UNIVERSITY OF TULSA FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 5, 2022

Braylon Braxton

Kendarin Ray

Press Conference

Tulane 27, Tulsa 13

Q. Braylon, talk about when you knew you were going to start and kind of your emotions heading into your first start.

BRAYLON BRAXTON: So I kind of knew -- I officially knew on Wednesday. Davis didn't practice at all. That's when I got the call, and I've been preparing like I'm the starter since the first game this season.

Been doing the same thing. But it's just I was going second instead of first and now I'm going first. It was really nothing different. Just same preparation, same everything.

Q. How do you feel you did?

BRAYLON BRAXTON: I feel like I did okay. I feel like we still got a lot of stuff we can work on as a team, as an offense. Me personally, I got to get better in the pocket just being more comfortable. So I feel like that will get better as time goes on.

We definitely got a good team. We can do big things still for sure.

Q. For each of you, talk about the mindset knowing that now you have to win out if you're going to make a bowl.

KENDARIN RAY: We was in the same situation last year. I really didn't have that much of a feeling of it because I didn't play because I was out last year, but just being around them, everybody was locked in knowing that we still got a goal we can achieve.

So we just want to go 1-0 each week and just prepare each week to do what we have to do to become bowl eligible. So we just going to take one game at a time.

BRAYLON BRAXTON: We been here before. It's nothing new to us. We are going to keep our heads down and keep working. We just got to knock off one win at a time and we'll achieve our goals of making that bowl game.

Q. You guys were moving it between the 20 some and seemed like there would be a penalty to kill the thing.

KENDARIN RAY: Yep.

Q. How frustrating was that? You feel like that's something that you guys can clean up in your second start?

BRAYLON BRAXTON: Yeah, definitely. We were definitely moving the ball great. It's almost like they weren't stopping us, we were stopping ourselves. As soon as we would get some momentum we would get a penalty stop ourselves. Now we're third and ten instead of third and three or something like that.

So definitely got to stop the penalties, but like you said, we were moving the ball great. Just got to cut the penalties out.

Q. Kendarin, first career interception?

KENDARIN RAY: Yes, sir.

Q. Take me through what you remember of that play. That was huge. Gave you guys a chance going into halftime.

KENDARIN RAY: I'll give some credit to Jon-Michael for helping me with that. The tight end ran a dig route and Jon-Michael sunk and got into the passing lane, so he had to kind of lead him and throw it high.

Out-threw him and reached in and tipped it, so I was just in the right spot at the right time to make that play.

Q. Coach Montgomery just said you guys can play better. You're not playing your best, but at the same time, you're not playing bad football. You feel like even though there hasn't been many wins in the last month and a half, the confidence is good for you guys to go out and finish this stretch run in a way that maybe gets you to a bowl?

KENDARIN RAY: I feel like our confidence always been good. It comes down to faster starts for one. We haven't started fast lately, to be honest. I guess that just comes with tackling. Like that's the emphasis the past couple weeks. I'm going to call how it is. We started off slow, missing tackles her and there.

We always pick it up later, but we just need to start off fast and play a whole 60-minute game.

Q. Kendarin, for the defense, what was the run game for Tulane that gave you guys so much fits?

KENDARIN RAY: They gave us a couple different looks than normal. I really didn't see as much because I was on the back end just seeing things break, but it just comes down to probably gaps I would assume. We was probably hitting the wrong gaps or getting pushed out of the gaps.

We'll look at that on film tomorrow and adjust to those mistakes.

Q. Both of you, with the backs up against the wall, how do you approach the rest of this? Is it a game by game thing? Is it a whole picture, like we got to all buy-in?

PHILIP MONTGOMERY: I feel like we been bought in the whole season, but we definitely need to go game by game. That's how it's been all season really. I don't look towards the future and I hope everybody else doesn't on the team. We just want to go game by game, do what we can do, and execute week by week.

BRAYLON BRAXTON: Just trying to go 1-0 every week. That's how we break it out every day, 1-0. Don't look too far ahead. Just focus on Memphis right now.

Q. For you, knowing that you were going to get the start you said on Wednesday, how much did you communicate with Davis getting ready to start for this football team?

BRAYLON BRAXTON: Talked to Davis a lot this week. He was talking to me a lot in the game. We're roommates in the hotel. Me and Davis have always had a great relationship. It was really nothing different. Just keying me in on a couple things he does when he's in there.

Of course we have different play styles, but he helped out a whole bunch, so it was good.

Q. Talk about the quick turnaround. You got another game in just four days. How hard is that going to be, and what do you got to do?

KENDARIN RAY: Mainly tomorrow we got to get in and focus on getting our bodies back right. It is a fast turnaround, but I just see it as another opportunity to go out there and play football.

I love this game, and any time I'm able to play, you know, it is what it is. We can play on a Monday if we had to. I'll be ready to play.

BRAYLON BRAXTON: Just got to get to practice Monday. First starts getting in the film room tomorrow, training room, and then we got to watch the film, get it broke down, and hit the practice field on Monday running.

We know we got a short week, so everybody has to be locked in, have the same agenda and goal. Like I said, we just got to go 1-0, so...