UNIVERSITY OF TULSA FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 19, 2023

Kendarin Ray

Braylon Braxton

Press Conference

Rice 42, Tulsa 10

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. (No microphone.)

KENDARIN RAY: I guess you can say the better team won today. A lot we can learn from going into film tomorrow and things like that.

It sucks, the feeling sucks right now 'cause I felt like we left some plays out there that we shouldn't have. We could have done better on both sides of the ball. We'll just learn from it, like I said, come film tomorrow.

BRAYLON BRAXTON: From the offensive side of the ball, we just got to start faster as a unit. First drive, bonehead play by me, trying to throw back across my body. Interception. Defense got three-and-out. Can't do that. Come back out, free guy off the edge, fumble.

We're kind of like shooting ourselves in the foot. We just got to take care of the ball better and start faster, honestly.

Q. (No microphone.)

KENDARIN RAY: It's going so slow or fast, but I don't look at the scoreboard. I'm just trying to do what we can do to make a play to get off the field.

Can be a little dragging because our D-line will get fatigued, so now we got to try to rotate some people. It definitely does make you tired obviously being out there so long.

At the end of the day, we just got to try to suck it up and get off the field as much as possible to try to get the offense back on the field to put some points on the board for us.

Q. Braylon, have you ever played with another quarterback out there on the field with you? How did you do tonight with that?

BRAYLON BRAXTON: No, not that I can recall. But Cardell is a wonderful player, makes a lot of great plays. It's an honor to be sharing the field out there with him. I would say it's pretty good.

Q. Were you trying to run with the ball? Didn't they throw into?

BRAYLON BRAXTON: I was 0-1. I dropped it.

Q. Were you trying to run with it?

BRAYLON BRAXTON: I was trying to look up field. I was trying to figure out how I was going to score before catching it, so...

Just another play we got to make.

Q. Comment on their quarterback, how would you rate him?

KENDARIN RAY: I can definitely say he's very experienced. I mean, he's probably seen a lot of different defenses, different coverages. He was checking a lot of certain things. We don't get too many quarterbacks in this league that make certain checks on the field.

I can say he was putting the ball on the money in tight areas, tight spots. He was accurate. It was a good test for our secondary. Like I said, the secondary, we can learn from this, see what we got to do, try to progress as a whole, try to make more plays.

But hands to him. He's a real quarterback.

Q. Braylon, what is the mood like in the locker room after a game like that?

BRAYLON BRAXTON: Obviously you never want to lose, but it happens. Part of the game. Just the vibe of the team right now, we're just trying to bounce back. Two losses in a row, we're just trying to get back on track.

The mindset is still the same. The standard doesn't change. Just trying to get back on track.

Q. Do you still feel like you're trying to get into a rhythm?

BRAYLON BRAXTON: Yeah, I guess you could say that. Not making no excuses. Yeah, I would say I was still trying to find my rhythm.

Q. How is the ankle? Is it 100%?

BRAYLON BRAXTON: Ankle's good. I'm a hundred.

Q. Braylon, you mentioned, coach mentioned it earlier in the week, getting out to a fast start. What is the key to that offensively?

BRAYLON BRAXTON: Turnovers. That's plain and simple. If I don't throw the ball to the other team, strong hands in the pocket, don't let the ball go. I feel like it's a different football game.

Coach Wilson will probably take the blame, but I'm going to go ahead and say that one is on me. As an experienced player, I can't put our team in that position, letting the ball go or giving it to the other team, especially in a game like that where the talent is equal.

When you lose the turnover battle 3-0, the score is going to come out like that every time.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, guys.