GARY BARNETT and JOE KLOPFENSTEIN December 3, 2005
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December 3, 2005 you talk a little bit about what a special player An interview with: he is? GARY BARNETT: You know, he just GARY BARNETT AND takes over a game, like he did in the Rose Bowl. I JOE KLOPFENSTEIN have communicated several times that, watching him in the Rose Bowl last year, seeing him take over a game in that environment against a team like Michigan, what you saw was the coming up of THE MODERATOR: Joel is going to be okay. a great player. You want to make a couple opening comments. It seemed like -- I think Mack has said in GARY BARNETT: Joel said it all. They're the Missouri game last year, but I know what he a great team. We played awful. You get what you did in the Rose Bowl is phenomenal, and he got. Good luck to them. hasn't slowed down since then, unfortunately for THE MODERATOR: We'll take questions us, and fortunately for them. from the floor. You saw it, we had everybody covered and he takes off on ten yards and scores. You don't Q. Coach, early on you guys put have an answer or a solution for it, or we sure together a couple play drives. How big a didn't. momentum changes are those with the fumble -- Q. Gary, the play that Joel was GARY BARNETT: They felt at the time knocked out on, they are up 70-3, does that they were huge. Who knows how the game would surprise you any at all? have unfolded if we had gone on? We knew GARY BARNETT: You know, that's a hard Texas was going to beat us probably, but we were question for me right now. If you don't mind, I going to be able to get some points on the board. would just as soon go to another one. Turnovers and penalties killed us. We continued to do that today. It certainly hurt our chances in this Q. Gary, what was the message at half game. time? It was out of control then? GARY BARNETT: It wasn't a very good Q. Gary, your team looked very good one. I believe my message at half time was one up until the beginning of November. Can you team had played a championship half, and now we pinpoint what exactly happened? need to go play our championship the second half. GARY BARNETT: Well, the loss at Iowa We weren't going two minute. We were going to State, we've never gotten over it. I can't for the life go out and try to execute our game plan and play of me figure out why. We all know this is a pretty better and see what happens. Maybe we can fragile existence, and I think we knew all along that create some breaks. We really wanted to come it's always fragile, you know, I think that what and earn our respect back in the second half. It happened to us is an example of it. We're more of went the other way pretty fast. a fragile team than I thought. I knew the possibility was there. For some Q. Joe, can you comment a little bit reason, we have not overcome that loss to Iowa about what Coach said about the team's State. The way it happened, and we were so psyche after the Iowa State game and if you felt stunned with it, and this is pure speculation, but the same way? that's what it feels like. JOE KLOPFENSTEIN: It's just like he said, since the Iowa State game there's something Q. Gary, you have been able to see mentally wrong with our team. We thought we Vince Young twice now at his very best. Can found out what it was a few times, but we've come …when all is said, we’re done 12.03 - Barnett and Klopfenstein FastScripts by ASAP Sports 1 t. 212.385.0297 f. 917.591.3417 visit our archives at www.asapsports.com to find it's not it. We get into the games and we get down, and there's something wrong with our team where we can't fight through that. We have to figure out a way to correct that. Q. Gary, what do you do now as far as giving time off and trying to get that mental edge back, short-term plans? GARY BARNETT: The short-term plan is we'll take the next ten days off. We have finals that start next Friday. We'll probably do a little 7-on-7 and probably won't resume practice until the 15th, providing there's a bowl. Q. Gary, I guess, just since you brought that up, the first thing is there probably still is a bowl. Do you think you can get your team back in mental shape. The bigger one is, in the last week there seems there was a little gallows humor because of the task you faced. Was it even possible getting these guys to think they even had a chance in this game? GARY BARNETT: I think in our locker room, we made a commitment to fix whatever it is for the bowl game, and of course we felt like we could get it ready for this game. You shouldn't be coaching or playing this game if you don't believe that, and we did, and I believed it until, you know, the third quarter unraveled on us. Of course, you do. Q. Coach, if you had a vote for the Heisman today, would it be for Number 10 on the other side over there? GARY BARNETT: I don't have one so that's all speculation. I would have to think about it real heavily, but he would sure be in contention. He's one of the two guys I would vote for. He's awful good. If they gave me two ballots I would vote twice for him, but if I had to make a decision I would vote for him. THE MODERATOR: Any other questions for the coach? Coach, congratulations for a great season and good luck. FastScripts by ASAP... …when all is said, we’re done 12.03 - Barnett and Klopfenstein FastScripts by ASAP Sports 2 t. 212.385.0297 f. 917.591.3417 visit our archives at www.asapsports.com December 3, 2005 had a lot of people come up to me, I know Vince An interview with: had the same, happy we were coming back to town and compete. To not only win the Big 12 MICHAEL HUFF, title, and we're going back to the Rose Bowl, and RODRIQUE WRIGHT, MACK we did it in our hometown in front of everyone. All the fans supported us, and they were deep with BROWN, VINCE YOUNG AND burnt orange. It was great. VINCE YOUNG: To me the funny deal DAVID THOMAS about it was finding tickets for everybody. We were asking all the guys how can we get tickets in the locker room. The whole week of practice, I THE MODERATOR: We'd like to congratulate the was excited and pumped up. It was pretty Longhorns from Texas University. We're being emotional. I was looking forward to coming home joined up here by Coach Brown and the players to family and friends and everybody. sitting behind their names. Congratulations, Coach, on the undefeated season and winning the Q. Mack, can you address the margin Big 12 Championship. Opening comments? of victory and preparing for this game? Can MACK BROWN: Thank you. We're really you imagine ever having something like this proud of our players. I congratulate Colorado for occur? a great year and winning the North. Gary has MACK BROWN: No, I didn't. It was a done a tremendous job winning 3 out of the last 4. similar halftime score in Austin, it was 34 to 10, I hated to see the score get like it did for him and and really played an even ball game the second his football team. I hope they do well in their bowl half. We're sitting there at the -- I guess it was game. 35-3 at halftime, and then what happened is we I'm proud of this football team. We didn't got some turnovers there and a blocked punt to play as well as we needed to or wanted to last start the third quarter, and then it got out of hand. Friday, and we didn't play as passionate as we'd like to, and the guys came out and were hitting on Q. Mack, can you talk about last year's all cylinders today and we played a great football Rose Bowl, and is it special that you're game and we're excited about going to Pasadena. returning to that spot as opposed to the Fiesta Bowl and Orange Bowl, and David, can you talk Q. Mack, I realized what your focus is, about the year Vince has had? but if you could, what would you like to say for MACK BROWN: First, we're excited to go all those who vote for the Heisman? back to the Rose Bowl because it was such a MACK BROWN: I would like to say look at great place. Our guys enjoyed it and had a the year. Vince Young is a great football player, wonderful experience. Secondly, it's for the he's the most valuable player on our football team National Championship.