Sept. 24, 2011

Recap | Box Score | Notes | Photo Gallery

No. 17/19 BAYLOR (3-0) 56, RICE (1-2) 31
FLOYD CASEY STADIUM • WACO, TEXAS
SEPT. 24, 2011 • ATTENDANCE: 40,088

Baylor Head Coach Art Briles
Opening statement €¦
"Really a good win, kind of a workman-like win, which is the way we wanted to approach the game. I have a lot of respect for Rice, have a lot of respect for David Bailiff. Since I've been coaching here, the last eight or nine years, we've played them seven times. And it's always a war because they're always going to play hard, they're very intelligent and they're usually going to have very good schemes where they can work the ball and nickel and dime you a little bit. So you've got to be patient, and when you've got shots you've got to take them on the offensive side of the ball. We got in a little trouble with special teams again. We've got to keep working on that, keep cleaning that up. We can't keep helping people; we can't kick it out of bounds; we can't fumble the ball and we can't get mediocre returns. We've got to have great returns, so that's an area that we've got to keep improving on. But overall, great crowd, amazing crowd... Really, really appreciate that. Very enthusiastic crowd, particularly early on when we had to have them. And then, like I said, a good tough win for our guys."

On Robert Griffin III getting hit...
"It was kind of like the hit last week against SFA. When you get up in the air, it's an athlete's way of protecting himself. So when I saw him get airborne, I thought that he would be ok. Now there's some things that can happen, but fortunately nothing did. And Robert's a competitor, he's a fighter. We're up 35-17, I think, at the time and he's playing like it's a conference football game. And that's why he's a great player, because like we tell our guys, we don't get many of these opportunites to have an accomplished play and accomplished game. So when you're out there, you've got to take advantage of it and play and he does."

On starting Big 12 play...
"It is what it is, I mean it's a heck of a conference. Every game's a battle, it's a war. And that's why you play, that's why you coach, that's why you turn on the tv and that's why you go to the stadium and watch, because it's exciting, it's fun and it means something. Our guys are prepared. I'm excited about getting with them this week and getting into another game that they'll really play up for. I saw how we did against one earlier this year, a game where we felt like our back was against the wall and we had to fight. So I'm anxious from that stand point."

Baylor Quarterback Robert Griffin III
On a successful start to the season...
"I was talking to coach on the sidelines and we play too hard to be normal, so it feels good to start the season off the way we have. We will continue to focus small. And one of those small things is Tevin Reese scored his first touchdown today. You take care of your own. So as long as we continue to focus small and take care of the little things, we'll be great."

On his lack of interceptions...
"You know, that's an unreal stat. The guys on the sideline, they're trying to calculate it because they know I haven't thrown very many incompletions. So they're like, 'Now, you're one up on it.' ESPN comes out with all sorts of stats so I'm sure they'll come up with a record for that. You know it's just crazy, they say it's like video games, but when we're out there and we're doing what we're supposed to then the ball doesn't need to be on the ground. As long as it's in their hands, then they're making plays."

On the fans...
"It's great. I love it. I haven't seen this before. It didn't matter who we were playing, really, we weren't getting fans here. So they're doing a great job. We're a ranked football team, they're excited about what we're doing and we're excited about them showing up and yelling for us. Now we just have to get them to stay the whole game, even when we're blowing people out. But you can't be selfish, I'm happy that they're showing up and wearing the green and gold."

Baylor Inside Receiver Kendall Wright
On the play of other players, like Tevin Reese and Lanear Sampson...
"I €ˆfeel like when I €ˆcatch my passes I €ˆopen it up for them. But I'm not taking credit for them. We have a lot of playmakers on offense. So I'm proud of Tevin. I was waiting on him to get his first touchdown. But it's three games straight with Lanear. He didn't have a touchdown last year, but it's three games straight with a touchdown. We just have playmakers out there. With the ones or the twos, whoever's going. We have playmakers out there. We have Glasco Martin out there making plays. We just have playmakers out there at every position that can make plays at any time."

On the chemistry with Robert...
"It's the way we practice. It all starts with practice. If we don't practice hard every day then none of this will happen. We won't be in sync, and it won't happen. So the way we practice, it translates to the game. Practice hard and we play hard. We practice at a high level."

Rice Head Coach David €ˆBailiff
On the game:
"You can't play a team like Baylor and make the mistakes that we made offensively and defensively. And you can't have the type of mental errors we had and expect to walk away with the win. We needed to have flawless execution we needed to be great tacklers on defense. I thought our offense, at times, moved the ball but there were too many mistakes to come out of here with a win."

On Robert Griffin III:
"Robert Griffin is one of the greatest I have ever seen as a player and a coach. What he is and what he worked himself into this season comparted to last season is just frightening with where he can take his game. He's just great."

On Randy Kitchens coming back to his hometown:
"I think when Randy (Kitchens) settled down he was great. He came home and put a lot of pressure on himself and that's what kids do. But I think as soon as he caught the touchdown pass that was all behind him and made some big plays tonight."

On the 14-point swing:
"You can't fumble a kickoff, you can't throw an interception for a touchdown. There's things you just can't do and go on the road against a team that's ranked in the top 20 and come away with a win. Art (Briles) has done a fabulous job in his time here recruiting. I think they are bigger and faster than they were a year ago and that's what it's all about. He's got them better."

Rice Defensive End Scott Solomon
On the game:
"It can down to the defensive line not putting enough pressure on them. That play action pass got us. He (Robert Griffin III) had plenty of time in the backfield and we just weren't getting there and applying the pressure that we needed to as a defensive line."

Rice Quarterback Taylor McHargue
On the game:
"We knew how explosive they were and we understood, offensively, we needed to control the play clock, control the possession and we didn't do a great job of that in the first quarter. They jumped out to a good start. Then in the second half we didn't finish when we got a drive going. In order for us to really be efficient and effective we need to eliminate that stuff."