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7/6 BAYLOR (5-0, 2-0) 28, NR/RV TEXAS (2-3, 1-1) 7
Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium | Austin, Texas
Oct. 4, 2014 | Attendance: 93,727

BAYLOR QUOTES

Head Coach Art Briles

Opening Statement: I think Coach Strong has done an outstanding job at UT. I thought their players played with a lot of passion, a lot of effort, very well schemed on both sides of the ball. I thought they used [Texas quarterback Tyrone] Swoopes effectively. Defensively I thought they did a great job of the preparation. At the end of the day, I thought our guys just came in with an attitude and a hunger that we always have. I thought we won the game in three different ways. I thought we made enough plays offensively. I thought special teams was just very critical - the blocked field goal and the punt for a first down. Defensively, you pitch a shutout for 58 minutes left in the ball game on the opponents' floor, you're always going to have a good chance to win. My hat's off to our football team.

On who called the fake punt by Spencer Roth: It was a situation where we have a guy who was an All-American last year and we have a lot of confidence in him. If he feels like he can do something, that light is not red, it's green.

On the momentum change with fake punt: I thought it changed everything. I mean we down and score in about four plays and go up 14-0 after not really making first downs quite honestly. It was a field position game most of that quarter and that kind of flipped the field.

On the goal line stand at end of first half: It was big that we didn't score, you know what I'm saying. We get down there and we've got six inches on third down and fourth down and go through that scenario on the field, not just the play but the assessments of the play. Then they take it 99 yards. They just didn't take it 99 and a half. That was huge because they are getting the ball at half and it's a 7-7 ballgame. That was a huge turnover. [Defensive lineman] Beau Blacksheer blocked the field goal and recovered the fumble. That's making plays. We had some unsung heroes make plays for us today.

On the team win: 100 percent. It was just a grind out win. Let's look at it in realistic terms, which I like to look at things. We've been on the road three weeks in a row since September 14th or whatever it is. We open up Big 12 Conference play - as reigning champions, we didn't finish eighth last year. How do we get rewarded? We go to Iowa State and go to Austin to open up conference play. This team, for them to do it, says a lot about them. It shows a mature, tough minded, confident football team that knows how to win.

On comparison between this year and last year: I think we are a better team than last year and that's just the bottom line. We are not where we need to be or have to be to have a chance to win the conference again, but I do think we are a better football team than we were a year ago at this time.

Senior WR Antwan Goodley

On not being in a rhythm: We just got off to a slow start. I wouldn't say I wasn't in a rhythm. We just didn't come out clicking like we normally do. I feel like we picked it up in the second half. The defense held it down for a while.

On the big plays: [Punter] Spencer [Roth] really sparked that drive off for us with that fake punt. We got the first down, which allowed us to go score. We definitely have to come together as a team and play. It's hard winning on the road. You can't just come into somebody's house and try to take them. It's going to be a fight so we came together and came out with the win.

On what was said at halfime to come out and play a better second half: We were in good hands the whole game. Like I said, we just couldn't click from the jump. We didn't want to come out of here with an `L' so we just fought hard to the end.

On what does the defense and special teams stepping up say about the team going forward: I think we're a good football team, no doubt. We've got guys that can play both sides of the ball and we showed them. We came back and fought them to a win.

Sophomore RB Shock Linwood

On being patient and wearing down the defense: We knew that we had to just keep grinding it out. Each play, just go out there and tempo them up and get them tired and that's how we got them.

On if the first half was frustrating: Yeah it was frustrating but we had to keep our composure. Things are going to happen so we just had to be patient with it.

On if this was a different game than expected: Oh yeah. We never had seven points in the first half. With us having a game like that, we just have to correct ourselves and fix the mistakes we were making.

On how much they fed off of their defense in the first half: Defense played outstanding. They didn't allow them to score and they stepped up big time whenever we needed them. We just have to execute off their stops they got.

Baylor RE Shawn Oakman

On stopping Texas' offense once they got on the Baylor side of the field: That's just that gang green mentality. We're not here to let you score. We're not here because you think you're going to impose your will on us. We're here to take the first punch and we're here to keep punching. We're not going to stop for anybody. On what it felt like when they got the turnover on the half-yard line: It's everything you practice. It's the long days in camp. It's Art Briles preaching to you. It's playing for your brothers for everything. Giving out everything: blood, sweat and tears for everybody that's on that field with you.

On what it says about the team that their defense can redefine what the game is going to be: It says that we still don't get enough respect that we deserve. It says that just because we have a potent offense, one of the best offenses in the country, that doesn't mean we don't have one of the best defenses in the country as well. We need to get that respect we deserve and I think we proved that tonight.

On how the game changed after the fake punt: I think it was changed from the first quarter. It's not just one play but that fake punt was big for us. It got the offense back on the field and equaled a touchdown.

Baylor QB Bryce Petty

On struggling to get the win: Sometimes it's going to be like that. It was ugly, but it's a win nonetheless. Any time you go out there, I would much rather it be ugly than pretty. We got the win, which is exactly what we wanted to do. It wasn't exactly how I planned it but we got it done. On the performance of the Texas defense: I'll have to be honest with you, my head is still spinning trying to think about it. They threw so many looks at us, coverage-wise...I couldn't tell you what they did on consecutive plays. It's good for us and I really think defenses are going to do that, they are going to throw things at us that we haven't seen before and we have got to get through it. I've got to get better because I can't have games like that, I don't want games like that. I feel like I'm the best in the country, so if you are going to be the best in the country, you've got to be able to decipher that kind of stuff and still be able to hit things. There was a lot of miscommunication out there, but at the end of the day, the ball is on my hands and I've got to put it out there.

On being unable to score near the goal line in the second quarter: I told Coach I didn't know where my knee was. I knew I crossed but I didn't know when my knee hit the ground. That was on the third down play. On the fourth down play, I knew I wasn't on the other side.

On his inability to connect with his receivers early in the game: Like I said, I was for the lack of a better word "terrible" today. But again, some games are going to be like that. I've got a great team around me that consistently picks me up. I told them from the get go, they make me look better than I really am. At the end of the day it wasn't my day, but at the same time we are still celebrating here.

On the relief his first touchdown brought upon him: I can't even tell you. I was screaming myself up. It was a relief. As a quarterback, especially on this offense, we want to go deep, we want to have those big plays. That's kind of our identity. When you're struggling to get those shots, it gets tough. That kind of things makes you feel a little bit better about today.

On if Texas tested his patience with their game plan: Exactly, you've got to be patient. What I have to do and what we have to do as a team is be patient. We've got to hit the underneath stuff. If they are not going to give us anything down the field that's fine, we've got to work through it. It's hard for us to do because that's not what we want to do, we want the big plays that set up the excitement. You've got to be patient, sometimes almost methodic.

On when did his offensive line take control of the game: Definitely on the second half. Maybe towards the end of the first half. In the middle of the third quarter is when those guys said "man give us the ball". Like I said it was ugly, the passing game part of it, but that's exactly what those big guys want. They played their butts off today. I'm extremely proud of those guys, they deserve something like this.

TEXAS QUOTES

Head coach Charlie Strong

Opening Statement: What's key for us, we just have to learn how to win. We don't know how to win yet. We don't know how to finish. You go back, the game was tied against BYU, we come out the second half and score a lot of points. We go to UCLA, the same thing, playing well, they come out, we don't finish the game. At the end of the day you're down seven and you had opportunities to get a field goal blocked for a touchdown, and then we had a ball right there at the end zone and caught a quarterback sneak and a center-quarterback exchange and then you lose points there. It's just, you know, you like how you look at us defensively, we challenge our guys on defense. They have got an offensive lead in the country and scoring in total offense and they went out and with the exception of two drives, I think we played very well on defense. Offensively we just got to continue to move the ball. I like our offensive line because we didn't give up many pressures. We gave some pressures, not many sacks to protect our quarterback. He's just got to do a better job when he scrambles. Get his eyes down the field instead of seeing the rush and then releasing the ball, because we had some guys open that threw the ball deep, just missed some opportunities. We're sitting here 2 3. We've just got to continue to get better. Told you guys a while ago, we are going to eventually get over the hump, but we got to win these games. We just got to keep playing, keep playing together.

On if he considered going for it on fourth down rather than attempting a 52 yard field goal: No, I just you sit there and the ball is on the 35, every day we put the ball on both hashes and we go 35, 40 and hit it. We just didn't hit it. We got blocked.

On if the offense is more difficult to fix than anticipated and if it can be fixed this season: I think it could be fixed. I don't know if we say it's a big mess. We drive the ball. We just, we have those opportunities and then there's a breakdown somewhere. You know and the thing with this with us offensively, we have to win on first down. We just can't get it to third and long because you know, second and five, you can manage that. Second-and-6, you can manage it. But when it gets to third and long, that's where it hurts us, because now we have got to protect the quarterback. And then you look at your quarterback position and he's got to make the right throws. We had some throws there in the middle and then you can just look and just never just get the ball up. And a lot of catches were down and guys have to go to the ground and make those catches. Just hit them on the run and give them a target so that we can keep their feet moving and we can get down the field.

On any letdown after Baylor converted on a fake punt: No, the fake punt the fake punt should have never happened. We had two guys that should have been just going right now to check the punter and then he just pulls it down because we had a return set up and he just threw it down and ran right behind the defenders. And if you look at it, we had one guy miss it, but then defensively we go out there and we get beat. We get beat on the inside route and then a guy faded away, and we just don't lose our eyes. Get our eyes out of the backfield and get them on the man. We were in man coverage.

On teaching the team how to win: Well, it's a process. You've just got to continue to play and win games. When you win a big game that you don't suppose to win, then it all comes together for you.

On the 98-yard drive that ended with a goal line fumble affecting the offense: Well, that's where you have to be consistent, you have to drive the football. You're right, we take it and we get the ball and then we March it down the field and then we turn it over. It's just we have to convert, and we got behind on first down. And then you get to the third down and we just didn't make the throws and make the plays, and now you're off the field and the defense is back out. What we wanted to do, and we did a great job in the first half, is keeping the ball away from them. We did a great job keeping our defense rested and kept them on the sideline. And then the second half, just sometimes when you get down, you start pressing and start pressing, and instead of just being patient and let it come to you if we are patient enough, the plays will come to us. Don't try to press it.

On keeping the defense positive after a tough loss: They understand that defense is how we are going to win and the plan to win is go play great defense. We have to do that and we know where we are offensively and the players understand. They know we have to play, we have to play lights out to win. You know, we are down 14 and then we gave up a drive where they just drove the ball and they ran it on us, and we missed tackles there. We had a chance there to stop them on third down. We run a stunt and we don't get the running back tackle. And then they go for it on the fourth and third and pass on us on a fourth and one.

On if the fumble at the goal line changed the momentum: Well, you always look at momentum swings in the game, and that was a big one there. Because you go into halftime now 7 7 instead of 7 0, and then you have the ball coming out. So now you're 7 7 and now you have the ball coming out, your defense is playing well. And it is, it's just tough, because you lose points there. And when you know you're in a game like this, with as good a team as Baylor has, you have to get the points.

On taking an early timeout because of a wrong formation in third quarter and Daje Johnson's performance: Daje end up at the end of the game, he tweaked a hamstring. That's why he didn't play late. No, I just think it was just looking to the sideline and not getting the right formation and the right play in.

On improvements quarterback Tyrone Swoopes can make to score more: Well, it's not so much the talent of the quarterback. It's the whole offense. You look at the offensive line, got to do a better job of just protecting him. We have to be able to run the ball. I told the running backs, and I thought they did very well today. I said at some point, you have to run over someone, and you have Johnathan Gray on the sideline running over one of their defenders and receivers. It's a collection and it's all together like a whole offense where we just got to somebody got to become a playmaker, and you just can't just rest it solely on the shoulder of the quarterback.

On his postgame conversation with Baylor coach Art Briles: Oh, nothing. Just keep it going, something similar to that.

On if Swoopes is losing confidence: No, it can't rest solely on him, and he knows that. You can't you look at him, Tyrone, he comes into the season as the backup. You lose your starting quarterback. So now all of a sudden, you just can't say, here is your backup quarterback and everything is resting on your shoulders to go lead this football team.

On Swoopes' performance: Tyrone could have played better today. He had some throws that he could have made and he could have played better.

On what the team takes away from the failed 98-yard drive: Yeah, we were just talking about that. I think we jinxed ourselves because somebody said, we're getting this ball, and it started on the one yard line and all of the sudden, it ends on the one yard line with a fumble. But it does get you because you know what, we can move the football. But we just, we cause our own destruction, and we can't do that. We have to be smart and we have to play smarter and just make plays at the right time. You know, when we have to block somebody, we have to get a block. Running backs need to run hard. It all has to come together just for the whole offense.

On getting the same energy against Oklahoma following this loss: Well, you have to, and you're sitting here 2 3 but you still have to go play, you still have games to go play, and you know, one game is not going to make a season. You still have a season left.

On the fumbles at the goal line in back-to-back weeks: Center/quarterback exchange, so nobody's swiping that. It's just snap the ball, catch it, move it forward. It's nothing but a quarterback sneak.

On gaining confidence: Well, you've just got to keep playing, and confidence has got to come within them. They have to believe that they are a good football team, and they have to believe that they are a good player themselves. You've got to continue to build confidence and that's what it's all about. A lot of times I tell them, we always say, it's not the pressure, because there will be a lot of pressure to happen and it's because you have no confidence within yourself. The pressure, if you're totally confident, then there's no pressure at all.

On if he is concerned about finger pointing among the players: No, and I say this, everywhere I've ever been, the defense have always outperformed the offense. It's not many places I haven't been where the defense wasn't better than the offense. So it won't turn into finger pointing with the football team. It's not just the defense; we at all three phases have to win to play well. You look at it, we talk about the offense, you look at special teams, you look at field goal block, there's seven points right there and then you get a fake punt ran against you. That's points right there that you give up.

On both teams making halftime adjustments: Well, the thing that happened, they ran the ball but it was missed tackles. It wasn't what they were doing. They run that same play in the first half. The second half we just missed the tackles. We just have to get off blocks and separate off blocks, and when we call movement, we need to get the movement and linemen need to be linemen. It's what we did. It's not so much them finding a new play and just running in the ground on us.

On Darius James starting: Well, Darius he has been practicing well, so we gave him that opportunity to start. So he's the one that allowed us to move a big (Kent Perkins) inside to the guard position, probably where he's better suited at.

On the strangeness of the game: It was. You sat there at 7 0 and you look up and say, how did they ever get that seven? That was on that blocked field goal. But you have a really high powered offense in Baylor. And then you watch our offense the first half, we held the ball and we kept them off the field which we wanted to do. And if we had got that score right before, just right there at the half, it would have made it 7 7, and then the second half we could have approached it a lot different, too. And I think the players would have kind of settled in a little more.

On if he is feeling frustration with a lack of production in some areas: I said it. It's all three phases, but I've always been where the defense has out performed the offense. You know, defensively, and I tell our guys all the time that the plan to win is go play great defense, and we had to go play really good today. And I know that we missed some opportunities on offense and you'd like to score points. Because you're going to have to score points in games to beat these teams, because they can score. You look at Baylor, they can score at any second. We just have to keep moving. You look at us offensively, though, and I think about it, losing (Dominic) Espinosa hurt us, and now you look at us in the middle; and so now you have with Jake (Raulerson) never starting; and your quarterback, you lose him and then you look at the offensive line, we are trying to put it together, running backs are solid, and even at the wide receiver position, just got to get players to make plays there.

Texas assistant head coach for offense Shawn Watson

Opening Statement: You know, the way that we played in the first half at times, I thought the guys were playing always give us a great effort. To drive the ball 99 yards and have a turnover is disappointing. You can't let those things happen. That can't happen, the most basic play in football. Just got to keep working, keep coaching. It's part of a long process.

On a quarterback fumble at the goal line two weeks in a row: It's a freshman freshman center and a quarterback, it's a freshman. Those guys, you know, both of them take responsibility for it. It is something that, you know, it's just getting the ball snapped. The first one we know was an error in the snap. Last week at Kansas, it was snapped early and it wasn't supposed to be snapped on a snap count wasn't snapping on a snap count at all. This week it was on the right count obviously and the ball didn't get up.

On the difference in the offense in second half after the long drive in first half: We shot our own self in the foot. We are running the football. That drive, we ran the ball really well and times in the first half we ran it really well. Second half, we came out and we didn't have that aspect of it going and you've got to have you've got to get that going. You've got to have enough of it where you can play off of the other things you're trying to do. Otherwise, it becomes one dimensional. So we have to keep working at it. Can't throw in the towel on it. You're going to keep working at it and it just came down to the bottom line, not getting them covered up and being able to run it and it hurts what you do in the passing aspect.

On the offense: It was still there. You know, we actually, you know, went out in the first half and did a really nice job. We took shots in the outside lanes that they were giving us, and you know, that really helped us keep the box loosened up. Same thing in the second half. When you start off in the drive, you don't get anything on the first snap of the drive, it hurts you. You come back the second, we threw a pass I can remember a drive, we hit a naked and we come back the next play and we had a run-pass on us and they gave us the run and we took the run and we got stuffed. Again, it's just a lot of fundamental execution coming down to that aspect of it. It's fundamental execution.

On if Tyrone Swoopes looks like he is playing nervous: Today it did. Today it did, absolutely. Felt like at quarterback, you can always see when they are seeing the rush, as opposed to playing poised in the pocket. And you know, I talked to him about it during the game, just staying calm in the pocket and keeping his eyes where his work was flashing and he got nervous and he had some throws that were correct reads, but they were behind. You know, that's because we weren't on balance and all things, a young quarterback, you go through this with them. There are a lot of speed bumps with them and you just have to keep working.

On running more plays today and mental errors: You just have to keep working. It's a process. We are not going to get in year one, with our hand that's been dealt us, we've got to keep working because we've got a lot of youth out there. There's a lot of kids in the offensive line obviously that have not played, and they are starting to gain experience. But every game, when you're a young player, is a new experience. So it's just a matter of hard work. I mean, I keep using that, because that's what it is. In order to continue to improve, confidence comes out of, you know, succeeding. That's where it comes.

On if the offense can execute without thinking: Not yet. We are still you know, we are still working. We kept things relatively simple overall, and just for one reason, we want to get them, you know, up to school fundamentally, and really just the blocking patterns, whether it be protection or the offensive line in the run game, we have kept it simple in the passing game because of what we are doing with Tyrone.

On if the play calling was more of a chess match: Yeah, early on we had a really good plan. We were able to stay on the field and I thought we did a nice job there the first half with the plan. We locked in on a few things that they were able to give us based off of personnel groups to help us balance up the field and use, you know, use what they didn't do to our advantage and help our guys out. And that helped us out. We were 50 percent there at half time in third downs and we were able to stay on the field at critical times and that long drive, there was a couple of those in there. So the plan worked, and the second half, we just we shot ourselves in the foot those first two drives coming out. Like I said a bit earlier, you can't do that.

On any offensive stagnation: I tell you what, we're playing five guys in the defensive line and we were able to roll a sixth one in there today and give a guy a spell but after a while those guys wear out. What you have to do, practice smarter. You can't let off the gas, either. You have to keep on working. They have given us everything. They have been awesome that way and we've just got to keep working with them.

On Tyrone Swoopes progress as a leader: Not right now. Ty takes it personal; it's his fault. Those are things that, again, maturity, he's a redshirt freshman sorry, he's a sophomore, but he's really playing for the first time. I look at it like he's a freshman. His game experience last year was more as a runner, and he wasn't in a whole lot of game plan. He's still gaining confidence in what he's doing. It's a process with the players.

On how the rest of the offense handles Swoopes: Ty does things that are, that, no one really sees, so you've got to be fair to Ty in that aspect. And guys like Johnathan Gray and Malcolm Brown, said [Sedrick] Flowers, those guys have been encouraging to Ty and I think a good example for Ty. I'm always pushing Ty with his involvement with our team, because he's our quarterback. You know, he's taken ownership in that role and that leadership role. I really believe that we'll have a day where we'll have a really good football player in Ty Swoopes, because he's a special guy. He has great character and what you're talking about is true, he does take it personal. What he has got to do is learn to be more tough skinned and understand that it's a process and part of the game. You know, when he has a speed bump, he's got to learn from the speed bump and then he's got to move on. He's got the shortest memory in ball. That's what good quarterbacks do.

On watching the defense play well while offense struggles: It's always tough. You know, we all know, the whole staff, it's not offense, defense here. It never will be about that. That's not the way we roll. You know, they all understand, we understand, what we're dealing with and we know we have to win as a team. It takes us winning as a team. So you know, we have got to continue to work to improve our part of the bargain and those guys, they will keep working on their end, because we all know what we're dealing with.

On John Harris' personal foul: I have no idea. Usually, to be honest, I have no idea. I know this, I've told John, say, hey, act like you've been there before and act like you're going to go back there again. I don't know what happened, but that's how you manage it the next time you get in that situation. I'm not for sure exactly what did happen. I need to see it.

On backup quarterback Jerrod Heard possibly getting frustrated: No, not really, because you've got to see him every day in practice. The nice thing about the way we manage our twos around here, we manage our twos, they get a lot of reps. I know exactly where Jerrod is at and where Ty is, and Ty is our starting quarterback.

Senior RB Malcolm Brown

On going into the half shutout after the fumble: It definitely killed us a little bit, you should never let something like that happen. It was such a long drive and not coming out with points - that's something you should never let happen as an offense.

On losing confidence after the fumble: No, we just needed to come out in the second half and just keep up what we had. We were playing pretty decent. We've just got to come out in the second half and play with the same fire.

On difference of the halves: I'm not too sure to be honest. We've just got to come back out and do what we were doing in the first half.

On frustration behind Coach Strong saying `this is a team that needs to learn how to win': If that's what he thinks, then we just need to pick it up. If Coach Strong feels like something is not right, he'll let us know. It's our job to fix it.

On the offensive struggles not helping the defense: I've noticed it. I don't like it at all. I definitely want to go out and match the defense. To win a game, you have to go out and score some points. For us to go out there and not score anything until a couple of minutes left in the fourth quarter - that's something that shouldn't happen. As an offense, we've just got to get better.

Senior CB Quandre Diggs

On how he thinks the team did overall against Baylor: I think we played well defensively. We came out, we took away those big plays that they like to do. They definitely didn't have the total yards they normally get, they didn't have the points that they normally get. We just didn't finish the way we needed to.

On if he blames anyone for the loss: It's frustrating when you lose. You can't point fingers at anybody. We didn't execute. We gave away 21 [points]. We didn't execute the way we wanted to, and you can't point fingers.

On how the Longhorns played in the first half: I think we did everything. We did stuff well in the second half too, it's just those guys made plays also and they don't lead the country in yards and total points per game for nothing. They practice just like us and they go out and make plays. I think we held them to [111] yards passing, that's probably the lowest they've been held to in a long time.

Senior WR John Harris

On if he was actually taunting on the "taunting" penalty: Oh no, I wasn't taunting anybody. I was actually kind of surprised when he called the penalty. I was just pointing for a first down, I wasn't looking at the guy or anything.

On how tough it is to keep having poor home games: I mean we have always had a chance in every one of these home games. The offense is just hurting themselves. We are hurting this team. We just got to score points. I mean it's tough, we just have to find ways to get points in the end zone. If we can't score then we aren't going to be able to compete in the Big 12. That's just a fact of the matter.

On the feeling in the locker room during half time after the fumble: A little frustrated but you know we weren't really too worried. We took the ball all the way from our goal line and marched it straight down the field, like it was nothing. So I mean we were fine, we figured we could come out and maybe produce some points, maybe get at least 20 points on the board but I mean it didn't happen. We struggled there at times crossing the 50-yard line.

On if they proved anything to themselves today: I don't think we proved anything to anybody. At this point, we still have to put points on the board. So nobody is going to respect us until we do that.

On how frustrating it is that defense is playing so well but offense is struggling: I mean it's frustrating because you know if you have an offense that can at least put up some points then you can win. That ball game was right there for us. I mean it was never out of reach until the 4th quarter. You just got to get first downs, get the defense off the field and score. I mean that's what it's all about.

On how they will mentally regroup for Oklahoma: Oklahoma is all about a momentum game and that's how that game has always been, whether one team is up or one team is down with their record. You just have to go in that game ready to play and prepared. It's all about momentum swings in that game.

Senior DE Cedric Reed

On the loss: It really hurt us. We are going to go back to practice tomorrow, forget about this game, bounce back and we are going to play OU.

On limiting Baylor's offense and if they can count that as a victory: I mean we can take that as a victory from it, but a loss is a loss, man. This defense, we know we have great guys and can play a lot of defense. This whole team, as a team, knows we can play and we are going to get the offense going.

On if he feels like as a whole this offense can get it going and do some things: First of all, we aren't blaming the offense for anything. We are not pointing fingers at anybody; this is a team game. We did go in at halftime and we were ready to come out in the second half and we expected the offense to go out there and score, but things don't happen as you plan--that's football. It's a long season and we have a lot of Big 12 play left. We are going to throw this out the window and get ready for OU.

On if it's tough mentally in the second half to stay in it when the offense isn't doing anything: No, man you know, once you're out there, you're fighting for the man besides you. You don't want to have those thoughts in your head. You just want to go out there and play and pound as much as it takes. We always say that we are the big brothers of this team and we've got to go out there and when the offense isn't doing anything, give the ball back to them to help them out.

On if they are just waiting for the offense to develop: I wouldn't say that. We have great guys on offense. They are coming along. It might seem slow to y'all, but it's definitely stepping stones for them.

On what is lacking for them to learn how to win: We were just having this conversation in the locker room. We just have to learn how to finish. Finishing is going into the second half--third quarter, we haven't had the greatest third quarters or fourth quarters. We just have to learn how to finish games. There are two halves in a game and we have to learn how to finish that second half.

Sophomore QB Tyrone Swoopes

On if they put some things together today: Yeah we put a lot of things together. We had that one 99- or 98-yard drive so we obviously did some really good things. We just again, have to finish.

On issues with snaps: Just mishandled. I mean I am not going to put it on [center] Jake [Raulerson], not blaming anybody. But I just mishandled it.

On what happened in the second half: Just going out and executing really. We obviously didn't execute like we were supposed to so we weren't able to move the ball. So we just have to go out and execute.

On the fumble before halftime: We tried to focus on the drive that got there. It was positive that we moved the ball down the field, mixing up with the run and the pass. It obviously hurt us because we could've went in 7-7 and would have had the chance to come out and make it 14-7. So yeah it obviously hurt us.

On if offense is holding the team back: Yeah, I think that's a fair statement. I think everybody is frustrated. The offense isn't playing as well as the defense is playing obviously. So we just have to get up to par with them so we can start winning.

On if is UT prepared of next week and still seeking the Big 12 title: Oh yeah, I mean everybody gets up for OU week, especially. So going in next week we are going to work harder than we did this week and go to Dallas and play OU. It will be a great atmosphere, so I think we will be ready.

Junior CB Duke Thomas

On looking to OU: We just have to move on to the next week. Everybody's got to come together and get ready to face another tough offense.

On post-game message in locker room: Just on coming together. We're going to face adversity. And coming out and getting ready for next week.

On not knowing how to win: Coach is telling us to believe in one another. Once we get that, we'll be good to go.

On positives: When I look at a loss, I can't look at the positives until I go back and look at the film. Honestly, I'm hurt and don't like losing. We'll get back to the film room and see what we can take out of this.

On defensive animosity toward offense: We're a family. We know that. We're going to handle what we handle - whatever the offense is doing, we've still got to take care of our business. We're never going to feel some type of way toward the offense, and the same way with the offense toward us.