Oct. 5, 2005

Q. We will save you from the dumb questions and you can just tell us what's on your mind.

A. What's on my mind? Trying to get back into a rhythm of regular game weeks.

Q. Fischer talked today about how tough it was to play on Thursday night. How about not playing for three weeks? At least they've played some games. Air Force is halfway through their season and Navy is just starting theirs.

A. We are just trying to get back into a rhythm where Monday's a rehash of the last game and conditioning and then you have Tuesday and Wednesday to get ready, Thursday to polish it up and then you play again. It's a little different.

Q. Tyree Barnes. Has he done some things to earn some more playing time?

A. Tyree has played all year. He's been playing since the Maryland game. We've been rotating the receivers and Tyree happened to be the guy that was in the right place at the right time on Saturday when we called the play-action. Honestly, I didn't know who was over there. I just knew they fired the corners a couple of plays before and I was going to try and catch them firing the corners again.

Q. But he also made a nice catch against Stanford. He's proven he can get downfield and catch the ball.

A. Oh yeah. We have confidence in him. That's why he's playing. That's why when I looked out there and saw him lined up there I didn't say, "oh, gosh we should have had someone else in." I feel comfortable with him out there. I knew that if he got open he would catch the ball.

Q. I know that blocking is difficult for a receiver in this offense is he getting better at that?

A. Yeah, he's working at it. As he gets stronger and older he's going to be better, but he's working at it.

Q. Jeremy Chase. I have a couple of questions about Jeremy. Last year he had a couple of big plays in the Air Force game, but at the same time he injured his shoulder in that game. What did he show you when he played through the pain a year ago?

A. Jeremy's a tough guy. I think everybody knows that. He had a huge play, as big a play that anybody had in that game, down on the goal line. Jeremy is a tough guy. Most of the guys here are tough guys. There are not too many times I have to question their toughness.

Q. What did you see from him two years ago that made you want to move him to a down lineman?

A. I just felt like he fit that position. He was fighting to keep weight off all the time and at that position (outside linebacker) he was probably dead average or a step slow where if he moved up on the line I felt like he would be a better athlete than most of the guys, because he could run, change direction and do some stuff.

Q. I just happened to notice that you are starting to use the slots to shuttle in the plays more. I thought you used to use the receivers. Does that change from year to year depending on depth?

A. It just depends.

Q. Do you still shuttle with the receivers?

A. We can. Whoever I grab. A lot of times I just look to grab someone and sometimes I have a particular guy I'm looking for.

SS. Do you ever turn around and grab Coach Brass?

Q. Why does Coach Brass go out with you to talk to the officials at halftime? Is he somewhat of an enforcer?

A. Yeah, he's my spokesman.

Q. I saw him out there at Duke helping you out with that at halftime. Is he like your version of the state trooper?

A. Coach Brass has always been the "get back" coach. He's always been assigned to keep me on the sidelines so I think he's making sure I don't get in trouble.

Q. Talk a little bit about your relationship with Fischer. How well do you actually know Fischer?

A. I've known Fischer for a long time. Forever. He was coaching at Appalachian State when I was in high school there.

Q. When he was at Wofford where were you?

A. Pre-school I think.

Q. He was at Wofford after Appalachian State wasn't he?

A. No, I think he went to Air Force after Appalachian State. I've known Fischer for a long time and I have a great deal of respect for him. He's won a lot of games and what he has done there, having coached at an Academy myself, you can appreciate how tough it's been to accomplish all he's accomplished. He's done a tremendous job there, no question about it.

Q. In some ways people could draw a lot of similarities between you two. He's from the South and he runs the option. There are a lot of similarities between you and him.

A. I'm a lot taller than he is.

Q. You haven't tried to emulate Fischer have you?

A. Not really. I don't think so. He probably wouldn't be a bad guy to emulate, he's been very successful, but no I haven't.

Q. Could you see yourself becoming the "Dean of Service Academy Football" like Fischer? He's been there 20 years.

A. I can see myself trying to get ready to play on Saturday and that's about it. I don't go much past that.

Q. That's a long time to be at any one school, especially in this day and age when it's not easy to stay at a school.

A. No, it's not easy at all. It speaks volumes for him and the school and like I said, he's done a great job.

Q. They rarely have a losing season.

A. Very rarely. There has been no reason for the school to want him to leave and I'm sure he's comfortable there and I've heard him say he enjoys coaching the guys; he likes it and has had a great career there.

Q. Do you think he's funnier than you? He's got a pretty good wit. I was listening to him today and he was pretty funny. I think you both have a good sense of humor. Does that come from being from the South?

A. He probably is funnier than me. I don't know where that comes from.

Q. He said that your staffs could probably change places and the players probably wouldn't have to make too many adjustments because you guys do so many of the same things. Do you agree with that?

A. We do a lot of the same things. I think there are some different wrinkles and some different ways to do it, but there are a lot of similarities and there are always going to be similarities between the Academies. It's just the nature of the kids, the nature of the day they go through, there are always going to be similarities.

Q. So does that mean there is a certain formula to win at a Service Academy?

A. Oh, I don't know about that. Your team always seems to be a little better when you have good players. I think there is a formula to winning anywhere; I don't think it's an Academy thing. I think Fischer would have won no matter where he coached. I think if you can win as many games as he has at a Service Academy, I'm sure he would have won a lot of games no matter where he coached. I'd like to think if we were coaching somewhere else we would win games. I've coached at other schools other than here and we won games. I don't think there is a certain formula where Academy teams need to do this and everybody else needs to do that to win.