Cornerback Cortney Grixby

Nebraska Weekly Press Conference
Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2006
Memorial Stadium
Lincoln, Neb.
Pre-Missouri

Cornerback Cortney Grixby
On the mindset of the defensive backs
"We’re just staying focused. That game (Saturday vs. Oklahoma State) is behind us. It’s Missouri week, so we have a task ahead. It’s a big task for us, so we’re just going to get back to work and handle our business."

On facing Missouri’s tight ends
"We’re going to get the gameplan today and see what’s going to happen, so we don’t know how we’re going to defend them. We’re going to see how they line up and see what works. We’ll know more as we get into the week. They’re very good, some of the best tight ends in the country. They use them. They’re physical and they can catch, so we have a big task ahead of us."

On the mood of the team
"It’s just a focus. We know what we have to do. It’s laid out for us. We control our own destiny and right now, it’s in our hands."

On similarities between this year’s struggles and last year’s
"As a team, we’re more mature, so we’re able to handle last week’s loss with a lot more maturity. We know what we have to do, which is get back to practice and refocus on the things that we have at hand. Nothing is out of place for us, so we just have to go out and handle business."

On a sense of urgency for the Missouri game
"We have to take every game one at a time. Right now, this is a big game for us. We know the type of game we’re going to be in. If we want to win the North, we have to win this game. It’s not a sense of urgency, but we just know what type of game this is."

On playing a high-stakes game
"You just have to go out and play. It’s another game for us, so you get your gameplan, but you just have to be a football player and be able to go out and play."

On facing Missouri’s spread offense
"They’re different type of offense. They’ll be in a lot of empty (no-back sets). It’s challenging, but the coaches will have a gameplan for us. It’s a challenging offense. They spread out, get into empty (no-back sets). They have big receivers. They have a very good quarterback."

On Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel
"He can run. He’s a very competitive quarterback and he’s a winner. He’s going to get back there and he could a lot of things. He’s a big-time playmaker. He’s one of the best that we’ll see this year."

On the team’s progress through the season
"I think there’s been a lot of improvement. We started out slow, but as you keep going into the season, it’s not how you start, it’s how you end. Right now, we’re just trying to stay focused and get better every day."

On his personal improvement throughout the season
"Personally, I’ve made mistakes, but everything is fixable. I’ve done some good things, so everything is just fine."