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RICE UNIVERSITY MEDIA CONFERENCE


August 30, 2014


David Bailiff


RICE – 17
NOTRE DAME - 48


COACH BAILIFF:  Let me tell you first, I think Coach Kelly and his staff and his football team did a great job today.  They are an amazing organization, a lot of class.  They are very well‑coached and my hat is off to them.
I think one of the things, we came here dreaming big.  We came here wanting to win this football game.  And I think there was times today where we showed we were a pretty good football team but you can't go into a venue and drop an interception and have two turnovers and have some foolish penalties.  You can't do that when you play a team like NotreDame.
We had to be at our best today but we weren't.  I tell you, I think Golson is just an amazing, amazing quarterback, the choices he makes, the way he can extend the play.  You know, some of that, that score off our turnover right before the half, that was a direct result of‑‑ we blitzed that, and that was a direct result of him being able to extend that play where the blitz couldn't get to him; and we left our corner on the island for too long where he got separation.  What's what great quarterbacks do and that's what he did.
We'll be okay.  We'll take this video‑‑ like I said, we were very close today on a lot of opportunities.  Baker dropped that one interception and had an opportunity I think to score points.  But you can't miss those type of opportunities and we did.
Proud of the effort that we played, that Rice played with today.  We'll watch this football tape, and we're going to get better, and I'm glad we opened with a team like NotreDame.  If we want to be the best, you've got to open with the best and I think that's what the University of NotreDame is, and like I said, we're still dreaming big and we're going to be all right.  It's going to be a great '14 for the Rice Owls.

Q.  Could you characterize Driphus's performance today at still a very early stage in his career as a starter.
COACH BAILIFF:  Yeah, I was really, obviously didn't like the turnover right there before the half.  Wish we had that back.  But I was pleased.  I think Driphus made a lot of drops today.  I thought Driphus did some really good things today, and we'll build on the video with him.  I thought early we had a hard time establishing the running game.  We're getting second and ten, second and long.
Once we started being more productive on first downs where we were getting second and mediums, I thought Driphus was very efficient.  I thought he made ‑‑ when he runs the football, I thought he made some good choices with the football.  We just can't turn it over right before the half and let them just air it out.
Like I said, I think Driphus faced a top defense in the country today and we'll be better because we did that.

Q.  Billy Lynch is an Indiana guy.  What does he bring to your coaching staff?  What are his strengths?
COACH BAILIFF:  First I've got to tell you this:  We changed his immigration status to Texican on his one‑year anniversary there.  He used to claim it, but he's got a certificate now that says he's a hundred percent Texan.
I'll tell you what he is:  He's a young man that has old man wisdom from his dad and his brothers being in this game.  Incredible the energy he brings to practice, to a game, but it's also incredible at his age the knowledge that he has.  He's very creative.  I think he's got the skill set to be a great head coach some day and we're really fortunate to have him.

Q.  Can you talk about their defensive scheme and personnel?
COACH BAILIFF:  They did a good job of changing their fronts from a four‑down to three‑down, what we were calling a big 50.  I think it led to some problems just for us identifying what they were doing.  I was very pleased.  I thought they were very sound on that side of the football today.
We had the one big play late but that was really late in the game.  Thought they were very sound and played with a great effort, and when you look at a defense, that's what you rate them on really is first their effort and their execution.  I thought they did a good job and didn't make a lot of mistakes today.  Tackled well in space.  They tackled a lot better than we hoped they would.

Q.  Did you watch tape of Golson in 2012?
COACH BAILIFF:  Sure.

Q.  How much improved was he?
COACH BAILIFF:  Yeah, I think he was‑‑ just the decisions, the way he can extend plays.  He was a dynamic player a year ago.  That's why‑‑ played him in that big game.  He's taken that year off.  You can tell he's matured.  You can tell he's studied the game and he's a much more complete quarterback than he was.  I think the decisions come to him a lot faster on what's presented to him.  I was very impressed with him today.

Q.  Next week you face a quarterback‑‑
COACH BAILIFF:  Next week we have a get better week, and then we go A&M.  So that's two weeks away.  We'll have our hands full.  I didn't see any of that game the other night but I did see the scoring and stats.

Q.  Anything specific that stood out to you as something you can be better at?
COACH BAILIFF:  Well the deep ball.  Obviously we didn't have very good deep ball security, and that's something any play coach‑‑ someone you'd better have.  That first deep ball they hit us on was off a play‑action pass, and our safety's eyes went through the backfield and they got behind us.
You have got to make sure they have very disciplined eyes.  Those are the little things I'm talking about that we have got to improve on when you play Texas A&M.  But that's just one second; the guy looks the wrong way, you have to have discipline with your eyes, and you have to stay on top of that route.  That's what playaction does to it and we have to keep working at it.  And that's me, we have to keep repping it and repping it and repping it until we have enough discipline that our eyes don't stray.
Like I said, just know we came here to try to win a football game.  We're going to build on this and we're actually going to be okay.  Looking forward to this season.  Thank y'all very much.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




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