TCU Head Coach Sonny Dykes talks to media ahead of Saturday's matchup with the Texas Longhorns.
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00:00 >> I look forward to playing against a really good Texas team Saturday.
00:06 And I think our guys are obviously fired up
00:11 just to get back out and play.
00:17 And so looking forward to the game and guys are preparing well and
00:21 we're gonna try to play our best game we've played all year on Saturday.
00:24 And we're certainly gonna have to play well to have a chance to win.
00:27 >> You got the depth chart, is it gonna be Josh starting on Saturday or?
00:31 >> Yeah, that's the plan right now, yeah, for sure.
00:34 I think Chandler's healthier and I think that's the big thing we're trying to do
00:39 this week is just get an evaluation on him.
00:42 And he clearly wants to play, he's excited to get back and help the team win.
00:48 And he's got a great attitude and wants to do the right thing.
00:50 I think the biggest thing that we have to do is just make sure he's healthy and
00:54 that we protect him and put him in a good situation.
00:57 >> Are you guys preparing to see two quarterbacks from Texas?
01:00 >> Yeah, I think we have to, I really do.
01:02 I mean, I think you have to prepare.
01:04 Anytime you play anybody that's got multiple quarterbacks,
01:08 you just have to prepare for both.
01:09 And the game plan probably won't be that much different
01:15 if it's one quarterback or the other, is my guess.
01:19 Just based on looking at what they've done in the past and
01:25 kind of what they've done since Malik Murphy's taken over.
01:27 So that's kind of the, we have to prepare for both.
01:33 >> This is the third or fourth week this season you've had to prepare for
01:37 two quarterbacks.
01:38 How does that impact what you do during the week?
01:40 >> Yeah, it makes it a little bit more difficult, obviously.
01:43 And I think that's just kind of the nature of college football.
01:47 And it's just you look around the league and again, starting with us,
01:52 there's been a lot of starting quarterbacks that have gone down and
01:54 a lot of backups have had to step in and play.
01:56 And it's just kind of the nature of the beast right now.
02:00 >> I know it's a different year, coach, but do you go back as a defense and
02:04 look at what y'all did last year to kind of- >> Yeah, yeah, no, we do for sure.
02:08 I'm sure we do, and I'm sure Texas does too.
02:10 I mean, that's the thing is both teams obviously have the film.
02:15 And guys really played well last year and
02:17 that's been our challenge this year, we played well at times.
02:21 We just haven't done it consistently.
02:22 >> Let me approach this question.
02:24 I know that you say every game means the same, but
02:26 obviously Texas coming out of the Big 12, you guys have had success against them in
02:30 the Big 12.
02:30 Is there anything to it being the last time you're gonna play?
02:34 >> I mean, it certainly doesn't change our preparation or anything like that.
02:41 It's probably more of a thing for the fans, honestly, than it is for the players.
02:46 I think there's always motivation when you play against programs that
02:52 are historically successful programs or big programs or
02:57 however you wanna phrase it.
02:59 That may be a little bit of an added incentive, but
03:04 it's certainly not from a coaching perspective.
03:09 I mean, we're gonna coach our hardest every single week no matter who the opponent is.
03:15 >> What do you see from Texas that makes them so good on offense?
03:21 >> Well, they've just got good players.
03:22 I mean, I think the biggest thing is good players.
03:24 And probably to me, the biggest difference is the team, the way the team's built.
03:28 I think Texas teams in the last decade have probably not been as strong as this
03:33 team is up front on both lines of scrimmage.
03:35 I think that's the strength of this football team is both their lines.
03:39 And typically, when you have a team that you can say that about,
03:43 then that's usually a good football team.
03:44 And I think they're constructed the right way, built the right way.
03:47 That's the way you wanna build football teams, from the line out.
03:54 And their offensive line is big and starting to get more and more experience.
04:01 I think a lot of those guys have played a lot of snaps and they're athletic.
04:04 And same thing with the defensive front, really, really big, really athletic.
04:09 Playing hard and playing at a high level.
04:11 And so that's, I think,
04:12 what makes this team different than maybe teams in the past.
04:16 >> What are your thoughts on that running back?
04:17 Obviously, he had big shoes to fill with Bijon, but
04:19 obviously he's top ten in the wrestling.
04:20 What are your thoughts on that?
04:21 >> Yeah, he runs hard.
04:23 That's what I'm impressed with, is just how physically he runs and
04:25 how he finishes runs.
04:26 And his strength and speed and power, just like a lot of the players,
04:32 just a really, really good athlete that's playing well.
04:36 And you gotta give him credit.
04:37 I mean, they've got a lot of weapons and the guys are performing and
04:41 playing well and have figured out how to win ball games.
04:44 I mean, you look at what Texas has done,
04:47 they've had to hold on in some one score games.
04:52 And they've managed to win those games and
04:53 that's why they're in the situation that they're in.
04:56 We've managed to lose our one score games and
04:58 that's why we're in the situation that we're in.
05:00 And really, that's what it comes down to.
05:01 That's college football and that's kind of the way it plays out.
05:04 You know what I mean?
05:05 I think you look at the difference between our team this year and
05:07 our team last year is seven and one in one score games and
05:11 I'm three in one score games this year.
05:13 And that's the margin between winning and losing in college football.
05:17 >> Coach, looks like you guys might be pretty banked up every season.
05:19 Jack didn't play, he didn't play, Dave didn't got hurt.
05:22 >> Yeah. >> Is there any status on those guys?
05:24 >> Yeah, they're all out.
05:26 Yeah.
05:26 >> Kind of an off the wall question, but a feature on Jimmy Weir.
05:33 >> Yep.
05:34 >> A guy who didn't have to be out there, doesn't have to be out there.
05:38 What does he provide you and what's he been like?
05:42 >> Yeah, I mean, I'll say this.
05:44 I mean, we have a lot of guys on the team that are very similar to Jimmy.
05:50 Jimmy's obviously a new player here.
05:53 Somebody that we found really over the summer.
05:57 It was kind of an interesting way that that whole thing worked.
06:00 We needed a third quarterback and we needed somebody that we felt like had
06:05 experience in Jimmy Clinton football and had been pretty successful.
06:10 And so kind of reached out and just so happened he was in DFW and
06:13 kind of here it went.
06:14 Yeah, pretty cool story really.
06:18 But man, he's like a lot of the guys on our team.
06:21 We've got a really strong group of walk-ons that, and
06:26 those guys just bust their rear end every single day.
06:29 And they're in a lot of ways the fabric of the program that never really
06:33 get noticed.
06:34 They kind of hold things together.
06:37 And the guys that are here really take a lot of pride in what they do,
06:43 more so than the English, probably that I've ever been around.
06:46 Where it's, whether it's Jimmy or really any of the guys that are here,
06:52 paying tuition and showing up every day and working.
06:54 And it's just a great group and those guys are inspiring, really.
07:01 I mean, they're here at 5.15 in the morning and
07:04 those guys are coming in watching film on days off to be good scout team players.
07:09 And it's just, it's pretty awesome to have a chance to be around those guys.
07:13 But Jimmy answered the call when we needed it and
07:17 he's a pretty cool kid to be around.
07:19 And like I said, he was a really successful quarterback that has given us
07:25 some help and some ability to be able to sleep at night.
07:34 Really just because he's done it, he's played in games and
07:37 he does have a sense of confidence because he's done it before.
07:43 >> But the end game for him, this is the only year he has, right?
07:47 >> Yeah, I think he's got one more because of COVID, yeah.
07:50 So we'll kind of see how that plays out.
07:53 >> They've got some special players in their front seven.
07:55 When you guys talk to the offensive line,
07:56 what are some things you guys come try to prepare them for
07:58 the physicality I'll see on Saturday?
08:00 >> Well, I mean, it's easy to see on tape.
08:01 That's the thing about it is when you turn the tape on, you can see how big and
08:05 how powerful and how strong and how deep and just the group is.
08:09 And then you look at the success they've had in short yardage situations and
08:13 fourth and one and third and short.
08:15 And those types of situations and you're good at those situations
08:21 when you have really dominant, physical, strong, hold the line kind of guys.
08:28 And that's what they are defensively.
08:32 I mean, they're just big and they're powerful and they're athletic and
08:35 they can rotate a lot of different guys and it creates problems for you.
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