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UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 3, 2011

Bryan Harsin

Q. For background purposes, who called the Statue of Liberty play?
COACH HARSIN: The entire team. In that particular game, that was something that we had in that we tried to get to in the fourth quarter, and could never get in the right position. We had talked about it so much in the second half that it was really everybody that was no choice. That's what we were going to do in that situation, and fortunately worked.

Q. A lot of talk today, the two-on-one ratio -- looks like on paper a pound-it-out team. Is that the philosophy, to run the ball first no matter how do you it?
COACH HARSIN: We want to run the football. That's the one thing that we believe, that if you can run the ball, everything gets a lot easier when you can do that, when you have the run game to rely on.
Our mentality is run the ball, however we can do that, whatever formation that is, we want to try to get that done and we have been able to do those things and I think we have been fairly productive in the run game. We have the opportunity to get better in those areas but just philosophy-wise, yeah.

Q. I know that it's been several years, but one of the things that Oklahoma fans think of when they think of Texas -- -- do you think that was a game that put you on the map?
COACH HARSIN: I think for Boise State at that time in our program, being in the BCS helped us tremendously. Obviously the way the game went and winning that game was huge for Boise State and our program and the Boise State program at the time.
So that was -- at that time, that was a very good football team that we had at Boise and we played a very good football team at Oklahoma and it was just a tremendous game, and the way it always worked out with everything from the end ever the game, just so many different storylines that went into that game it was tremendous.
It was tremendous for Boise State at the time. That's obviously special to Boise State and the program at that point, and a lot has changed since then and you know that was a good memory at that time.

Q. Is that the most fun game you've ever been a part of?
COACH HARSIN: It was a fun game, just because, not so much that game in particular but the process to get there, the entire team and playing a team like Oklahoma for Boise State was huge. And everything that led up to that game and all of the storylines that no one ever got to see that we got to experience was the reason why it made it special.

Q. Inaudible -- how do you go about it?
COACH HARSIN: It's the same philosophy we've had in the first four games with our quarterbacks, let's take care of the football, not put ourselves in a bad situation and all of those guys 11; and it's the coaching points you use in every single game and that's what you have to do.
We have a process and formula leading up to this game and we'll continue to use that same process and formula going into this game and each week we have to find a way to get better and better. This is no different this week. Go in there and play your game, and that's what those guys need to focus on. They need to focus on preparing themselves for this game and being mentally ready to go.

Q. Do you think that you have to address all of the hype?
COACH HARSIN: I think you do. It's something that you've got to, like any travel game or going to an opponent's stadium. We have to handle distractions and that's one thing we talk about and this is no different.
Obviously there will be more around this than the previous games we have been in on the road. We will address that with the team. We will talk about that. I think they understand that. But you know, we make a point of it that we are there to do our best to play and to avoid those things and not get caught up in that; and leading up into the game, and while you're in Dallas, as well.

Q. Going back to the Fiesta Bowl game, how many times would you say you've heard from Texas fans, whether it be immediately after the game or when you first came to interview for the job that you now have, maybe almost thanking you for that, just how much they it liked seeing that, not only Boise State beating Oklahoma, but the manner you did it, with trick plays and all that.
COACH HARSIN: I've heard those things and obviously I know about the rivalry between the two teams and things like that and like any rivalries, somebody wants their team to beat their rival game and their rival opponent.
So that's been -- I've heard that but you know, like I said, that was a long time ago and different scenario, different time, different game, and it was fun at the time. But we are focused on this one now.

Q. Obviously your objective is to win a football game but is there a moment you'll take to take in the rivalry and the fans?
COACH HARSIN: I think you have to, and all of the guys, as well, just the ambiance of being there at the stadium and everything that's going on around it; and that's part of college football, that's something that you want to take in as a player, as a coach, because those are opportunities you get only so often.
I know that this game is a special game and that's part of that process going into this type of game. That's not a distraction doing that. That's just taking it all in and enjoying it for what it is, college football, and having two great teams that are undefeated playing each other and going out there and playing your very best.

Q. Inaudible.
COACH HARSIN: They do a lot of things. One, they have got 11 guys out there all the time that are very good football players but they do a lot of things schematically, they move around, they very well coached from the front end to the back end. They know exactly what they are doing. They communicate well with each other.
It's just a well-oiled machine as far as the defense goes, and I've been impressed watching their film and what they have done. And they have been successful for a long time for a reason and they have got a great staff and great players and they have bought into what they are doing.

Q. Can you touch on Landry and the formation?
COACH HARSIN: You know, like the rest of their guys, I think he's a special player because of the other ten guys around him as well and he makes them look good as well. They really complement each other to be honest with you. He flies around and he has one speed, and that's full.
You can tell that he's studied up on his opponents and you see him out there when he sees a tendency that the offense has, he's ready to go exploit that, but like the rest of the guys on the field, they complement each other and they play hard and that's what makes them tough.

Q. What do you do as an offense?
COACH HARSIN: We have got to play fast. They play fast, we have to play fast. We have to take care of the football and take advantage of our opportunities. If there's a window there or a one-on-one match up, we have to find one; and they don't give you that very often. But when there is, we have to find a way to exploit that and take advantage of it, and that's what you do in those big-time games.
There's going to be little opportunities in there and when they are, that's what you have to take advantage of. And so we have got to find a way to get that done.

Q. When Coach Brown brought you in, was it simply because of your offensive expertise, or he wanted a new attitude; was there anything extraneous?
COACH HARSIN: Just the whole process of a staff change, for example, there was a lot of things, just not from the offense and defense. Some philosophies and things that coaches from other programs that had some success would bring.
And he's been great about what ideas do we have, not just O and D, but what ideas do you have practice-wise, scheduling. And there's a lot of other things that go into it rather than just the philosophies on offense and defense.
That's great, and we have hashed it out, the staff, and things we have done, different staffs that have been good. And we have kind of come up with the formula we have right now. It's still a work-in-process and it's something that we feel good about and we will continue to build on it.

Q. Inaudible.
COACH HARSIN: We have no choice. Yeah, you know, I think we still as we look -- we are still very critical about ourselves when we go back and watch tape of what we can do better, and every game is going to be that way. There's not a perfect game on offense or on defense.
What we talk about is just preparing ourselves correctly, making sure that we have seen the looks we need to see, making sure we practice the way we need to practice so that we can go into that game and feel confident about -- we have prepared ourselves to play the very best we can. And if we go do that, and we get beat, we can go over there and shake their hand and say congratulations, you guys, you outplayed us. That's what we want to make sure, we go into every game with our very best and play our very best, and that's our focus.

Q. The missed opportunities from Saturday, what did you learn from early in the red zone on Saturday and maybe some of the third down missed opportunities, what did you learn?
COACH HARSIN: You know, just going back and some of those third downs obviously go back and analyze that. We had opportunities there. We had guys that were open.
It's just a matter of just sticking with our progressions, sticking with what we thought would be there. And in the red zone, the biggest thing is our defense was playing so well and they got us turnovers. We had some turnovers in the red zone.
We had that short field and we have to find a way to capitalize and just that sudden mentality to a sudden change, we are in the red zone, we have to get in, we have to score. That's as much as anything, just the mentality of, look where we are and get out there and ready to go compete right away. We'll work on that this week in practice.

Q. Needing to step up, does it worry you about --
COACH HARSIN: It happened in practice. It didn't happen in the game, and not because of lack of effort by any of those guys that were in there. Probably by some play designs, play call, those type of things.
Those guys that we needed to step newspaper practice last week did, and we'll expect that again this week. And the outcome of the game could be different; they take away Shipley and Mike, and those other guys, we felt like if that was going to happen, they were going to be able to step up and make plays, and that will be no different this week in practice. And depending how the game goes, we'll see what happens in the game.

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