University of Houston Athletics
Football Media Day Press Conference Quotes
8/6/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 6, 2005
HOUSTON - Quotes from University of Houston Football Head Coach Art Briles
Media Day • Saturday, August 6, 2005 • Houston, Texas
"We're pretty riled up about this season. We feel like we have had a great spring and a great summer. Our guys have really been accountable since January, and it has carried over through the spring and summer, as far as leadership and everyone taking care of their business.
"I really like the chemistry of our team. I am proud of these young men and am ready to go to war with them. We feel great about the season. Sitting here right now, I am going to say that we are going to play the (C-USA) Championship Game over at Robertson Stadium. That's our goal. That's our plan, and that's what we are going to do. That's the way we are approaching the season. We have a good nucleus of really good players in the positions where we need them. They are going to perform at the level they have to.
"We are excited about our new defense, the 3-4. It fits our personnel extremely well. We have some linebackers that can run. We have some strong guys up front and we are deep in the secondary. It is a really good move for us. Like I said, it fits our personnel better, and it lets us put more speed on the field.
"Offensively, we have four out of five back up front. We really feel like that is going to be one of the strengths of our football team. Our linemen have a lot of character, have a lot of pride and are determined to do a great job this year. We have great skill people, and having a quarterback (Kevin Kolb) back for three years in a row is always a big key.
"I am trying to find an excuse; I can't find one. I am trying to find a weakness; I can't find one. The season is new; the hope is high and the reality will tell. I have faith in our players; I have faith in our coaches and we are ready to represent the University of Houston."
On offensive big-play potential: "Situations and circumstances determine the way you approach the play-calling. There were some situations last year where we had some long-yardage situations that made us do some things we weren't comfortable with. We made some changes with our blocking schemes up front, leaving a back in sometimes where we feel like we'll have a little more time to take the ball down the field. Having big-play people is not a problem; we have three or four guys that have the ability to take it the distance. Last year was last year; we will see what happens this year."
On confidence level: "We all know each other better. We know how to respond to each other and they know how to respond to us. That's just growing together as a family unit, which we consider ourselves. We have been through some pretty good times and we have been through some tough times. We have learned from both. As we continue to grow as a staff and as a team, we will continue to get better. We have a good group of people that are serious about winning. I am not sitting up here all confident; I am feeding off our players' confidence, which makes me feel better.
On explosiveness of offense: "We are not going to be limited to two or three people. We have five or six guys that can really make plays for us deep in the running back position. The key for us is going to be our offensive line up front. We have some guys that are proven that can make some plays. We have some other guys coming up that have to step up and take some pressure off the others."
On Kevin Kolb: "The more you live through, the more you experience, the better you become. As he has developed over the last couple of years through the highs and the lows, it makes you a tougher person. It makes you more grounded. It keeps you more aware of situations. That's just a part of growing up and a part of living. As we go along, we learn everyday. Kevin is no different. The thing that helps him is that he has great character. He is a tough individual, physically and mentally, and he is unselfish. Those are characteristics that we don't only need there; we need at every position on the team. It ain't about me; it's about we. We all have to do well for each other."
On new Conference USA: "It's great. It's great for our fans and our coaches and our players. We are going to be familiar with the people that we are playing. I am going to know the people at UTEP, Rice, SMU, Tulane and Tulsa. I know those people, and I know the players. It will add some excitement. It should be more fan-attractive to us. It's convenient for people in the state of Texas."
On learning the 3-4 defense: "I don't think there will be any learning curve at all. It's a very adjustable defense. We have been through it all spring. We will go through it 29 workouts before we play. Oregon will present a couple of problems, because they are a wide-based offense. They have a quarterback who is a good run-pass threat. That's going to be a concern any time you play somebody that is mobile like that. We have guys on the field that can throw around and we have good people up front. "
On the Oregon game: "It's a great opportunity for them. It's a chance to showcase the University of Houston and the city of Houston, the Southwest. It's a chance to live up to our part of the nation. It's a long way from here to Eugene. "
On freshmen who could play: "It's a little early to say. We've been out there three practices and their heads are spinning pretty good. They got here for the second summer sessions. They lift weights at 8 a.m., they go to class from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., they go to study hall at 4:30 p.m.
 Senior Kade Lane is ready to help lead the Cougars to a successful 2005 season.  | |
On injuries to Jeff Akeroyd and Byron Alfred: "Both of those guys are coming along a little ahead of schedule. Without a doubt, both of them will be ready in mid-September. We're looking at about five-and-a-half to six weeks they will be ready to go, possibly by the third game. We're hoping to get Lance (Everson) back sometime late October or early November. It's hard to say how people progress. With a knee injury, it's just a confidence issue. You have to make sure that you feel confident with what you are doing."
On inexperience in offensive line early: "We have 4-5 guys back on the offensive line, plus some other guys that we have a lot of confidence in are going to fill in and do the job. I would hope that the four would help the fifth. That's their duty. We are a very experienced offensive line, and they need to play that way."
On concerns: "I hate to use the word concern but I would say the kicking game because we have so much inexperience there now and so many unknowns. I am talking about the snapper, holder, kicker and punter, which are pretty crucial. We will be better in the return game. As far as kicking the ball, snapping and holding it, that's an area we will be looking at with both eyes."
On familiarity with opponents and fan & team excitement: "The people that you play determines the level of excitement many times. Should it be that way? Probably not. The way that I look at it and hopefully the way that our players look at it, we are playing to make ourselves the best that we can be. That is why you practice, that is why you lift weights, that is why you live accordingly, to be the best that you can be every day on the football field to help your team win. I am going to be just as excited as having a good scrimmage as I would be if I walk off Reliant Stadium at 9:15 p.m., Sept. 1 with a win over Oregon. It's our job to perform and play well every day. Why should one game be more important than another until you get down into the conference race where it makes a difference in your standing."
On his vote in the Coaches Poll: "I care about one school, one group of people and one city and that is Houston. By voting, I am going to make some people upset. I can't worry about that right now. I have to do what I think is the right thing to do, vote it and let it go. There will be some hard feelings. It will cause some problems in the end. I don't see how it can't."
