University of Houston Athletics
Football Press Conference Quotes
9/5/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 5, 2006
HEAD COACH Art Briles
Opening Statement:
"I am proud to be associated with a team that is setting school records. It was the largest (road) comeback in school history. We don't like having to do it that way but it is better than the alternative. I am very proud of our players and coaches for surviving. That's the sign of a good football team. That's a gut win. A lot of people would have melted down but our guys didn't. It was a team that was gunning for us for six months and put everything on the table for that game and we survived. Any time you win a conference game, opening game, a rivalry game it's a good win. I am proud of our fans. I thought the student section was unbelievable. I am really, really proud of the way they turned up for the game."
"We are facing the Tulane game with kind of the same situation that we walked into last week. Tulane had the whole summer to prepare for us, get ready for us. They did not play last week. We are going in with some unexpected thoughts of what they can do, what they will be able to do and what we will be able to do. We do have a little more information on them since we have played the last few years. From that standpoint we are a little ahead for where we were at this point in the prior week. They have their quarterback back, Lester Ricard. He is a big kid who has been playing off and on for the last three years. (Matt) Forte is an excellent running back. They have two offensive lineman and they have one big receiver (Preston Brown) who last season caught 47 passes, about 720 yards and six touchdowns. Defensively they have Israel Route back, the cornerback. A four-year starter, excellent player. Two or three lineman back. They have shuffled around a little bit up front, a couple new linebackers. We feel like it is going to be similar to what we have seen in the past but we never really know for sure."
On the play of Roshawn Pope:
"I think Roshawn (Pope) was a pleasant surprise. That was one of the first things that came to my mind after the game Saturday night. Pope didn't finish the spring, never played offense, never played running back. So there is a lot of uncertainty there with him going into the game. I thought he really performed at a high level. I liked the way he played with a lot of instinct as far as protecting the ball, finishing down field, understanding the situations and he showed a lot of maturity. I think is role will increase without a doubt as the season goes along."
On no longer having to deal with the first game pressures:
"Any time you open up and play you always have expectations. What you are dealing with now are facts. To me we had a great opportunity to learn a lot of lessons in one game and that was a big benefit to us. I feel real good about our football team. I am really proud of the way they performed in one game. Football comes down to momentum, turnovers, and field position. You have to make plays when you have the opportunity on both sides of the ball. We learned a lot of lessons in that football game and now what we have to learn is that we have to play each snap, each situation at the highest level we can play them at. We can't jump out to a 14-0 lead and go back to the bench and say `What a nice night,' we have to keep the intensity level up. Those are the things you learn in the process and I think we will see much improvement in that area."
On preparing for the Tulane game:
"Each week is different. The Route kid, like I said, is an excellent corner. The other kid, Jeremy Foreman, started last year. We just have to get out there and see how we match up and see what they are trying to do against us, schematically. We have good players. If we have some chances to make some space out there, our guys will make plays."
On the Tulane coaching staff:
"I like Chris' (Scelfo) philosophy. The have been real good for a long time. It's a pass friendly philosophy. They do a good job of utilizing the running back on screens and zone plays and getting him involved in the passing. They are always a vertical threat with some underneath stuff, which makes a lot of open areas and zones on the field. I like their style. I like the way they do it. It's tough to defend. It will be different than what we faced last week. There will be a lot more shotguns, one backs and they will spread the field."
On the penalty calls during the Rice game:
"We were lined up off sides a couple times, had a head-to-head hit on the quarterback one time, had a holding call. I chalk it up to maybe not taking care of business when we should have been. Hitting the quarterback, you just have to be really careful. It was not actually a late hit; it was a head-to-head hit. I know we get another day and we will get better."
On the play of Marquay Love:
"He has been excellent. He actually got his fingers on the extra point in Hawaii and caused the ball to twirl and barely go through. If he had gotten that one then we would have won the football game. He has been doing it for four years, is what I am trying to say. He is powerful, explosive and he has a good knack for of getting through there. Marquay played the best game of his career but we are not going to sit on it and talk about it in December because he is going to play better than he is now. That was the best that he has played since he has been a Cougar."
