NEBRASKA (5-3, 2-2) 32, BAYLOR (3-5, 1-3) 20
MEMORIAL STADIUM • LINCOLN, NEB.
OCT. 25, 2008 • ATTENDANCE: 85,104

BAYLOR HEAD COACH Art Briles
On failing to score after having first-and-goal in the third quarter
"Of course, the game is full of momentum swings. That was huge. That's one where I've got to do a better job of play selection and we've got to get points out of the deal. We end up with no points because the field goal hit the upright, but a touchdown certainly would have been better. We had a speed option called, so (quarterback Robert Griffin) had the choice to keep it or deal it and Robert saw a little crease, thought he could get in there and get after it. They did a good job of routing to him. I think it was a big momentum boost. That was our second drive of the second half. We felt like we were executing pretty well, making some plays. To get down there and stalemate, it stings you a little bit, but you've got to understand there's going to be good and bad series and you've got to overcome the bad ones."

On going 0-for-10 on third-down conversions
"We didn't do very well and they did really well. That's why they're in there patting each other on the back and we're consoling each other. You've got to convert on third downs."

On why the offense clicked in the first half and was slowed in the second half
"I just think we came ready to play. Our guys are fighters and they've got a lot of belief. We felt like we were going to come up here and win the football game. We wouldn't have come up if we didn't feel that way. That probably was the reason that things happened that way. We were clicking in the second half. We get the second drive in and go up 10 points or whatever it would've been, and next thing you know we got a pretty good feeling on the sideline. I think, conversely, they took it down and scored. You can't do that. That's bad change of events on both sides of the ball."

On how big scoring a touchdown before halftime was
"Huge. It was really good because they had just scored. We just felt like if we could create a little space with our guys we could make some plays and they did a good job getting on the fi eld and making some plays for us down there."

LINBACKER Joe Pawelek
On Baylor's third-down defense
"That's something we've kind of struggled with all season. You've got to give them credit, we keep on getting them in third-and-longs, and they keep converting them. You've gotta to give them and their coaching staff credit. We'll put the film up tomorrow and see so many little things, so many little steps, and so close in terms of people on defense not playing their right gaps, or not making plays when we need to."

On the third-down play that sticks out the most
"Right there at the end, I think it was 3rd-and-12 or something like that, and they hit that long screen pass. That was a good call, we were bringing a blitz from the other side, and that's just the way it worked out."

On if it was deflating when the offense didn't score after they missed a field goal on the 2-yard line
"Yeah, but we were still up at the time. We're winning the game, and if they don't score, then we get to leave here with the victory. As a defense, we needed to step up, and we just didn't make the plays."

SAFETY Jordan Lake
On how tough the loss was
"It obviously hurts. There's no words to explain it. We thought we were in a good position to get a chance to win the game at halftime, and as a defense if we don't let them score then we win. So it was pretty deflating to come out and let them come down like that and take the lead, and continue to work their way down the field on us. It's not something we looked forward to."

On Nebraska's third-down conversions
"That big screen play was a perfect call for the defense we were running. We were blitzing from the backside, and he called a good play, and sometimes that happens. That's football. We've got to do a better job of getting even more third-and-long situations so that doesn't happen, and we can get off the field."

On Nebraska's third-down conversion percentage
"It was a lot higher than what we would like for it to be. It was definitely frustrating to not get off the field as much, and it hurt us in the long run."

On containing Nebraska's passing game
"I think we did a pretty good job, except for a couple big explosion plays. The screen was a 70-yard pass play, the pump-and-go when we were in man coverage, that's a tough route and a good call by them, that's 60 more yards right there. If you take away 130, that's a pretty good day for us defensive-wise. We've just got to do a better job of eliminating those big plays."

RUNNING BACK Jay Finley
On how tough the loss was
"It's real tough, because we came down here to win, and to come back with anything less is a disappointment."

On what the difference was in the second half for Baylor's offense
"We couldn't convert on our third downs. We had a couple big third downs we needed to convert on, but we just didn't make it. When we didn't do it they came down and made a couple big plays and it kind of hurt us."

On his first quarter touchdown run
"It was great. I took it, and cut it backside. They were running a zone, and I had one man to beat. I had a nice big hole for me, anytime that happens, it's up to me to beat one. Great blocking."