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UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MEDIA CONFERENCENovember 21, 2011Blaine IrbyQ.  I know you didn't really know much about the A&M/Texas thing, but I think you're a Texan now. What does this game mean to you and how sad is it? BLAINE IRBY: You know, I remember growing up watching this game, and I know I was‑‑ I didn't grow up as‑‑ I grew up with the Arizona State/U of A rivalry. I remember watching this game still, and there's a lot of tradition and it's just crazy how this is going to be the last one. So it's kind of a special meaning for all of us. I think we're kind of‑‑ this practice and yesterday, we talked with the team, and we're just excited to be here. It's crazy how this tradition and this rivalry is coming to an end. Q. How bad do you need to win this game so you can tell your kids, your grandkids and their grandkids you beat them for the last time? BLAINE IRBY: Yeah, it's a pretty important game. Not only is it A&M but it's our next game, and so it's our biggest rival. You know, we're excited to be here. We're excited about the position that we're in right now. We think this week is going to be‑‑ it's a quick week, so we're going to have to get after it pretty quick. Q. What do you like about this game, especially just the atmosphere and the memories both here and there? BLAINE IRBY: The thing I love about it, I love going over to College Station and playing in Kyle Field. They have great tradition over there and their fans go crazy. Very hostile environment. I mean, I think that's the reason why a lot of us play football is for games like these. Even when A&M comes over here, our crowd is the loudest it's ever been. My first game was when we went to A&M and we lost 28‑20, and I don't think I've played an A&M game there since then. So I'm excited about this. I'm excited that we get to go over there and play them. Q. Emmanuel talked about the need to start fast defensively and keep the A&M offense from getting hot in the first half. How important is it for you guys to try to develop some offensive rhythm to try to help that out? BLAINE IRBY: Yeah, you know, defense these last couple games, defense has been playing unbelievable, and as an offense we haven't been able to really help them out and put points on the board. You know, it's real important that we start out fast. I think when it came down to the last couple games our offense has been struggling, it just came down to little details. Every play we'll miss‑‑ one guy will miss a block or one guy will go the wrong way on a protection, and it trickled down during the whole game where it was just like that. We've got to just worry about the techniques and just the little things during the game, and I think we'll be fine. Q. If Case does get to start, do you think he's ready? BLAINE IRBY: For the atmosphere and all that? Q. Yeah. BLAINE IRBY: Yeah, I think Case‑‑ Case has got a sense of confidence that‑‑ I don't know how he gets it, but whenever he comes in the game, during the year I remember‑‑ even this last game when he came in, he just had a calm state of mind, and I think that's what you need at quarterback. I think both our quarterbacks just have to understand they don't have to do too much. They have ten other guys on the field that are trying to do the same thing that they're trying to do; they're trying to go score. They just need to calm down and just play the game. They've been playing their whole lives, so they need to just have fun with it. Q. Were you surprised that Case didn't seem to have a loss of confidence after not really playing for four weeks? BLAINE IRBY: No. I think Case is just one of those guys that he just loves the game of football. He's a great quarterback. He throws the ball really well. During practice, I mean, we see him getting practice reps, and it's just like the first team. So I think that's where really our quarterbacks gain their confidence is in practice and obviously through experience with the games. Even if Case hasn't played in a lot of the games in the past, he's getting just as many reps in practice. Q. I'm sure that being a senior you try to remember each game pretty well because you don't have a lot of these left. Do you think you're going to go into Kyle Field on Thursday and take it in a little bit more just because it is the last one and one of your last, as well? BLAINE IRBY: Yeah, definitely. I think it's going to be a game that we're all probably going to remember for the rest of our lives. It's going to be the last time that Texas is going to be playing in Kyle Field, and it's going to be the last time between this great rivalry. We don't want to be the beat here at UT that loses the last game, so we're going to go out there, and defense just needs to keep on doing what they're doing. They've been busting their butts the last couple games and they've been playing really well, so as an offense we've got to step it up and really get after it. Q. Do you feel like you've been watching your quarterbacks grow up the past few weeks and going through some growing pains? BLAINE IRBY: I think it's been like that since camp. Both these guys are young quarterbacks, and especially when Garrett decided to leave and these guys had to step up, you just‑‑ you saw it in the off‑season, you saw it during summer workouts, these guys have been growing up like crazy just because of the experiences that they're really going through. Prime example is we have a successful day at UCLA and at Iowa State and a couple weeks later we play against OU and then Oklahoma State. They're learning. They're learning fast. So we just have to take advantage of these moments right now and just improve on things that we need to improve as an offense. It's really just the little things that we need to improve on, and so everyone just has to do their job and not try and do too much. Q. Is it tough on you as an older guy watching these young guys make their mistakes and trying to learn? BLAINE IRBY: It's just the way the game is. You watch quarterbacks like Vince Young and Colt when they were freshmen and sophomores, they had some tough years. So you know, both these quarterbacks are going to be great, and it's a process, and they're not just going to come in and tear it up right away. I still have the utmost confidence in both of these quarterbacks. They can play really well. Sometimes they get a little excited, and that's what the ten of us other guys are there for, to kind of calm them down and talk to them. But yeah, as the year goes on, it's a learning process for them. Q. Do you have a favorite Thanksgiving meal, food? BLAINE IRBY: Homemade mashed potatoes definitely that my mom made. A lot better than that instant mashed potato stuff.            FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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