Ready. Put me in coach.
Kevin Sumlin
John Chavis
Noel Mazzone
Christian Kirk
Avery Gennesy
Jermaine Eluemunor
Nick Harvey
Texas A&M Football
Texas A&M Football weekly press conference: Auburn
The following are live, paraphrased notes from Texas A&M's weekly
press conference. Videos of the interviews will be added to the story as
they are rendered.
• This team has approached this season with a sense of urgency. Playing a ranked opponent to start got our attention, and we need to keep that focus every week. We're trying to fix our mistakes and play up to a certain standard on Saturdays. Can we be better? Yes, but I like our approach right now.
• Auburn is very talented. They played very well against Clemson. They're great along the defensive line with Carl Lawson and a couple guys on the interior. Coach Turner has done a great job with the offensive line, but this will be a different test from a body-type standpoint. We'll see where these guys are.
• I don't rank the teams in our league. You guys do that. The rankings change every week. We've stepped out of our league and played some big-time ballgames. When you do that, you run the risk of losing. You never know. Football is about matchups and who's healthy. The time of the season matters. We have a lot of football to play. Whatever happens this week, there's still a lot of football to play. Starting conference play with a game like this is exciting.
• Keith Ford has been a very physical player. He does a lot of good when he doesn't have the ball. He's been a great pass-protector, blocker, and he's done well on kickoff coverage. He loves to play the game. As he gets comfortable, he brings everything he has, physically and emotionally. He's quiet with what he does, but he plays with intensity. That carries over to the other running backs. The competition level in that room is high. They're competitive during practice. That group is performing at the level that we expect them to perform. There's only one football. They get that. With our increased number of runs, every one of those guys has an opportunity to be successful. Keith can't carry it 30 times per game. They're all talented and can help us out.
• We're light-years ahead of where we were when we came into this league. We're supposed to play for championships now. We weren't supposed to be any good when we came into the league. We've gotten better. We've recruited to that. We've changed our physical profile. We had some first-round picks when we got here, but we didn't have anybody after that. We've had to develop the depth to compete in the SEC West. We've made strides. It's not where we want it to be yet. We want to win championships. That's why I came here.
• Auburn ran up and down the field last week. It's hard to get 700 yards against anybody. That's going to be a challenge coming from where we were last year as a rush defense. Malzahn teams are about misdirection and power running out of a spread offense. We have to have eye-discipline. We have to be accountable. They create gaps through motion and flaring guys to get you away from defending their power run game. As soon as you get worried about that, they go over the top for big gains. We have our work cut out for us. Sean White has confidence after last week. They got their running backs and receivers confidence last week. We really have to play assignment-oriented football. We can't let them suck us in and throw it over our heads.
• This is a different year. I haven't thought about last year at all. We've watched some film, but this is a different football team. I think we're a better team without a doubt. How much better? We'll see Saturday. Our linebackers are better than people thought they'd be. Shaan Washington has been really good. This will be another test. That's where we are as a team. Everybody wants to see what we can do. We enjoy that attitude. This is another week to show who we are. It doesn't define us for the rest of the season. We've learned that the last couple years. The approach this time is very day-to-day. I like the attitude we have right now.
• I love Jalen Hurts and his dad. I'm really happy for him. I'm not happy we have to play against him. We tried to get him here. It doesn't surprise me that he's playing well. They're a quality family. He doesn't get too high or low. He's a coach's kid, and it doesn't surprise me that he's doing well at Alabama. For what they're asking him to do, he's having success. His demeanor is what gives him a chance. It's just like anything else. Two games doesn't tell you who you are, but he's doing well. I hope he plays well in every game except one.
• Richard Moore's status is the same as it was after the game on Saturday.
• We went two years with a guy that was playing quarterback every snap. Everyone acts like we've always shuffled quarterbacks. I think what's important is that we've learned what Trevor's skillsets are in a game setting. To see what he's comfortable with has been good. We learned a lot due to Prairie View's unorthodox defense. Seeing how he handled that was a learning process, too. You're able to learn more about your players. Over time, they learn that they can't do it all or don't like some things. That's part of the trust factor. The faster we can recognize that, the better we'll be. We want him to do what he's comfortable with and work on the other pieces in practice. Right now, we want him to do what he really likes. Then we do that as many different ways as we can.
• Sean White is one of those Elite-11 guys. He didn't play against us last year due to injury, but he can throw it. He can run some. He can throw deep and accurately. They can change things up with other guys. They can really run the ball. They can have two on the field at once. They can run the wildcat. Anyone on the field that's not a lineman can carry the ball in that offense. Everyone is eligible for Auburn. We have to watch the play-action stuff. They can go over the top.
• What you've seen this year is the Australian punter. We had one last week against PVAMU. The ability to roll right and kick left makes it hard for one guy to cover all that ground. That's why we've had two returners back there. The Auburn punter doesn't kick it deep, but he does kick it high. We've utilized two returners in the first two weeks. We have multiple guys that are comfortable back there. Possession is the most important thing, and we have guys that we are happy to have back there. It doesn't hurt to have two guys back there when you're recruiting. Those guys like to have the chance to catch it.
• I'm certainly pleased with the effort we got from our team last week. We played four quarters of football. It doesn't matter who you play; it's difficult to get a shutout. Moving forward, we have things to improve on. We have to continue to grow as a team. Good teams get better, and we need to do that.
• I don't pay any attention to the coaches on the other sideline. Kevin Steele and I are good friends. His friendship has meant a lot to me, but we're going to play ball on Saturday. We usually don't talk on the field before the game.
• Auburn controls the ball down the field as well as anybody. When you look at their offense, there are a lot of Wing-T principles, and they go fast. Our biggest challenge is to get our cleats in the ground and get ready to play. The fast pace and the outstanding athletes they have make the offense work. They're going to be fundamentally sound and play hard.
• I didn't know much about A&M when they came to the SEC other than we had played them in a bowl game. I knew about Coach Sumlin and the offense he was bringing in. That offense has been successful, and there are a lot of things you have to cover to have success against it. The biggest impression I got from the school was from the fan base. It's special. The fans have a passion for football here. As a defensive coach, I knew the people loved to watch the Wrecking Crew years ago.
• I think it's always a challenge. We're playing an SEC team that prides itself on running the football. We're going to prepare to be a physical defense. That's what you have to do. Auburn and Arkansas are going to be the teams that run the ball for the most yardage every year. We respect their scheme. We just have to be physical.
• We got a chance to see Malzahn's offense while he was at Arkansas. The bottom line is that it doesn't matter what you do as long as you have talent and execute well. If you do that, you'll be effective. They've done that.
• There's no comparison between Shaan Washington when I came in and where he is now. He had gone through injury and needed to get in the weight room. He loves to play the game. He's always loved that. He needed to grow and mature. He'll keep growing and have a chance to play in the NFL. He's that talented.
• I think all of our running backs are important. I like the way Keith is playing, and I think they've all done a nice job so far. We're still finding our identity, but we get closer every week.
• I don't look at facing Auburn's front seven as a 'moment of truth' or anything. I just look at it as part of a season. We just want to see the same progress that we saw from week one to week two. Obviously, we're playing a talented team, so it'll be fun to see how far we have come.
• Trevor Knight wants to be good. It had been a while since he'd played meaningful football. The greatest coach in America is experience. The more he gets to take snaps in-game is invaluable to us. Trevor has done a good job of learning from his mistakes.
• I don't really ever talk about Trevor being the guy to lead us or Ricky or Christian or whoever. Our whole group has to perform and make good decisions. They don't have to look over their shoulders. I don't coach that way. I don't think they'd want to play that way.
• Quarterback is a hard position to play. Real estate is at a premium down in the red zone. Trevor threw a pick. Ricky was open on the other side. He's learning to play with his eyes. It was just another learning experience for him. I don't want him scared to make a throw, but I want him to be smart. It's a fine line. I like that my guys have a little 'gunslinger' in them. If you're a gunslinger, you get wounded sometimes. I saw big progress just within the game this weekend – from the start to the third quarter.
• There is no age scale on nerves. I think that just comes with the territory. Trevor is an emotional guy that wants to be great. Guys like that put a lot of pressure on themselves to be good. When he makes mistakes, it hurts him. That mentality makes him a good player, but sometimes we need to temper that adrenaline.
• (Smiling) Auburn has a good gameday environment, but it's not as good as here. No, it's an awesome environment. I tell the kids every day how lucky they are to play in these kinds of venues in the SEC. It's another great place to play in the SEC.
• We didn't reinvent football with our scheme. I think the important part is getting these guys to play together and get comfortable with each other.
• When our special teams is good, we're scoring points or I'm getting good field position. I like when our starters are on special teams. They're creating value for the football team and themselves. A lot of these guys will have to contribute on special teams at the next level. I think we have the best special teams coach in the country in Jeff Banks. That's something that can help them further their career.
Kevin Sumlin
• This team has approached this season with a sense of urgency. Playing a ranked opponent to start got our attention, and we need to keep that focus every week. We're trying to fix our mistakes and play up to a certain standard on Saturdays. Can we be better? Yes, but I like our approach right now.
• Auburn is very talented. They played very well against Clemson. They're great along the defensive line with Carl Lawson and a couple guys on the interior. Coach Turner has done a great job with the offensive line, but this will be a different test from a body-type standpoint. We'll see where these guys are.
• I don't rank the teams in our league. You guys do that. The rankings change every week. We've stepped out of our league and played some big-time ballgames. When you do that, you run the risk of losing. You never know. Football is about matchups and who's healthy. The time of the season matters. We have a lot of football to play. Whatever happens this week, there's still a lot of football to play. Starting conference play with a game like this is exciting.
• Keith Ford has been a very physical player. He does a lot of good when he doesn't have the ball. He's been a great pass-protector, blocker, and he's done well on kickoff coverage. He loves to play the game. As he gets comfortable, he brings everything he has, physically and emotionally. He's quiet with what he does, but he plays with intensity. That carries over to the other running backs. The competition level in that room is high. They're competitive during practice. That group is performing at the level that we expect them to perform. There's only one football. They get that. With our increased number of runs, every one of those guys has an opportunity to be successful. Keith can't carry it 30 times per game. They're all talented and can help us out.
• We're light-years ahead of where we were when we came into this league. We're supposed to play for championships now. We weren't supposed to be any good when we came into the league. We've gotten better. We've recruited to that. We've changed our physical profile. We had some first-round picks when we got here, but we didn't have anybody after that. We've had to develop the depth to compete in the SEC West. We've made strides. It's not where we want it to be yet. We want to win championships. That's why I came here.
• Auburn ran up and down the field last week. It's hard to get 700 yards against anybody. That's going to be a challenge coming from where we were last year as a rush defense. Malzahn teams are about misdirection and power running out of a spread offense. We have to have eye-discipline. We have to be accountable. They create gaps through motion and flaring guys to get you away from defending their power run game. As soon as you get worried about that, they go over the top for big gains. We have our work cut out for us. Sean White has confidence after last week. They got their running backs and receivers confidence last week. We really have to play assignment-oriented football. We can't let them suck us in and throw it over our heads.
• This is a different year. I haven't thought about last year at all. We've watched some film, but this is a different football team. I think we're a better team without a doubt. How much better? We'll see Saturday. Our linebackers are better than people thought they'd be. Shaan Washington has been really good. This will be another test. That's where we are as a team. Everybody wants to see what we can do. We enjoy that attitude. This is another week to show who we are. It doesn't define us for the rest of the season. We've learned that the last couple years. The approach this time is very day-to-day. I like the attitude we have right now.
• I love Jalen Hurts and his dad. I'm really happy for him. I'm not happy we have to play against him. We tried to get him here. It doesn't surprise me that he's playing well. They're a quality family. He doesn't get too high or low. He's a coach's kid, and it doesn't surprise me that he's doing well at Alabama. For what they're asking him to do, he's having success. His demeanor is what gives him a chance. It's just like anything else. Two games doesn't tell you who you are, but he's doing well. I hope he plays well in every game except one.
• Richard Moore's status is the same as it was after the game on Saturday.
• We went two years with a guy that was playing quarterback every snap. Everyone acts like we've always shuffled quarterbacks. I think what's important is that we've learned what Trevor's skillsets are in a game setting. To see what he's comfortable with has been good. We learned a lot due to Prairie View's unorthodox defense. Seeing how he handled that was a learning process, too. You're able to learn more about your players. Over time, they learn that they can't do it all or don't like some things. That's part of the trust factor. The faster we can recognize that, the better we'll be. We want him to do what he's comfortable with and work on the other pieces in practice. Right now, we want him to do what he really likes. Then we do that as many different ways as we can.
• Sean White is one of those Elite-11 guys. He didn't play against us last year due to injury, but he can throw it. He can run some. He can throw deep and accurately. They can change things up with other guys. They can really run the ball. They can have two on the field at once. They can run the wildcat. Anyone on the field that's not a lineman can carry the ball in that offense. Everyone is eligible for Auburn. We have to watch the play-action stuff. They can go over the top.
• What you've seen this year is the Australian punter. We had one last week against PVAMU. The ability to roll right and kick left makes it hard for one guy to cover all that ground. That's why we've had two returners back there. The Auburn punter doesn't kick it deep, but he does kick it high. We've utilized two returners in the first two weeks. We have multiple guys that are comfortable back there. Possession is the most important thing, and we have guys that we are happy to have back there. It doesn't hurt to have two guys back there when you're recruiting. Those guys like to have the chance to catch it.
John Chavis
• I'm certainly pleased with the effort we got from our team last week. We played four quarters of football. It doesn't matter who you play; it's difficult to get a shutout. Moving forward, we have things to improve on. We have to continue to grow as a team. Good teams get better, and we need to do that.
• I don't pay any attention to the coaches on the other sideline. Kevin Steele and I are good friends. His friendship has meant a lot to me, but we're going to play ball on Saturday. We usually don't talk on the field before the game.
• Auburn controls the ball down the field as well as anybody. When you look at their offense, there are a lot of Wing-T principles, and they go fast. Our biggest challenge is to get our cleats in the ground and get ready to play. The fast pace and the outstanding athletes they have make the offense work. They're going to be fundamentally sound and play hard.
• I didn't know much about A&M when they came to the SEC other than we had played them in a bowl game. I knew about Coach Sumlin and the offense he was bringing in. That offense has been successful, and there are a lot of things you have to cover to have success against it. The biggest impression I got from the school was from the fan base. It's special. The fans have a passion for football here. As a defensive coach, I knew the people loved to watch the Wrecking Crew years ago.
• I think it's always a challenge. We're playing an SEC team that prides itself on running the football. We're going to prepare to be a physical defense. That's what you have to do. Auburn and Arkansas are going to be the teams that run the ball for the most yardage every year. We respect their scheme. We just have to be physical.
• We got a chance to see Malzahn's offense while he was at Arkansas. The bottom line is that it doesn't matter what you do as long as you have talent and execute well. If you do that, you'll be effective. They've done that.
• There's no comparison between Shaan Washington when I came in and where he is now. He had gone through injury and needed to get in the weight room. He loves to play the game. He's always loved that. He needed to grow and mature. He'll keep growing and have a chance to play in the NFL. He's that talented.
Noel Mazzone
• I think all of our running backs are important. I like the way Keith is playing, and I think they've all done a nice job so far. We're still finding our identity, but we get closer every week.
• I don't look at facing Auburn's front seven as a 'moment of truth' or anything. I just look at it as part of a season. We just want to see the same progress that we saw from week one to week two. Obviously, we're playing a talented team, so it'll be fun to see how far we have come.
• Trevor Knight wants to be good. It had been a while since he'd played meaningful football. The greatest coach in America is experience. The more he gets to take snaps in-game is invaluable to us. Trevor has done a good job of learning from his mistakes.
• I don't really ever talk about Trevor being the guy to lead us or Ricky or Christian or whoever. Our whole group has to perform and make good decisions. They don't have to look over their shoulders. I don't coach that way. I don't think they'd want to play that way.
• Quarterback is a hard position to play. Real estate is at a premium down in the red zone. Trevor threw a pick. Ricky was open on the other side. He's learning to play with his eyes. It was just another learning experience for him. I don't want him scared to make a throw, but I want him to be smart. It's a fine line. I like that my guys have a little 'gunslinger' in them. If you're a gunslinger, you get wounded sometimes. I saw big progress just within the game this weekend – from the start to the third quarter.
• There is no age scale on nerves. I think that just comes with the territory. Trevor is an emotional guy that wants to be great. Guys like that put a lot of pressure on themselves to be good. When he makes mistakes, it hurts him. That mentality makes him a good player, but sometimes we need to temper that adrenaline.
• (Smiling) Auburn has a good gameday environment, but it's not as good as here. No, it's an awesome environment. I tell the kids every day how lucky they are to play in these kinds of venues in the SEC. It's another great place to play in the SEC.
• We didn't reinvent football with our scheme. I think the important part is getting these guys to play together and get comfortable with each other.
• When our special teams is good, we're scoring points or I'm getting good field position. I like when our starters are on special teams. They're creating value for the football team and themselves. A lot of these guys will have to contribute on special teams at the next level. I think we have the best special teams coach in the country in Jeff Banks. That's something that can help them further their career.
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