Pod done, back to it. Mix of new guys and vets here.
DaShaun White
Responding as a leader?
It’s kind of like what I was just saying. It’s one of those things. It’s a problem. I think what’s most important is just we’ve got to learn from it. We’ve got to move on. We can’t dwell on it too long or it’ll bring you down for weeks and weeks and weeks. But it’s also one of those things you can’t just sweep it under the rug either. I think our coaches have done a good job of kind of leading us through that and making sure that it’s still kind of a little bit sour. But at the same time we’ve moved on from it and it’s kind of like a chip on our shoulder a little bit now.
Watching tape frustrating?
Yeah. I mean what makes you the most — what makes me personally maddest is just that there’s so many little things. I mean little things that if we take off the tape those two games are dramatically different. And so obviously there are a lot of things that are alarming that we need to address. You know, tackling, communication and stuff like that. But you take a few mistakes off the film and it’s, we’re feeling a little bit better right now at 5-0. But that’s not the case so we just got to learn from it and keep going.
Rebuilding confidence?
I think it’s built on reps. The more you rep something, the more confident you are just doing your job, knowing where you’re supposed to be, Knowing where the people around you are supposed to be is a really big thing to play at a high level. That’s kind of where we are right now. We’re trying to get a lot of guys to just understand their job and the jobs of the guys around them so they can just play with a better level of anticipation.
LBs this week?
Intentionality. I know I challenge our guys that we have to be much better leaders. Us linebackers, the defense is going to directly – the way I put it is we control the temperature. If we’re flat, the entire defense is going to be flat. Just trying to make us three in the middle more accountable to that. I think we’ve done a great job of responding in practice. Especially today, I think today was a really good practice.
Jovantae Barnes
Performance?
“It felt amazing. I can definitely see that I have gotten way better from high school. Just knowing this is my dream, just one step closer to what I always dreamed of since I was 3 years old. Just really getting the ball and getting more carries, it was truly a blessing. It’s something I feel like I worked hard for ever since I came in in January. Something I feel like I deserved. Thank you to coach DeMarco.”
Hungry?
“Obviously I’m starving, for real. I just feel like I’m really focused on getting the team together. I’m a team player. If it wasn’t for the o-line playing so great, I really wouldn’t have what I had. 100 yards, it goes all to the o-line. You can go back to the tape and watch what they’re doing. I was just going under. I’m a team player like I said. I’m just ready for the next one.”
Nick Evers?
"I've seen a lot of improvement. Me and Nick hang out all the time. Outside of football. We have talks all the time. That's my guy. Feel like one of the most important things to do as a freshman is just build chemistry with your players. Coming in with Nick, it was just a no brainer that I wanted to build chemistry with him being a quarterback. The next few years you're gonna see me and Nick just balling out. So that's one of my close friends here."
First TD?
"It felt amazing. I don't know if you see my celebration, but I kind of did the act like you've been here before. And it just felt good. I just can't can't wait for the future to get more."
Woodi Washington
Discipline?
Just staying in our gaps and really knowing our responsibilities. Last game, we had a couple of busts. We just have to get those few things corrected because it wasn't all bad. We had good stuff on tape. Just those mistakes that we were making, the opposing teams were just taking advantage of it and making plays. We just have to stay disciplined to whatever he (Venables) tells us to do. We've got to know our job.
Unraveling discipline?
Honestly, I think it's a preparation thing. I think we can do a little more when we're not in practice like when we're in the film room. Throughout the day, whether it's getting up and just watching extra film and those types of things like that. The past couple of years, the defense hasn't been as complex as this one is. We've got to do a little more to make sure we're prepared to go out and play.
Bad penalties?
For sure. The other day we were outside after practice working on getting our head around. That was a big thing last game. I know I had two penalties from that, and we had a couple other plays where we didn't get our head around it. If we just do the small things right, I think we'll do a great job during the game.
Thinking too much?
Maybe a little. I know the two that I had, the ball was kind of an issue. I really couldn't find the ball, and I never really got my head around. If I would've just gotten my head around, I probably could've made a play on it. If we just emphasized getting our head around, I think we'll make a lot more plays. It's not like we're getting beat down the field. We're in a great position. We're just not getting our head around.
Justin Harrington
First time to play OU-Texas?
Definitely. I'm in a role now. The coaches, it's next rep, next man. I'm preparing like I've been preparing if I was the 2 or if I was the 1. I'm still preparing the same way. I'm taking the same intensity toward practice.
Panic?
Panic? No. If you watch the game and as we watched film, it's the little things. It's attention to detail. I don't think there's too much panic. We're definitely trying to fix those little things and carry on with the game plan as well.
Communication?
We definitely have to communicate more and we've been emphasizing that every day with the two losses. There's never enough communication. If there's extra to get the call out or get the call to the boundary corner, so be it. We have to make it happen. There's never enough communication.
Defense has to help the offense?
Defense has to do their job. The identity of the defense, we feel like we have to bring the intensity anyway. We'll bring the spark to the offense regardless of if it was Dillon or whoever the backup is. We have the identity that we have to start this game. When we go out on kickoff we know we have to set the tone with physicality. I don't think it's because of a quarterback change or anything. That's just the defensive identity.
Being tight with Damond?
I talked to him right after the game. I gave him a call to make sure he was all right. He's OK. Definitely pray for him. Our relationship is very close. We're from Va and Raleigh. Before we got here we kind of had a relationship so that kind of hurt for him to go down. But he's a strong guy. Big faith and big heart guy, so I don't have any second-guessing on him coming back, speedy and ready to play.
DaShaun White
Responding as a leader?
It’s kind of like what I was just saying. It’s one of those things. It’s a problem. I think what’s most important is just we’ve got to learn from it. We’ve got to move on. We can’t dwell on it too long or it’ll bring you down for weeks and weeks and weeks. But it’s also one of those things you can’t just sweep it under the rug either. I think our coaches have done a good job of kind of leading us through that and making sure that it’s still kind of a little bit sour. But at the same time we’ve moved on from it and it’s kind of like a chip on our shoulder a little bit now.
Watching tape frustrating?
Yeah. I mean what makes you the most — what makes me personally maddest is just that there’s so many little things. I mean little things that if we take off the tape those two games are dramatically different. And so obviously there are a lot of things that are alarming that we need to address. You know, tackling, communication and stuff like that. But you take a few mistakes off the film and it’s, we’re feeling a little bit better right now at 5-0. But that’s not the case so we just got to learn from it and keep going.
Rebuilding confidence?
I think it’s built on reps. The more you rep something, the more confident you are just doing your job, knowing where you’re supposed to be, Knowing where the people around you are supposed to be is a really big thing to play at a high level. That’s kind of where we are right now. We’re trying to get a lot of guys to just understand their job and the jobs of the guys around them so they can just play with a better level of anticipation.
LBs this week?
Intentionality. I know I challenge our guys that we have to be much better leaders. Us linebackers, the defense is going to directly – the way I put it is we control the temperature. If we’re flat, the entire defense is going to be flat. Just trying to make us three in the middle more accountable to that. I think we’ve done a great job of responding in practice. Especially today, I think today was a really good practice.
Jovantae Barnes
Performance?
“It felt amazing. I can definitely see that I have gotten way better from high school. Just knowing this is my dream, just one step closer to what I always dreamed of since I was 3 years old. Just really getting the ball and getting more carries, it was truly a blessing. It’s something I feel like I worked hard for ever since I came in in January. Something I feel like I deserved. Thank you to coach DeMarco.”
Hungry?
“Obviously I’m starving, for real. I just feel like I’m really focused on getting the team together. I’m a team player. If it wasn’t for the o-line playing so great, I really wouldn’t have what I had. 100 yards, it goes all to the o-line. You can go back to the tape and watch what they’re doing. I was just going under. I’m a team player like I said. I’m just ready for the next one.”
Nick Evers?
"I've seen a lot of improvement. Me and Nick hang out all the time. Outside of football. We have talks all the time. That's my guy. Feel like one of the most important things to do as a freshman is just build chemistry with your players. Coming in with Nick, it was just a no brainer that I wanted to build chemistry with him being a quarterback. The next few years you're gonna see me and Nick just balling out. So that's one of my close friends here."
First TD?
"It felt amazing. I don't know if you see my celebration, but I kind of did the act like you've been here before. And it just felt good. I just can't can't wait for the future to get more."
Woodi Washington
Discipline?
Just staying in our gaps and really knowing our responsibilities. Last game, we had a couple of busts. We just have to get those few things corrected because it wasn't all bad. We had good stuff on tape. Just those mistakes that we were making, the opposing teams were just taking advantage of it and making plays. We just have to stay disciplined to whatever he (Venables) tells us to do. We've got to know our job.
Unraveling discipline?
Honestly, I think it's a preparation thing. I think we can do a little more when we're not in practice like when we're in the film room. Throughout the day, whether it's getting up and just watching extra film and those types of things like that. The past couple of years, the defense hasn't been as complex as this one is. We've got to do a little more to make sure we're prepared to go out and play.
Bad penalties?
For sure. The other day we were outside after practice working on getting our head around. That was a big thing last game. I know I had two penalties from that, and we had a couple other plays where we didn't get our head around it. If we just do the small things right, I think we'll do a great job during the game.
Thinking too much?
Maybe a little. I know the two that I had, the ball was kind of an issue. I really couldn't find the ball, and I never really got my head around. If I would've just gotten my head around, I probably could've made a play on it. If we just emphasized getting our head around, I think we'll make a lot more plays. It's not like we're getting beat down the field. We're in a great position. We're just not getting our head around.
Justin Harrington
First time to play OU-Texas?
Definitely. I'm in a role now. The coaches, it's next rep, next man. I'm preparing like I've been preparing if I was the 2 or if I was the 1. I'm still preparing the same way. I'm taking the same intensity toward practice.
Panic?
Panic? No. If you watch the game and as we watched film, it's the little things. It's attention to detail. I don't think there's too much panic. We're definitely trying to fix those little things and carry on with the game plan as well.
Communication?
We definitely have to communicate more and we've been emphasizing that every day with the two losses. There's never enough communication. If there's extra to get the call out or get the call to the boundary corner, so be it. We have to make it happen. There's never enough communication.
Defense has to help the offense?
Defense has to do their job. The identity of the defense, we feel like we have to bring the intensity anyway. We'll bring the spark to the offense regardless of if it was Dillon or whoever the backup is. We have the identity that we have to start this game. When we go out on kickoff we know we have to set the tone with physicality. I don't think it's because of a quarterback change or anything. That's just the defensive identity.
Being tight with Damond?
I talked to him right after the game. I gave him a call to make sure he was all right. He's OK. Definitely pray for him. Our relationship is very close. We're from Va and Raleigh. Before we got here we kind of had a relationship so that kind of hurt for him to go down. But he's a strong guy. Big faith and big heart guy, so I don't have any second-guessing on him coming back, speedy and ready to play.
