Transcribed by Bill Seals
Opening comments:
“I thought some good things showed up from our football team (on Saturday) and I thought some areas we need to continue to improve on. We had a good practice on Sunday and are excited to get back at it. This is a really good Baylor football team. Coach (Matt) Rhule has done a great job with this football team, in terms of this being one of the most athletic teams that we’ve played so far collectively. Offense, defense, special teams. They can really run and have great speed. They’re coming off a great win, so it’s a great challenge for us this Saturday.”
On how Baylor has been successful without many eye-popping statistics as a team:
“Just the collective whole. Defensively, it’s a unit that almost has everyone back from a year ago. It has some talented young guys. They’ve done a great job recruiting these last two years and those guys have started to mix in.
“On the offensive side, it all centers around their quarterback who is a really talented football player. He has gotten nicked up and dinged up in some football games. You saw his capabilities, even in the fourth quarter with a gutsy performance by him last week coming in that game.
“As you look at this team collectively, it really does pop off the video. Statistically, I don’t look at much of that. The video usually tells the truth. It’s a team much like Oklahoma and TCU, in terms of skill that really pops off the video. I’m really impressed with what I’ve seen so far. Collectively, it’s one of the most athletic teams we’ve played.”
On what the outlook is down the stretch for more true freshman to get playing time:
“At least the guys names I talked about last night that are ready. That’s pretty impressive, because you’re almost talking this entire freshman class. The four that are really close…Trevor Downing has had a phenomenal fall. He is light years ahead of any freshman offensive lineman that I’ve ever had the opportunity to coach. He is really close to helping our football team. Joey Ramos has come in and done a really good job. Unlike Trevor, he didn’t get spring practice. His progression has been really impressive. Re-Al (Mitchell) is dynamic, athletic and can do a lot of different things for us. His progression has been really fun to watch. Chandler Pulvermacher is another linebacker that has done a really good job. Gerry Vaughn played in the first three games for us at linebacker and in some special teams stuff. We still have some guys that continue to develop. I’m excited to see some of these guys.”
On the progress Hakeem Butler has made to become the level of player he has:
“Hakeem has always been an extremely, gifted athlete. Even last year, as talented as our receiver corps was, Hakeem was bar-none one of the most athletic talented guys that I’ve ever had the opportunity to coach at the wide receiver position. Where his growth has been phenomenal over the last nine months is just in terms of what it takes to be an elite-level football player. He’s only played football for five years. The consistency that elite players have in elite moments is what makes elite players elite. Hakeem is still trying to become that guy. He’s had some really good individual moments. His work ethic, consistency…I thought his offseason was as good as anybody in our football program. It was really fun to watch that maturity. He’s really done that all three years I’ve been here. He’s gotten better every year and put himself in a great position to be a phenomenal player.”
On the players dealing with the rollercoaster season this has become:
“What has made this team unique in its own right is that now they’re handling a new set of adversity. Now everybody wants to jump on the train and tell you this and that. It’s all fluff until the end of the season, where you lay it all out and see if you accomplished what you set out to be. This group gets it. Having that start at 1-3 and everyone wants to tell you how not good you are, and yet between our walls we knew how close we were. It has to have great leadership and player ownership. The players have to believe in it and buy into it. They have to teach and continue to empower those young guys around them. We’re still so young in so many ways. You look at our team and who’s playing for us. You’re talking about a lot of guys who are naïve to really where we’re at and what’s going on. It’s those veterans that have been through a lot in this program or individually that are leading the way and teaching them how to navigate through it. That first part of the season was a great asset on tool of how to deal with adversity.”
On how the offensive line has fared of late:
“That group is playing its best football since we’ve been here over the past three to four weeks. They’re gritty. There’s been a lot of growth. Look what Bryce Meeker is doing right now. Look what (Josh) Knipfel has done over the last two years. He has been the same player every day for us and is really talented. Colin Newell… I don’t know if there’s a bigger story of a young guy that’s coming in and been asked to play center against the nose tackles that we’ve had to go against and interior linemen we’ve played against. He’s showed a lot of growth from where he was in week two to where he is now for us. (Julian) Good-Jones is adapting to left tackle. Collin Olson has been a great story. That group has really grown immensely. You can’t have success this time of year if that group isn’t competing and playing at a high level. We’re a lot close to where we want to be there than we’ve ever been.”
Opening comments:
“I thought some good things showed up from our football team (on Saturday) and I thought some areas we need to continue to improve on. We had a good practice on Sunday and are excited to get back at it. This is a really good Baylor football team. Coach (Matt) Rhule has done a great job with this football team, in terms of this being one of the most athletic teams that we’ve played so far collectively. Offense, defense, special teams. They can really run and have great speed. They’re coming off a great win, so it’s a great challenge for us this Saturday.”
On how Baylor has been successful without many eye-popping statistics as a team:
“Just the collective whole. Defensively, it’s a unit that almost has everyone back from a year ago. It has some talented young guys. They’ve done a great job recruiting these last two years and those guys have started to mix in.
“On the offensive side, it all centers around their quarterback who is a really talented football player. He has gotten nicked up and dinged up in some football games. You saw his capabilities, even in the fourth quarter with a gutsy performance by him last week coming in that game.
“As you look at this team collectively, it really does pop off the video. Statistically, I don’t look at much of that. The video usually tells the truth. It’s a team much like Oklahoma and TCU, in terms of skill that really pops off the video. I’m really impressed with what I’ve seen so far. Collectively, it’s one of the most athletic teams we’ve played.”
On what the outlook is down the stretch for more true freshman to get playing time:
“At least the guys names I talked about last night that are ready. That’s pretty impressive, because you’re almost talking this entire freshman class. The four that are really close…Trevor Downing has had a phenomenal fall. He is light years ahead of any freshman offensive lineman that I’ve ever had the opportunity to coach. He is really close to helping our football team. Joey Ramos has come in and done a really good job. Unlike Trevor, he didn’t get spring practice. His progression has been really impressive. Re-Al (Mitchell) is dynamic, athletic and can do a lot of different things for us. His progression has been really fun to watch. Chandler Pulvermacher is another linebacker that has done a really good job. Gerry Vaughn played in the first three games for us at linebacker and in some special teams stuff. We still have some guys that continue to develop. I’m excited to see some of these guys.”
On the progress Hakeem Butler has made to become the level of player he has:
“Hakeem has always been an extremely, gifted athlete. Even last year, as talented as our receiver corps was, Hakeem was bar-none one of the most athletic talented guys that I’ve ever had the opportunity to coach at the wide receiver position. Where his growth has been phenomenal over the last nine months is just in terms of what it takes to be an elite-level football player. He’s only played football for five years. The consistency that elite players have in elite moments is what makes elite players elite. Hakeem is still trying to become that guy. He’s had some really good individual moments. His work ethic, consistency…I thought his offseason was as good as anybody in our football program. It was really fun to watch that maturity. He’s really done that all three years I’ve been here. He’s gotten better every year and put himself in a great position to be a phenomenal player.”
On the players dealing with the rollercoaster season this has become:
“What has made this team unique in its own right is that now they’re handling a new set of adversity. Now everybody wants to jump on the train and tell you this and that. It’s all fluff until the end of the season, where you lay it all out and see if you accomplished what you set out to be. This group gets it. Having that start at 1-3 and everyone wants to tell you how not good you are, and yet between our walls we knew how close we were. It has to have great leadership and player ownership. The players have to believe in it and buy into it. They have to teach and continue to empower those young guys around them. We’re still so young in so many ways. You look at our team and who’s playing for us. You’re talking about a lot of guys who are naïve to really where we’re at and what’s going on. It’s those veterans that have been through a lot in this program or individually that are leading the way and teaching them how to navigate through it. That first part of the season was a great asset on tool of how to deal with adversity.”
On how the offensive line has fared of late:
“That group is playing its best football since we’ve been here over the past three to four weeks. They’re gritty. There’s been a lot of growth. Look what Bryce Meeker is doing right now. Look what (Josh) Knipfel has done over the last two years. He has been the same player every day for us and is really talented. Colin Newell… I don’t know if there’s a bigger story of a young guy that’s coming in and been asked to play center against the nose tackles that we’ve had to go against and interior linemen we’ve played against. He’s showed a lot of growth from where he was in week two to where he is now for us. (Julian) Good-Jones is adapting to left tackle. Collin Olson has been a great story. That group has really grown immensely. You can’t have success this time of year if that group isn’t competing and playing at a high level. We’re a lot close to where we want to be there than we’ve ever been.”
