T-Fred dissects Mizzou game & preparing to play in Norman

Jordan Kirkland: It was a tough loss in overtime against Missouri this weekend. What are your evaluations of how the secondary played?

Terrence Frederick: This game was definitely a tough loss. For them to come to our house and beat us, it was tough. But we just have to bounce back. We have OU this week and we just need to prepare well. We missed a lot of tackles, so we just need to be great open field tacklers.

JK: What has Coach McMillian been working with you guys on and what were his goals for the secondary coming into the Missouri game?

Frederick: One of our goals is just to stop the big plays from happening. They had a couple of big pass plays on us and we missed the tackles and they scored. If we tackle well then we stop the big plays from happening and we’ll be successful. A coupe times we let that get away.

JK: Individually how do you feel you performed in the Missouri game?

Frederick: I did pretty good for the most part, but at the same time, I’m really not worried about how I played, it’s more towards the team. When you lose a game, it doesn’t matter how I played individually. If we just play well as a team, it helps the defense and the offense overall.

Frederick: I don’t feel like anything drastic needs to happen. We just have to go out there and play. No team is going to lay down and just let us win. We have to go out there and play for 4 quarters, and if that doesn’t happen, then we’re going to get the same outcome.

JK: Do you feel that there is a target on the teams back since you guys are leaving for the SEC next season?

Frederick: I don’t feel like we have a target on our back. Every game, no matter who you’re playing, you are going to go out there and try to win a game. Looking at that, I really don’t even look at the SEC stuff. I’m just worried about the team we play, and that’s it.

JK: Do you feel any pressure to step up as a defensive leader after losing Michael Hodges and Von Miller last season?

Frederick: Losing those two players was hard for our defense, but at the same time, you have new leaders every year. We just have to step up. The senior class just has to step up and bring together this team. That’s myself included. I feel like I need to be more vocal and for them to trust in me, I feel like I need to do that for the last 4 games.

JK: What was Coach Sherman’s Missouri after-game address to the team?

Frederick: We’ve been in this predicament in a row. Just like last year, we won six games in a row, and we have four left, and we just have to go out there in play. These last four games, we can go out there and do the same thing we did last year. But no team is going to lay down, so we just have to go out there and play all four quarters, and we can win.

JK: How is A&M feeling going into the Oklahoma game now that Texas Tech showed that it is possible to win at Norman?

Frederick: It’s definitely a tough place to play. It’s just another weekend and another game for me. We can go off of confidence, but at the same time, we’re just going there to win a ballgame. If we go out there and contain them, we’re going to be very successful.

Frederick: It’s definitely time-consuming; going to class every day and then coming to football. It’s just the same thing everyday and you really don’t have much time to yourself. At the same time, you’re here to play football, but you have to go to school too. It’s definitely hard, but you just have to manage your time well because those tests will creep up on you. As long as you staying up in your school work and on the field, it balances out. If you’re doing bad in classes, you let that that get to you on the football field.

JK: You are a senior this year. Are you ready to graduate in May?

Frederick: I’m supposed to graduate in May. Am I ready to graduate? I wish I could graduate in December. I’m definitely ready to graduate. It seems like I’ve been here for a long time, but at the same it went by really fast.

JK: You had a career high in tackles last year against Oklahoma. Are you ready to mirror that breakout game this year in your upcoming game?

Frederick: I’m ready to have a breakout game every week. That was a good game for not just me, but the defense. To make those goal line stands last year. I hope we do the same thing this year. For us to do that, we have to prepare for them, get ready with the game plan, and contain them.

JK: Is there anything you like to do to blow off steam after the tough losses or even hard-fought wins?

Frederick: Like you said, those losses and wins, once that week's over, you’re onto the next. You try to put the game behind you. Even though you’re still worried about it, you have to put that game behind you because if you’re still thinking about that game you’re not going to be very successful in the next week.

JK: Do you wish you had another season of eligibility to play in the SEC for Texas A&M?

Frederick: I wish I could’ve played in the SEC, that’s a good conference. But the Big 12 is just as good. You never know where you’re going to be or what changes are going to be made, just like life. But yes, I wish I had another year just to experience the SEC.