Tom Herman quotes about SMU game

[PonyPride]

Quotes that mention or refer to SMU:

We’re banged up, but our guys are tough. I’m excited to see what they will produce on the field when we play SMU. SMU will be well rested and motivated. There is a little rivalry being that we are the only two teams in our conference in the state of Texas. They’re going to give us their best shot, and their best shot is good enough to beat us if we’re not hitting all our cylinders.

(When asked if Greg Ward is overused) Yes and no. I think there was only three or four called quarterback runs. The rest come on reads or scrambles. So, we’re not going to stop reading people in our offense. Why they would ever force Greg to carry the football is beyond me. When you’re reading a run, like the option teams do, you do what the defense tells you to do. If the defense is telling Greg to keep it, he’s going to keep it. We can help him a little more. I’ve had the conversation with the offensive staff about can we win with less read plays maybe. When its crunch time in a tie ballgame or a close ballgame like that, the way I know football is to think ‘players not plays.’ He’s our best player. When the game is on the line, I want the ball in the hands of our best player. We’re continuing to find ways to run the football without him having to read people or be the designed character. But if we need to win the game, we’ll use him.

Zero. None. Level of interest (in Big 12 expansion meetings) is zero. How much do I pay attention to it? None. How much do I think about it? Zilch. I don’t know any other ways to say it. I don’t. I’m dead serious when I tell you it consumes zero amount of my time, energy, effort or thought at all. Our academic center is in this building. Our training room is here. Our weight room and all of our film watching equipment is in this building. I told our players, ‘if you are not in class and you are not in this building, what are you possibly doing that can help us beat SMU?’ The same thought process goes into this. If I am spending an ounce of energy thinking about this, then that is an ounce of energy that I haven’t given to beating SMU. That’s not fair for me to ask our guys to give all of their time, effort and energy into beating SMU and yet I’m busy thinking about other things that I can’t control.

[SMU's growth is] very similar to Tulsa. Both of those universities hit home runs with those hires in Phillip Montgomery and Chad Morris. You’re seeing a lot of the same people, by name, on the field, but their bodies have changed. Their speed, size and strength have changed for the better. You’re seeing a team that has played much better defense than a year ago. They’re second in the country for interceptions right now, so they’re getting way more turnovers than they were before. They lost their quarterback, which hurt them a little bit from a dual threat standpoint, but Ben Hicks is playing well. He’s throwing the ball and managing the game. He’s definitely not the home-run threat running the football that Matt Davis was, but he’s very capable and doing a good job as a freshman.

[On recruits — Braeden West and Ben Hicks — who flipped commitments from Houston to SMU] We lost two (to SMU) actually, including the tailback from Katy Seven Lakes, Braeden West. It’s nothing you can control, especially because of the timing of it. Chad (Morris) was able to get on the road and recruit that first week of December, so he had a week to get into these kids’ homes. I was playing in the Big Ten Championship, so by the time I got here it was the extended dead period as far as recruiting goes. From the second week of December to the second week of January, you can’t go on the road recruiting. You’re trying to build these relationships over the phone, and it’s not the same. These kids can’t even come on your campus, so it makes it really hard, especially with Ben (Hicks), because he was a January enrollee. At least with Braden (West) I got out there in January to try to talk to him, but he had already taken his visit here. It’s not like you can say ‘hey come back and take a visit.’ You can’t take those visits back. It’s difficult. I wish those guys nothing but success, and if they’re happy, then I’m happy. We’re in the kid business. If that was the right decision for them and their future, then I’m happy for them.

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/hou ... es_SMU.pdf

Link also includes quotes from players — some of whom mention SMU (briefly)

[PoconoPony]

Positive, matter of fact and bottom line. Credit to Herman.

[smusic 00]

Nichols called out Herman's bs.


https://twitter.com/billnicholsdmn/stat ... 1571773440

[Pony^]

Here is the full quote. Herman said this when he was soliciting booster donations.

We understand the price of a championship. That price is the same for Alabama as it is for Ohio State and UH. In order to pay that price, you've got to be willing to invest. There's a price for nine-win seasons and prices for eight-, seven-, six-win seasons. Those prices are a lot easier to pay.

And if you're satisfied with going 7-5 and going to the Poulan Weedeater Bowl, then great. Then you're in the wrong program and we'll find a place for you to go. I hear there's a private school up in Dallas that's really looking to try to get to seven wins. We can certainly find you a home.

SB Nation:

Maybe Herman’s Weed-Eater riff will spark something here.

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/10/20/13347708/tom-herman-houston-smu-rivalry