The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Coaches' corner: Co-Defensive Coordinator Greg Robinson
10.13.2004 | Football
On the atmosphere at the Red River Shootout: I've been to a lot of different venues, the Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Super Bowls and NFL playoff games, but this was the most unique venue that I've been in. The way it is set up is really neat. With the crowd split at the 50, you have to look to see who is cheering to know what is going on. The whole experience gave me a lot of pride in this program.
On showing emotion last Saturday: I think you have to measure your emotion and use it when it is needed. I knew where I was and I knew what I was doing, but it wasn't staged in any way. Those young guys were battling their butts off and you have to keep the fire burning.
On Adrian Peterson: He is an excellent back with great physical tools. He was able to do some very good things against us. He made a run where he lunged at the end of a run for seven more yards. He's got the makings of a great back. I do think we helped him a bit. On his first play, we had some guys out of position and it allowed him to go right outside. We gave up another 20-yard run later on that was a result of some guys getting caught up outside.
On the defensive effort: I thought we made a lot of good plays. We stoned them on a few plays and I don't mean where the players were falling forward for a couple extra yards. I'm talking about tackling and setting up 2nd-and-10s or 2nd-and-9s. We played against a very good offense with an excellent line and back. I also thought we pursued well, hit hard and got some turnovers. We did miss some tackles, which were mainly due to technique, but I think we are still getting better. We are going to build from our last game and now we are focused on Missouri.
On Derrick Johnson: I didn't know what to expect when I first got here. But, what I saw over a period of time leads me to believe that he is only going to get better. He does do some things that make me go "Wow." At the same time, I see him getting better and I think he is going to grow and develop. It will be interesting to see some day in the future where he is.
On Aaron Harris: I think he did a lot of good things. He played well against Arkansas too. He has been pretty consistent. The game leant itself towards him, but I think he played well. He did miss a few tackles, but overall he did a very good job.
On Missouri's offense: It is obviously built around Brad Smith. The offensive line is big and they know what they are doing. They do use a zone-read concept. They use Brad Smith as a form of misdirection with fakes and counters. You can tell Smith is more comfortable in the passing game. Another thing about Brad Smith is when he gets out of the pocket, he isn't looking to dump it off. He wants to go down the field with the ball. Some of the stuff is similar to what we run, but they do have their own things that they run.
On the difference between Vince Young and Brad Smith: I've never seen Smith in person, so I have not been able to formulate an opinion. I'm not sure yet where they are in comparison. They are both dynamic players and, on any given play, they can make you pay if you aren't careful.
