a surprise to our kids. We have a focus and a quiet confidence within our team. I've never been associated with a group of kids and a team like we have this year. There is something different about them and the way they go about preparing. We don't let our highs get too high and our lows get too low, we just keep playing the next play. We recommit everyday at practice, every play of every game and every quarter of every game."
"It's a deal where we really compliment each other well, and then you factor in the special teams unit and we have been doing a really good job all around.
Gus Malzahn PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
Co-Offensive Coordinator
Talk about the offensive explosion in the second half and the adjustments you made... "It was extremely tough. They had a great defense and pretty much had everybody back from last year who really took it to us for two games. They got pressure on us with four down lineman and the secondary was playing loose making us earn it."
"In the second half we made a few adjustments and came back able to move the ball and score some points."
You are relatively new around here, but you have been around long enough to know how important this game is to Tulsa fans. They have seen some pretty bizarre things in Fayetteville. How aware are you of the history of this series?
"I grew up in Fort Smith and I don't think I ever missed an Arkansas-Tulsa game. I'm definitely aware of the history. We have high goals and this game will be a big one no doubt."
Talk about the emotion of going back to Arkansas and coaching in Fayetteville...
"I'm not really letting my mind go there. I'm just focused on our team and win number nine and making sure I give our guys the best chance of winning."
How do you not let you mind go there. It is human nature to have those memories come back...
"I don't need to be distracted by anything. My focus is on our offensive guys and the best plans for them to be successful, and that's the honest truth."
What was your reaction when you heard this game announced...
"You know, I just saw it as another game on our schedule really."
Talk about playing an SEC team...
"We're definitely happy to play an SEC team no doubt. It's a great conference, probably the best conference in America. The chance for us to play a team from the SEC is big and it is good for our program to see where we stand."
Does your familiarity with the players there help at all?
"I don't know because they are probably familiar with me too and how I think. It will probably equal out."
Can you talk about how things have gone here at Tulsa the last couple of years?
"Things have gone extremely well. I'm real honored to work for Coach Graham. He's definitely made me a better coach. He has given me a great opportunity and we have high goals and it's fun being a part of it."
Coach Graham talked highly about Slick Shelley. What have you seen from him because Coach Graham said he has been one of the guys with the biggest turnarounds?
"I was real familiar with him in high school, because he actually caught the ball to beat us in the state championship when I was at Springdale in 2002. Then of course the next year, his junior year, I think he caught three touchdowns and had about 200 yards receiving. I'm just glad he's on our team now."
Talk about A.J. Whitmore and the versatility he brings...
"He's are most versatile player no doubt. He gives us a lot of flexibility in our offense and not just when he's at quarterback. We move him around a lot and it allows us to be a lot more creative with him out there."
"He has a quarterback mentality and I think that gives him an edge. He's turned himself into a really good receiver and he's like a running back out there. He has running back skills at the wide receiver position. He's a playmaker and that's the bottom line."
Talk about David Johnson, he has exploded this season and is now on some Heisman watch lists...
"David Johnson is a winner. We knew that even last year with everything he did. He was an encourager to Paul (Smith) and sat back. It's real good feeling to see a guy like that who has paid the price and was a great teammate for everybody. He's a guy that everybody rallies around because of that. He has performed extremely well and is very coachable. He does exactly what you tell him to do the first time and he is one of those guys you root for."
Is this one of those games where a win doesn't just help you go 9-0, but pay dividends down the road in recruiting in the state of Arkansas?
"I think so. We have some extremely talented players right now from the state of Arkansas that have performed well. We recruit Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas as our base. It is very important."
Talk about Charles Clay looking at him this year compared to last year. Is he banged up and is he going to be healthy?
"I expect him to be healthy. He has been banged up and we didn't play him a week before, and we played him in a limited role last week. He will be ready to go. When you look at talent and the things he can do, he's probably are most talented player offensively because he can run, block and catch."
How did your team stay composed, and were you proud of the way they reacted when things weren't going well with the three-and-out, the interception and then the safety?
"We have some veterans and guys with high character. Going into halftime, things weren't going good and they just wanted to listen to the adjustments we were going to make. They also talked amongst themselves and stayed positive. Of course when we came out and had the big kickoff return and scored, we got the momentum and that says a lot about our guys offensively and defensively."
Coach Graham said you guys didn't get much sleep last night or get much sleep the rest of the week...
"That's correct. We got here early this morning to watch film. It's a short week, so we have to go to work."
With the Sunday game, you are basically 24 hours behind Arkansas...
"We just have to find a way to equalize that and get our guys ready to play."
Arkansas doesn't have a very good record, but they would seem to have SEC talent at a lot of spots. They have the players to start winning at that level right?
"If you look early in the season they were playing a bunch of young guys, but what I see is that each week they are getting better. We will have our work cut out for us. I'm very impressed with their defensive line, and they have some young linebackers that are very fast. I think they are solid in the secondary too, so we are going to have to earn it."
With a couple years of perspective now, how would you sum up your time at Arkansas?
"I have some good memories, and that's really about it. I'm going to be honest, my mind is very focused on this week. Probably after the season I could answer that a lot better."
What is like to be able to run the spread no huddle here after not really running it at Arkansas? "We didn't run very much no huddle. It's a team effort with our offensive coaches. We really believe in what we are doing and Coach Graham believes in what we are doing. It is a lot of fun right now and the kids enjoy playing fast."
Can you address being 8-0 and what the future can hold?
"Coach Graham set the bar extremely high when we all got here. It was the standard and it is the reason we are all here. We all believe in that, the players believe in that and the guys we are recruiting believe in it too. Being undefeated the standard that Coach Graham set. "
Did you learn anything from that 8-0 start at Arkansas?
"I think each year you coach you can take things that can help you later on. Obviously, that experience over there, with it being my first year of coaching college, helped me become a better coach at this level."
