Texas A&M Football weekly press conference: Alabama

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

• The win in 2012 is the farthest thing from my mind right now. It was a great game, but nothing really stands out to me this week. That whole year had an impact. One game is a big deal, but the season, for what people thought would happen with the move to the SEC, was a really positive transition for us in the new league. There were minuses too, but we're here to win as many games as we can. We were fortunate to win 11 that year. To win that many, we have to win games like that.

• Jarrett Johnson's performance doesn't surprise me. He had the same amount of sacks as Daeshon Hall last season. Landis Durham is the most improved player on this team. Along with push inside, we've corrected some mistakes where we lost contain in the past. Our guys are in control of the pass rush. Jalen Hurts is dangerous as a quarterback, but when he runs, good things happen for them. They need to continue to be athletic and disruptive, but we have to be aware of Hurts.

• Our approach will not change because of the opponent. This team responds to getting a little bit better every week. We're at a point where we have an identity offensively. We have to continue to get better as teams hone in on us. Our running backs and offensive line have played very well at times. We need to keep getting better. That's where we are as a team.

• Time and winning sets Alabama apart. Player development, recruiting, you name it. Nick Saban does a great job of player education and having guys that understand what staying around means for them. The number of freshman they play on special teams jumped out to me a couple years ago. Those guys are getting meaningful reps and waiting their turn. They aren't all starting. They do a great job developing players and with their scheme. He does a great job of coach retention and evaluation. He replaces guys with talented coaches when they leave. To be that good, there are a lot of moving parts you have to do well for a long time.

• We'd better be able to block Alabama, and over the last five weeks, people have had trouble with that. People need to execute. They've been tough in the front seven. They're talented in the back end. Minkah Fitzpatrick should be on the Heisman list. He's one of the best players in the country. He's played all over the secondary. He's a frustrated offensive guy, because he tries to score every time he gets his hands on the ball. They get pressure with four guys, and that makes it look like a lot of people in coverage for a QB. We are who we are, and we need to execute. We also have to have a plan that's friendly enough for Kellen to operate against a complex secondary.

• We made some changes to the game plan for Alabama. I don't want to talk about them. For you guys, this is a different week, but for us, it's not. We're playing football on Saturday. We got back yesterday and put the SC game away. Today it's about eliminating mistakes and getting better. We get better every week, and good things happen for us. This team has continued to do that. With the energy level these guys have and the energy in Kyle Field, that makes a difference. We have a plan that will give us a chance to win, as always. Let's go play.

• We're in a pretty good stretch with this league right now. SC played a physical game. We've played a couple of SEC games. We have more before we get to the bye week.

• We've got some great leadership in the locker room from older guys that have played. Erik McCoy has played one year, but just about every snap. Trayveon Williams is the same way. Keith Ford, Armani Watts, Christian Kirk. Daylon Mack, Zaycoven Henderson, Otaro Alaka. They've all played a lot and can talk to these younger guys about what's going on. Communication has been great. They young guys bring energy. Sometimes, I'm not sure they know the situation. They're just playing. You have to talk to those guys. Derrick Tucker is back and just wants to play. It's a good mixture. Older players have been beaten out. This team is so different. They're really close. The old guys help the young guys, who soak it up and want to be great. I haven't faulted effort at any point this year. It's been good across the board. We're playing 50-60 guys per game. They're into it because they have to know what's going on when they go in the game. Because of that, I think the energy level on the sideline is higher. I know it is.

• Every team is different. I've been a big favorite and a big underdog. You'd rather be a big favorite. It's much less stressful. I've been at Oklahoma and Houston where we were supposed to win. There are situations where they give you no chance. The kids are young adults. They'll read things and believe either scenario. The message in the building is what's important. We try to keep that consistent. We have tangible things we can look at to see if we're getting better at each position. We're worried about getting better, and we don't judge it by who the opponent is or by voices outside the program.

• Calvin Ridley is explosive and fast. He's the shortest receiver, I think, that they're playing. It seems like they have three or four of him now. He's a really good route-runner. He can make the big play and get yards after the catch. He's in the screen game and running double-move routes. He's not just one-dimensional. He becomes a real problem down the field. We need great eyes on the back end off of play action, but we need to challenge enough in coverage to keep him from making a difference in the screen game.

• Jalen Hurts has continued to improve. He's been an impact player from day one. His personality helps him with that. He's never too high or too low. He's learning in the RPO packages and is taking more shots down the field. It doesn't surprise me at all that he's getting better.

• It's talent and development along their offensive line. The young guys that do play are five-star guys. They're physically ready to play. It's a challenge for our defensive front. It's a line of scrimmage league. Our front was challenged last week and rose to it. The additional play of Alaka has really helped, but the rotation and number of guys we're playing is also helping. It's another week in the SEC. If you're a D- or O-lineman in this league, you know what time it is. It's the same thing for the next eight weeks. That's how it works.

• Mark Hocke has a couple different things we were looking for. He was at Alabama. He's been his own guy at an SEC school at Georgia then went to Florida State, which is an elite program. He had a combination of things in his background that developed who he is. He's been at top programs and is able to train, communicate with and recruit elite players. Being able to do that at those schools was big for me too.