Aug. 12, 2008
Read official "View From The Hill" blog about fall practice
WACO, Texas- Overnight and morning rains gave way to sweltering temperatures and steamy humidity Tuesday afternoon as the Baylor football squad took to the field turf at Floyd Casey Stadium for their ninth workout of preseason drills. Following a 90-minute practice session, the Bears conducted a half-scrimmage.
Robert Griffin engineered a 75-yard scoring drive that was capped by a 15-yard touchdown pass to Thomas White. Jay Finley later had a five-yard scoring run. Antonio Johnson scored on an interception return and forced a fumble, which Jordan Lake recovered.
Wednesday is an off-day for the Bears before returning to the field for two practice sessions Thursday. Baylor will work at 8:30 a.m. CDT and 3:30 p.m. Thursday in their 10th and 11th sessions of preseason drills, respectively. [Briles quotes below.]
NOTES: Tuesday was the first day of Summer II final exams for the majority of the Bears. Final exams run through Thursday. €¦ Baylor's annual fan day - Meet the Bears - is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 16; the time has been moved up to noon, following a morning practice and a 10 a.m. scrimmage. €¦ Baylor opens its 2008 season Aug. 28 when it hosts 23rd-ranked Wake Forest at Floyd Casey Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. in front of an FSN national television audience.
BAYLOR HEAD COACH Art Briles - Aug. 12, 2008
On Tuesday's half-scrimmage:
"I thought there were spurts where we were really good on both sides of the ball. What we have to work on, again, is just consistency. Nobody is a good enough football team to have a bad play or a bad series. It just can't happen because then you're - somewhere along the line -playing catch-up. We don't want to play catch up; we want to play ahead. That's the main thing we have to work on.
"Our guys' effort, their intensity, I think we're really on line with that. I'm really proud of the way they're busting their tails and getting after it. The intangibles we have to control; we just have to make sure we're playing intelligent, intense football."
On the first offense's success on the first few drives:
"That was good, but we have to sustain it. You can't get out 14-0 and then think the game is over. You have to keep driving, you have to keep playing, and you have to keep building on what you've done instead of relying on what you've done. We kind of start thinking we're OK. Well, we're not OK. We're working to be OK. That's our goal, and that's our mission."
On the quarterback play:
"I haven't looked at the tape, of course, but there were flashes and mistakes. It falls right along with the special teams, the offense and the defense. There's some good, and there's some not so good. What we've got to do is have more good."
On turnovers caused by the defense:
"That's what you've got to have. You have to be an aggressive, forceful defense. You have to take advantage of turnovers, which we did. I just don't think the offense challenged the defense enough. The offense needs to give [the defense] a good enough look to where they're challenged and to where they feel they're threatened. The offense just has to do a better job of challenging the defense."
On the running game:
"There's some stuff there, and we're going to have to be able to run the ball effectively in order to keep the chains moving. We're still working on the game-speed, but I think in the next 10 days we'll get there."
On QB Jeremy Sanders:
"If you like big, strong and fast, he's a pretty good guy to like because he's got that covered. We feel very fortunate that he's in green and gold. [His attitude has been] outstanding. He came to help this team win; he came to work. That's what we all came for. We're not full of answers; we're trying to find them."
On IR Kendall Wright:
"He's an explosive, confident young man. That's the most endearing thing. He's fun, he enjoys the game, and he's a confident player who possesses a lot of ability."
On the kicking game:
"We have to kick it well every time. That's just what they have to do. I don't think we need to look around and say, 'This guy's not doing his job.' There might be a line there, and there would be some coaches in there, too, including me. We all have a long way to go to get better."
