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UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 8, 2011

Tommy Rees

NOTRE DAME 59
AIR FORCE 33

Q. What did you think of Andrew today?
TOMMY REES: He was great. He worked hard and it paid off. He did a great job.

Q. They were blitzing you all over the place; did you go over that during the week?
TOMMY REES: Yeah, that was kind of the big thing coming into this week was just knowing where they were coming from. I don't think they got us on very many today, and the line did a good job of communicating. We went back and forth a couple of times, but at the end of the day, things worked out.

Q. The last two games, seven touchdowns, are you settling in? What's the difference?
TOMMY REES: Yeah, maybe a little bit of everything, just getting kind of in a rhythm and getting in a groove with this offense. The guys around me are making such good plays and the line is doing a great job. I'm pretty happy with how things are going, especially two weeks with no turnovers.

Q. When is the last time you ran 70 yards?
TOMMY REES: Across the field during practice -- probably never.

Q. Hendrix, can you talk about that and your progression?
TOMMY REES: Yeah, just focusing throughout the week and what they are trying to do and take advantage of it. Picks for me are more mental. If you know what's going on, you let the physical take care of the rest. So just being mentally sharp and knowing where to go with the ball.

Q. Talk about Theo today.
TOMMY REES: He came out here and we got him involved and he did a great job of running after the catch and making big plays for us.

Q. You and Dayne were pretty animated with Hendrix.
TOMMY REES: To be honest I thought he was in the end zone. I was pretty sure I was on the numbers out there for him. We were really happy for him, we gave him a hard time for not getting in on three straight runs, but he did a great job even before that, the plays he got, he moved the ball and did everything we asked, and happy for him.

Q. Inaudible.
TOMMY REES: Yeah, I don't know if he was in not. He thinks he might have gotten in but --

Q. The first play of the game, you guys come back and score; how important is that?
TOMMY REES: It's huge just to get momentum and take away one of their possessions and add it on to ours. A team like Air Force they are a team that runs the ball a lot and if you can get up early and speed their game up a little bit, it's big for us.

Q. Do you feel the offense has arrived in the last two weeks?
TOMMY REES: I think we have gotten better and we can keep going. Always room for improvement. We are putting together some pretty big games.

Q. Coach said that Andrew was really getting in and it was helping you, about helping you improve, how much does that help your game in opening things up?
TOMMY REES: It just helps add another dimension to our offense. It helped me within the running game. I can't speak highly enough of how he did today and coming in for us. For his first game ever playing, like I said, I'm very happy for him. Just helps the whole offense to have another dimension like that.

Q. Four straight wins going into the bye, and then USC, where is confidence right now?
TOMMY REES: High; we have put together a couple of really good performance the last two weeks. You want to take every game week-to-week. But at the beginning of the year, you know you have to play Southern Cal and you're look forward it. Now we just have to focus in and get ready to play.

Q. The drives, turning it over, seemed like there was no problem whatsoever with that. Did the defense finally just click?
TOMMY REES: I think a lot of it was on me not finishing drives. I really took it upon myself and a lot of help from my teammates and their confidence, just make sure we are limiting mistakes. We have been so good between the 20, a little bit of a struggle; so for us to go out two weeks in a row and capitalize on opportunities is a pretty good feeling.

Q. You guys are so balanced. Was it the plan today to spread it around?
TOMMY REES: I think when you have as many weapons as we have, as long as you get the ball out there on the perimeter, they can make plays. It's never really's focus on let's get everyone the ball. It's more we have so many weapons that when we get them the ball and good things will happen.

Q. I know you like to find things to correct, is this about as perfect -- is this what the finished product looks like to you?
TOMMY REES: I don't think this is the finished product yet. I think there's still going to be things we need to improve on, and the coaches will find them and we will just move forward from there.

Q. Theo Riddick, was there more of an effort to make sure Theo Riddick gets some touches?
TOMMY REES: He's such a dynamic player, getting the ball in his hands, good things happen. There was a little more options to give him the ball, and all week him and I did a good job of staying on the same page and making sure we connect and he did a great job for us.

Q. How much did Andrew coming into the game help you?
TOMMY REES: It helps to have another dimension out there, another -- whatever helps the team helps me. So end of the day, he did a great job and couldn't be happier with the outcome.

Q. What is it about Theo that separates him from other receivers?
TOMMY REES: He came in as a running back, so I think that he has that running back mentality. When he gets the ball in his hands, he can make guys miss. He's really shifty, really good with the ball in his hands, and we've just got to get it there.

Q. You were not that far from going through what Andrew went through today, getting that first game; did you talk at all about the first game all?
TOMMY REES: Him and I were really close, we came in together and we have been pretty much best friends as you can have coming in as quarterback. We talked all week knowing that he might get a shot and even once the game started, it's weird being in the same class, same -- I have a little more experience but not all that much. So I think he really did a good job of turning to me, and I helped him as much as I could; and having Dayne there, as well, helping him I think really helped him setting down and find his groove.

Q. What do you tell him about what it's going to be like?
TOMMY REES: Just to play his game and not get caught up in all of the things and not be thinking too much. He knows what he's doing. He's a good player and just settle down and be calm and relaxed out there.

Q. What did you say to him about running out of gas two yards short?
TOMMY REES: I can't say much. I don't think I would have made it that far. Gave him a hard time about that but he did a great job running today. Yeah, we'll mess around with him a little bit.

Q. Seems like the offense is running a Brian Kelly offense -- what's different for you guys?
TOMMY REES: I think just after the first two weeks, I think we just wanted to come out here and prove to everyone how good we can be on offense. Things are starting to come together right now, there's still work to do but we'll keep pushing forward.

Q. Are you starting to feel more confident?
TOMMY REES: Every game I get more confident and I would say last couple of weeks, I felt really good the game plan and what the defense was trying to do and just coming into my own.

Q. Can you talk about Theo's --
TOMMY REES: Yeah, he's my roommate, he's one of my best friends and I gave him -- last week I felt we should have had a touchdown, I missed and just to get him in the end zone this week, you never want to target one guy, but it's a good thing to get him in the end zone and get him involved. He's a good player for us and he'll continue to it grow.

Q. What's going on up there that you guys have been successful?
TOMMY REES: Keeping it to a third-and-manageable situation; not having to get in a third-and-long where defense has to do a bunch of different things. Keep it third and manageable and get the ball out of my hands quickly.

Q. Looking forward to the week off?
TOMMY REES: Yeah, should be a good week.

Q. What will you do?
TOMMY REES: Get ready for USC. There's not really much break. We'll have practices and we'll just get ready for the game plan and just keep moving forward.

Q. Theo didn't have a catch last week; was he on you about getting the ball this week?
TOMMY REES: He's a team guy. He doesn't really care as long as we win. But a little more emphasis of getting the ball in his hands and letting him go out and make some plays.

Q. How important is it for him specifically to get involved early?
TOMMY REES: I just think for everyone to get involved early helps out, get him in a groove and playing with confidence and getting in the game. I thought he did a good job of staying all game.

Q. What do you think of the breast cancer stuff?
TOMMY REES: I love it. My mom is a survivor of breast cancer and something my family had to go through. So any way we can support that and give back to that, I think it's very rewarding to honor all of the women that have gone through it.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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