TCU Spring Game Quotes: Gary Patterson
TCU held their annual spring game Saturday afternoon. Nathan DeWitt and I were on hand for the press conference with Gary Patterson after the game. Here’s the full transcript:
His overall assessment of the scrimmage: “Its just another practice for us. Offensively we can hurt ourselves. I told the officials to call it really tightly today. Defensively, you have to make plays. I told them perception is reality. We have to be a more consistent offense. Everyone wants to talk about the quarterback, but we have to grow up the offensive linemen, especially at tackle and it really showed today. Defensively we worked on depth.”
On the performance of his defense: “You know the great thing about the defense today was that this was the first time in 14 years here that we didn’t have a safety who had ever played in a ballgame. We had 5 seniors starters graduate and two who didn’t play today due to injury. I was very excited about how they played and how they communicated.”
On true Freshman linebacker Deryck Gildon and his interception return for a touchdown: “Deryck is a true freshman. Head coaches, you know, its always have a plus and a minus. I was excited for the touchdown but not excited Matt Brown threw the interception. Head coaches never get a chance to say ‘hey this is a great day’. My version of a perfect day would have been everybody doing what they’re supposed to and the only reason we got a big play is because some one made a big play, not because someone screwed something up.”
On the play of his two quarterbacks — Casey Pachall and Matt Brown — and why nothing surprises him anymore: “The quarterbacks have managed the game. Its like Andy Dalton. Everyone’s surprised he keeps rising in the draft, but its not surprising to me. He’s got a great mental compass and he’s got a sponge for a brain and a quick release. Its everybody else’s job to figure out who’s a great player. They don’t listen to me anyway. If the guy manages the game, throws the ball where he needs to and hands it off he’ll keep progressing. The negative is that we only have two scholarship quarterbacks out here. The positive is that they’re getting all the reps. That means we’re growing up. For us, we’ve got guys who have been here all spring taking all the reps and doing all the things we need them to.”
On what Saturday’s scrimmage and the rest of the spring practices will mean in the long run: “This is only 15 practices. We’ll have 15 practices in the first seven days in two-a-days. We always take spring ball as the first 15 days of two-a-days when we can really grow up and move people around, and we’ve been doing that. So for the next three practices next week, what we’ll do is we’ll really bang around again on Tuesday and Thursday we’ll start working on Air force and Baylor and get ready to play.”
On what him and his coaching staff need to do to improve the group they have now: “We’ve got to grow up the younger players and make them what we want them to be. At some positions weve got a long way to go. It’s been a lot more fun for me every day. It’s how to I go up and teach a freshman how to grow up and be a Senior.”
On why he thinks his defensive line is playing better now than they were at this point last year: “I think D.J. Yendrey is playing better than Corey Grant. I think that Braylon (Broughton) against the run and physically, is playing better than Wayne Daniels. And Maponga is Maponga. You’ve gotta keep moving forward. Its amazing what a little competition can do.”