Opening statement:
"Hello, welcome. Glad to be back in the game. The thing about this time of year is that it's kind of like getting in the car and taking a long, eight- or nine-hour trip, and after 30 minutes the kids say they need to use the bathroom. That's what an open date is this early in the season. You get going, and the next thing you know you're stopping, then you get going again. The fortunate thing for us is that it's an in-state game, a conference game; anytime we play a team from the state of Texas I consider it a conference game because we know each other -- they know us, we know them. I don't know the stats for sure but I would say over the last four to five years that Rice is probably one of the most successful teams in the state of Texas, certainly in the top two or three with number of wins and conference championships. The job that David Bailiff has done there over the last nine years is borderline phenomenal. I think they won their first conference championship a few years ago for the first time in 55 or 56 years; just a tremendous job by a tremendous person. I've known David for many, many years as a Texas high school coach and a Texas high school player and a native Texan like myself, so he's a guy that I have a whole lot of respect for. The guys on his staff, Larry Hoefer I've known since I was five, and there's not a better man on the earth. He coached here with us at Baylor and was on the Baylor staff when I got here and we retained him. He's just done a great job everywhere coaching safeties there. Chris Thurmond, who's the defensive coordinator at Rice was on my staff at Houston for three years. Great coach, great man and he's done a great job. And ironically, Sam Bennett is a GA [Graduate Assistant] on their staff, Coach Bennett's son. So we're tied in pretty deep with those guys and they do a tremendous job. Their guys play extremely hard, they're very well-coached. They're a very disciplined team that plays with a lot of aggression and a lot of confidence. That's the thing that jumps out at you when you watch them on tape. It's a tremendous challenge for us, I'm excited that it's a 2 p.m. kickoff, I like playing in the afternoon, especially this time of year. I think it'll be a great day for our fans. Hopefully the weather will be nice, the river will be full, the fans will be excited, and we'll get a big conference win."
On what he wants to see improved in their last non-conference game:
"Well, we do consider it a conference game, but on record it's not. There are so many things to polish off, I don't really know where to start. I guess start with coaching -- we have to coach better, we have to be better situationally on both sides of the ball. Special teams have been okay, a couple times we've had a punt roll to the one, we've fielded a punt at the seven in the first game, so we've had a couple of things in that area. We just have to be cleaner. We haven't been a clean football team. I still think we're looking for our identity offensively. I knew it would take three or four games but we don't have three or four games anymore, we've got one and we're on. The thing that happened to us against Lamar, that I've never had happen going off memory, is have three turnovers in a quarter and also score 21 points in a quarter. It's very unusual. We had six possessions and three were turnovers and three went for touchdowns. I've never had that happen. So, like I've said, as good as we were good in some areas, we were as bad also. What we've got to be is consistent. So you asked me what we need to work on, I would say consistency across the board."
On averaging 350 rushing yards a game so far:
"We've liked it, but it's still early. I think stats can be looked at differently throughout the season. I still think it's early to really judge how we are as an offense. I think as we get a little deeper into the schedule, those things will be a little more realistic. I think we have good backs, I think we have the threat of a quarterback who can run, and I think we have an offensive line that's intact. I think all those things add up to give you the opportunity to run the ball effectively. I think the three- or four-back deal is a big thing. It's just so hard to keep those guys healthy and fresh. If somebody pops off a long run, you've got to have somebody to hop in for him, and we have that. I think that is very beneficial. I also think the threat of going over the top to some people like we have that can stretch the field helps to create some runs."
On first half struggles thus far:
"I don't have a hand on it, but I think if you look across the board from a realistic, nationwide, statewide, high school, college, professional viewpoint, I think it's tough when everyone is always giving you their best shot. I think that's what gives you the chance to become a very good football team. That's the way we look at it. We have to understand, and it's something that I haven't been doing a good job at this year, we need to make sure we're the hunter and that we're staying hungry and still determined and we still keep our edge. I think I've lost my edge a little bit, quite honestly, and it's something I don't want to happen. I'm not standing here because I was edge-less; I'm standing here because I've had an edge about me for a long time as a person and as coach. I don't want to lose that, and I'm not going to let someone take that away from me. I've got to do a better job of us staying with our mentality to get us to the point that we're at. Baylor has not always been at this point where we're at now, and some people aren't happy where we're at. So we have to make sure we understand how we're perceived from people outside this building. They're not really excited about Baylor doing what we've done over the past several years, so they're trying to beat us. We've got to do a better job of matching the energy and the mentality that people bring against us, and that's all on me. 100% it is my responsibility to make sure our football team has that edge and that's something I've really worked on over the past 8-10 days, is making myself become me again."
On how to get that edge back:
"I was thinking I was doing a pretty good job, but that's a good question. If I knew that, I never would've lost it. Everything starts mentally, it's all a mentality. Your mind controls your body and your thoughts control your actions. It's just all mental. You've got to be careful and you've got to be guarded when you have a minimal amount of success. We've had a small amount, and so whenever you think everything is okay and good, it's not. You've got to be careful that you never become satisfied. If you get happy, you get beat. Happy teams get beat. I learned that a long time ago. If you're happy, you're gonna get beat, because someone that's unhappy is gonna take you down. So we need to make sure that we maintain unhappiness about us, and a hunger about us, and that's my responsibility 100%".
On Coach [Jeff] Lebby being on the sidelines at the Tulsa game:
"I was not aware, sadly so. If I had been aware, that situation would have never happened. When I found out, we alerted all the proper officials on both sides and I also called Coach [Bob] Stoops after the game Saturday and told him that I was sorry we had a guy on their sideline. It's embarrassing to me, quite honestly. There's not an advantage, first and foremost, in today's world; we get every film they've ever got, they get every film we've ever got so, as far as scouting advantage, you're at a disadvantage standing on the sideline. I don't think he was there that long, maybe a quarter, I'm not even sure. I hate it, I hate it for the perception standpoint, but anyone who knows football knows. If they wanna have some guy come stand by our sideline, that's alright because there is no advantage to doing it. But it was something I wasn't aware of."
On injuries suffered lately:
"Devin [Chafin] pulled a little bit of a hamstring against Lamar. I think he's probable at best for this weekend. Taylor Young should be back, that'll help spark this defense a little bit. He's a great leader, great inspirer, he's a guy that really makes plays instinctively, and I think that's about it. I think we've been very fortunate up to this point."
Thoughts on using Chris Johnson at tight end:
"There have been a lot of talks, and I think you could possibly see him lined up there this weekend in a couple of formations."
On any discipline for the assistant coach on OU's sideline:
"No, not on my part, no. I mean, we'll check with compliance and see how it's dealt with. It's very uncommon; there aren't a lot of examples to go by because it's just kind of an unwritten rule. Guys my age might know it, younger people apparently don't. So I mean, that's his alma mater, he was up there for a wedding, he probably thought it was okay to go lounge around, go see Coach [Phil] Montgomery and some of the guys on the sideline for a minute, but it's not. In my opinion, it's unethical."
On turnovers possibly being a learning process for Seth Russell:
"I think it's a combination of both. I think it goes with what we decided going into the season, and that we would have to find out about each other, especially at that position. Anybody that has a really good football team has one thing in common, what is the common denominator with a really good football team and winning. Most of the time it's the QB, so we have to really understand him better, and I think as we get the snaps we'll become a little more understanding of each other. It's a fine line you walk. The last thing I want to do is have a guy fearful. I want him to be fearless and I want him to play and worry about the next down when it gets there. So it's a real fine line you have to walk with a QB that has that instinctive ability that he has. Some of them don't have it but some do, and he does. I've got to learn how to equal that out to where he's not being detrimental to our football team."
On biggest challenge coming from Rice this week:
"They're good, they're just a really good football team. When you look at it from a realistic standpoint, based on how they've done the last four or five years, they've got good schemes. (Larry) is the OC, he's done a great job. Schematically, they're very good on both sides of the ball. (David) has been a great defensive coach forever. They've just got a lot of confidence. They're kids are sharp, they know what they're doing, they're not out of position. They're just a really good football team and there's a reason their coach has been there nine years. They've been fortunate to keep him nine years, it's not like he's been detained. They're fortunate to have him. That's the most important thing, he's been a really good football coach that's done a really, really good job in an environment that, prior to that, if you checked the stats, hasn't really been that way prior to him getting there. He's done well over a period of time, and that's what's impressive."
On having longest home winning streak currently and the advantage it has:
"Honestly, I did not know that. I remember the last one that wasn't a win, quite easily. So when you coach you usually remember the bad and not the god, but that's a good thing. It's impressive and I think it says a lot about who we are as a fan base, how we play as a team, and how we protect our turf. That's all good, but I think that just shows you how hard it is to consistently win."
On Tre'Von Armstead being dismissed and how that might affect the team:
"No comment on that, but as far as what it does to us as a football team, that's why you've got 85 scholarships. We've got guys that can play, we have guys that we feel really good about at that position. Gus [Penning] is a guy that we're excited about, college graduate, very athletic, very skilled, honestly has not been on the field as much the first couple of games. He's really a guy that can bring something special to the table, he's about 6'5", 250 pounds, he's got good hands, thinks fast, so I'm excited about him having opportunities, and, of course, the big guy [LaQuan McGowan]. I don't know how long I can carry him; I think it's time for him to carry himself. Once again that's on me, and it's on us. We got to make him produce a little more than what he's done, now this opportunity is there. We'll also flirt with a couple other things and possibilities that we have."
On what Shock brings to the running back position and his durability:
"Durability is the number one thing. That guy has had a bunch of carries over the last three years. He might have the most yards ever by a Baylor back, I don't know. I know he's had over 200 a couple times at least. He's had some big games for us. The main thing he brings is just inspiration, he's a very inspired player. When you get Shock, you get what he's got. He's a smart guy that plays with every ounce of energy and talent that he has, and he's got a lot of talent and he's got really quick feet. He's got great balance and keeps a low center of gravity, he's a really good back."
On having Kendal Briles and others back for this weekend:
"It'll be good. It's more eyes on the field, more eyes on guys. If Uncle Jeb always sits in the left corner seat, and you have two Thanksgiving dinners and he's not there, you're kinda looking around for him, and that was kind of the situation. Those guys kind of get used to coaches being in certain places and learning certain things from them, and Uncle Jeb wasn't there. He's got a ride to this game, so we'll be in good shape."
On the last non-conference game and what to improve on:
"Like Coach Briles said, this really is a conference game. We're in Texas, and you can't look past anybody, especially Rice. They're a really good defensive team. But as far as what to improve on, everything. You always want to improve and get better in some aspect of the game. Mine would have to be ball control and not giving the ball to the defense as many times as I did in the last game. That's what film is for. It was a great learning game, and we learned from it."
On the turnovers:
"I think both of those turnovers were on first and 10, so that was all on me. I guess I kind of had that gunslinger mentality going in, and it came back to bite me. In the long run, it's something I can look at and work on. I'd rather it be in an early game in the season. We came out with the win, and that's what matters. With this five-week push, I'm going to have to be able to make smarter decisions."
On keeping an edge:
"That is definitely something that we see. It kind of ebbs and flows a little bit, but it's there when we need it. You can't play up or down to any opponent. You have to play the best that you can all the time, and for us, that is playing with that chip on our shoulder. A lot of times we have to fight through it. We always find a way to get that edge."
On Seth's Russell's turnovers:
"Obviously, if it's a pressure situation, like a fumble or a sack, that's on us up front. It's frustrating to see turnovers, but we know it happens. With an explosive offense like us, the big plays down the field can easily be picks. Our guys are pretty good at minimizing stuff. We just had a few miscommunications here and there, but we'll clean that up and be ready to go."
On having an open week:
"A lot of people are banged up, so we used that time for injuries and getting everyone's minds right and focused."
On getting the edge back like Coach Briles said:
"We feel the same way as Coach, and we're just ready to roll. We're acting like this is a conference game, and preparing like it is."
On the team's first two games of the season:
"We had some bad stuff and some good stuff. I think we played well as a team, but we can get a lot better. The teams we played were really good, and it's preparing us for the long stretch we've got."
On adjusting during games:
"That just shows the maturity of our team, that we can adjust and figure out what we're doing wrong. We can fix our mistakes real fast, which shows how poised and mature these guys are."
On the team's high football IQ and figuring out how to fix things:
"All these guys are pretty smart as a whole. But it's more about starting fast. That's the main thing from last year to this year, just being more dominant early in the game."
On defensive adjustments for Rice:
"We hold our defense to a very high standard. We want to dominate every game. In a game like SMU, Coach Bennett did a really good job at making adjustments at halftime, but we need to work on our chemistry, on trusting each other that we will be in our positions and starting faster."
On improvement from week-to-week:
"Right now we're not to the point where we want to be, but as a defense each week we're going to get better. That's the focus. If you don't get better, then someone else is getting better. Each week we have to make sure to improve and not make the same mistakes as last week."
On preparations for Saturday's game:
"Of course a shutout would be nice, but we're not paying attention to the score or anything like that. We have our identity. We want to dominate. We don't want the game to be close. We go out there in a home game and lock that gate. No runs, no passes. That's our mentality."
On the mentality vs. Rice:
"One of our goals is to dominate Texas. Any Texas teams we play it's a conference game because we want to be the best team in Texas. That's why we treat it like a conference game."
On Rice's defense:
"They're a very good defense. They're aggressive, and so we probably will have to pass the ball more. Then, we will start doing what we do best: run and pass over and shoot."
On Baylor holding the longest home-winning streak in college football:
"It's a blessing. All we think about is being the best team. We want to get up there and be one of the best teams nationally, so every step matters. That's another step we're taking."
