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UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MEDIA CONFERENCEOctober 3, 2011Blake GideonQ. Blake, at 4-0, is Texas football back? BLAKE GIDEON: I would better answer at the end of the season. Four wins, in the old scheme of things, if we don't win another game from here on out, it's not going to get you much. It's not going to get you into a Bowl game. All I can say is we have done our job from here or up to this point. So from here on out we need to keep executing one week at a time. Q. Do you think OU -- offense -- BLAKE GIDEON: I think we have done everything we can, four games, to prepare ourselves for a fifth game, whatever that may be. Now it's just going to be our job to go back to work tomorrow and prepare like we have the first four games. Q. They are one of the best in the country, though, what do you know about that them and what do you have figured out? BLAKE GIDEON: Same offense we have faced every year. They are really not going to try to hide anything or disguise anything, try to fool you with any kind of scheme. It's going to be up-tempo and they are going to change tempo throughout the game. They are very good at what they do. They have the same amount of playmakers, any time you're going up against a program like Oklahoma, they just rebuild every year and reload. It really does not matter what names are on the back of the jerseys. It's going to be the same calibre of players. Q. How much has Landry improved? BLAKE GIDEON: Well, obviously he's gotten a lot better; to be able to get thrown in the fire against us really in the Red River game to now being one of the best quarterbacks in the country and Heisman Trophy contender, obviously he's improved every game, and I think any time he's on the field, he gives them a chance to win. Q. There's a lot of talk about the offense here, but tell us about the defense, how do you feel you guys can compete, like a grade, four games in? BLAKE GIDEON: For our defense, I don't know, it's not really my job to grade -- I'm really dreading the grades every time they come out Sunday morning from our coaches. I don't know, maybe a C. I think there's so many things -- I say C, because that's still passing, because we are still undefeated. But at the same time, you can get so much better. There's so many things that we can do better that could really send us over the top, and I mean, it's just when you're done improving, you're done. That's something we always live by. And you know, there's just so many ways we can get better; there's no other way I can describe it. Q. Said that you guys have been doing stuff to prepare for OU, not a typical offense, drills; can you talk about what you are doing for that? BLAKE GIDEON: We have drills every day in practice, with all of the up-tempo teams we have seen in the Big 12 to where it's just all about getting lined up. We are all starting at different points on the field, simulating making a tackle, making a play, and then we are going to circle back to our spot. We are going to get going on the sideline a lot in less than ten seconds. So we are taking the fastest possible time that the offense can line up and run the play, and we are lining up to it, and that's all the drill is, is just lining up. So I think you can neutralize a lot of that stuff just by lining up, because the thing about fast-tempo offenses, you are not going to be very complex if you're running fast tempo. But it's going to be hard to run a lot of shifts and motions and complex route structures if you're running a play every three seconds or whatever. But if you get lined up and you're going to be able to neutralize a lot of that stuff, hopefully a lot of that plan will work out for us. I think last year it helped them that, whatever, 60 plays in the first half, that they kind of ran us in the ground the first half and most of the time we couldn't even get lined up and you look back at the film, we are either looking down at our wristbands or looking at the sideline for a call and trying to make adjustments. I think we are going to be better prepared this year just because we know what's coming. Q. How is it for opposing defenses to prepare for Coach Harsin? BLAKE GIDEON: I know how hard it is for us every week. I think our adjustments are actually pretty simple; so anybody that has any more complex of a system, I think it's going to be pretty tough for them to get in and out of calls and realize who all is in different positions and where the motion is coming from. A lot of stuff on film, a lot of multiple formations in plays and they have been successful. So it forces defenses to sit there and spend X amount of time or whatever preparing for it. Q. Last year going 5-7, the wake-up call the team faced; do you think that turned you around in the off-season to get ready for this year? BLAKE GIDEON: I think it started back in January. You could see the change in attitude from like you said, the head man, all the way down to us. You know, we knew things were going to be different. That started January 17 when we reported back and went through probably the toughest off-season I've ever been through in my life. And all the way through spring ball, and the toughest summer of my life. So you know, it's helped us from the start, and you know, now we are off to a great start so it's going to be important for us to maintain this consistency. Q. Both teams 4-0, Top-10, is that how it's supposed to be? BLAKE GIDEON: I think so. It definitely adds more fanfare, whatever, makes it more fun for you guys I guess when we get to the game and we are both 4-0. I think it definitely adds a little bit to it, but every year is it's own game and every year has its own team. So you know, we are excited to go out there and be able to compete and obviously it helps to be 4-0. Q. What are your favorite memories? BLAKE GIDEON: First few years obviously beating those guys was pretty fulfilling, just all of the work you put in throughout the week and seeing it pay off on Saturday. Any time you can do that against whatever team, it's going to be fulfilling. But you know, my main memories are just all of the emotions that goes into this game from the time we run out of the same tunnel and although Oklahoma fans are sending their good looks down to us, it's packed we motion and intensity and passion from start to end. Q. Are you getting emotional thinking it's going to be your last run down that tunnel? BLAKE GIDEON: I'll get emotional after the season. I mean, I've got a game to play and it's a business trip, so I've got a job to do just like ten other guys on the field. Q. Do you worry about the test that Landry will be for the young corners? They have probably not seen anyone quite like this. BLAKE GIDEON: He's one of the best quarterbacks in the country I think. That's well advertised and he's got the numbers to prove it. Everybody on their offense, they do their job, and that's really what makes them so tough to stop. It's going to be up to all of us to stay within our responsibility and as far as the young corners they have done a great job of not worrying about anyone else's job, just focusing on what they have to do and holding up on that end. Q. What do you look at after each game -- BLAKE GIDEON: You learn a little bit more about your team, about the maturity of your team. We talked last week about how maybe the young guys were going to be given a little bit of positive reinforcement of how it can negatively effect them, just being told how good they are, whatever, because they have played well. But at the same time, they are showing that they are very mature and they can handle that. It's not a four-game season or a five-game season after this game. We have to be able to maintain the same consistency for 12 games. Q. How has the offense -- BLAKE GIDEON: First of all you can tell that Landry and him have spent time throughout the summer and throughout spring ball, whatever. They have spent time together throwing the ball, getting each other's timing down and they have a rhythm between them. I think the other thing about Ryan is that even if you have perfect coverage on him, he's still a viable option in the throwing game. His ability to adjust to the ball on the fly is unlike anybody else in the country and like I said, if you have him covered, then that doesn't mean he's out of the play. Q. Just the irony that in this match-up of two programs that can pretty much get anybody that they want to play for their universe yet there's still room for a guy that come out of nowhere, a walk-on. BLAKE GIDEON: He does his job, and I feel like anybody could really run behind their offensive line. They are very good up front and very sound in their blocking, so, you know, he takes what a defense gives him and then gets a little bit more once he makes contact. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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