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UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 21, 2006

Travis Thomas

BRIAN HARDIN: Good morning, everyone. We have Travis Thomas in here. We'll start with questions for our media here in person before we open it up and take questions from the callers.

Q. Travis, part of your motivation of going to defense was to bring speed to that side of the ball. You're going to be tested big time this week with Stanton. How are your preparations going? What do you think you have to accomplish during the game against him?
TRAVIS THOMAS: Our preparations are going well. I think we have to stop the run. In doing that, we can focus on the passing, kind of shut that down as well.
We got a big challenge on our hands with Stanton. He's a dual threat for us with his arm and legs. Great receiver, good backs. You know it's all around a challenge for the defense once again.

Q. You have a dual threat quarterback on your roster, which is good. Demetrius is beating Stanton in practice. How are the looks he's been giving you going?
TRAVIS THOMAS: Looks have been going really good. He's been really challenging us every day. I think it's going to help us out in the game. He's real athletic, real shifty, kind like their quarterback, maybe a little bit faster. Definitely helping us out.

Q. One of the things that's been overlooked since you went to defense is that you're actually the special teams captain as well. Special teams have been up and down this year. Where do you think you guys stand right now and what do you think you need to work on to improve overall?
TRAVIS THOMAS: We have a lot to work on. We need to work on our punt return, blocking, all the returns, fielding the ball, especially covering the kicks.
As far as blocking and returning the ball this week, they have an All-American punter. Zibby has a challenge ahead of him as far as fielding the ball. We have a challenge as far as blocking.

Q. Playing both offense and defense during practice, what have you been focusing on this week as far as getting better and preparing for Michigan State?
TRAVIS THOMAS: Our main focus has been primarily stopping the run in the option which is something they like to do. They like to do a lot of trick plays as well. Just staying conscious of our assignments, playing what we need to play, going through our reads.
As far as offense, third down conversions is something we want to focus on. We haven't done particularly well with that in the past three games. It's a point of emphasis this week.

Q. With speed being a big difference as far as on the offense and converting, do you think you're going to see some offensive play this week or are you mostly focusing just on defense?
TRAVIS THOMAS: I hope to see, you know, an increased role in the offense this week. I don't know. That will depend on the situations that come in the game, whether Coach Weis gives me the go ahead. We'll play it as we see it.

Q. Coach Weis basically came out and said the move of you has been positive; you're going to stay there for a while. How do you feel about the move personally? Three games into it, how do you feel you have developed?
TRAVIS THOMAS: I think it's been a positive move. I think I've gotten better week by week. I still feel like I have a ways to go, a lot of things to work on. But I still want to have my role on offense as well.
Overall, I think it's been a positive move.

Q. I was hoping you could go back a few years for me. I'm assuming as a freshman you spent your fair share of time on scout teams.
TRAVIS THOMAS: Correct.

Q. What do you remember about that experience?
TRAVIS THOMAS: Being on scout teams is tough, man. You're doing the looks of the team, trying to do as best as you can to simulate that. That's hard. You're taking a beating. I mean, it was definitely tough.

Q. How does that kind of work? Is there a staff? Is your workweek different as a scout team player from like a number one? Are you kind of aside strictly working, example, Michigan State stuff? How does that work?
TRAVIS THOMAS: If you're a scout team player, in my place, I'm a running back, I'm going to be trying to simulate the runs that Michigan State runners would do this week. It's pretty similar to being number one on offense. You're working on the same things, except the only difference is on scout team you're going off of a card instead of memory.

Q. There's not like a specific film session you sat in just to learn the Michigan State for your responsibilities in practice that week, it's kind of on the fly?
TRAVIS THOMAS: Yeah, you're going to watch a little bit of film with the defense as a whole to kind of get an idea of what they like to do as far as Michigan State's offense, then you'll go into practice and just run up the scripts they have set aside for you on the cards.

Q. Was there any one story or memory from scout team, player you emulated one week?
TRAVIS THOMAS: There's nothing that stands out to me right now, no. Pretty much all the same.

Q. How tough was that? I would think you would be out there as sacrificial lambs, as Coach Weis likes to say.
TRAVIS THOMAS: It's tough, man, because when you're a scholarship guy, you want to play obviously. When you're running scout team, you're obviously not playing. But you got to stay focused, consider yourself an important part of the team because you're helping the defensive side the ball get ready for a game. The better you do your job, the more prepared they'll be, hopefully the more successful they'll be on game day.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about Mitchell Thomas. You got a lot of attention this year because he moved over from offense. How has Mitchell been out there, how has he been making the adjustment?
TRAVIS THOMAS: I think he's taking it very well. He's become a lot more vocal. Mitchell has always been a quiet guy, kind of like myself and Mo Crum. I think we have all become more vocal this year. He's taken on the role of helping other guys out behind him, a lot of the other youngers guys like Toryan as well. I think he's stepped up and done a good job so far.

Q. Does his game remind of you anyone else that you've had at Notre Dame in your time?
TRAVIS THOMAS: His game kind of reminds me of Derek Curry, former linebacker we had here. Bigger, stronger physical guy who plays real well off the edge. I think he's learned a lot from Derek in the past and he's using that right now.
BRIAN HARDIN: Travis, thanks a lot. We'll see you on Saturday.

End of FastScripts...

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