Zac Lee

Nebraska Weekly Football Press Conference
Monday, Oct. 5, 2009
Pre-Missouri

On what this game means in regards to winning the Big 12 North

“It’s a big game because it’s the start of the Big 12. It’s obviously another team we have to play in the Big 12 North. It’s a big game, as all the Big 12 games are going to be though, it’s important for us as we look towards our goals.”

 

On what lessons can be learned from the Virginia Tech game that can be applied to this game

“Just to make sure that as a group we slow ourselves down, don’t get caught up in stuff. Just make sure that we stay focused on us, stay focused on what we’re doing.”

 

On what impresses him about Missouri’s defense

“They have a lot of good players. They fly around. They have some guys that make plays. They’re just a solid group throughout.”

 

On how he avoids a repeat performance from the Virginia Tech game

“You take what you learn from it and move on, like I said last week. You have to look at it that way and make sure you’re focused just like any other game and keep going with it. The thing is, things are going to happen, some bad thing may happen at some point and you know you have to move on from that as quickly as possible and just refocus yourself.”

 

On what it’s like waiting on a Thursday for an 8 p.m. kickoff

“I don’t know, never done it before. Usually you’re in a hotel room and there’s football on or something like that, but I don’t really know what’s on daytime Thursday TV. I’m sure we’ll keep ourselves occupied. I’m sure we’ll be all right.”

 

On if he likes Oprah

“Umm...I don’t know, maybe.”

 

On what Curenski Gilleylen has done to get open down the field

“I don’t know. He runs his routes hard all the time, and I think that’s a big thing. He helps us keep defenses real honest, just with his speed, getting down the field. I think people have to respect that. The big thing is, he knows the offense real well and he knows defenses real well. I think that helps him find openings and knows where he needs to get. Obviously, being physically gifted with speed helps a little bit.”

 

On the chemistry between him and Curenski Gilleylen

“Yeah, I also think that in the games we’ve had this year, we’ve faced some defenses that have allowed us to hit some big balls in the middle of the field. That’s where I’ve hit him most of the time I think. We definitely have some chemistry there, but I don’t think it’s necessarily more than anyone else. I think he’s just been the benefactor of being the open guy.”

 

 

On how much it helps to be able to stretch the field

“It helps a lot and I think it helps our running game a lot. Roy’s (Helu) has put up some real good numbers this year and I think that’s part of it because people have had to be like ?they have some dudes who can run.’ So they have to be cautions of that and all aspects of our game.”

 

On why the players are downplaying the thought of this as a rivalry game

“You know, I wouldn’t say it’s that, I think we’re focused on what we need to do. I think the big thing is if we go out and execute, I think we’ll be all right. The big thing for us is we have a great plan going into the game. We have coaches who have prepared us very well. So if we go out and execute the way should, we’ll be OK. I think that is where our focus is. It’s another game in the Big 12 and Big 12 North, we’re in a tough conference, so every week is a big week.”

 

On how important it is to get off to a fast start

“It’s always important for us to start fast as an offense. I really think we’ve done pretty well in that aspect this year. It’s just a matter of going out with a focus and executing and blocking everything out and making sure we’re doing what we’re supposed to do.”

 

On how much pressure it will take off him if Roy Helu Jr. has over 30 plus touches

“If Roy is running the way he has been that always takes pressure off. Run game is my biggest asset as a quarterback because if Roy’s running the ball strong, then they have to worry about Roy, and stopping Roy is not an easy thing to do necessarily.  It takes a lot of pressure off.”

 

On if he ever met Blaine Gabbert

“You know, I met him on his recruiting trip, but I think it was real brief.”

 

On how he would asses Gabbert’s play so far as a fellow quarterback

“I don’t know. I’ve really king of been watching their defense rather than watching the offense. I haven’t really seen much of him.”

 

On if there is anything they can exploit on Missouri’s defense

“We’ll see. They’re a good defense. They’re a solid defense. They’ve done well in the games that they have played. They definitely have some playmakers on defense. They have speed. We’ll definitely have to have a good game against them.”

 

On what he thinks of Missouri linebacker Sean Witherspoon

“He’s a very athletic guy, a real physical guy. We’ll see when we get out there and play against him. His talent definitely shows up on film. He’s definitely somebody you notice.”

 

On if he is aware of the “hit list” shirt

“Is that the one that got mispronounced on TV or something like that? Yeah, I don’t know, it is what it is.”

 

On if there is any extra motivation to shut those fans up

“No, I don’t think we need any extra motivation for a Big 12 game.”

 

On if he feels honor to be on Sean Witherspoon’s hit list shirt

“Sure, why not?”