Monday morning with Charlie Weis

Kansas head coach Charlie Weis answered several questions on the Big 12 conference call.

How big is the win over West Virginia:

Psychologically it is a very, very big uplift for our players. When guys get used to losing it doesn't matter how hard you played and nothing good happens it wears old on you after a while. It was a big lift for our players in program.

On losses wearing on Weis as a coach:

I learned a long time ago you can't have too many emotional highs or lows in this business. When things are going really bad you have to stay even keeled and when things are going really good you have to stay even keeled. As long as you can keep that perspective you can keep just chugging along. Just like everyone else after getting that win you are uplifted along with everyone else.

Trying to build on momentum:

Having won that game really helps us going forward to this next game. The next thing we have to get out of the way going up to Ames on Saturday night it is going to be a tough game versus a tough opponent. The next thing to do is win on the road. This is our last opportunity for this year to try and make that happen. Then you come home and play Kansas State who has been whipping us pretty good as of late and get an opportunity to do something about that too. We still have an opportunity to get rid of things still on the list to change the program.

What he saw from Montell Cozart:

As we have eased him into this, the first game he goes in is against Oklahoma. That isn't exactly where you want to start your career as a freshman quarterback. We have transitioned him over the last month and given him more and more time. We have been fairly inefficient on offense and I think that his athleticism helps bail us out and hide some of our deficiencies. He gets us out of some trouble that we would be in if we didn't have him. That being said I think that Montell has a bright future. This was a good first step for him.

On Jake heaps:

He has been great with Montell. Now Jake is a competitor so any one is disappointed that they aren't the guy but Jake is one of the most unselfish people I have ever been around. Although he wants to be out there being the guy in leading the team it is never going to deter him from helping Montell be the best Montell can be.

On the fans celebrating after the game:

I am the type of guy that believes the football team should be part of the student body. To have the players with the students, it was a little bit unexpected for them to be out there. But having them intertwined with the students my enjoyment really comes from when they have enjoyment. There were a lot of happy faces out there. I was happy not just for our players but for all those fans an alums who have had to endure the years of the losing streak in the Big 12 it was time to get that behind us.

On teams performance against West Virginia:

I think that our defense all year long has played good enough for us to have a chance to won games. I think what has cost us the most is the inefficiency to score on offense. One of the things as we eased Montell into this and finally pulled the trigger and said we are going to commit to him being full time. We came out last Sunday night and said okay this is the way we're going to do it so when you go in on Monday morning and sit down and start game planning everything changes.

Now you are changing from a pure drop-back quarterback who was going to stand in the pocket to a drop-back quarterback who has less experience and tons more athleticism. So now everything you do kind of changes. I give credit to the offensive staff and more importantly to the players for being able to change midstream that quickly. Two go from a compacted offense to a spread out offense and help best utilize the few playmakers that we really show on offense.

Changes on offensive scheme for West Virginia:

The first thing we did was spread them sideline to sideline, and that is not our deal. Now when you have the threat of quarterback runs on every single play, and when defenses don't have to account for the quarterback they have one up on you. When you have to account for the quarterback it is now evened up. The defensive advantage has been taken away.