Game Quotes
11/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 21, 2009
Recap | Final Stats | Notes
Rice Coach David Bailiff
"For two weeks in a row, we've sure started slow but we've ended well. It's been a point of emphasis getting a fast start. These last couple of weeks we'll have to keep emphasizing it as long as we keep winning football games. That was one of the more exciting games I've ever been a part of, with things going both ways, and when we create obstacles on ourselves we have to overcome them.
"Our players never quit, and I think we made more plays throughout the game than they did, and with the six takeaways, our defense came alive tonight and with that last knockout by Bradshaw, where it went across the endzone and then out of the endzone, that was a fine moment to see that happen.
"Also the way that Tyler Smith took that game over tonight for us running the football, we had moments offensively where we were having trouble getting any type of rhythm and tempo but they just kept trying on offense defense and special teams, and we finally just outlasted them at the end. I'm proud of these young men for the way they stayed together this whole year, and they fought and we're looking forward to a great football game next week going over to Houston." On the ups and downs of the game
"I don't believe I've ever been a part of a game like that, but that's what six turnovers will do for you. I think we had one, and that's what keeps you in those ball games. We played a physical brand of football tonight defensively a lot of those takeaways were due to collisions."
On taking advantage of opportunities
"We knew to win this one we were going to need some of those takeaways and we worked hard at stripping those balls and doing those sorts of things and we work hard at not giving them away, and ultimately that was the difference in the football game."
On giving the ball to Tyler Smith
"Ultimately we're going to try to split with him and Charles (Ross). Charles was having some respiratory problems and that's one of those moments where Tyler took advantage of an opportunity. An opportunity came his way and he responded. At the end, he responded with his running and he wasn't going down. A lot of people tried to arm tackle him and he was making them tackle him. And when he got that last first down, that's one of the biggest runs we've had around here."
UTEP Coach Mike Price
"I am kind of feeling that we invent ways to lose. There were some things that happened this game that haven't happened all year long. We lost three fumbles in 10 games, then fumble four times today in the fourth quarter. It wasn't like we weren't getting hit. Rice hit us good. They played hard. They delivered when they had to and we didn't."
On Rice in the second half
"I think they just whipped our butts with their defensive ends. Their ends rushed our tackle and sacked the quarterback. They made it difficult for Trevor (Vittatoe) to throw. When we ran the ball they would duck underneath our (offensive) tackle or tight end and tackle (Donald) Buckram. I thought their defensive line out-played our offensive line and I felt that their defensive backs out-played our receivers. We dropped too many passes and we had too many penalties.
"The game just went along with how this whole month has. We just shoot ourselves in the foot every time we turn around.
"I am not taking anything away from Rice because the earned the victory. We are real disappointed."
Rice Player QuotesLB Terrence Garmon
"Talking on behalf of the seniors, I could not find a happier way to go out than with a W, especially one as exciting as this one. People always say, it's not how you start, it's how you finish and I'm with them on this one. I'm just happy know that for the rest of my life, I know that I won my last game here at Rice."
On being defined by takeaways
"Turnovers haven't really been that much of an issue on defense. We haven't really been producing a lot of turnovers, so I guess it all just built up and we just kind of let it out all in one game. It was really nice to see people knocking out folks, flying to the ball and people making plays."
On how offense played after the first turnover
"I think just coming in with more emotion and passion, when you go in and hit somebody then you don't know what the outcome is, so as long as you just play with emotion, you don't know what could come out of it."
On the last fumble
"Towards the end, we got backed up so you just say `let's get a turnover' or `lets make plays' and with the weather conditions being cold and wet, all the more reason for more takeaways so we just took advantage of that as well."
On the attitude against Buckram
"To this point, it's just been a lot of talk and it just gets to the point where you say enough is enough and we just finally got to that point where we said we're not going to let them run over us anymore. We just have to come out with that mentality earlier and stop that first drive."
On first drive scores
"There were a couple critical drives on that first down, so we just have to make that play and get off the field. If you just keep going third down after third down, we just got to bow up and play and get rid of that first down issue."
On giving the game ball to Dale Lloyd
"It meant a lot. Our freshman year just being around him, and after he passed away that's when we went on a big win streak starting against Army. So I definitely feel his spirit here tonight and I know to his parents it means a whole lot. I was happy to dedicate the ball to him."
DB Travis Bradshaw
On Buckram's turnovers
"We could tell during that first drive that he wasn't securing that ball too well. As well as being in the cold, he's just more prone to fumbling and being careless with the ball. We just started mentioning on the sideline to start raking at the ball and when he's in the pile just rip at it, and I think it definitely showed tonight.
On helping the offense
"That's something we've been struggling with all season long. We haven't been getting the turnovers like we had in the past. Just giving them that short field was huge. We had quite a few points off turnovers tonight and that's something we had last year. This year it just hasn't showed up as well. We struggled in the very beginning and as Terrance said, that's something we have to work on. But once we came together we got a chance to help the offense out."
RB Tyler Smith
On getting opportunities
"During practice, I always practice hard and never take a play off and it carried over to the game."
On getting a rhythm
"Once you get into a rhythm, you see the holes better and getting off blocks so it's always good to get into a rhythm."
On Offensive Line's performance
"The O-Line did a really good job of getting blocks and making holes for me so I took advantage of that."
On picking up offensive slack
"It's always good to have multiple backs because we always get beat up on and the running game has been pretty productive over the past games and it's always good to have that advantage because the passing game won't always be there so then we can just get it on the ground."
On the last 3rd down conversion
"I saw on the play beforehand where the safeties and linebackers lined up so that helped me out a lot, and it gave me a better advantage to see where the holes are."
LB Justin Hill
On a defensive win
"It feels great just getting a win regardless, even though we won last week it feels like it's been a while, it feels great, offense defense, we're coming together as a team, and it feels great, as well as special teams. I think we have a lot more confidence on both sides of the ball."
