Rice Post-Game Quotes
11/29/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 29, 2008
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Head coach David Bailiff
"I am absolutely so proud of this football team. It all started last January when we set our goals, we set them high. We wanted to win the conference championship. We wanted to go to a bowl game.
"Tonight's victory was a great team win. Houston is a great football team. My hat goes off to them. That was an unbelievable football game by both universities. On leadership of senior players: Those seniors led us this year around so many obstacles, including Hurricane Ike. As things were cast at them, they just kept negotiating us around all obstacles.
"The way Chase [Clement] and JD [Jarett Dillard] and James Casey -- talk about guys just continuing to make plays when we need them. And the other teams knows they're coming, and they just keep making them, and they just keep playing harder. The amazing thing, too, offensively and defensively is that we get better each week. We're into week twelve and our football team continues to improve. And that's because of those seniors.
On Rice defensive performance:
"I am proud of our defense tonight and [linebacker] Brian Raines coming back. That's twice this year our medical staff have told me there's no way he's coming back. For him to have his first career interception, that's exactly what we talk about. We needed to make Houston miss some turns. And that's also how we won that football game; we made them miss turns. For Brian Raines to have that pick with that big club [cast] on his arm, that just shows you motivated he was to get it done."
On defensive line's pressure on Houston quarterback Case Keenum:
They got him where he couldn't just stand back there and get in a rhythm. He hit some deep balls, but I thought the D [defensive] line, their pressure was outstanding. Those guys in the middle were flushing him to the outside. That' s what that's about. You can't let him stand back there in that pocket and get in a rhythm and just pick you apart.
On importance of this game for Rice football and Rice athletics:
We're still trying to build momentum around here. That momentum will carry us through this game, through the bowl game, through recruiting. Our Athletics Director Chris Del Conte has a tremendous vision of where Rice athletics and Rice football are headed. I am thrilled to be the head coach here. I've got a great boss and a great president, and I hope to make this a better place every day."
Chase Clement
On winning the Bayou Bucket
"It feels awesome, What a way to end it. It was awesome to be able to hold that trophy up and bring it back to Rice in my senior year. We all had high aspirations. Looking at last year and what that did in terms of motivating us after the bowl year. I think we all had high expectations and we knew coming into this year we could do something special if we got after it.
What was the key the offense being so consistent?
"Everybody was into the game across the board. We had several guys getting the ball and being a part of the offense. It was a complete effort and it was awesome to see us play four quarters. Coming out in the second half and setting the tempo. Getting a three and out on defense and then going down and scoring. Overall it was a great effort. Looking at them last week, they blitzed UTEP a lot. But they didn't seem to blitz that much today. Coverage-wise, they decided to take away JD, but that opened things up for other guys. They didn't do a whole lot differently than what we've seen on film This offense has seen every blitz and ever coverage when you have 81 and 12 and it's great to have that kind of experience when you get to game 12.
James Casey
"How does it feel to win this game for the seniors? That's what it is all about, sending these seniors out with a win. They have been through so much. I took pride in trying to work as hard as I could to send those guys out on top. It really hurt me last year to be 3-9 and to see those seniors and know they weren't going to be able to play any more. Being a baseball player and knowing how it feels when you are done, how bad it hurts to have a bad game and know you are done."
Did you get a sense of how important the Bucket was?
"Absolutely. All week, we were hearing from Chase and Jarett about how important this game was and they were not going to let us look past this game at all. They were making sure how important this game was.
Talk about your performance tonight.
"I think tonight more so than any other night, they made a point to make sure that Jarett didn't beat them. I am very thankful to have Jarett on the other side of me all the time, I probably couldn't do much if Jarett wasn;t over there drawing so much coverage. Everything I do is because of him and how good of a player he his. A normal fan would not realize how much he did even though he didn't have the stats. The things he does to help the team out are just amazing. I guess that defensive coordinators have seen all the stuff that Chase and Jarett have done\ so they decide to try something else and that opens things up for me.
Brian Raines
On his first career interception
I saw the quarterback throw the ball and then saw it was tipped, and then I caught it. I was shocked. And then the next thing was "RUN", so I took off and then they pulled me down out of bounds. Couldn't catch one with two arms, but I catch one with one. I couldn't believe it."
Was the cast at all a problem in terms of getting after people?
"I think I played well with the cast, they did a great job to get me ready and play with enough freedom. If had a little more grip, I might have made a play or two more, but it really didn't bother me too much.
As someone who has never seen Rice win the Bucket, what did this win mean to you?
"Those guys (UH) talked bad about us all week, gave us a couple phone calls. To get out there and do it in our senior year in our last game at Rice Stadium is unbelievable. I had so much fun, I am so thankful that Coach Bailiff game me a chance to come back and play in the game. I can't thank him enough for that. How did if feel after the game? I didn't want to leave the field. I wanted to stay out there and keep taking pictures. It was great to see those guys have to walk off the field with their heads down. We put in a lot of work going back to last spring, and to get the most wins in 55 years shows how hard the coaching staff worked. About the atmosphere in the stadium It was indescribable. I was overwhelmed at first to see all those people here. Coach told us before we left the hotel to take a second and look around and absorb the moment during pregame because this was something you will never forget in your life. I will never forget this moment, beating Houston, winning the Bayou Bucket in my last game here at Rice Stadium. It is something I will tell people when I come back here to watch some games."
Scott Solomon
Talk aobut how well the defensive line played tonight?
"I think we played pretty well for the past month and it showed tonight. We missed a lot of sacks, but we had a good night. I think a lot of it was that we have really been focusing on our pass rush the last three weeks and it showed tonight. We have gone back to the basics and it has help us a lot. We had a swagger about us tonight. You should have seen the team before the game. We were ready to go. There was nothing that was going to intimidate us. I have to take a step back to realize what I have done. I am excited about what we have done and I take a lot of pride to have been a part of this season."
