UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 22, 2002

Jeff Faine

Courtney Watson

Tyrone Willingham

COACH WILLINGHAM: Today I have absolutely no reaction to it. My focus is Florida State and that's all I am prepared to entertain.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I have to kind of chuckle because I don't know if 18, 19 and 20 year olds ever believe anything (laughs) that everyone says. But no, I have said from Day 1 that our guys had a willingness and eagerness to be successful and we have been fortunate. And when I say "we" meaning the coaching staff has been fortunate to be able to kind of help in that process. So I don't know if there's ever a moment where they said we'll jump of the building for everything that Coach Willingham said, but I think within themselves they have had an eagerness to be successful.

COACH WILLINGHAM: We did at Stanford. I think it was one year -- we didn't start the season off with 7 straight but I think it was the year Steve Stindstrom (Phonetic) -- might have been him, might have been the quarterback, I am not sure of that, but I think we won 7 in a row and lost to Georgia Tech in the Aloha Bowl if I am correct.

COACH WILLINGHAM: You have an awareness that it's taking place but when you are able to be successful it's much easier to focus on that one game at a time principle that most coaches try to apply and I think our guys have done a great job of just saying next week, we're ready for the next team. I think you may have even noticed it that it seems like even almost after a ballgame is done, they seem to be very easily moved toward the next football game and not hung up on the one that they just played.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, no, I have had some wonderful conversations with and communications with Coach Parsegian and they have been both enlightening and kind of, I guess, enlightening would be the best way to describe it. And it covers a lot of areas and has been very helpful.

COACH WILLINGHAM: It's a reality, but not a concern.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Just a little bit. There have been a couple of big games in this series.

COACH WILLINGHAM: It means that you must -- you have established a great foundation to play the next game because no matter how you slice it, dice it, or shape it, okay, there will be recollections of that great contest that was played once before and there will be comparisons made and there will be tremendous buildup about the game that you are playing; especially one that has the kind of conditions and the surroundings and trappings that this one has. So it is a great foundation which to go in and play the game.

COACH WILLINGHAM: It's quite simple, this football team is, in my estimation, two points away from being the No. 1 team in the country.

COACH WILLINGHAM: This is the amazing thing about numbers, and I think you are absolutely right. I think it's 4 out of the last 90 or 84, won 84, 4 and 1 or something like that. But three of those, or two of those, have occurred in the last season if I am correct. So you can shape numbers anyway you like to sometimes. When you have played in close ballgames and been successful it's a tremendous confidence-builder to your football team and they feel like they can go in those situations because they have done it and be successful. So I do think it is a plus that the games we have played have hopefully prepared us for a contest that I think, if I am correct, in checking my history that the games have been fairly close.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Gosh, I don't know if you can say that. That's a pretty good football team. It's a pretty good program, their history and tradition is very strong, and obviously their home record speaks for itself. So I don't know if I can quite say that.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, you are always concerned. You never want to be one-dimensional. It speaks to the same premise that we used with trying to be a great defense, okay, we want to get a team to be one-dimensional. If you can do that you believe you have more success. If the only person we begin to look for is Arnaz, then that does, I think, at some point creates problems. But the other, shall I say, the answer to that is, if you are being successful, okay, doesn't matter how you are being successful. So if he can catch 20 in this ballgame and we win, I don't think you are going to hear any complaints from Coach Willingham. But do we need to spread it around? Yes.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I don't know how to make that comparison between which team is that much better. I do know that Pittsburgh is a very good defense. And I do know that our guys offensively accepted the challenge of trying to improve and trying to be a lot better than we were with Air Force than we were with Pittsburgh. So I think our young men rose to the challenge and executed, I think, a lot better than we did against Pittsburgh and knowing that Pittsburgh was very good also.

COACH WILLINGHAM: No, I think in our system we're always looking for the deep opportunity and the key word there is "opportunity." Sometimes you can force it which may not be a good thing and other times it's presented to and you take advantage of it. We'd like in more cases than not to have it presented to us and not try to force it.

COACH WILLINGHAM: No. I am not surprised. I think with those two guys' ability that at some point they would make that opportunity for themselves and I am just hoping that they do very well this week because it would be really nice to see them perform well and win.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I think I have said it's not necessarily surprised me, but until you are in the job, you do not know all of the details of the job. So therefore, the attention, focus, passion, is greater than what I knew it to be but knew it was large, knew it was important, et cetera .

COACH WILLINGHAM: No, I think you probably have to spend a day trying to figure out all the things that make Notre Dame so special to so many people because I think that may be it that there are so many people that have so many great stories about their relationship with this university that make it a very special place.

COACH WILLINGHAM: History, tradition, television.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Again, that's where all the history, tradition and television come into play because you are talking about a sport that only needs a couple of guys. You can get Shaq and Coby on your team, okay, you got a pretty good chance to be successful. The other guys could be on crutches and you probably could win basketball games. In football, it takes a lot more guys than that. So therefore the history and tradition of the schools that have been at the top, usually attract those players and in the past years those were also the teams that were on television all the time which was even more of a lure for that high school player to be a part of that program. Some of that's gradually changing as we become -- cable television has become a factor, satellite dishes, all those things allow young men now to be seen at almost every program the country - the limitation of scholarships. I think you are getting closer and closer to that day that you are going to see a variety of teams pop into that elite level that you have described. But it's still difficult because history and tradition usually weigh extremely heavy.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I am pondering on that one. I don't think I am one of those that likes to be in the spotlight. I have a great respect for the game of football and that probably drives my desires in that area more than anything else because football is, in my opinion, the finest team sport in game that man has devised and because it is a team, I recognize that nothing happens without a lot of other team members really putting themselves into it so that you could be successful. There is my reluctance. But I do enjoy these opportunities to visit with the media and entertain questions of that nature.

COACH WILLINGHAM: That he's missed 6 out of 7. And I hate to seem like I am kind of pushing that aside, but that's not the case. I would be very concerned with Nick if he was shanking the ball, and doing things of that nature. But the kicks he's missed, one has been I think you look at the last ball game both were wide to the right, I think, if I am correct, okay, he just missed them. I get concerned when they are shanking and they are mentally all out of sorts and et cetera, that could be classified in that word that you used, which I won't use. But I know that Nick Setta is kicking the ball pretty good. He just hasn't made the last ones that he has attempted.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well at some point you'd like to do that so he can get going again but the truth of the matter is, when you miss one from the right, you miss one from the left, okay, there's no particular side that you are favoring in that situation. So we'll just be very comfortable and I know pretty soon he will be back on track.

COACH WILLINGHAM: All of them. I say that sincerely because this offense of theirs is, I think, as balanced as we have seen all year, if I am correct, I think they are going about 200 and plus yards rushing the football and another 200 yards passing the football. I mean, that's a pretty balanced offense when you look at that. And you know that defensively they have always had great players and they are doing great things and the game they played against Miami, really I think most people would say they could have very easily won the football game. So I know with the athletes that they have and the coaching that they have and the way they are playing, they concern us in every aspect.

COACH WILLINGHAM: No, I don't throw out the Louisville game. That was a game to win in overtime. It's not like Louisville blew them out. Okay, that was a game that if they make one more point at the right plays they win that football game. Even under those conditions.

COACH WILLINGHAM: No, I am not even going near that one.

COACH WILLINGHAM: It was. I really love the way you worded it. I mean, but you should have known I wouldn't touch that one.

COACH WILLINGHAM: (Laughs) Interesting. It was quite athletic. I mean, when you have a guy that can have that kind of ability there's some things that are going to pop up that may not be quite as orthodox as you are accustomed to seeing. But he will come up with some good plays.

COACH WILLINGHAM: In his case, it is a big back with speed and that's a dangerous combination. That's the kind of player that everyone wished they had, owners want, a guy that can break into the edge and I think it was -- I am trying to remember the game that he had probably one of the finest runs this year, there's no quit in it, he has got athletic ability, size and speed and he's aggressive in his running style. So I mean, it's frightening.

COACH WILLINGHAM: You mentioned the right word, "rotation" because we're starting to work with them a lot more because they have earned the right and deserve the right to be playing and it has made us a deeper team because we have had linemen go out on occasion, and (inaudible) when you have some guys that can step in and just make you a stronger team, makes us more confident and it makes us keep going when we do have those injuries that really could slow you down and really stop your progress.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, his presence has allowed first of all, the other guys to be better players because (1) we have increased the competition, (2), he allows them to rest and get fresh and make sure they stay fresh when they come into the lineup. He's added a very nice physical dimension to the play of our tackles and that's always a welcoming thing.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I am surprised they could remember it. But you find any and everything and hopefully there's something in all that we do that touches every player. Every player is different. Some players don't respond to that. You have got to kind something else to kind of touch them and focus them and allow them to have the energy that they need in the game. If it's there and it works for the right player, you try to provide it to them. If not, give the next guy something different.

COACH WILLINGHAM: We'll start to see as we work together.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, it is different, and it probably comes at a great time for us during the season because it's, in a sense, not quite a bi-week obviously with Florida State at the end of the weekend. But at the same time it allows you to get some of the rest for your football team without the class schedules, without those demands on them. So what we try to do is make sure that we have adequate opportunities with them to prepare for the game, but yet at the same time, a chance for them to rest and be fresh come the weekend.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, I do have a relationship with Dusty and to be compared to him in style, I think is a compliment, so thank you. But you can always learn from others and hopefully I am one of those that each day I gather something from almost anyone that I interact with that hopefully can allow me to help do what I do or help make me a better person.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Thank you.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I think that during the normal competitive spirit there will usually be some conversation between opponents. My thing though is that if we can confine most of our conversations to our own teammates we're better served. I think the term that most people use is trash-talking. I think I prefer to have our guys, if there is any trash-talking to trash-talk to ourselves as a sense of motivation and challenge to your teammates to live up to a certain standard. I am not necessarily in favor of guys trash-talking to other guys or to the opponent; yet I know that sometimes that does occur.

COACH WILLINGHAM: That has not been a focus of mine and I would probably say that you almost have to see it to identify which is stepping across the line.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, there's so much uncertainty in all that you are asking right there because you never know what play will pressure what player to be in the position to make the correct play. But what we have done is really been fortunate to have a group of young men that are eager to be successful and I keep going back to that because there are a lot of places that people want to point to or direct you to when you are having success, but I think you, first of all, have to start with the players and we have been blessed that these young men want to be successful and have worked very hard at being successful since the time that I have arrived.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, I think you just have to look as deep as you can into a young person's background and try to find as many of those things that you believe are characteristics of winners and sometimes it's some unnoticed things that you might notice in his profile or in his background that can tell you that this guy can be a success.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I think it is critical because I believe that the most difficult points in life you revert back to who you are best. If you have character at those moments, then you usually stand tall at most of those tests. But if you don't have genuine character then the level you revert back to is less than that so therefore I think it gives you less of an opportunity to be successful.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Well, I think in this case both teams will be very excited about the opportunity that awaits them this weekend. I know our guys will be excited. I know I am excited, so it's just a great challenge and a great opportunity.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I guess it's depends on who writes the story.

COACH WILLINGHAM: As you know I would not write the story. (Laughs).

COACH WILLINGHAM: I think I will respond that it's been excellent across the country. I think Notre Dame's name, history and tradition has always played very well in almost every sector of this country and we are fortunate right now that we are riding, I guess, a high wave, but at the same time Notre Dame has always been at that level that has been very attractive to young men and their families.

COACH WILLINGHAM: I hope so. As I say, I am probably the last to know that. But I think it has been more about the overall program and less about Tyrone Willingham.

COACH WILLINGHAM: First thing is I hope No. 1, I can be successful because that means I will hopefully have a chance to coach this team next year, so that's No. 1. No. 2, it is unfortunate that we, in almost any culture, stereotype a certain group. Unfortunately, I am dealing with it. We have to deal with it. That's a part of it. So if I can have some impact in helping change that, then I am delighted to do so. But the focus has always been and will always be that what you bring to the table for the young people in your program. That's who all this is about. So it's not about Tyrone Willingham, African American, minority, et cetera, those all play a part, but the focus should be on these young men.

COACH WILLINGHAM: Zach is obviously one of our backups. He's not seen a lot of time this year. But he seems to be starting to gain confidence in the system and starting to learn a little bit more about it each week.

COACH WILLINGHAM: That's a difficult one because he's right now just a solid guy for us. There's nothing exceptional in any area; yet at the same time, nothing terribly deficient. He's behind, I think, some very good players in Milligan and Mahan and he's just waiting his time. .

COACH WILLINGHAM: I am not sure. Possibly could have, but I am not sure.

COACH WILLINGHAM: He seems to have a certain amount of patience to him, and a certain amount of toughness to him as a quarterback and those are some, I think, good qualities to have because (1) it means he will probably stay pat and execute their system and yet when things get difficult he will stand tall and be the kind of leader that they need.

JEFF FAINE: Basically it's almost like a communications major at other colleges. It gives you a broader range of possibilities to do after college and I am just looking forward to just exploring some possibilities of maybe in broadcasting, maybe getting behind the scenes in that area.

JEFF FAINE: Yes.

JEFF FAINE: Growing up it was the team to beat. It was the team to be on, a team of Florida, the Florida Gators came along near the end of the 90s, but I think in the early 90s, especially, the dominance of Florida State and through the 90s, in fact, just a real dominant team; very, very intimidating at times. I mean, a great defense, you know, they had a great offense, it was just a great team.

JEFF FAINE: I think so. I think they, you know, could be looked as you are going to Tallahassee, it's almost a very certain thing that you are going to lose, but I think, you know, especially in the recent years, it's been kind of proven that you can go there and win.

JEFF FAINE: He's done a great job. He's done a lot of growing up this off-season and during preseason as well. He's stepped in and done very well for us. And he's going to continue to work and continue to work in there, and he's doing a great job. He's real mature for his age and I think he's going to be a great guard.

JEFF FAINE: Definitely; especially from opening camp, freshman year, he seemed to have a little more bite than the rest of the years, a little tougher and a little more competitiveness.

JEFF FAINE: Yes.

JEFF FAINE: Growing up, I mean, it was kind of one of those things, you know, it was kind of my childhood team, kind of my favorite growing up, but during recruiting and everything, kind of lost the thrill and came up here.

JEFF FAINE: Yeah, it wasn't as appealing for me personally as it was as Notre Dame is.

JEFF FAINE: Yeah, I went to Florida/Florida State game my senior year, and I mean, it was everything it's cracked up to be and Florida/Florida State with that rivalry. I had a great time.

JEFF FAINE: Very exciting to go back to the home state and play against a team that, you know, I grew up really looking and it's going to be a great experience. I am really excited to get back home and play in front of Florida.

JEFF FAINE: I think the offensive line is starting to gel a lot better now as the season's gone on. I think that's characteristic of most offensive lines. But I think especially with the younger guys coming in, Stevenson coming in, it's starting to gel a little better, starting to give some guys looks and running a lot smoother.

JEFF FAINE: Yeah, he's kind of referring to the way they were playing us in Pittsburgh, it was kind of similar the way Air Force was going to play us with the slants and angles. Against Pittsburgh we played on our heals a little tentative, didn't play exactly how we wanted to play. Air Force, we kind of just let it rip and just ran out there and just played our game, came off the ball, and kind of dictated what we wanted to happen instead of sitting back and waiting to see what they did.

JEFF FAINE: No. Coming into the season we were supposed to lose 7 games, so it doesn't shock me. Most people that go to Tallahassee are underdogs. It is a tough place to play, but I mean, that's not going to matter with our preparation. We just got to go out there and play our game.

JEFF FAINE: No. It really -- I mean, in a way I kind of expect it. It's kind of one of those things you kind of get used to, just got to go out there and keep playing.

JEFF FAINE: It's pretty alive. The crowd gets into it. They do a great job of pepping the crowd up before the game. The team just kind of lives off the crowd and they kind of go hand-and-hand and growing on each other. But I mean -- I think it is a tough place to play because a lot of teams have gone in there supposedly to win and come out with a loss. It's been proven that it's a tough place to play.

JEFF FAINE: I think having experience in places like Tennessee and Nebraska is going to help. But personally I have never been there as a player on the field and had to deal with the crowd, so be honest with you I don't know how it's going to stack up against the Nebraskas and the Tennessees, but I think it's going to be a tough place to play. I think having experienced playing at tough places to play like Nebraska and Tennessee is going to help. I don't know how it's going to pan out though.

JEFF FAINE: Oh, definitely. It's just seems -- student body is real upbeat and kind of, you know, it's our team now; everybody has kind of taken ownership about it. It's a great thing. It's great to feed off with the students and the students are really getting pumped up about it, and the overall community too, as well, you know, you got people saying, good luck and people saying, you know, go get 'em and all this, and it's kind of the -- people really expect us to go out there and win. In the past, never really heard that, never really heard go win, go beat 'em. And the good lucks and all that. It is just more of a positive attitude around campus and around the community.

JEFF FAINE: Definitely. I am still surprised everyday when we run off to the field and it is a full house. You never really lose that feeling; never really lose kind of the butterflies you get before the game. The Golden Dome and the golden helmets, all that, it never lost its pizazz. Notre Dame really speaks volumes, just I think for the overall just attitude and the overall just, you know, commitment to even though we're going in as underdogs, we still have that just fight through it, fight through it attitude.

JEFF FAINE: I think so. I think for the simple fact that we strive to just get it done in all facets of the game - academics, football, spiritual life, everything, you know, we try to be the best at all of it.

JEFF FAINE: Definitely. I think it comes back to the offensive line too a little bit. If we got a running game going and it's going smooth, the running game, I think, it takes a little off Carlyle and the rest of the guys to get their job done and it just makes it a little easier for them. I think it's -- I think it goes hand-and-hand with that in just having other options to get done and it takes a little pressure off of Coach Diedrick and the play-calling.

JEFF FAINE: You know, my mom hates them. (Laughs) to say the least, but I mean, I don't think there's an advantage of being in tough games other than the fact that I think the better teams usually win those close games or find a way to win. I think that's a very important thing about our team is that we just seem to find a way to win, you know, whether it's passing, running, or defense stepping up big or the kicking game even. I think that might be the only thing that sets us apart is that maybe that people that win those close games, they find a way to win.

JEFF FAINE: I think Coach does a great job of not letting us kind of get caught up in the hype and get caught up in the whole picture and just kind of just focus in on this one game. I mean knowing that this game is a very important game of our season, like every game is, I mean, a loss anywhere, it could be detrimental to the season. But I mean, you can't hide from it. This is a very important game of the season so it's kind of the hump that we have got to get over to keep going and keep this thing going. And it's going to be a very important game. It's going to be a big challenge. But I think we got to focus in and focus in on this game and not just think about the total outcome of what this game is going to mean to us. We have got to concentrate on each play and getting each play done the right way.

JEFF FAINE: I think what really happened was that the Golden Dome just shined a little brighter than Florida State's campus did. I mean, it just meant a little more to me just coming up here on the trip, I just felt at home, felt at a better spot here than I did there.

JEFF FAINE: Definitely. My mindset attacking a defensive guy is to make him think about maybe not getting up the next play and maybe just giving up. It's a philosophy I have had since I have been here; maybe even in high school is maybe making them think that this might be the wrong sport for them. (Laughter) I mean, I don't know, it's just how I feel. It's how I attack every block and it's -- I don't know where it came from. It's just in me, to want to get that done. I go until the whistle blows and sometimes a little after.

COURTNEY WATSON: Yeah, I think it's something as a team that we take -- we hold it pretty close to our vests because it's, like you said, we're undefeated and we're the higher ranked team and we're the underdogs once again. Granted down in Tallahassee is a hard place to play but I don't know if that constitutes, I don't know somebody said 10 or 11 points. You take it as a bit of disrespect, so..

COURTNEY WATSON: Who knows. I don't know. All I know is that it helps us get more motivated towards the game and it isn't like we don't have enough motivation already to want to beat Florida State at home but it definitely adds to it.

COURTNEY WATSON: Yeah, I was recruited there a little bit. I never really considered many other schools down in Florida or down in that area just because that isn't really what I wanted for college. So I never really went to a game there. I was a huge fan growing up as a kid, as most kids are, in Florida. But yeah, it kind of just, as I got older, it wasn't as big of a deal anymore.

COURTNEY WATSON: I think there's value in it in the fact that you have confidence that you can win close games. If you have never been in an overtime game you are going to play your first overtime game you may not be as confident as the team you are playing against if they played in five. I think in that aspect it helps a lot. I think it helps from a coaching standpoint because the coaches are a little bit more comfortable since they have been in these situations more and more. As far as on the field play, I don't know how much of a difference that makes, but at least psychologically it makes a difference.

COURTNEY WATSON: I think it's easier to come out of dealing with the option to dealing with something more conventional. I think it would be a lot harder if we were going into like a team playing like Air Force, so I think it's easier, to answer your question, I think it's easier to come out of it and prepare for a basic conventional offense that Florida State runs.

COURTNEY WATSON: Obviously it boosts it to be able to go in and stop the number one rushing team in the country. I think we held them to less than over 200 yards below what they average. So that's a huge boost; especially for our run defense which is already playing well already. I think that game, part of our defense, has given us more confidence when we go into this game because we know they are coming in with their running back and the mentality of the offense that they want to run the ball. They want to set up the pass by using their running game which has been going pretty well this year for them.

COURTNEY WATSON: Yeah. You love to play against something -- it's fun play against option on Saturday. It's not fun preparing for it at all. It is a lot funner leaving it behind so you can prepare for something more traditional; having a passing quarterback and the receivers who actually catch the ball and stuff like that.

COURTNEY WATSON: I wouldn't say I was surprised because we know that we have a great defense that we can do great things, but we haven't been able to put together a 4-quarter game like that since probably the Maryland game, so that was just a big deal for us, and to put together 4 quarters of good solid defense and that was the biggest thing. I wouldn't say surprised because we expect to go out and play great on defense every game.

COURTNEY WATSON: It means a lot to me. I think it's a credit of our defense and our team. Obviously when you win, your teammates are doing well, you get more recognition as an individual. I think it's more of a credit to our defensive linemen and the secondary and our coaching staff.

COURTNEY WATSON: Big back, pretty quick in the hole and he finishes his runs pretty well. He's not normally tackled by one guy; he normally breaks the tackle and he's a really hard runner. He doesn't go down very easily. He runs very well for the size that he is. And he uses his weight very well. There's some guys who are big and still kind of fall easy; don't think that tough, but I don't think that is the case with him.

COURTNEY WATSON: He's similar because -- he's going to be a focal point of their offense. He carries himself on the field, he is a very determined runner. He's a hard runner, and a lot of times throughout the season, he's put the offense on his back. Those, I think, are lot of the similarities that those other running backs that you mentioned had when they were in college.

COURTNEY WATSON: I have had a lot but I had to turn down a lot too because there's a lot of people coming to this game for my teammates too. It's only going to be really, really close (inaudible) to be able to come this game.

COURTNEY WATSON: I think it's different like Jeff mentioned before about the way the students and faculty and everybody around Notre Dame, just embraces the team now. It's now their team and before when we weren't doing as well, it didn't seemed to be that same way, so right now it seems like we're everybody's little baby right now and everybody is doing their part to make us be successful in what we're doing. I think the community is just -- there's just a lot more excitement around the city now when it's time for a home game or when we are leaving we get wished good luck from people.

COURTNEY WATSON: Definitely. When you come here as a student or a football player or basketball player or coach you come here because of the history and tradition and you want to be a part of that history and tradition when you leave here. So as a guy being recruited and coming here that is something that you are sold on; that's something that you believe in, ideally that's why you come here because that's something you want to be a part of. You don't want to be a part of the years when no one speaks about, you don't want to be a part of the years when you go 5 and 7 or whatever. Yeah, I think it was hard to feel like you were letting down the history and tradition of Notre Dame.

COURTNEY WATSON: I think the initial impression of Coach was that he was very organized and determined at his goals and what his goals were that he wanted to achieve and that has carried over to our team. We have become a team that pays attention to the little things. I think that's something that we lacked before in the past; that we let some of the little things go and in the end those are the things that separates a winner from a loser or a one-point ballgame to a two-point ball game. I think those are the things that we missed and we have those now and those are a big part of the reason why we're winning.

COURTNEY WATSON: It helped that we went 2 and 0. It would have been a lot worse if we started with 0 and 2 or 1 and 1. Just like you said it was obviously a trying time for myself, putting a lot of work in over the summer and through the winter conditioning and spring to prepare for the season and prepare for what you thought would be a great season, your campaign and to get sick two days before the game or whatever, it was hard to deal with. But it turned out to be a good thing. We got some experienced linebacker and I guess I got well rested. Spent a lot of time in bed but in the end I think it's all for the best and we're winning now so...

COURTNEY WATSON: I don't know. I really don't know how to answer that question. You can look at it and say well, he was a coach that won with not the best talent in the country. But I don't know. I don't know how to really answer that question. I don't know if that was necessarily my thought coming into the situation.

COURTNEY WATSON: At the time, no. You hear different things, what they are going through; what you are going through, the whole process of finding a coach, the rumors of what kind of coach is he; is he is a player's coach; is he a military-type coach, leader like that. I don't know. You kind of heard different things about Coach -- yeah, I don't know. It working out great right now; that's all that matters.

COURTNEY WATSON: It definitely doesn't put smiles on their faces. But, yeah.