Sept. 26, 2001
Q. How has it been studying the film of A&M, getting used to their defense? Are you able to pick that up pretty quick? Do you feel comfortable doing that?
CARLYLE HOLIDAY: Yeah, I feel pretty comfortable with it. We’ve looked at a lot of film of them. We know their personnel real well and we just feel that we need to execute. We have a good game plan for the game, so it should be all right.
Q. I noticed a lot of the direction of the plays has been toward the middle, a lot of the running plays and everything. Bringing you in, does this open up the perimeter a little on either side?
CARLYLE HOLIDAY: I think it does a little bit. I think the coaches feel I can do some things with my legs, but we are still going to continue to pound the ball up the middle. We might add a few option plays in there, but it will still be pretty basic, you know, running between the tackles.
Q. Carlyle, you mentioned last year, you said when you first came here, the reason LoVecchio got the job right away was because he was more mentally ready. What have you learned in the past year that makes you more prepared for this, and what are the ways you think that you are ready to take over the job?
CARLYLE HOLIDAY: Just sitting out last year, I learned a lot, watching LoVecchio, what he did. I wasn’t really ready last year. I really didn’t understand the defenses. I just, you know, prepared, since the time I’ve been out, looking at film. I think I’ve grown to become a quarterback and it helped out a lot.
Q. Do you feel like you’re a better passer at all? I don’t claim to be a scout, but that’s one of the things they said comparing to you other quarterbacks coming in is that maybe you were not as good a passer as the other two. Do you think you’ve improved there?
CARLYLE HOLIDAY: I’ve improved dramatically on my passing game. I’ve gotten a lot more accurate. I don’t run out of the pocket like I did in high school. My arm has gotten a lot stronger from our weight program, and that’s just about it, really.
Q. How much weight have you gained? How much bigger are you than when you came in?
CARLYLE HOLIDAY: I’ve gained about 20 pounds since I’ve got here.
Q. Could you talk about the crowd noise, is that was an issue at Nebraska? First of all, how it was when you were in there and what you are going to do this week against another hostile crowd?
CARLYLE HOLIDAY: The crowd noise in Nebraska was pretty loud. It took us out of a lot of things we worked on the previous week. The communication, it broke down at times. This week, you know, we are working better on that communication. We’re just increasing our voices, speaking across the line. The center is calling the cadence a lot of times, to make sure we stay in the same plays. It not really be a factor, unless we make it a factor. We’ve worked on it.
Q. Can you talk about the camaraderie between you and Matt, makes this whole thing a lot easier, doesn’t it?
CARLYLE HOLIDAY: Yeah, me and Matt were friends. We understand what’s going on. He just wants what’s best for me and I want what’s best for him. We are both taking real well. He’s a real guy. He’s done a lot for this school. I think he’ll get his opportunity again, but we just keep pushing each other for the best.
Q. I was just curious, did you have any idea before you got to school there just the passions that the Notre Dame fans have for their football team?
CARLYLE HOLIDAY: I understood it pretty much. When I signed here, I started getting emails from the fans. It’s big. You know, I understand the world I was getting into when I came in here.
Q. When you see the kind of criticism your head coach gets, as a player, how do you feel about that kind of stuff?
CARLYLE HOLIDAY: You feel bad for him, but he’s the coach of Notre Dame. That’s probably the highest position in college football. It’s a situation, you just try to go out and do things well for him.
Q. How hard did you consider A&M when you were being recruited?
CARLYLE HOLIDAY: I considered A&M. I think it was my third choice, but I sort of wanted to get out of the state, do something on my own.
Q. Third choice behind Nebraska and Notre Dame?
CARLYLE HOLIDAY: Yes.
Q. What’s this week been like? Has it been pretty much a whirlwind, all of a sudden having to get ready?
CARLYLE HOLIDAY: To me, it’s been pretty normal. I don’t legally like let anything distract me. I’ve just been going to practice with the same mindset I have been since the season started. There’s been a lot more questions asked or whatever, but I just, you know, sort of try to stay focused in football.
Q. Have you sat and talked to Matt? Last year, he was put in almost the exact same position. The team was 2?2, struggling offensively, he became quarterback and they began that run. You’re being was placed in almost the exact same position that he was. Has he given you any advice or told you anything that you think will help you in the next week or two?
CARLYLE HOLIDAY: We haven’t like really talked about anything like that, advice or nothing like that. He’s just told me, you know, “Just get in there and stay calm.” That’s the only thing he’s told me so far. But we are just practicing like we have been normally. It’s just me with the first team and him with the second team.
Q. How many tickets are you having to come up with for your friends and family?
CARLYLE HOLIDAY: I’ve only got, I think 15, but I need for, but I don’t think that’s possible because there’s too many people from Texas on this team.
Q. How many friends and family do you think would like to be there if they could get tickets?
CARLYLE HOLIDAY: I’m not sure about that. They have been calling, but I just ?? I’d just say a large variety.
Q. Has there been anybody on the team who has helped you through your first year, year and a month there? Has there been anybody who has kind of taken you under his wing?
CARLYLE HOLIDAY: For me, it’s been Arnaz. He talks to me all the time. Just encourages me when I really don’t feel like ?? or really, how I’m feeling and just talk to me or pulling me aside and ask me if I’m all right.
Q. So have you had to help him any this week with after his injury?
CARLYLE HOLIDAY: Not really. He’s a cool customer. He’s positive right now. If he can comeback in a week or two, he would. But he’s just in a different situation right threw now.
Q. You mentioned when you signed with Notre Dame you got a bunch of e?mails. Have you gotten a bunch this week with any congratulations or any suggestions?
CARLYLE HOLIDAY: I probably have, but I don’t check them anymore. It’s getting a little bit out of control.
Q. Being starting quarterback at Notre Dame is a position that requires someone to step up and you have to deal with a lot of things off the field. In talking to you briefly the last few days, you seemed like kind of a reserved guy. How are you growing accustomed to that and do you feel like eventually you’ll be more comfortable, or do you see yourself fitting into this slowly in terms of everything that goes on off the field about being starting quarterback here?
CARLYLE HOLIDAY: I think so. It’s been a lot this week. I just try to stay away from it. I mean, people are going to ask their questions or whatever, but I just try to, you know, stay ?? when football is going on, I just think about football at that time and I just try to get away from all the questions and all that stuff.
Q. When Chris was here, he was not shy about telling people he was “the guy” or he was “the man” to run the show. Do you feel like that’s something that you need to grow into, as opposed to saying right now: “Fans, I’m the man here”?
CARLYLE HOLIDAY: I think I’ll grow into that as the season goes on. This is my first start and I’ve just got to go on from there. But right now, I really didn’t know I was going to be the starter until a couple days ago. So I’ll just have to see how it goes from there.
Q. In talking to you after the Michigan State game a little bit, it seemed like you felt maybe a little bit hamstrung in terms of the plays that were called and I imagine going out there , you don’t really know what you’re going to get and there might be a little bit added to try to do too much and the plays you do have, that added pressure. Has that sort of come off, now that you know that you are going to be playing a lot more?
CARLYLE HOLIDAY: I think so. In the Michigan State game, he tried to run some plays to get me going. It didn’t really ?? it wasn’t really effective at the time and I feel I have more time playing the whole game to just get into that rhythm and run a variety of plays. Not just me, but getting our team involved.
Q. Can you talk about your relationship with Kevin Rogers, who has worked with quarterbacks sort of in your mold, like McNabb?
CARLYLE HOLIDAY: Coach Rogers is a great guy. He’s done some great things for me. He’s just helped me out a lot since I’ve got here, not only on the football field but off the field. He’s talked to me all the time, about my situation, told me what he expects me to do. He’s just helped me out a lot.
Q. Do you feel like, is he able to do some things now, this week with you that maybe he was not able to do in the past?
CARLYLE HOLIDAY: We both think so. I’m sort of in the mold of the quarterback he usually coaches. We just feel like we need to get it together. We can run a certain variety of more plays now. We’ve just got to see what’s going to happen.
Q. Can you explain the helmet thing?
CARLYLE HOLIDAY: Oh, that’s just our offensive line. When they are getting treatment, playing around with us, just because we are littler than they are.
Q. Has that happened to you before or was that reserved for Matt in the past?
CARLYLE HOLIDAY: They do it to me all the time because they think it’s funny, but it’s okay. I’ve got something for them. (Laughter).
Q. One thing about the offensive line, with you being a guy that would like to run a little bit more, that’s got to be something where they have to adapt, too. Did you talk to the offensive linemen about that?
CARLYLE HOLIDAY: They like to run the ball. All of them, they want to play going their way. They feel that they can do something, make a downblock or pancake somebody. But it should go pretty well. They just want to go out there and compete, too.
Q. In terms of pass protection, I guess where Matt may stay in the pocket, are you more apt to roll out? Is that something that you guys have to work on more this week?
CARLYLE HOLIDAY: I think we’ll be fine at that. At the beginning, you know, you get a little edgy, but as you go on, you start to get in the flow of the game and settle down.
Q. What is the helmet thing you are talking about?
CARLYLE HOLIDAY: They just like to tape my helmet like seven layers just to be funny, but it’s cool.
Q. Tape it which way? So you can’t get it on?
CARLYLE HOLIDAY: They tape it all the way around with training room tape, where it takes me about 15 minutes to pull it off.
Q. And how do you plan on getting them back?
CARLYLE HOLIDAY: I don’t know yet. (Laughter) I’ll do something.
Q. You’ve been to Kyle Field, you’ve watched games there, what can you tell why you are teammates about the noise? Coach Davie said it’s probably going to be the loudest place you’ve ever been.
CARLYLE HOLIDAY: Yeah, he said for the guys that played in the Tennessee game two years ago, it will be just like that, probably a little bit louder. It’s crazy. The fans, they stay on their feet. It should be a real big challenge for us.
Q. How do you cope with that?
CARLYLE HOLIDAY: Practice, keep the communication at a high level, and we will be okay.