McCown: The way the offense has been going, a lot of teams have tried to stop the run. What that does is open up the passing lanes and allows us to take deeper shots. Of course, if you throw a lot of those, they are more low-percentage (routes) than your out routes or curl routes. If you can hit one or two (big plays), those can have a big influence on the outcome of a game.

Q: Did the Baylor game show you that if you can complete a lot of passes and get the running game going, the future looks bright for this offense?

McCown: We have the capability to do that. In the Baylor game we had good numbers, and that showed everybody we are capable of passing the ball and running the ball. So they have to worry about both.

Q: How much of a help has Branndon Stewart been to you along the sidelines when you come off the field after an offensive possession?

McCown: He's been a big help as far as seeing something I didn't see or seeing it from a different angle. Me and him had good communication when he was the starter. Now when I'm the starter, when he sees something he relays it to me or Coach (Ray) Dorr. It helps out a lot.

Q: What's the most difficult aspect about playing quarterback?

McCown: I guess it's having enough self-discipline to watch film over and over again. Even though you've seen it a hundred times, you're just looking to see if you can find some kind of tendency a defense has. A lot of people think being out there is kind of hectic, but it’s really not. If you know what you're doing, it's a calm atmosphere. Preparation, to me, is the main key. If you're prepared, then it should be smooth sailing on Saturday.

Q: Has this just been a crazy season for you and your family, with your emergence as the starter at A&M and your other two brothers playing quarterback at SMU and Jacksonville High at the same time?

McCown: It's been a real exciting fall having both my brothers playing. Josh has been playing pretty well for SMU, and Luke in high school is having a really good year. It's been real hectic and real time-consuming. The phone bills are going up, and the parents are racking up the miles in the ol' van.

Q: Do you ever forget the signals sent in from the sidelines, and why did the coaches shuttle in plays for the Texas Tech game rather than signaling them in?

McCown: I never have problems with the signals. Ry Marek does a great job of signaling the plays in. The reason we were running receivers in was that we felt Tech had picked up on our signals last year. They may have had a guy just watching our signals to pick up on our plays. We ran the plays in with our receivers just to keep Tech off-balance.

I really wish we could have those headsets like the NFL does. That would be really nice.

Q: How much have you learned about the quarterback position from Coach Dorr?

McCown: He's brought in so many things to do as far as perfecting my technique. And he's really taught me how to prepare for a game. I thought I knew what I needed to do to prepare for a game, but he kind of took it to another level. He said I need to do this much more stuff, so it's really been a big plus having him here. He's really helped me become a more productive quarterback.

Q: Was there one thing Dorr told you in a practice, film session or game that you've remembered more than anything else?

McCown: Nothing in particular. He's got so many of these little sayings. After the Tech game (last year), he kind of talked to me and said I would have the opportunity to play again. No matter what happens, he said I needed to be prepared. I don't know if he can see in the future, but it came up. I think that was a good piece of advice he gave me.

Q: Chris Cole and Chris Taylor are emerging as fast, talented guys for you to find downfield. But the A&M coaches are also talking about the future of the passing game with freshman Bethel Johnson. What has Johnson been doing in practice that has everyone so excited about his potential?

McCown: He's made some big plays in practice. He goes and does the scout team, so we really don't get to see him. But he does one-on-one drills with the defensive backs, and he makes some great catches and is real fast. It'll be real interesting next year. Maybe we'll go to a three wide receiver set. We're definitely looking forward to next year, spreading things out and slinging it around.

Q: If you weren't playing football for A&M, it seems like you would just be a normal student and typical, clean-cut Aggie. Would that be the case?