NEBRASKA (5-3, 2-2) 20, BAYLOR (3-5, 0-4) 10<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>
FLOYD CASEY STADIUM ? WACO, TEXAS
OCT. 31, 2009 ? ATTENDANCE: 31,702
Baylor Head Coach Art Briles
Opening statement...
"I'm proud of our guys for the way they fought the entire game. It couldn't have started out any worse than it did. I don't think you have to be a football follower for years to understand that that isn't how you want to start a football game, especially against a team that has a pretty good defense and when you haven't been as productive offensively as you'd like to be. That in itself set us back and I am just proud that our guys continued to fight."
On forcing turnovers...
"They're huge. You have to have them. I can draw anything on the board and show you how to stop it and score points, but field position, momentum and turnovers; that's what wins football games. If you can win those three things you can win football games."
On being able to build off of the second half...
"Yes and no. Yes by the way our guys have continued to fight hard for each other and for the university. The other part is that we can't play a quarter, we can't play a half, we have to play a game. We have to come out and play with the energy and emotion that we created in the fourth quarter or late in the third starting the football game. We have to make good things happen early."
On momentum built after Clifton Odom's touchdown late in the third...
"All of a sudden people feeling bad are feeling good. The crowd’s excited, our sideline is excited and all of a sudden they aren't swallowing as easy on the other sideline. It changes everything and we gave ourselves opportunities, we just have to finish it out. We had good chances late and we have to make it happen and today we didn't make it happen. We have to load up, go to Missouri and win that game. We're growing as a team."
Freshman Quarterback Nick Florence
On the outcome of the game...
"It is frustrating. A play slips through your hands. We had plays at the end and we didn’t do it. We fought hard in the second half, it was a valiant effort, but it does hurt when it was so close.”
On his performance...
“In the first half I did not do very well. In the second half I did well, I thought. I mean there is always room to improve, so that is what we are going to do next week. I felt like second half we did stuff with the football, now we just have to punch it in.”
On the defense’s play...
“Hats off to the defense. They didn’t give up a point in the second half. They got the turnover and got seven points. They did there job, now it is on us.”
Senior Linebacker Joe Pawelek
On the defense’s play...
"We preached getting turnovers through the week and came up with two turnovers in the second half, but I think more than anything we have just got to get off to a better start.”
On Clifton Odom’s interception...
“It was a huge, game changing play. That is what we have been talking about that we need, someone to step up and make that big play. Cliff read the route and made a great play and scored, so it was a huge play for us.”
On the halftime turnaround...
“More than anything I think it was everyone doing their responsibilities. As you can see, when all 11 guys are out there doing what they are supposed to be doing we change the momentum and things get going out there. We have the capability to be a great defense out there.”
Junior Cornerback Clifton Odom
On defensive adjustments at half...
"No big adjustments. We just came in and played how we should have been playing the whole season. It was good coming out but we have to play like that the whole game. We can’t just play like that for a half.”
On the interception...
“I was just in the right place at the right time. It happened so fast, I was definitely thinking about taking it to the house. I think it was a pretty big play. It got us going.”
Senior Wide Receiver David Gettis
On being a big part of the offense in the second half...
"It was just what the defense was giving us. They just played a lot of man-to-man coverage. We just took advantage of it. I think the quarterback (Nick Florence) just did a great job of reading who was open. It just came down to the receivers making plays.”
On how to turnaround the season...
“Get in the endzone. Period. Get in the endzone.”
On the defense’s play...
“They did a great job of getting us the ball and holding them to minimum yardage. All it really comes down to is us getting in the end zone and we have to do a better job of producing.”