DECK THE HALLS
Less than a week before the Holiday Bowl and the end of another season.
I'll be back after that game to finish up stats and such, but right now Christmas time is near and calling eagerly.
While you wait for the game, here are a few of the recent comments from Colt McCoy from mackbrown-texasfootball.com.
On how all positions are open for the taking: Coach Brown said that all positions are open and everybody has been fighting for their job and for their spot. It's made practice pretty interesting and fun. We've definitely gotten after it and we've had some really tough practices. They've all been at 6:00 in the morning, but they have been really effective. Coach Brown challenged us to be accountable and he challenged us to play better and to play with passion and be more excited about your work and what you do. I think that has really hit home. I don't know why it hasn't been like that all year, but I know that things have changed and that everything is happening for the better for us right now.
On the N.O.S.'s during practice: It really is effective. We have done similar things but this has worked really well. When Coach Brown challenged us about accountability, we realized you have to be accountable to your teammates, your team and this program. I think it's really made guys step up. It's helped us come together more as a team and understand that each player has to do their job to make this team the best that it can be.
On rebounding after a loss: When you talk about ups and downs, that's kind of how our season has been for this team all year long. We haven't played as consistent in the first three quarters, and then we come out and play outstanding in the fourth quarter. We've got to figure out what has made us not do that and why we haven't played as well as we should've been. We obviously know that we can, we just have to go out there and do it, and that's what we've been working on every week since we started our six or seven practices. We know it's possible and we know we can play well. We know that when we play well, we are hard to beat. We've just got to be more effective, play with more passion and be more consistent. Obviously, we want that to happen against Arizona State and we are working towards that and we're excited about the opportunity to play again.
On the Sun Devils: They're pretty tough. They are pretty big, they play in the Pac-10 where they were co-champs, and I know their defense is really aggressive and big up front. Their secondary doesn't give up any big plays, and very rarely do they give up deep balls. They're going to be tough and challenging, but we like challenges and we'll be ready.
On Arizona State's safeties: The first time that I watched film, I knew they were good and they play well together. Then I looked at the depth chart and they've played there for a long time and they are experienced, especially their corners. The safeties play well with their corners. They don't make many mistakes and they are kind of like a bend but don't break kind of secondary. They're not going to give up big plays, but they're going to give you some balls underneath and you just have to take what they give you. I think the most important thing for us is to limit our turnovers. We can't turn the ball over and expect to win.
On any personal goals for the bowl game: I just want to win. That's why I play the game. I love to win and I love to play with my teammates, and I think that is the mentality that we all have. We all want to get out there and get our 10th win and that's important for this program and us.
On the importance of keeping up the 10-win season streak: It's extremely important to us and we take a lot of pride in that. Arizona State is a tough team and they are going to come out and play really hard. They have won 10 games already in the Pac-10, so you know they’re a tough opponent. But being able to get 10 wins and have the opportunity to get 10 wins is something that we're really trying to reach.
On if he feels like he has something to prove after the A&M game: I think we all have something to prove. Like I said, we had so much to play for and why we didn't play as well as we should've early on, I don't know, but that is something we're trying to figure out and trying to improve on. There are things you can do to improve, and those are what we are doing now. We all want to go out as a team and play well in our last game and come out with a victory.