Kragthorpe on SMU
Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2005 10:03 pmFound this on Tulsa's website -- from his weekly press conference:
"Again, I liked the way our team prepared last week I thought we had a good week in terms preparation and it will take an even better effort this week against SMU. I think SMU is a team that, although they lost last week to East Carolina, had a chance to win that game, but they turned the ball over six or seven times. SMU had a great win against UAB two weeks ago, and they also beat TCU earlier in the year. As you look at the games that they have played having lost to Baylor early in the year, a game that they felt like and I felt like they could have won. The only loss that they have had in terms of being out of balance was the Texas A&M game, and that game was in balance for most of the first half. They're a much more talented team than they have been in the past or a more seasoned team. They have played a lot of young guys the past two years and I think they have now, because of an injury situation settled on a quarterback, and Jerad Romo is playing great football for them. He has been very consistent. He threw a couple of interceptions last week, but again I think you can see the benefit of him getting all of the practice repetitions now versus splitting them up between Tony Eckert or Chris Phillips at various times in the first 4-5 weeks into the season. We know that we have a challenge on our hands. Everybody in this league is good enough to beat anybody, that is the way that it is playing out this season. We have to stay focused and do everything that we can this week to prepare ourselves to face what I think is a very talented and well-coached SMU team....
"Well, when they play good football they have taken good care of the football. When they have not won games, it is because they have turned it over and that again is the one stat that is most important of your won-loss record. You have to make sure that you are taking care of the football. When we have played well, we have won the turnovers. When SMU has not won football games it is because they have lost the turnover battle. Again, you can say that or make that case with just about every team in the country. It is hard to overcome those situations, particularly when you are playing on the road. So, I see them as a very talented team. I see them as more of a settled team now with Romo playing quarterback, whereas before they were splitting time between Romo, Eckert and Phillips. I also think that they have four or five receivers that are making plays for them. Bobby Chase and Reynaldo Pellerin are making plays for them. They have a big tight end (Ryan Kennedy) that I would love to have. DeMyron Martin is making plays for them at tailback, and they are more settled at that position. Their offensive line has been consistent throughout the course of the year. Jerad Romo is getting the ball out of his hand quickly and they are making plays. Again I look at them as a team that has fallen short in some instances because of turnovers."
"Again, I liked the way our team prepared last week I thought we had a good week in terms preparation and it will take an even better effort this week against SMU. I think SMU is a team that, although they lost last week to East Carolina, had a chance to win that game, but they turned the ball over six or seven times. SMU had a great win against UAB two weeks ago, and they also beat TCU earlier in the year. As you look at the games that they have played having lost to Baylor early in the year, a game that they felt like and I felt like they could have won. The only loss that they have had in terms of being out of balance was the Texas A&M game, and that game was in balance for most of the first half. They're a much more talented team than they have been in the past or a more seasoned team. They have played a lot of young guys the past two years and I think they have now, because of an injury situation settled on a quarterback, and Jerad Romo is playing great football for them. He has been very consistent. He threw a couple of interceptions last week, but again I think you can see the benefit of him getting all of the practice repetitions now versus splitting them up between Tony Eckert or Chris Phillips at various times in the first 4-5 weeks into the season. We know that we have a challenge on our hands. Everybody in this league is good enough to beat anybody, that is the way that it is playing out this season. We have to stay focused and do everything that we can this week to prepare ourselves to face what I think is a very talented and well-coached SMU team....
"Well, when they play good football they have taken good care of the football. When they have not won games, it is because they have turned it over and that again is the one stat that is most important of your won-loss record. You have to make sure that you are taking care of the football. When we have played well, we have won the turnovers. When SMU has not won football games it is because they have lost the turnover battle. Again, you can say that or make that case with just about every team in the country. It is hard to overcome those situations, particularly when you are playing on the road. So, I see them as a very talented team. I see them as more of a settled team now with Romo playing quarterback, whereas before they were splitting time between Romo, Eckert and Phillips. I also think that they have four or five receivers that are making plays for them. Bobby Chase and Reynaldo Pellerin are making plays for them. They have a big tight end (Ryan Kennedy) that I would love to have. DeMyron Martin is making plays for them at tailback, and they are more settled at that position. Their offensive line has been consistent throughout the course of the year. Jerad Romo is getting the ball out of his hand quickly and they are making plays. Again I look at them as a team that has fallen short in some instances because of turnovers."