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UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MEDIA CONFERENCENovember 7, 2011Emmanuel AchoQ. How hard does the last month of the season get just on your body and mentally, as well? EMMANUEL ACHO: You know, it starts to get more mentally taxing than anything else. I walked in here and I was like, I hope we're not facing another top ten offense, and surely enough, we are. So it's another week of preparation. It's another week of just fighting and grinding through it, but again, only have four guaranteed games left, so I can't afford to take a day off, take a play off, so I'm excited for it. I'm going to really enjoy the next couple weeks and play through it. Q. As a defensive player, though, you've got to love going and playing a top team. EMMANUEL ACHO: It makes it more fun. It makes it -- you've got to love a challenge. Just as an athlete, as a competitor, you love a good challenge, so facing a top team like Missouri, a top offensive team like Missouri, it's just that much more fun. You have to make sure you study that much more film. You have to be locked in and practicing and got to be on your A game. Q. What have you told the younger players, if anything, about how to prepare for this last stretch? EMMANUEL ACHO: Just finish strong. Coach Diaz, he sat us down yesterday and he just made a great point. He said, you have four games left, let's just grind it out. We're right in the middle of writing this book for the season, let's write just a storybook ending. So with four games left, let's grind it out, let's see how far we can take this thing. Q. Can you explain to the common person why it's tougher on the road than home games? EMMANUEL ACHO: You know, I find it more fun on the road just because you have people yelling at you, screaming at you for no reason, and it's just that much more motivating. At home everybody is cheering for you and patting you on the back, but on the road they hate you, and it's just like, good, let's go. But on the road it's difficult because like I said, you don't have those people cheering for you, you don't have those people behind you, you only have your 70 teammates that traveled with you and the coaching staff, so you can't find support in the stands, you can only find support from within and from the sidelines. It's a little more challenging as a younger player I would say. Q. How tough does that make the last four games with three of the last four being on the road? EMMANUEL ACHO: The good thing is two of them are in state, so it'll be relatively even. But you've just got to make sure that you're mentally locked in. You have to make sure that you do all the little things right because on the road things always seem to go to the home team's way, the small things. So you have to make sure you're a dominant team. Q. You've faced Missouri now for three years and they've been heavy passing. They kind of have a different type offense this year with a running quarterback. How different is that to prepare for them? EMMANUEL ACHO: You just have to honor the run. They're not a team in the pass that you know they're strictly going to go out there and throw it 50 times for the game. You have to honor the run. I think they have the No. 5 running back in the nation, which is a credit to them, a tribute to him, and so we've got to make sure we honor that, we have to make sure we try to take away the run first and then make them one-dimensional, therefore it can just be like you're playing another passing team as opposed to letting them be dual threat. Q. Mack said he didn't point out the BCS rankings this week. Do you care at all that you're going up so fast? EMMANUEL ACHO: Not really. I mean, we just have to win. We have to keep winning, and at the end of the day, whatever it may be, December 4th, after the Baylor game, just look back and see where we are. If we can keep winning, I think good things can happen. I think all the cards will fall into place. But our job is to win, and the rankings will take care of themselves. Q. Is it nice to be back in the mix because a lot of people didn't think you would be in this position? EMMANUEL ACHO: Not necessarily because just as quick as you come in it, you can go out of it. So nothing matters on November 7th, all that matters is whatever it may be, December 10th, when those final rankings come out. So I'm worried about things right now, not worried about how the rankings look right now, I'm worried about a postseason. Q. You know all your dates, though. EMMANUEL ACHO: I have a good memory. I think it's photographic. Q. Talk about Mizzou going to the SEC. Do you expect any extra emotion? Some players don't really care. Do you care? EMMANUEL ACHO: You know, I'm indifferent. I wish them the best. I just want to send them off right (laughter), so it's going to be fun. Q. Did you watch LSU/Bama? EMMANUEL ACHO: I did. Great game. I think if you're a football fan, you loved that game. If you're just watching to say you watched, no, if you're looking for 1,000 points. But if you're just a fan the game, that was a great game to watch. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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