Texas A&M Football weekly press conference: Mississippi State

The following are live, paraphrased notes from Texas A&M's weekly press conference. A video of the interview will be added to the story after it is rendered.

Kevin Sumlin

• We try to give the best picture that we can give offensively and defensively (in practice). That's tough to do with Fitzgerald. They're extrememly well-coached. They've blocked a lot of punts and have a great punter. Offensively, they've been able to run the ball and create explosive plays. Fitzgerald threw it pretty well last week. That's another problem. They have an experienced offensive line. They've always been that way. Defensively, Todd Grantham is as respected a coordinator as you'll find. They're big and athletic up front. They always have good team speed. It'll be a big challenge for us.

• I don't think you want all the freshmen in there at once. Some guys have played a lot more than others. Everyone wants to lump them in a group, but it's hard to do that because of experience. Some have played sparingly. We've given these guys opportunities, and they've taken advantage of it. They've got confidence in themselves and their teammates. The coaches are willing to put them in those situations. The group has played a lot, but they've progressed at different rates.

• Erik McCoy is getting better. He's very smart. He's a tough, quiet guy. He thinks he's a comedian. It's hard to snap the ball and block some of these guys. You see his toughness, but for all the things he's done in a very short time, he's been very impressive. He's only going to get better. From a leadership standpoint, he's been valuable for us and continues to be.

• Donovan Wilson will not play Saturday.

• I said this summer that when you have 29 newcomers and all were here in the first week of June – the energy level of that room was different. It can go one of two ways, but we wanted to be able to play more guys and reduce snap counts for the older guys. That keeps us fresh down the stretch. You have to embrace these young players. Our older guys have to help them through that. That's been a huge part of this team. It didn't start off well at UCLA, but they've handled it well. The leadership of the older players and creating an environment of helpfulness is big. The energy level on the sideline is big. Everyone is on edge because they might be playing. We don't have a lot of spectators on the sideline. They aren't waiting around. The rotation has been good, and the team is a fun group to be around. They've handled adveristy. There is a lot of talk about this program, but what goes on across the street is what's important.

• Keaton Sutherland is doing well. That was a tough deal to get that phone call. It started with a stomach ache, and then he needed surgery. That's not something to play around with. You're telling people they're going to start the day before the game. In that situation, Jim Turner did a great job. Our guys handled it. Keaton was running well yesterday, and there's a pretty good chance he'll be available to play this weekend. We'll make that decision probably Friday. He'll definitely be ready next weekend, which is pretty amazing.

• Some people laughed at me when I said physical and mental health last week. There's a lot of stress on these guys. We had a guy that had never been on a plane in his life. Then he's expected to fly across the country and play at a high level. Things like that can take a toll on you. We've put things in place, and they're working. The bye week came at a good time for us, but we have a stretch to go. The staff has simplified things and stayed away from the big picture. It's a day-to-day process. We try to get better every day and every week and evaluate after that. I can tell you we've done a lot of things differently this year, and our team is in a good place right now.

• I don't know that we've been successful yet. I know we handled the first loss well. There's a lot of football to go.

• I think all these quarterbacks are different. If you're a running QB, everyone wants to lump you in with all the others. Fitzgerald is 6-5. He's a completely different player than Jalen Hurts. You can't lump eveyrone together. They all have different personalities and schemes. For us, we're defending Mississippi State and what they do. There isn't a lot of carry-over. There is a little. Everyone runs some form of the zone read at some time, but it's hard to lump them all into one group.

• Statistically, they're the least-sacked team in the league. They're good at what they do. We lead the league in sacks. It's hard to ignore those two stats. They protect a very mobile, big QB. Those are challenges for us.

• The bye came at a good time, but we just played a few physical teams. That Florida game was physical. It's a combination of all the games. For us, it came at a good time because of travel, midterms, things like that. It's not just physical. These young guys get here and are constantly playing almost all the way to Thanksgiving. The pressure to perform on TV and in front of a crowd can weigh on you. Every week is a new experience. The mental part is big for us too. Based on yesterday's practice, I think our guys are ready to get back to playing some games.

• We felt better because we had solidified the offensive line until Keaton Sutherland went out. Then we threw Carson Green out there. He's 18 years old. We were on a silent count, and he had to block one of the better defensive ends in our league. The things we did early, playing young guys, have helped us. If we get Keaton back, we'll probably be more stable this weekend. Playing those young guys in a win like that can help them learn. Winning gives you confidence.

• We've got some rotation at nickelback. There's a lot of stress on that position group. Usually they're covering guys that are good football players and have a lot going on. You've seen a few different people back there. Those guys are competing. It's a healthy competition. They have different styles. Priest Willis has the ability to play corner, which gives us flexibiltiy. The more guys we can play at that position, the better we'll be.

• I don't think there's anything wrong with the linebacker rotation right now. If you play all three (Alaka, Hines, Dodson) every snap, you'll have problems. They've been as effective this year as any year since I've been here. Part of that is getting them off the field. Anthony is young. He'll give some up and then get a sack. Alaka is playing really well. The nickel package has worked against some teams. Buddy Johnson has a tremendous future here. He's extremely athletic. Those guys are playing in all phases of special teams, which is keeping Dodson and Alaka off the field a little and giving them a break. Those special teams plays are critical. The rotation has been good for the two starters and has given Anthony a chance to ease into things. Buddy has his role at SAM. We want to get our best people on the field, but the rotation has really helped.

• Nick Starkel will have a helmet on this week.

• I was able to get to the Astros game on Saturday night. You look at where they are and how young they are – the energy was ridiculous in that building. I haven't used them as an example for the team. You can see their energy level in how hard they play. I'm rooting for them.