Mack Brown Last Quotations

Nobody in the country is better with the game on the line than Vince Young because he loves the high stakes, he loves the competition, and it's just amazing to me. I was afraid he was going to score too fast ? 19 seconds was a stretch there at the end. Last year (in the Rose Bowl) we got it to none.

One of the things we like so much about the team right now is that since the Missouri game last year, this team has finished better. We've played in the fourth quarters better than any team I have been associated with in my coaching career.

Last year's team had some of this. This year's team hasn't had this yet. They anticipated it at Ohio State, but this was a great learning experience for us and one that will help us the rest of the way.

We're excited about Vince's personality in big games and the way he handled himself at the end of last year, specifically the Rose Bowl. I think that flipped another switch for him and put him in another gear. He's pumped about this game.

I would think we're much more ready to throw the ball in this game than we were last year.

We think he's 100 percent with his health. He's gotten his vision back. He's bigger and stronger. (But) he hasn't done it since Arkansas last year, and it was a bad experience.

Usually the coach of the year is the guy that overcame something. We didn't overcome anything. We just won a big game at the end and we hadn't been doing that. For Joe to do what he's done over the last few years and turn his program completely around is really, really special. I don't think there's any question he's deserving of this award.

There are a lot of rewards for winning, and one that you dream about is to get a National Championship ring. They've had trips to the White House, some have been on Oprah and the celebration was wonderful, but this pretty much puts closure to last year's team.

When we pulled in last year, there were so many Texas fans lined up who had found their way out here I couldn't believe it. Our fans have found a map out here.

When we got up to 60 points with five minutes left to go in the third quarter, and with what some of those kids have been through the last week, I thought we needed to get the game over with as soon as we could and let them get home and not try to ruin their season. Some of those kids haven't heard from all of their family members.

We felt like last year was great preparation for this year. I'm in the same room in the same hotel with the same manager at the same practice field. There are a few more (media) here than there were last year. ... It's the same game with more stakes.

When you take a devastating loss, it can wear on you. I do think that'll be their point for this week. That was such a huge game for them last year and they let it slip.

Duane started as our defensive backs coach and has become more and more involved with the defense each year. Since he moved into the co-coordinator spot last year, he has played a key role in developing game plans and preparing one of the most successful defenses in the country.

(The win) gives us the opportunity to stay at (No. 2) and hopefully get better as a team. Last year, when we lost in October, we lost some of that and couldn't get back up. It by no means gives you a right to the end, and that's what our kids have to understand. It's a long, hard 11 weeks left.

We've been outside two of the last three days. (Monday) we went indoors and got more of a walk-through, so we do not feel like the rain has hurt out preparation at all.

We're the only two teams playing out of 119. It's the only two undefeated teams in the country. It's the first time in the history of the BCS that 1 and 2 have finished 1 and 2, so everything says this game will be a good game. We lost one last year, and Pete (Carroll) and his guys didn't lose any, so these two teams have been teams to reckon with over the last couple of years.

When you have as many things happen bad as have happened the last few years, I thought that was one thing they had to overcome, ... And they did that, they overcame the talk about the turnovers in the game and their inability to run or stop the run.

You have a day and a half-life with this football team. This has been a fun ride with these kids, starting with last season's Rose Bowl.

They're staying at home. They're practicing at SC. They were in the game two years ago. They play in this stadium every other year with UCLA's home game, and they'll have a lot of familiarity with the game itself since they played in the (Orange Bowl) last year.

There's no way we can start talking about the end, ... We nearly lost to Kansas last year.

We had a chance in the last 5 minutes. We throw it in the end zone and drop the ball.

I'm really excited for a chance to see the kids again. I want Vince to see the fans one last time, and I want all of our players to let them know how much we appreciate them.

That has to be as good a college football game as there could be. Texas and Michigan should come down to the last two seconds.

They did not have Bobby Reid the last two weeks, and we think they'll have him back. He can make a lot of plays. Turnovers have killed them the last three weeks. When you're playing a team like that it scares you. If they fix their turnover problems, it puts you in a tough spot in a tight game on the road.

Good teams enjoy the hype, and they have the ability to focus. Young people come to Texas and SC for this game, and it's been a long time for us to get back to this game, and we took a baby step last year in this environment. I've talked to the kids about it. The only difference between this year and last year is the stakes are bigger.

It was a fun week and a great game. The difference in that and our last game with Michigan was we could enjoy that one for six months. Now we've got to go back to work this week, and look forward to Rice coming in, and stop talking about Ohio State.

They beat Nebraska in Lincoln, and we all know that's tough to do, ... They totally dominated Kansas State. ... Too much has been talked about the first three games instead of the last three.

This pretty much puts a close on all of last year.

This team has shown the ability to put an exciting win behind them, ... This will be the biggest test of getting them back and getting them ready to go because there will be less attention in this game (Oklahoma State) than there was the last three. I think they're enjoying the ride. We told them that you don't get into this position that many times in your lifetime, so you really need to enjoy it.