Oct. 19, 2008
Following a 34-6 loss to No. 8 Oklahoma State, the Baylor football team will travel to Lincoln, Neb., Saturday, Oct. 25, to face off against the University of Nebraska. Kickoff is set for 11:30 a.m. CDT and will be televised on Versus.
Here are head coach Art Briles' thoughts on the Bears' loss to Oklahoma State and Saturday's game against Nebraska:
Opening Statement...
"We have got to grow as a team and learn how to handle environments that we are involved in [and show it] by our play on the field."
On Oklahoma State stopping the running attack...
"Running helps rhythm. We never really felt rhythm yesterday, especially after the first quarter and a half. That is critical to us as a football team. That is why the running game is important because it helps create rhythm for you offense. I have got to do a better job for creating a better opportunity for us to get in a rhythm.... We will do better, that is the bottom line."
On the importance of running the ball effectively...
"Well I am not sure that we have developed anything yet, but we have certainly had a conscious effort to run the ball... we just didn't have the opportunity to yesterday and didn't take advantage of the opportunity to yesterday to continue that trend. We just weren't as effective yesterday as we have been.... Rushing the football is a way to help control tempo and momentum and it brings a little bit of toughness to the game."
On what can be learned from playing top 10 teams...
"There is not that big of a discrepancy. We feel that we are not that far off. We understand that we have to play almost error free to have an opportunity to win games of that nature, but that is the way it should be each week anyway. We feel like we should be a good enough football team to play error free and to capitalize on opportunities. We have a team of guys that believe in each other and fight hard for each other.
On Robert Griffin's streak of pass attempts without an interception...
"It has been good so far. He is very intelligent with the football and very conscious of defensive schemes. I think all of that adds up to having a chance to minimize the giveaway factor."
On the play of Jordan Lake, Antonio Johnson and Joe Pawelek this season...
"Those guys are playing with a whole lot of effort, attitude and passion. They are tough-minded football players. That is what you need a whole locker-room full of, and that is what we are getting to. Those guys are really playing at a high level of toughness and intensity. They have been doing a really good job for us this year."
On the progress of the team throughout the season...
"We are right in the meat of our schedule and our system. The games that we have not come out on top have been against good [teams] at the time that we played them. Some of them have fallen off a bit since early in the year, but we are to the point now that we feel like we can get on the field with anybody and have a real good opportunity to win, and that is all that we can ask for. We understand that for us to be able to do that, we have to be clicking in all phases of the game and make good decisions and capitalize on every opportunity. We feel that when we step on to the football field, we have a chance to win every game."
