Meet The Press: Football Talks K-State Loss, Iowa State
10/3/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
| Head Coach Art Briles |
Opening statement...
"It's good to be home. The thing we got to do as a football team, and as a university and as [the] Baylor faithful, is lower [your] neck and fight because that's what you do when you have a little adversity in your plan. That's what we're going to do as a football team, I can guarantee you that."
On the players after the Kansas State loss...
"They're down. Of course they're down because we played with a whole lot of passion and effort Saturday and played a good football team. Kansas State's a good football team, and I don't want to take anything away from them. We certain felt like we let one slip through our fingers. That's just what's hard to take in this business. They're going to be determined, and it's what makes them who they are. When you put your heart and soul and everything into something and it doesn't come out that way, then you learn from it. You grow from it. We all learned some tough lessons the other day, and we'll move forward and be ready to go Saturday, no doubt. We better be because Iowa State's a good football team. I can promise you they're not concerned about what our feelings are."
On Robert Griffin III's completion percentage...
"Our protection broke down the other day at some critical times. I think a lot of what's got to do with it is just experience. Trusting people. That's one thing about our [locker] room; we have a lot of trust in our room. And you add some ability and knowledge with that, and then you have a chance to have successful plays."
On what lessons to take from the Kansas State game...
"I really couldn't single out one or two. From philosophical to schematic to overall team, there's just so many things that are involved in that atmosphere that you have to learn from. That's the thing that I think will help us the most is that when we we're caught in those situations again, we'll have a better plan on both sides of the ball. That's all you can ask for."
On the Baylor being only FBS team to average 300+ yards passing and 200+ yards rushing...
"We certainly left some points on the field the other day, without a doubt. We had some stuff that we were in really good shape with and just weren't able to get the ball off, or just weren't able to execute at the proper time. I think we are being diverse enough that we're able to keep some people off balance. We certainly need to run the ball better than what we did Saturday up in Manhattan. But we knew it'd be a limited-possession game, a limited-play game. We knew we had to be pretty aggressive for the most part because we knew we'd have a limited number of plays. Our runs were probably not to the extent that we'll try to be from here on out."
On the overall play at the Kansas State game...
"That's really what the game came down to - turnovers and penalties, in my mind. I think they got six points off our turnovers. We actually held them [to] no points off one. The penalties with field position were really critical late in the game. Defensively, I thought we battled hard. We kind of had a good idea of what Kansas State was going to do. [We were] very familiar with them from a schematic standpoint, even a personnel standpoint, and knew that they would stay within themselves, which they did. The two things that we've got to do better as a football team is helping each side of the ball. When the offense is scoring, we need the defense to make some stops. When the defense is making stops, the offense needs to go score. We've got to help each other, and that really wasn't the case the whole time the other day. We've got to finish strong and start fast coming out of the gates both halves."
On the play of defensive end Gary Mason Jr....
"I think he's playing with more confidence. As you get experience, you gain some confidence. Physically, he's very gifted, but I still think there's a lot left out there for him. So I'm excited about where he'll be this week and throughout this season and next year, because he certainly hasn't reached his ceiling."
On Kendall Wright's acrobatic plays at Kansas State...
"When he went and got that ball in the end zone on fourth down, I'm sick that we can't enjoy that game. Because that's as good of a play as I've seen made in a long time. That just shows the effort and attitude and passion. That's the thing I love about Kendall - I mean, honestly, sometimes he gets physically sick on the sidelines. It's because of whatever he's got inside of him, he's bringing out. He's going to play with every fiber of his body. I respect the heck out of him for that."
On Iowa State's offense...
"The thing about Iowa State - Todd Herman's their offensive coordinator, who I've been around, he was at Rice a couple years ago - [they are] very good schematically. I really respect what they do on the offensive side of the ball. A lot of good run pass options. I think they've been on the cutting edge for a while, quite honestly. They've got a guy that can do it in [Steele] Jantz. He's a big, strong kid that is fearless and they believe in him. He's a guy that can keep the plays alive. They run in two or three running backs that are all good. They feed off each other well; they all bring something different to the table. They've got good people and good schemes and they're a team that has beaten some really good teams over the last two or three years. So, any time you get [into] Big 12 play, you toss the coin up, just about. It all comes down to penalties, turnovers, momentum, and field position.
On the use of a tight end and the development of tight ends Jordan Najvar and Jerod Monk ...
"We've used one when we felt like they were capable of helping us win games. We've always kind of had an h-back or a slot back if we didn't have a true tight end. Brad [Taylor]'s kind of an example of that. He was kind of a hybrid guy. Having these two big guys in Jordan [Najvar] and [Jerod] Monk has really helped us offensively. That's something that I've been really excited about all year. They really bring something different to the table for us. They allow us to pass protect, they allow us to run the ball and they're a big body to throw to. Those guys are tough. I mean, both of them are 6'5", 260 [lbs.] and they're physical players."
| Senior RB Terrance Ganaway |
On the turnaround from the Kansas State loss...
"It was a tough loss. We just have to come back even hungrier when we play Iowa State this weekend. We're not going to dwell on it too long. It's hurting right now for all of us."
On Iowa State...
"I've seen a couple of their games and they are very physical and they play fast. They have beaten some really great teams, so we're going to have to get after it."
| Senior IR Kendall Wright |
On the game against Kansas State...
"They did a lot of different things on defense. I had a huge game, but it doesn't matter if we don't get the win. So we've just got to work. It was a tough environment. They had a good home field advantage."
On what the teams hope to learn and improve on following the Kansas State game...
"I guess prepare more for the road games. Like at practice, make it loud. Like in the indoor, make it loud or something at practice so we can prepare for the road games. But I felt like we came together as a team. During that experience, we came together as a team and we still had the chance to get the `W,' but we didn't come out with it."
On the importance of protecting Robert Griffin III...
"Yeah, that's the most hits that he took out there [at Kansas State]. It is important to protect him because when we've got him back there, he has the ability to make plays that no other quarterback can make. And with him getting touches, he can find open people or he can use his legs and run."
On his plays during the Kansas State game...
"I don't know how to talk about tight-roping the sideline. I don't know how I did that. But the catch [in the end zone], I was just trying to make a big play on fourth down to help my team, that's it."
| Senior LB Elliot Coffey |
On improving following the Kansas State game...
"I think that we just need to fully trust the team, fully trust our coaches and what positions they're putting us in and go out do what they ask us to do to the best of our ability."
On preparing for Iowa State...
"Preparation will start [Monday]. A lot of film work, hours of film work today. Just listening to what coaches have to say, how they feel about the offense. And just make sure that we listen to everything they tell us and do it perfectly."
| Junior TE Jerod Monk |
On the team's goals...
"Everybody wants to win. I could care less about stats at the end of the game, as long as we get the `W.'"
On playing with Robert Griffin III...
"It's awesome. I think we have the best quarterback in the nation. He's phenomenal when throwing the ball around. He gets it to a lot of guys and there are opportunities to score. Just looking at the defense, he knows where to throw the ball, and he executes the offense really well. He's able to throw the deep ball. I mean, you don't see hardly anybody in the country throw the deep ball like him. It's amazing. Connecting with Kendall [Wright] and [Tevin] Reese down the field, it's really nice to watch."
On the team's ability to spread the offense...
"We want the ball because we think we can make plays with the ball in our hands, and it's really nice to get the ball."
On playing Iowa State at home...
"We're all focused and ready to go. We're ready to get into film, watch film on them, hit the weights, hit the practice field and really get after it."
| Junior QB Robert Griffin III |
On the play of Kendall Wright...
"Kendall's a great athlete. So you've just got to trust him and believe that he's going to make every catch. And he's done that so far this year. So I feel like he's back to Kendall Wright from freshman year, just a lot more mature."
On taking the blame for the loss against Kansas State...
"I'm the leader of the team, that's what I'm supposed to do. I'm the general out there, Coach Briles is the president, but I'm the one that has to lead the troops out there on the battlefield, and we didn't come away with the victory."
On what the team learned from the Kansas State game...
"You've just got to finish games. And that's what we didn't do. We played extremely bad, probably the worst we've played all year and only lost by one. So that's the encouraging thing, but we've got to go out and make sure that doesn't happen again."
On the play of Iowa State...
"They're a very disciplined team. They listen to their coaches and they're going to do what their coaches tell them to do. With a team like that you've got to go out and try to get up on them quick. Try to discourage them a little, and try to win the game. But no matter what happens, our main objective is to get the `W.'"
On the running game...
"I still have confidence in those guys. I'm not going to try to take the ball out of their hands because they deserve it. We all know we have to get better, all of us. Whether it's passing, tackling or running the ball. We've all got to get better."
