Texas A&M Football weekly press conference: LSU

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.

Kevin Sumlin

• On a short week we got back to work Sunday morning reviewing the last game and moving on to LSU. Then we practiced last night. So for us, today is Wednesday of the game week. We're off and moving and will be at practice this afternoon and go from there.
• I hadn't really thought about this being the last Thanksgiving game for a while. I think what's important is it's senior night. For these guys, it's a very special, emotional night. These guys who have been through things - I'm not talking about football, I'm talking about life - who have come here and had all kinds of experiences that are never really public. To get to their last game on Kyle Field can be emotional, particularly when it's thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is about the three Fs - family, food, and football. We're really fortunate to be one of the teams America gets to enjoy while they sit on the couch after dinner. It's great exposure for our program. Obviously everyone wants their last experience here to be as positive experience as it can be. A lot of them have graduated, some will graduate in a couple of weeks.
  
• This game gives us a chance to climb up another bowl tier.
• I get different feelings from different people (about game being or not being on Thanksgiving). Some of our older former students like Thanksgiving. Some have moved on because television is dictating a lot. When you change leagues and change opponents, there's going to be change. I thought a few years ago was going to be the last one on Thanksgiving. You don't know what's going to happen. What you do know is this is the last time for some of these guys to be together as a team. It's a great way for these guys to finish their careers here. But it's also exciting for our fans, and it's a great platform because everyone is laying around watching football.
• (Having success against LSU) is the goal. We haven't won this game for whatever reason. Sometimes we've played well, sometimes we haven't. But this is another game. It's an SEC West game that our team wants to win and put us in position for some really positive things in post-season play. There are a lot of guys on the field who will know each other. We have some coaches who have coached both places. There will be some familiarity. It will be a pretty good atmosphere Thursday night.
• I've known him (Coach O) and obviously Noel was with him. He gets immediate player buy-in, creates enthusiasm, their energy level on tape is very high. They're playing hard. Just like at USC, that's a very difficult thing to do mid-season. It's not a very easy job, and he's done it. You can see the energy level on tape in how they play. They've been really close in some losses, just like Saturday. I think the atmosphere will take care of itself, and the players need to match it and play well.
  
• You want me to give you injury information? (Laughs) That's the kind of guy Trevor is. He wants to play. His health and safety to me is what's most important. Just because you want to do something doesn't mean that's the right thing to do. He's a strong-willed guy. We had a conversation the week before, with Jake playing in the Ole Miss game, Trevor was a little more withdrawn. There was a big difference Saturday. I did get concerned when I saw him out of his sling running up and down the sideline, but that's the kind of guy he is. The prognosis I gave before is still the same, and we'll go from there.
• (Asked about pressure or responsibility of being one of few black head coaches...) Any success we can have here and any improvement - wins, facilities, moving a program that was a .500 program - can only help people that look like me. Anything positive we do can only help others eager to prove they can do it too.
• At the end of the year, you assess the things you do well and stay ahead of the curve there. You assess the things that are not going well. It's well-stated that we made some decisions last year that were difficult that put us in a better position to have success. Because of that, there are different people here right now. There's a maturity level on this team that's better. Life is about experiences. And it's about the journey - being able to focus on the journey more so than the destination. You've got to look at that everyday. If you can fix that and keep it in the fairway so to speak, you have a chance to get to the destination.
• Just like everything else, our guys are aware of it (bowl possibilities). We still have an opportunity to win double-digit games, which not a lot of teams can. But we can't do that if we don't win Thursday. So the focus stays on being 1-0 after this week. What we have to do is put ourselves in the best position by 10:00 Thursday night and see what happens. It gets back to our seniors, the last game on Kyle Field, and letting those guys leave here with the right frame of mind and a positive experience Thursday night.
• LSU has given up 11 touchdowns in 10 games, yes. I'm not going to let you run the team meeting with that info. No, they're good - one of the top defensive teams in the country. Ole Miss is the only team to get 21 on them. They're big across the front. Key is a prolific pass rusher. We'll have two of the best in the league in that way on the field. They have interchangable pieces back there that can play safety and cover. We understand the challenge. That's what we came in Sunday to start working on. Our guys get it. This is one of the best defenses we face, even with Alabama.
• Obviously Fournette is a great player, but Guice is a great player too. They've got a big, strong offensive line and they use it well with backs who are really explosive and tough. They're going to take their deep shots with long receivers who can really stretch the field. They're a talented team. Because of that talent level and how they've coached, they've been in every ball game. Our guys understand the challenge. In a game like this, special teams will become really important for a couple of reasons. Because of the filed position battle. And also, because points are precious in this game. Special teams will have a lot to say about who wins this game.
• What you want to do is put yourself in that position where this game means even more. We've made some steps in this program and it has improved, but for us to be where we want to be we do need to take that next step and be involved in those conversations consistently. We've made some strides. Then what you want to do is - our goal was to be at that next level. That's a combination of depth, talent, coaching, and luck - just to be honest...staying healthy. That's what we strive for every day, from a recruiting, development, retention standpoint.
• (Asked about missing his father) Yeah, that's been a little bit tough. It's someone you talk to all the time, in good times and bad times. So yeah, a little bit tough.

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John Chavis

• Good to get a win. With a short week we've gotta get back to work, so I'm gonna take questions so I can go back to work.
• Certainly it was good to have Myles back healthy. He's a leader. When he's on the field, his play speaks for itself. He's healthier now than he's been since the Arkansas game. A lot of credit to him. He's been playing through pain - that's not easy, but he did it. I think he's close to 100 percent, and we're excited about that.
• We've seen really good running backs, but these two guys are impressive. They have great speed, they're explosive, and physical. These guys don't mind contact. That's the thing that sets any good back apart.
  
• Myles is one of the best if not the best in the country, so having him in there makes a difference.
  
• (When Fournette first got to LSU) Obviously it was clear he was talented. He's also a worker, and it's clear he's continued that.
• Priest Willis is a little bit further along. We felt it was important to get him some work - for us and for him. He continues to get better every day.
• It's about winning, we all know that. You can't run from it. Certainly 9...that's ten percent better than 8, at least. You want to win them all, and unfortunately not everybody's going to do that every year. But you also want to see these seniors go out on Kyle Field. Coach Sumlin has done a great job of putting the squad together. There's a good foundation here. Certainly a ninth win would be important to that as well.
• We've got a big task at hand when you start looking at the backs, the receivers, and a quarterback playing well. Field position...we work hard, and field position is important for us because we feel like we're setting up our offense. When you're playing great defense, you're helping your offense, and you know this - there have been times we haven't done that this season.
• Best running backs he's had to defend) Going back to Tennessee - facing Cobb and Webb in practice. When we played Ohio State in '95, they may have been the best offensive team I've ever coached against.
• If they've changed anything, I think they're taking more shots down the field. They've got great receiver skill. Their top three are all big guys, fast guys.
  
• ("What's running through your mind when asked about great defenses you used to coach?") Texas A&M. That's my focus. One of these days we'll be able to look back and say defenses here are some of the best.
  
• Richard Moore is a talented guy with great instincts. You've seen more of him because he's playing well when he gets opportunities and because it helps keep other guys from getting too many reps.
• We don't ever talk about that (his guys wanting to get him a win over LSU). This is not just a coaching statement. This about Texas A&M. We want to play for Texas A&M. We want to play for this family. We want to work for this family. This is a great university.
• Interior d-line is better because we're stronger. We continue to improve. Are we there completely? We've still got some improving to do, but our guys are playing much better. The things Coach Sumlin put in place in the off-season have had a big impact.
  

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Noel Mazzone

• Number one is I'm totally impressed, and I thank Jake for Saturday's performance. Like a lot of college athletes dealing with sports, school, injuries and such. Jake suffered an injury in his throwing shoulder against Ole Miss, and he didn't throw a single ball all week. The first ball he threw was pregame Saturday. The toughness and the grit - it's a tribute to him being a true Aggie, because it's important. We needed to have him play. So I was impressed with how he gritted it out Saturday. Believe me, it wasn't easy for him to throw that ball down the field sometimes. So my hat's off to Jake.
• I just attribute his toughness to (Jake's) mom and dad. So thanks Dad, thanks Mom.
• Trevor has been saying he wants to play for three weeks. (Laughs) We've got Nick, we've got Conner if we need a backup. Nick has a really bright future. He's prepared the last few weeks to be there if we need him. He's been the consummate team guy. He says he'll do whatever he needs to do to help the team win and be successful.
• LSU is a very very talented defense. Reminds me of about four or five of the other ones we've played this year. Their front key and that defensive front are athletic enough and physical enough to give you trouble with just four or five up front. What impresses me the most is the way those cats run to the football. And when they get there they're not in a very good mood. It's going to be a really big challenge for us.
• Yeah, you've gotta have some explosive plays in a game like this. I'm excited about Josh and Christian, and I'm really excited about the way Ricky played this past weekend. Speedy had a good game (before). So those four guys, and yes, Jake is going to have to throw the ball in some tight windows, and you've gotta throw some 50-50 balls, and our guys have to go get them.
• I'm always mad if they don't complete every pass and we don't score on every play. But when I look back at the film, Jake was so tough. We gave him a piece of rawhide, he chomped down on it, and he played through it. (He was asked if that was literal...no.) I mean, he was a Texas A&M Aggie.