Oklahoma State University Athletics
Monday Football Press Conference
November 08, 1999 | Cowboy Football
Nov. 8, 1999
Head Coach Bob Simmons
On injuries to the offensive line
"We'll have an offensive line. There will be some guys who are bumped up a little bit based on the report from our trainer. We may get Adam (Davis) back. I'll find out in practice today, so I'll have a better answer. I think for the most part that we'll get him back. We may get Bryan Phillips back. It depends on the tests and what the doctors say."
On the game against Texas
"I thought we had some success moving the football. I thought we put ourselves in pretty good shape, but when you turn the ball over at those inopportune times between the quarterback and the center, it's the quarterback's technique and the center's technique that has to get corrected. I thought after the defense adjusted after that first play, they seemed to play pretty good defense. Nothing really jumps out at me, but we just need to be a little bit more consistent on offense and don't give up the big play on defense."
On motivating the team going into this weekend's game
"We have three ball games left, and that's going to be our central focus. We need to finish up every ball game. Is that hard to do? Well, I'm going to play the players that want to play. It's not the greatest season that we're having, but the kind of players that I think we have on this football team should respond."
On outsiders having an understanding of the football program
"Whether they have an understanding or not, we've crossed that road in terms of who coaches and who criticizes. I've talked to my peers around the country and when the season is not going the way that the coaches expected, there's always going to be an opinion. Obviously, when it's inside, it's going to look different that what the fans are going to see, but what you have to understand is that these players don't play to lose. All of these players want to win. Our job is to really try to get it corrected and what makes it difficult sometimes is opinions."
On the players' reaction to criticism
"The players hear it from all over. That's one thing that we have to deal with as coaches. It's easy when you're winning, but when you're making mistakes here and making mistakes there, you really want to get back on the right track. Obviously, the challenge in today's football is dealing a lot more with the outside sources than with the inside sources."
On this the game this weekend against Kansas
"Whether we're favored or not, my focus is to make sure that we play well enough. Kansas is a good football team. They have executed well in their last ball games. I saw a little bit of their Nebraska game, and I thought they played well. They played well against Baylor. This is a team that feels good about themselves. My concern is that we've just been stemming the tide on execution and not putting the ball on the ground and playing a complete ball game. Kansas is not going to come in here and roll over."
On whether or not senior day is an emotional time
"It is. Obviously, these seniors have some sentimental times here and want to go out on a winning note. At this point in time, that is still very possible. Their parents are going to be a part of their last game here in Lewis Field. Is it sentimental? Yes. Can we use that as an emotional part of the ball game? Yes. It would be good, but we have to go out and execute, and that's the bottom line."
On how hard this year has been on him
"It's really not about me. It's about this whole program. It's about our players. It's about our coaches. It's about our fans. Our expectations as long as I'm the head coach will always be high. I know that there are going to be bumps in the road. I know that when you play in this conference, you have to play at that level every week. I can't control the conditions some times. All I can try to control is what I have in front of me. I think that this program is on solid ground and what I have to make sure is that the vision stays clear in terms of what we want to get to and stay the course."
On Tony Lindsay playing in this weekend's game
"He should be. His injury was one where he got driven into the ground and got some strain on that knee, so it's going to be tolerance in terms of practice. We'll see at the end of the week."
On the defense against Texas
"Overall, I thought most of our defensive backs really played well. I think there was only blown coverage where there was some play action and I think one of our linebackers looked in the backfield and should have covered the tight end. I think (Jacoby) Shepherd played well, and I think that Alvin Porter played well. I would have liked to have seen our safety on that first drive come up and tackle Hodges Mitchell. Overall, our defensive backs were pretty good."
On OSU's last three games being win-able
"I hope that's the case. I think that we're going to sit down there and talk about those kinds of things that most coaches do at this point in the season and really try to spell out then the disappointments and what our focus should be. I like this football team. I still think that we're a good football team, although the record doesn't indicate it. My job as a coach is to get the team ready to play these last three games one at a time."
On being criticized
"Obviously, there is going to be criticism, and that's something that will be there as long as you remain a head coach of a program. I have to remain focused in terms of what I have to do."
FS Chris Massey
On playing as a freshman
"I think I've done everything possible. I've come in and done my duty as a freshman playing a backup role. I've had some great veterans to teach me in Adam Edwards and J.B. Flowers and Evan Howell. They took me in with open arms. They helped me out as much as possible and taught me all they knew through all the victories and low points they have had. They taught me to keep my head up and not to act like a freshman."
On whether or not this season was a disappointment to him
"It hasn't been a disappointment to me. It's been all that I expected. I know that wherever you go, you're going to have your high points and your low points. Right now, we have to come out of our shells and play our game. Don't worry about what other people think of us, just play. When you think about it, if we win these next three games, we could be where we want to be. We just have to come out and play and stay focused."
On this season improving his patience
"Patience is the key. Coming in as a freshman, you want to do all you can, but you have so many people out there who do just as much as you can. Patience is the key. My turn will come. Right now, I'm just helping the team wherever the coaches need me whenever possible. My role right now is to play a backup role for the defense or anywhere in the secondary."
On staying focused
"Losing is not a great thing, believe me. We just have to keep our heads up. I know our season is not going the way that we wanted it to, but we have been playing some tough teams that we thought we could beat, but we came up short. The season is far from over. We still have three more games and we're going to come out and try to finish up strong."
