University of Houston Athletics
Houston Football Weekly Press Conference
11/15/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 15, 2011
HOUSTON HEAD COACH Kevin Sumlin
Opening Statement...
"We are excited about this week. It is an exciting time here at the University of Houston with GameDay coming, for the city and for all of our fans. I think it is a compliment to what the players have accomplished so far. Our guys are excited for what they have accomplished already this season. They also understand what is out in front of them. I think how we approached it says a lot of how our seniors have led us over this past season and have kept the focus. The way we do things is not going to change this week. We have had great meetings and practice. We are looking forward to getting outside today and having a good practice.
On the process of the program becoming what it is today...
"You are in the middle of it the whole year. There is a process that you go through. It is part of the routine now. From my standpoint the enjoyment comes after the game each week and then we move on to the next one. I think the best part about this whole process has been the number of players who have come so far from different backgrounds, injuries and junior colleges. We had our seniors stand up in the team meeting the other day and turn around and look around. I wanted the younger guys to take a look at them. We have guys that have been here six years and guys that have been here a year and a half. We have a real collection of different people from different experiences that have come to work together. That is the part that I enjoy the most."
On challenges of keeping the players grounded with all of the recent success...
"Our approach has been consistent this year. We try to be honest with each other every week. We try to address the good things and the bad things. I think we have handled it better this year as a team and as players. I think I have handled it better this year. I am always learning. Sometimes dealing with success is more difficult than dealing with failure. Fortunately, we have a group of guys who have been through this before. I am not just talking about the seniors, but also the juniors who were here two years ago. We went from no attention to overnight attention. Unless you have been through it, it can be hard to handle. We are in the business of building a program. Part of building a program is you have to go through positive and negative outcomes. I have been impressed with how the players and the coaches have approached this on a day-to-day basis.
On health of the team for the remainder of the season...
"Nobody is playing with the same guys they started the year with. We have had a weird schedule with the three Thursday games. Fortunately, we have been able to get through those weeks. We also have been able to get through ball games and not having to play some guys. That is the biggest difference we have had this year. We have had back up players that are capable of playing great football. Our depth is much better across the board than it has been."
On ESPN College GameDay coming to Houston...
"For our University it is fantastic. Not just for football, but for our city. It is a window to the world for the University of Houston. It is great, especially for recruiting. It validates what we are trying to do. We want to compete for championships and be a top twenty-five program."
On SMU...
"Here is a team that has had some quality wins and beat TCU. Zach Line is a heck of a player at 230 pounds and has rushed for over a hundred yards in eight of ten games. They have good skill on the outside. By starts, they have the most experienced offensive line. June (Jones) knows what he is doing. They are going to have a plan offensively. (Taylor) Thompson is one of the finer defensive ends in our league. They have done some things across the board. They are a good football team and have shown that this year. They are confident and are going to play well."
On the difference of SMU's level of play compared to recent opponents...
"They have lost four games. You look at the league and every week there is a surprising score. A lot of teams in this league are capable of beating anybody. They have some good players and are well coached. You have to come to play every week. We are quite similar in our approach special-teams wise. They are not going to be intimidated coming in here at all. In our mindset, we are looking forward to Saturday afternoon."
SENIOR QUARTERBACK Case Keenum
On controlling their destiny...
"It's a place all teams want to be. You don't want to have to count on any other games, any other teams, or any other committees to decide where you want to play. As far as our mindset, it hasn't changed a whole lot. We can treat it like a playoff like we have every week, because college football is like a playoff every week. It doesn't matter what's happened or what's going to happen. All that matters is this week."
On how SMU differs from other teams they've played...
"They are another competitive Conference USA team. They always come out and play really well, they are very well coached, and I have a lot of respect for them and for Coach Jones and what they do. Especially with teams like this that we get to play a lot, we know a lot of stuff that they do and they know a lot of stuff that we do. It makes it competitive and fun. They rush really well, they have a good defensive line, their linebackers are solid, and in the back end they are sound. It should be a good game. I'm excited to play another good opponent and it should be a fun senior day."
On having his second senior day...
"This one will be a lot more special than my last senior day. I'm a lot more excited about this one. I won't have to crutch out there like I did last time, which was not fun. I'm really excited to play in front of a home crowd at Robertson Stadium with all the guys that I've shared this season with. I don't think it could be any better. (ESPN) GameDay will be here, which makes the atmosphere even more electric and I hope the fans are much more excited about it, because it's going to be a lot of fun."
On having GameDay and being undefeated playing into this week's game...
"It says a lot. It's obviously a huge honor for us to have it here. It's really cool. We are definitely very proud that this is the first time it's ever been in Houston. That's something that we don't take lightly but there is a lot more out there. Like I said at the beginning of the year when talking about records, championships, awards, anything; I don't want to one day look back and say that we could have done more. I want to be able to say that we left it all out there and that it was really special."
On Case's relationship with senior quarterback Cotton Turner...
"We've got a great friendship. He is one of my best friends on the team and we have been through a lot of similar stuff. I've got a huge amount of respect for the guy. He is one of the hardest workers on the team. I'm pumped for him and what he has gotten to do this year already. He's played extremely well and operated the offense very well when he's gone in. He has made some big plays. I think a lot of him off the field too. He keeps us going and keeps the quarterback room pretty lively. We have a good time and it has been a blast spending this year with him and the rest of the guys. Just hanging out on and off the field, it's made this year special and I'm glad he is here."
SENIOR WIDE RECEIVER Tyron Carrier
On if ESPN College GameDay coming to UH is validating everything to this point...
"It's a great thing for the fans. We are pumped up but still have a lot to accomplish. We have SMU and their record doesn't really show how they can play. We can't get too pumped up because we still have our mission to accomplish."
On how it feels to control their destiny...
"Our biggest goal is to get the C-USA Championship and that is still the most important thing. What happens after that, happens. We are just trying to get a conference championship."
SENIOR LINEBACKER Marcus McGraw
On SMU...
"They are a very explosive team and like to take chances deep. This is one of the best offensive lines we are going to go up against this year. Sammy (Brown) and I are going to have some challenges."
On all of the excitement surrounding the program...
"We are in a position to do great things this year and in order to do that we need to win the next few games on the schedule. We are just going to take it one day at a time."
JUNIOR DEFENSIVE LINEMAN Dominic Miller
On if being 10-0 feels like an accomplishment...
"No, I don't feel like it is an accomplishment at all. We've still got a lot of work to do that we have to do to keep being successful."
On the keys to their success...
"We are preparing well, doing everything the coaches ask, and doing everything we need to do in the scheme of the game."
On the buzz around campus...
"I definitely believe there is some buzz and it's good for our fans. It is a compliment to our fans and to us but we've got to go out there and keep on preparing and not let it get to our head. We've still got a game to play and a goal to reach and that's getting to the conference championship."
On making improvements...
"We've made a lot of improvements, just fixing little mistakes. If we can just keep doing that I think we've got a good chance of winning the conference championship."
