Opening Statement:
"Good afternoon. Back in the game. Last week was a little bit different being off and it came at certainly a great time for us as coaches and our football team. We had the three games in 13 days and we went 19 days straight with our players and coaches, so we needed to breathe for a day. We got part of last Saturday off. We got in about 4 a.m. from Buffalo and then gave them Sunday off and then kind of cruised through the week and here we are, ready to go to Ames."

On Iowa State being different from other teams Baylor has played:
"Well, they're certainly different in that they're a conference opponent and it's a step up. Anytime you get into conference, particularly the Big 12-you know, I think we have 10 quality football teams, without question, and they're certainly one of them. They're an extremely well coached team. As they are with their record right now, they could very easily be 3-0. They're just always a really good football team that plays extremely hard and that really plays with a lot of confidence and a lot of purpose. So we have a tremendous amount of respect for their staff, Coach Rhoads and his staff, and their football team and their program."

On Iowa State's tough atmosphere and environment:
"I think anywhere you go in the Big 12, it's a tough place to play, without question. I don't know one that's not. I haven't seen one. So it makes you have to be a little more focused with everything you do, on and off the football field, and when you get to the field, you have to really dial in to every snap because if it's 1st and 15, and you get 13, it would have been a first down and it's not. So you just can't have anything that keeps you from extending the drive and you can't help the opponent in any way in those circumstances. So it's a great learning opportunity, but at the same time, you want to learn lessons while you win-and that's our whole focus and our whole goal. I think Buffalo helped us a little bit. They did a good job with the stadium and having a blackout and having some excitement in the building. It won't be anything like Ames, of course, just like it wouldn't be anything like if they were coming to McLane Stadium because we have a great home game atmosphere as well. So it's what makes it challenging and at the same time, inspiring."

On the open date helping to get injured players back and their status:
"We hope. No earth shattering news. Antwan and Corey are still trying to work their way back in and Clay is getting an x-ray today. Levi, we don't feel like will be ready to go. Devin Chafin, if I were guessing percentages, I'd say 75. If he can be 90 percent by the end of the week, he'll be okay. Antwan and Corey are probably in the mid 80s. But it's Monday and Saturday is a long way off. They've gotten a lot better during the last four or five days."

On the changing receiver rotation:
"Yeah, it changes. Those guys are good football players. They have a good chance to get on the field and make plays for us. We've got good football players. We've never said these are our 11 starters. We've never said that. It depends on what the formation is, what the situation is, everything that's going on in the football game in terms of who's on the field. So we've got 18, 19 starters and everybody gets opportunities. When you get `em, you take advantage of `em."

On Jay Lee:
"Jay Lee is a guy that we've always had a lot of belief in. He just didn't always believe in himself to the level that he can perform at. With maturity and with production, that becomes reality. So what you're seeing now is a guy that's living up to his potential. He's not there yet because he can still do more. But he kind of started coming on at the end of last season and had a decent bowl game, so we really stretched through the spring and he stretched through the spring about playing up to his physical ability. To me, that's the greatest confidence you can have as a player-if you live up to what your ability is. Everybody is different and you have to live up to what you're given. He's starting to do that. He's not there yet, but he's better. I have a lot of trust and belief in Jay Lee. I think he's a great football player, but he's still got a long way to go."

On Chris Callahan's slow kicking start and whether he can "work out his issues":
"Well, I hope so. I don't even know what his stats are, maybe 1 of 4...1 of 4 where his attempt got past the line of scrimmage. And one of those was a 52 yarder, which is a little out there, but you'd like to think you've got a 50/50 shot with the wind at your back with a 52 yarder. And two of them were 35 right down they alley that were not made. So it's something that we have to get better at and there are no excuses. That's just part of it. So hopefully, he'll have the opportunity to help us win a football game and people forget if you produce. So we're looking for production."

On getting one road game in before these conference road games:
"It was critical. As bad as you want to go on the road, in my opinion, we should never go on the road with what we've got sitting over there (McLane Stadium). But my opinion doesn't count and that's just the way it is. So we had a road game and the bright side of it is that it did help us prepare. I'm glad we had a week off in between because of the length of the trip up to Buffalo, but it did give us a chance to travel as a team, get settled as a team, and understand what we're going to be going through this weekend when we go to Ames."

On LaQuan McGowan lining up in the offensive backfield on one of the goal line series and whether we will see that again:
"Well, we could have. He's another guy that's hurt. He actually got hurt on that play. He had a high ankle sprain and has not participated since then. I think he went in for an extra point field goal and just kind of made it through. We planned on playing him a lot. He had his best week of practice the week prior to the Buffalo game, so he was in the rotation to play some offensively. But that happened in the first drive and he never got to play, and he hasn't practiced since then. But he brings something different to the table that we'd like to expand on as the season progresses, which you know, doesn't exist past this Saturday. Hopefully he might could get in there and play some situationally this Saturday, but he has not practiced since the Buffalo game."

On Iowa State's Jarvis West and what makes him such a dynamic playmaker:
"He's just played a bunch. He actually hurt us up there 2 years ago in 2012. And he takes a punt 82 yards against Kansas State and all of the sudden, it flips the ballgame and Kansas State actually had to come back from 28-13 to win the game. So he's a dangerous guy. He's a great athlete, a four-year starter. The running back is a four-year guy, played off and on for over three years. So they've got some guys that have played, and have played and beaten us. So they've got quality people and we've got to make sure we do our job on both sides of the ball and special teams and not give them a chance to get loose."

On Bryce Petty getting a little rest with the open date:
"He was 100 percent and he wouldn't have played if he hadn't been. There was no risk of further injury. In his case, as good as he was that game, I thought it was the best half that I've seen him play, without question, because of some of the things he did mentally on the field, what he saw on the field. Really impressed. It might have been good if we could have kept going and kept rolling and stayed hot, but I think that without question, the week off let us all probably settle down a little bit because we've got a big push ahead starting this Saturday. But he's ready to go-very determined young man."

On how Petty is challenging himself this season:
"There are so many ways. That's what I love about the guy. If he's got a sock on crooked, he corrects it. Everything is perfect and he wants to be great at everything he does. And that's what you've got to have there. That's what gives us a chance to win every game we play. We've got a stud at QB. People that have studs at QB have really good football teams, and we've got, in my opinion, the best guy in America."

On what percentage the offense is playing at now:
"I hope 100 percent. That's what we shoot for. And we'll see. We know the competition is going to be tougher as we go along, so we're not putting a whole lot of stock in numbers. We never have. Our biggest thing is to win by one point, regardless of the score. But I do think that we're having a chance to improve offensively from the simple fact that our running backs are getting better. I've seen really good improvement out of Johnny Jefferson particularly, and I think Shock (Linwood) is coming into himself. He was a little banged up at Buffalo and the off week really helped him."

On Baylor's defense not allowing teams to get first downs:
"That's the critical thing for us as a football team, to help each other on both sides of the ball. That was why I feel like we were able to win the Big 12 last year-we led the nation in three and outs-because that means the defense is getting their offense off the field and our offense is getting the ball. So that gives us a chance to put points on the board and separate from the opponent. But we felt like the defense would be good going in, and I think they've done a tremendous job. I think we have something out there. I certainly don't think we've peaked, which is encouraging on both sides of the ball. We're going to get better from what we were and what we are. We've just got to do it this week. But up to this point, I think those guys are playing cohesively. I think they understand situations. And I think the staff and Coach Bennett's staff have done a tremendous job of getting people in positions to make plays for us."

On the wide receiver group as a whole and how they stack up against similar groups across the country:
"In all honesty, I'm going to be certainly very biased. If you want a person with a biased answer, you're looking at one because I think all our guys are the best, obviously, or they wouldn't be here. So that's a simple answer for me. I think we've got the best guys in America."

On the freshmen receivers being exceptions or whether guys in general are coming out better prepared:
"I don't think they're exceptions at all. I think guys are very prepared coming out. I think positions allow a better chance to get on the field early. Running back is one where you can get on the field early, receiver is one where you can get on the field early. Some of the others are a little bit tougher by positions. So that's probably the top two, quite honestly, on either side of the ball, where you have an opportunity to play early. But I do think guys are very prepared coming out. I think when you're talking about people like you mentioned, you're looking at elite athletes, people that have done things in the past that have them ready. I don't think anybody can come up and play that hadn't been dominant at the high school level. Our guys that we have playing were very dominant. I think it depends on the individual and their talent level, but I also think it's position."

On whether Baylor needs style points in addition to just winning:
"I think that's a great question. I think it's a legitimate question, quite honestly. But I still think, at the end of the day, it's still about Ws and Ls. I don't think there is such thing as a good loss or a bad win. I think you either win or you don't win. And I think when they throw it all out there and they've got 14 teams that they're looking at and they've got three that are 12-0 and they've got two that are 11-1, I think those three 12-0s are in. If they're from the right-you hate to say power five conference, but I think that's reality and I think that's what we're dealing with. But I think at the end of the day, if you win, you've got a chance to get in. Right now, we're just trying to win at Ames, Iowa. All that is way down the road and will be decided by somebody besides us. But we've got to do our job on the field, which is starting this Saturday in Ames."

On how he feels after having a week off:
"I feel great. Coach did a great job not just for me, but for all of us of taking into account how much we would need it. Three games in 13 days is a quite a bit of games. I thought that he did a real good job of keeping us fresh and fast, which is what he always wants us to do. I feel great and ready to roll."

On playing in Ames, Iowa to start off conference play:
"It's always a tough place to play. I think any Saturday that you go out you have a chance to win or lose. Ames is no different from any other Big 12 school except for the fact that they have some passionate fans. Like I said, it's going to be a tough place to play, but every game is tough. I think for the amount of time that we have had our young guys play, that they're ready for it. I remember what that was like two years ago, so we are ready to get back up there and do what we know we can do. For us it is important to focus on the little things. The bigger the game the smaller your focus, so that's what we've got to do."

On getting Antwan Goodley, Corey Coleman and Clay Fuller back in practice:
"It's huge because those are my guys. I've grown up with Antwan, and he's been my guy since day one. I haven't had all of them back together since camp started. It's a big deal for us. We kinda got rolling there in the spring as far as knowing where each other is going to be and how they are going to run it as far as routes go. It's been weird not having those guys in there and having to adjust, but those guys are right back to where they were to begin with. I know they are ready to go, and I'm ready to watch them. It's important to get those guys back because they are our playmakers."

On having multiple playmakers at WR:
"I think that they do a great job. Something that I commended them on was them not having the persona that some wide receivers get of `I want the ball - give me the ball.' They're very team-oriented, which I love about them. It makes the offensive side of the game fun because you have guys that are willing to share. Everybody wants the ball. You wouldn't be here if you didn't. They do a great job in supporting each other. As for distributing the ball, that's the fun part. It's a chess match for the defense. I get to pick my poison because we have guys that can go get a ball and break it at any given time. The cards are in our hands, even more so than before because KD Cannon and Davion Hall have done a great job and will continue to do so."

On starting conference play on the road for two weeks:
"I think it is going to show us a lot of what this team is capable of. This next month, three of the four games are away, and they're not easy. The venues that we are playing at aren't easy to win at. Each game is going to be a fight and struggle. It's going to show us who we are, and I like that. I like that it's front-loaded at the beginning of the season. It's important for us to make sure that our focus is small and that we grow as a team pretty fast. We're going to have some hostile environments early, which will prepare us for down the road."

On wanting to be the best:
"That's part of the reason why I came back: to be the best. I want to be the best quarterback to come through Baylor, the Big 12 and on top of that the Nation. Play in and play out, I want to be the best at what I do. Whether that means making a successful hand-off or making a 50-yard throw, I want to be the best at it at that time. It's not that I'm conscious of it; it's more of the preparation. If I want my goals to line up with my production, there are things I have to take into account earlier in the week in practice. It's more than me. The whole team has that persona as well. Defense does a great job of preparing us to be the best because they want to be the best. When you have a bunch of guys that want to be the best, it's easy for everyone to do that."

On the difficulty of playing on the road at Iowa State:
"In the Big 12 any game is going to be hard to win, even at home. On the road, they feel like they have to defend their territory, just like we don't want anyone coming in here and taking over our home, so it is going to be tough to win up there."

On what he has heard about the Iowa State venue:
"I heard about it my freshman year when I redshirted, but since then Coach Briles and everyone has reminded us about what happened last time we went up there. It wasn't a good feeling for the team. They went up there trying to win and they didn't come out with a "W", so this time we have to go up there and get it done."

On if he is motivated by the jeers of opponents' fans:
"I think so. I like to feed off of that. They are out there booing us and I try to make them louder. That is just the type of dude I am. But sometimes it can be tough to not let it get under your skin, so we have to go in there and we have to focus on what we are going to do. We know they are going to be loud and that they are going to be amped up."

On having a week off to practice:
"It felt good to get back out there. You always get a little antsy coming off a bye week trying to get ready to play again. There is good energy out there, and we got some good work in."

On starting conference play:
"We are extremely excited to start playing in conference. I think it's another mindset when we get into conference play. Not that the first couple of games didn't matter, but this is what determines the Big 12 championship."

On why Baylor has struggled historically when playing at Iowa State:
"It's a tough place to play. It is an outstanding testament to the people up in Iowa. It is a hard place to play, and Iowa State is a great team to play up there. You can't put your finger on it, but it is just a combination of a bunch of things."

On starting his collegiate football career so powerfully:
"No, I never thought it would start this way because coming in as a freshman you don't get a lot of playing time, but because of the injuries I've gotten some playing time and I'm just taking that."

On recognition in the running game:
"That's actually really exciting to see because everyone knows who our wide receivers are and what they're capable of, but after a couple of those 80-yard bombs, you've got to open it up a little."

On sitting out with an injury:
"It was extremely frustrating to have to just watch for this long, just having to watch and cheer. I mean I had fun cheering, but I'd rather be out there."

On going to Iowa State:
"It's a huge game. It means everything, especially starting Big 12 play. If we want to repeat as Big 12 Champions, we've got to win out and that starts this weekend. This is a big, big game for us. We've got to make them respect us, and that's where we are this week."

On the changes in the team since playing Iowa State two years ago:
"It's kind of hard to point one thing out, but I just remember the Kansas State game in 2012 because I think ever since then the offense has been clicking. We know what to expect and we don't settle for anything less, and I think that plays the biggest part in it."

On being refreshed heading into Big 12 play:
"I believe our strength and conditioning coaches have done a great job of keeping us fresh and keeping us recovered. They are always pushing hydration and nutrition for us, so go out and perform at a high level."

On their recent success on the road:
"We just go in there with the mindset that we are going to have to play with distractions, and learning how to maintain and cope with the distractions are the biggest things for us. We have to focus small and everything else is going to play out from there."