Presser Nuggets – Mondays with Tom Herman

Texas head coach Tom Herman met with the media on Monday to talk about the win at Kansas State and the upcoming matchup against Top-10 ranked Oklahoma on Saturday.

Get caught up on the key points of Herman’s press conference below.

• “We’re going to prepare the way that we know how to prepare, the way that we know works, but we’re also going to enjoy the week, enjoy the pageantry and the passion that’s involved in this rivalry.” – Tom Herman on how his team will prepare for the Red River Showdown.
• On true freshman running back Keaontay Ingram and if he is ready to shoulder more of the load in the running game: “Certainly he’s ready. Now, he hasn’t been healthy since week one when we were not quite sure. As a true freshman, you want to kind of ease him into some things.”
• On if his team knows how to finish games: “Yeah. Knows how to only requires one time of doing it and then you know. Now, is it a team that can consistently go do that, that still remains to be seen.”
• When asked if this game is a recruiting showcase in the DFW-area, Herman responded with “I would like to think that every game that Texas plays is a pretty good showcase for us being that we’re two and a half, three hours from the DFW area.”
• Offensive Coordinator Tim Beck missed the Kansas State game due to being in the hospital fighting an infection. He is awaiting his discharge from the hospital and is expected back at work later on Monday.
• On running back Kyle Porter, who didn’t make the trip to Manhattan last week: “You don’t have to read between the lines. I talked to Kyle and I wanted to make sure him and I were on the same page. Kyle is contemplating redshirting this year. And that’s a decision that we support.”
• Herman on what stands out about Oklahoma’s defense? “I think Kenneth Murray is a hell of a player. He’s the glue that kind of holds them together.”
• On the play of DB Kris Boyd, who has been thrown at a lot lately, Herman says “I think his aggressiveness is something that we all love at times. We’ve got to do a better job of coaching him to not be quite as susceptible in a double move.”
• On drowning out the noise this week and if it’s difficult, particularly for freshmen: “Yeah, probably. I would imagine it’s harder — everything’s a first for those young guys. We’ll have conversations with them. But most of the ones that are playing a bunch for us are pretty mature anyways.”
• “We call them special plays because we feel like they’re unique to that week’s game plan because of something special that you see in the opposing defense.” — Tom Herman when asked about trick plays.
• On injuries: “We’re actually on the mend, which is a good thing.”

Stay tuned for more media coverage of coaches and players  ahead of Saturday’s Red River Showdown at the Cotton Bowl.