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UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MEDIA CONFERENCENovember 28, 2011Emmanuel AchoQ.  Coach said that one of your assignments this week was to watch that Tech and Baylor game. If you liked the Alabama/LSU game, I'm guessing you probably didn't like the Tech and Baylor game? EMMANUEL ACHO: It was just‑‑ I don't know if there were defenses on the field, but it was fun to watch, I guess. It was high scoring. You know, both of those are great offensive teams, and they pride themselves on their offenses, and kind of myself as a defensive player, I definitely pride myself on our defensive performance every week. Got to go to work on film study and make sure we execute well because we're able to see what they can do and what Baylor is capable of. Q. What is different about Robert Griffin even in seeing him last year to this year? EMMANUEL ACHO: He's a much more complete passer. I don't think people give him enough credit for how good a thrower he is. That's something that we are not taking lightly. We have to be low on our coverage, but at the same time we have to be balanced in our pass rush lanes to not let him escape. Q. Have you come off the high yet? EMMANUEL ACHO: I mean, I have to because we have‑‑ had a 72‑hour rule. Q. I mean, that's got to be tough‑‑ EMMANUEL ACHO: I'm going to go back on it on December 4th. But right now I'm off cloud nine and back on earth. Q. Maybe not carrying over the emotion but some of the momentum, does that carry over at all? EMMANUEL ACHO: I think that we're just‑‑ obviously with what we're capable of as a defense, getting our hands on the ball, finally getting the turnovers, we're able to see how that affects the game. We had great defensive performances two weeks prior at Missouri and Kansas State, or solid defensive performances, but we don't get the turnovers in either of those games. This game we get the turnovers, we set up our offense in good field position, and you see the outcome. When we're able to see firsthand, it's no longer words of what will happen if you get the turnovers, it's now firsthand knowledge. Q. Talk about the linebackers going up against a running back that is that big. EMMANUEL ACHO: Yeah, I mean, I said I'm going to have to get on the squat rack this week, hit an extra set or so. But it's exciting. I love seeing different attributes of different players. You always want to face something different to just test your skills at all levels. He's a load. He's a great back, I think, 17th in the nation with yards per gain rushing, so credit to him, and it'll be a good match. Q. With the defense is it just kind of a matter of time getting used to Manny's system and figuring it out? EMMANUEL ACHO: I think it's all per position. Our defensive line is now clearly starting to click, the pressures, the sacks, all those things are coming, the tackles for loss are starting to get there, the linebackers, Keenan and myself, really starting to get comfortable, and the secondary is most of it with their interceptions and just their knack for finding the ball. It's all coming together. Q. Was that a matter of playing games together? You went through it for all the off‑season trying to learn the defense and everything you wanted, but was it just a matter of getting in games? EMMANUEL ACHO: Yeah, you've got to get the game reps. It's one thing to see the Xs and the Os on paper, but it's another thing to see those objects moving when the X becomes Jeff Fuller, when the X becomes a real person, Ryan Tannehill, it's a completely different thing. So I'm finally starting to get comfortable, and I'm happy for the guys in the future with this team, and also it's no better time than now. Q. Why would it be important to win this last game? EMMANUEL ACHO: Really because it gets us our eighth win. Again, they're an in‑state team which you always want to win those, because you have to hear from those people most. But just trying to get the eighth win. I'm trying to continue a good thing that we have going here, and really just build on this momentum we built last game. Q. I was asking Blake, obviously Griffin is in the Heisman hunt, and you don't want him to have his Heisman moment against this defense, do you? EMMANUEL ACHO: Don't plan on that happening, and I'm not a fortune teller, but I don't foresee that happening. We're going to do our best. Words only mean so much, but that's why we have to get in the film room this week. We have to prepare well this week to make sure that he doesn't win the Heisman against Texas. I'm not trying to watch highlights of myself‑‑ or lowlights of myself with him throwing the ball over my head and all that, so I've got to prepare well and we have to prepare well as a defense this week to make sure it doesn't happen. Q. Blake has had a 50 starts. What does that mean to your defense, and what do you think about that? EMMANUEL ACHO: I mean, it means he's old, and it also means that‑‑ Blake is a tough guy, and to have 50 starts means you're staying healthy, you're doing all the little things right to make sure you stay healthy and it also means he's a heck of a player, to be able to start from day one, so all credit to Blake. And proud of him, proud for him, happy for him, and that's way too many starts. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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