UNIVERSITY OF TULSA FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 19, 2022

Braylon Braxton

Keylon Stokes

Press Conference

Tulsa 48, South Florida 42

Q. Braylon, saw you celebrating some after the game. First win as starter. Just what did that mean to you?

BRAYLON BRAXTON: Just a surreal feeling honestly. I can't really explain what was going through my mind after I took that second knee. Once that clock hit zero I just knew I did it, so it was great. I had a great group of guys around me, so it was a great team win today. I think it took all of us, but it was a great feeling for sure.

Q. You talked this week about the offense finding a rhythm, and it's been difficult that way for kind of different reasons, whether it was quarterbacks coming in and out or just the opponent that night or whatever. You guys, it seemed, were able to find a rhythm. What went into that tonight?

BRAYLON BRAXTON: Coach Monte and Coach Beau, they talk a lot about just getting the first first down in the drive and getting the drive started, some I feel like once we get that first first down, once we really get in the rhythm, it's hard to stop our rhythm. We just got to find the rhythm.

Once we get that first first down and start rolling, we are a tough team to deal with for sure.

Q. Keylon, I don't know if you've given much thought to what your Senior Night would be like, probably warmer in your mind, but just what was that like for the final time here at Chapman, to have a big night to cap off a record-setting career? Any thoughts on your Senior Night and getting the win?

KEYLON STOKES: It was a big moment for all of us, to be honest. I wasn't the only senior out there. It's just like, yeah, I'm playing for myself, but also playing for those other seniors out there as well.

So it's just like we wanted to make sure we go out and cap it off and go home with a victory.

Q. What did you think of Braylon's performance and what did they bring to the table, not just the ability to run and pass, but then also seems like a good energy that comes from him, a good leadership quality.

KEYLON STOKES: Oh, no, yeah. He's always got that energy. He's always up, you know what I'm saying? It's just like he came in here young, but he came also as a leader as well. So it's just like we love that, to see that as a QB.

Yeah, he was behind Davis, but stepped up tonight and did what he had to do. He came out, showed everybody what he can do. Yeah, he's that guy.

Q. Keylon, we walked in joking about the cold, but how did that affect your playing? Can you feel the ball when you're catching it, or talk about just what you had to go through with the cold.

KEYLON STOKES: You know, with the cold, that's just all mental things, so just got to go out there and play the ball, play the game. I did feel the ball catching the ball, so, I mean, everything was still good. You still had the heaters on the sideline.

The cold is just an excuse, to be honest. Just got to go out there and win the game.

BRAYLON BRAXTON: Like Sleep says, cold is all a mindset. We practice in the cold. We work out in the winter in the cold. It's just another day at the office for us.

Q. Keylon, what were some of the emotions going out on that field for Senior Night at the beginning of the night?

KEYLON STOKES: It was kind of like a feeling that at first I didn't know how to feel, to be honest. You know, running out there to my parents, seeing them, you know, on the field, knowing that this is my last home game, it probably hit me when it was kickoff, to be honest.

So, I mean, like it's a blessing to be here this long, to meet the friends that I met, had the coaches that I had and stuff like that. They put me in a great place and predicament to do what I have to do for the next level.

I'm really blessed and thank God for everything he's done for this team and me. I'm blessed.

Q. Keylon, I would think it's hard when you lose that seventh game and so you know that you won't be able to play in a bowl game. How did you go about it this week, kind of getting yourself in the right frame of mind and bringing the right energy to prepare for this game?

KEYLON STOKES: Yeah, we was upset that we didn't get a bowl game, but it's still okay, because at the end of the day we all got each other. We're a brotherhood. We are a family. So just going back to practice and stuff like that, I was just happy to be out there with my brothers.

This team, we're real close. This is probably the closest team whose ever been together, so it's just like it feels good to go out there and just battle with that brother next to you.

So, I mean, yeah, I was upset, but at the end of the day I was still happy because the group of guys that I have around me, so...

Q. It might be hard now, you know, just off the field, but as you reflect on your time here at TU, is there something you're most proud of? Obviously the record is really something considering everybody that's played here. Is there something you're most proud of in your career?

KEYLON STOKES: To be honest, probably most proud of just the growth between me and also the growth I see in the players as well. Just being here and being a captain and seeing the young guys grow up and seeing them do better for themselves, do better on the field, do better in the classroom, that's probably the best moments for me here at TU.

A lot of the young guys come in here and think they know everything but then they don't, so it's just like you got to be that guy to put them where they need to be at, be that captain and show them, nah, this is the way to go. So it's just good to see guys grow.

Q. Braylon, maybe speak to how much you enjoy competing. I got the sense, especially watching you walk off the field afterwards, that you just really love this game, have been waiting for a while now. You're just a redshirt freshman so you haven't had to wait that long, but you've really been waiting for this moment where you get to run the show and show what you can do and play this game.

BRAYLON BRAXTON: Yeah, like you said a little bit earlier, we lost our bowl eligibility, but Coach Monty and Coach Beau this week in the meetings room they were talking about how much this is an opportunity to go out and show how much you love the game of football. Knowing we don't have a bowl game to play for, but still going out there and putting all on the line for the guy to the right and to the left of you.

I feel like me as competitor, I don't want to let the guys to the right or the left of me down, so I'm going to give it my all every time I step on the field. That's all I know how to do.

Q. Braylon, back kind of near home. Do you see this as kind of your bowl game coming up?

KEYLON STOKES: Oh, yeah, I said that earlier in the week. I said this is my bowl game. Going back home, playing in front of my city, all my friends, family is going to be there. So it would just be great to go home and finish it off with a bang, you know.