The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
TCU quotes
11.22.2012 | Football
Nov. 22, 2012
TEXAS COACHES
Head coach Mack Brown
Opening statement: I'm disappointed in the loss. We missed a great opportunity tonight to get back in the mix for some things. Give TCU credit. You can't win a football game when you have four turnovers and only gain one. They rushed the ball better than we did. I thought the kids played hard. I was proud they hung in there. I was proud they fought 'til the end. Disappointed that we played so poorly on offense. Give TCU credit for that.
On if switching QB's slowed the offense: No. I just thought we played poorly on offense.
On if Texas came out flat: No, they drove it straight down the field the first time they got it. I don't think they were flat, if they were flat they couldn't have played that hard until the end. I thought they tried really hard, just didn't play well on offense. We can sit here and talk about it, four turnovers to one, you're going to get beat most of the time. In fact, it's about 100 percent certain.
>On TCU QB Trevone Boykin's performance:I thought he did a good job. We didn't make him do much. He didn't have to throw. We couldn't score so they had 300 yards of offense, I mean 299 or something, so it was a game where we couldn't move it. We didn't force them into doing more than they needed to do offensively.
On the decision to go back to Ash in the second half: Coaches felt like, and I agreed with them, that we were going to have to do some one-minute offense in the second half and he'd done that more than Case.
On junior QB Case McCoy's efforts: Case did a great job, got us back in the game, gave us a chance to win. I actually thought we'd drive down and score because we scored so easily the time before and go into overtime. It would have been our first overtime game.
On getting the team back on track after a loss: They've got a lot of pride. They know there's still some stuff out there to play for. They'll play hard at Kansas State.
On what he said to the team after the game: Same thing I told you, "Very disappointing. We missed an opportunity. I thought you played really hard. We didn't play well on offense. You can't have four turnovers on offense and gain one on the defense and win a ballgame." Disappointed for the seniors' last home game. We usually win this game. But that's what I told them. It's pretty simple. It's not a complicated one when you get that many turnovers.
On TCU's defense: They forced mistakes. All of our interceptions but one, when the ball slipped out of [sophomore QB] David's [Ash] hand - It was a fumble. Two of the other interceptions were in the red zone.
On the crowd: I thought it was great for the first time with a new rival, as such. A new Thanksgiving game. Everybody's kind of feeling their way with the new. I thought the fans all came. I thought the students were mostly here. They came late but they got here.
On freshman RB Johnathan Gray's carries: We didn't run the ball very much. I thought he had more than that. I think you're wrong. Let me check it. He carried it 15 times. We didn't have chance in the second half to run the ball much. We were throwing it. When you're in one-minute [drill] you're not usually running it much. He carried it more than anybody else. Carried it 15 times, for 51 yards, averaged 3.1 a carry.
On what he was thinking after the second interception: Don't need to have anymore, very honestly. It kills you when you throw interceptions. It really kills you in the red zone.
On how Ash is feeling about the game: I don't know. I haven't had a chance to talk to him. I don't know. Honestly, I really haven't had a chance to talk to him. We were fighting and scraping to try to win the game. Figuring out who should be in there and how we could score some points. I didn't get to see him after the game so I haven't had a chance to talk to him, or see what he feels. I'm sure you'll all get to ask him on Monday.
On if he thought they were past the team struggling to be productive in a game: I don't think in college football you're ever past anything. You've got to coach yourself to death every weekend. You go out there and coach whatever shows up. Hope that both sides play great. When they don't, you go adjust it. And that's what we tried to do tonight.
On if the quarterback situation is unsettled: I don't know. I haven't talked to the coaches at all. We're just all disappointed right now. Haven't had a chance to talk about anything, very honestly. That's the first time I've seen [co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach] Bryan [Harsin] since the game was over.
On if TCU was better than he anticipated: No, I thought they were good. They played good. Went to overtime with [Texas] Tech. Beat West Virginia. They're a good football team. They'd been turning it over. And that had been their problem. They didn't turn it over but one time tonight. And we didn't make them. You've got to score, get them behind, and make them throw the ball. That's where they've had the turnovers by and large. We didn't do that tonight.
Co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Bryan Harsin
On tonight's game: We knew TCU has a very good defense. Those guys pose a challenge with run game, pass game, the whole thing. So credit to them. The way they played, we just didn't get into the rhythm. Obviously, the number one thing is you can't turn the ball over against a good football team, and we did that several times tonight. Twice in the red zone and one we were backed up, which puts our team in a bad situation. So that is always going to be the number one thing. Its hard to overcome three turnovers early, and we had the fourth one there at the end of the game. You put yourself in that position it doesn't matter who you are playing, it is going to be very difficult and that happened tonight.
On decision to switch back to Ash from McCoy: Well I think in that first half, we obviously wanted to get something with David. He was struggling there and some of that. Talking about it in the second half, some of it calmed down, just relax, just get back out there and play the rest of the game. And Case did a great job there in the first half coming in and having himself prepared to go. Just talking to David, felt like, okay, we've regrouped and here is what we have to do to get ourselves back into the mix. We were moving the ball, and we just turned the ball over. It wasn't a poor rhythm. We were moving the ball, but we were turning the ball over in the red zone. That is what it was. We talked about some things where I could help him with some play calls down there once we got to the red zone but just keep moving the ball. And then, as the game went on it just got to be much for him there at the end, and we needed something. We needed a spark. We needed to get something going.
On why he used less running in second half: We put ourselves in position where we had to throw the ball more and try to get some bigger yards. We needed some bigger plays on first down. So we tried to get some throws in there, some movement, and some things like that just to get the drive started and allow ourselves an opportunity to throw on second downs. Or allow ourselves an opportunity to throw on first downs and then give ourselves a chance to run the ball on second downs and even possibly third downs if we are close enough. So it was just a matter of the way the game was playing out.
On RB Johnathan Gray having less carries in the second half: Some of that was personnel; the groupings and us going into our 'no huddle' package as well. So we were going to throw the ball obviously more because we needed to get something going. We were trying to get some rhythm there in the second half, and we utilized no huddle there and it worked there towards the end. Case did a nice job with that. Again, just trying to get some rhythm and that was part of it, to throw the ball on early downs to help ourselves in the run game. We were throwing the ball decently in those early downs, and we kept doing that.
On what he told QB David Ash during halftime before he came back out: Just to not turn the ball [over] in the red zone. Let's be smart and make good decisions in the red zone. We had moved the ball down the field and then we got in the red zone and they stiffened up, and we made some throws down there that they intercepted quite frankly. So move the ball and I will help you out with some calls in the red zone as far as running the ball or some easier throws if we can get ourselves in positions to run the ball in the red zone. And we did there towards the end, when David was in. But that was really it. He had done things in the open field well, and it was the red zone area that hurt us and then we had the backed up ball that came out of his hands. So just regroup, reload, let's go back, let's do what we were doing in the first half but let's just not turn the ball over when we get down to the red zone. Those are the keys right there, and that really didn't turn out.
On what TCU did to stop the Texas run game: They're physical. We talked about that, their front seven being good. Those guys playing the run and being a physical team up front. Take a lot of pride in stopping the runs. That wasn't anything that was a surprise. We knew it was going to be a challenge, and we were going to have to get in there and do our best job as well to roll those guys off the ball. They have always been a physical defense. They've always been a good run defense, and that is something that we knew and have got to do a better job against.
On concerns about Ash: I think it all comes with those experiences. You know, obviously, as quarterbacks mature, those are things they learn from. David has learned that through games, he has come back well after the Kansas game, but those are things you got to overcome. That is part of football. You are going to have momentum changes, you are going to have problems, and especially at that position. Like we have talked about, way too much credit, way too much blame at the quarterback position and that is what comes with it. So just understanding to regroup, do your job, get the guys around you - and I think that is a big part, the guys surrounding him, the other 10 guys. Alright, help the quarterback out, do their job, and get back into a rhythm. Once we do, we can do things offensively but we have to get into that rhythm to do that,
Defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Manny Diaz
On difficulties facing TCU's running game: We didn't play the run very well, especially in the first half. They had about 200 [yards rushing in the first half], which allowed them to control the clock. It allowed them to protect their quarterback. I thought the quarterback's [TCU RS Freshman QB Trevone Boykin] running was the difference in the game. I thought the drive that he extended on third down runs on plays that were called pass plays, I thought that was as decisive as anything in the outcome of the game. The rest of their backs, they got better as the game went on. They changed their mentality. They went from a team that's predominantly an empty team, a one-back team to a team that was predominantly a two-back team. And we didn't adjust to that as fast as we needed to. The credit goes to them. They blocked us better. They were able to possess the football and keep our offense out of rhythm with their running game.
On trying to contain Boykin in the second half: We had about three or four different times where we had a guy [in position], but he [Boykin] just got away from us. You have to give him credit.
On TCU's first drive: The surprising part was how they came out, because it was so out of character for what they had shown in conference play up to this point. We had to get to the sideline, and get that corrected. It wasn't completely fixed the way we wanted it, but the first drive was obviously a disappointment in the way that we allowed [them] to go down field and get a touchdown.
TEXAS PLAYERS
S Kenny Vaccaro
On disappointment with tonight's result: Obviously, we can't go to the BCS. There's still a lot more ahead of us. We can still go to the Cotton Bowl, and that's what we want to do.
On losing his last home game: I mean, it hurts, but I don't think we ever gave up. I am proud of the guys for fighting, fighting for me, the seniors, and just fighting for our team. I couldn't be more proud of them.
QB Case McCoy
On tonight's final drive: On the final drive, if you go back and watch, [WR] Cayleb Jones ripped up field on a scramble move. If I just throw the ball, who knows what he does with the ball once it gets in his hands. The ball slipped and floated up in the air. We didn't take care of the ball when we needed to, and we've talked about it all year. You go back and look at any college football game, turnovers are a big deal. We didn't do what we needed to do in the turnover ratio, and the score showed it.
S Adrian Phillips
On TCU's run game: That's one of the things we have been working on. TCU did what they wanted to and we didn't do what we were supposed to do, and that's why the game ended that way.

On momentum after four-game win streak: We knew we had to come out and we knew we would have to hit them in the mouth. We knew TCU was going to come here with a bunch of hype. We could have executed better.
On what Coach Brown said after game: He said we needed to do better. We knew what we had to do, but we didn't get it done.
On what's next: We have to get ready for K-State. We can't mope about this loss too long. We can't let this loss beat us twice. It's a bad feeling but we have to start getting ready for K-State.
OG Mason Walters
On next week: We'll be motivated next week. This loss leaves a really bad taste in our mouths right now. We all feel that way, and we'll all feel it on Sunday when we have to come watch film. We need to stay on the course. We're doing a lot of things right now that are good during the week. We just need to show up on game day.
On any lack of emotion: We've got to bring the energy, and we know that. We started strong, but we let TCU get the momentum and run away with it. That's college football, a game of momentum.
On turnovers: You can blame it on turnovers and you can blame it on not finishing in the redzone. We've got to finish drives. We know that. That's a lesson we've learned already. We just didn't execute.
On the team's play tonight: At times we all didn't play well tonight. That's football. Someone's got to step up and be the man, and we didn't have anyone doing that.
On not maintaining a rhythm on offense: It's a game of momentum, and we've got to get that back. We've got to understand the urgency of the drives we have. You look at those two drives we could have scored on and brought it to overtime. But we need to be critical of the reasons we were in that situation to begin with.
RB Johnathan Gray
On the two quarterbacks: Well we were trying to figure out which quarterback would get the job done. Case McCoy came in and made some big plays and David Ash made some big plays. We were just trying to see who would get the job done, and we couldn't get the job done. Now we're just looking forward to K-State.
On turnovers: Yes, there were too many turnovers. Four turnovers will kill you, and that's what it did to us.
On the seniors: I'm just disappointed we couldn't get it done for the seniors. Those guys have been working hard here for four or five years, and we couldn't get it done. I'm just looking forward to K-State to get those guys a win.
On him having less carries in second half: I wasn't paying attention to that. We obviously didn't need to run the ball. We needed to pass to get in the endzone quicker. That's what we were doing.
On the pain of this loss: It hurts quite a bit. It was the last home game for the seniors, and we came out with a loss. We're just going to get ready for K-State.
OG Trey Hopkins
On turnovers in the redzone: They were definitely crucial mistakes that hurt us in the long run. It kills the morale, but I think we are a team that is going to pull together in situations like that. We are not a team that is going to point fingers and start fighting amongst ourselves in situations like that. It just put us in bad spots.
On the running game playing well early on: We had to get away from the running game just because we got down. When we came out in the second half, we had to start throwing the ball and make things happen a little bit faster. So we had to start throwing the ball. That is one of the bad things about getting those interceptions so early in the game because we really limited our game plan for the second half.
On what is next for this team: We have one more game to win. We owe it to our seniors to send them off the right way. Then we have a bowl game where we can have fun with each other and enjoy our seniors while they are still here. The season is definitely not over. We have two more games left to win.
WR Jaxon Shipley
On the offensive struggles in the first half: There were obviously some times where we had the ball and we were pushing it down the field and we would get in the red zone and just didn't do what we needed to do. That was to get the ball in the end zone and get points out of those drives, which were pretty good. I think that is one of the main things that happened with our struggles today and that was a failure to get in the end zone.
On turnovers being the biggest problem tonight: I don't think it can just be chalked up to turnovers, but that is a big thing. If you win the turnover battle then you usually win the game. We didn't win the turnover battle today, and I think that played a big role.
On what he saw from QB David Ash: I don't know that he was necessarily off. The defense we played today was really good. They did a really good job preparing for us, and that's credit to them because they have a really good team. I think there were just some things that happened with miscommunication between some of us, and it is something we need to bounce back from next week.
DE Cedric Reed
On how hard it was to see senior DE Alex Okafor leave the game: It was tough and emotional, especially with the way we played. It was tough seeing him out there knowing he worked hard for two weeks with the bye week. It was hard to see him go down like that.
On how tough this loss is with it being senior night: It is a very tough loss. We had the plan, and I can say tonight shocked us. We are going to come back Sunday and work and get back to it.
On the TCU offensive line: They were great. Their offense is good especially [QB Trevone Boykin]. He was shifty and fast. He surprised me a couple of times when I had him right in my hands and then he was gone.
On how the team will move on from this game and prepare for Kansas State: We will just keep fighting. That's all it is.
TCU COACHES
TCU head coach Gary Patterson
Opening statement: We are growing up as a football team. It wasn't perfect, but we found a way to win. I'm excited for the kids. I told the team before the game we had an opportunity to get to eight wins, but to do that they'd have to beat Texas, and they'd have to beat Oklahoma. We fortunately got by one of them, now we have to see if we can get by the other one. We got a couple days off to rest. We'll let the kids go home, and then we'll get back to work Sunday.
On running the ball: The game usually predicts all that stuff. I was really worried about that first interception to start the second half. That's not the way you want to come out. We are still making mistakes at the quarterback position. We just need to keep growing up.
On TCU's defense: To win a ball game like this you got to have guys make plays. Defensively we had guys step up. We had a couple on offense, but the big plays on defense were big. We didn't want them to get behind our secondary with wheel and post routes. I think they missed a couple too. On one of the interceptions they threw the post, and the corner was open. So it's good to be lucky sometimes too. I'm sure we missed some open guys as well.
TCU PLAYERS
TB Matthew Tucker
On the win: It's a big game to all of us, and everybody is happy. We played as a team. That's how we needed to play. We played hard.
On the strong contingent of TCU supporters in the stands: I was surprised; I saw a lot of Horned Frogs fans. I thought it was going to be more Longhorn fans. Everybody [from TCU] came with us.
On his offense setting the game's tempo early: I was ready for this game. I've been waiting on this game for the longest time. The linemen were ready. They were blocking everybody. That's all that matters.
OG Blaize Foltz
On his offensive line's performance tonight: The two weeks [off] helped out a lot. Texas' D-line is notoriously good. I think we game-planned well for what they were going to do. I think we executed well. It's nice when you have running backs go through holes.
On Matthew Tucker becoming the third leading career rushing touchdown leader in TCU: First off, as a lineman, we're proud to have somebody in that category. At the end of the day, it's them that break the tackles. We just make the holes. Tucker's always been a great running back. I couldn't ask for much better when we came in together.
On setting the tempo of the game after Texas' first interception: It was pretty important. I don't know how much clock we ate up, but it felt like we ran the ball up and down the field. And I think that's what we had to do. I think we had to come out and hit them right from the start. The defense, I think, set the tone before we could even set the tone. That was nice.
S Sam Carter
On how his defense was so successful against Texas' passing game tonight: The D-line. Our coaches prepared us. I give all the credit to those guys. We knew our D-line had to give pressure, and those guys did a great job today.
On his thoughts before the final interception of the game: Get down. I just knew that those guys had used all their time outs. I knew whoever caught it just needed to get down and get out of here with the victory.
On how he felt about the final interception: Happy. Satisfied. We came here and we knew we had to win. We came out and got the win. Those guys fought back. Those guys are tremendous.
CB Jason Verrett
On whether, before the season began, he thought he'd have the kind of statistical season he's having: Probably not. I just came in here to try and work hard, be a good team player, and a good captain for my teammates. I've just been trying to make plays.
On the success of his defensive secondary: I give all the credit to our D-line. They were able to give a lot of pressure. We have a tremendous secondary, but we were trying to keep everything in front of them. I know Mike [Davis] is a pretty good deep threat, so I was able to play off and keep everything in front of him.
On how far his defense has come this season with such a large group of freshmen: Since two-a-days, Coach P [Patterson] always told us that we can't be freshmen anymore. Everyone has to grow up. The season came on, we got a lot of good chemistry and the freshmen aren't freshmen anymore. They are acting kind of like veterans now.
