TCU Football Head Coach Sonny Dykes talks 42-17 win over Baylor on Saturday. After winning the inaugural Bluebonnet Battle, Dykes is 2-0 in his career against Baylor as a TCU Head Coach.
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00:00 I just want to say first of all, give a shout out to our student body.
00:05 Those guys were awesome today, showing up,
00:08 supporting their classmates like they did.
00:14 It's Thanksgiving weekend, a lot of those guys could go home and
00:17 they stayed here and went to the football game.
00:19 And so I'm really, really appreciative of the students for doing that.
00:23 I think it just talks about the TCU family,
00:27 how special it is that those guys showed up and the crowd showed up and
00:31 it was really, really good.
00:32 So again, appreciate those guys for doing that.
00:35 I think you gotta give Baylor a lot of credit.
00:40 I think they played really hard.
00:42 I think they played hard all year.
00:44 I think Dave Moran is a very good football coach.
00:48 I think it shows you how confident those kids are in him,
00:54 the way how hard they play.
00:57 And there's never a play on film that are not going hard and
01:01 that's a credit to Dave and his coaching staff and Baylor.
01:07 Just like I said, those guys, it's been a disappointing year for them,
01:11 just like it has for us.
01:12 And their players always play hard and they always show up.
01:17 Man, it feels good to get a win.
01:20 It's been a while, it seems like.
01:23 And so just proud of our guys.
01:25 But real pretty, we had the two early drives that stalled out,
01:30 the fumble and then the fourth down play that we didn't get.
01:36 But we never punted, I thought we moved the ball well the entire game.
01:42 Josh threw for 420 yards or something like that.
01:46 So, Doddie really threw the ball well.
01:49 I thought our offense line really protected well.
01:54 Struggled more than we should have to run the football, but
01:57 I thought the pass protection was excellent.
02:00 A lot of time receivers caught balls.
02:02 It was just what this is supposed to look like.
02:07 And so it was good to see it.
02:10 And we're 9-11 on third down.
02:13 That's a hard thing to do on air, really.
02:16 And so again, it's thought we executed well, thought the precision was there.
02:21 And like I said, it's what it's supposed to look like.
02:25 >> What did Josh just kind of show you today,
02:26 especially with his decision making, no turnover for the first time?
02:29 >> Yeah, yeah, I mean, he turned the ball over except for the fumble.
02:32 Yeah, he didn't turn it over, and so it was really good to see that.
02:34 I mean, I think he just gets better every game.
02:36 I mean, more comfortable, makes better decisions.
02:39 Gets on the same page more with receivers.
02:43 We had to move some guys around just because of injuries.
02:45 Joe Joe Earl moved outside, and Dottie did a good job when he was in the game.
02:51 Savion, again, played well.
02:52 Obviously, Jerry Riley had a great game.
02:55 John Paul played well.
02:56 Jalen Robinson played well, made sure he made some plays.
03:00 So it was good to see.
03:01 But again, going back to what you said,
03:06 I think kind of that's what young quarterbacks are supposed to do.
03:11 They're supposed to mature as they go through.
03:14 And Dottie played well, and I'm excited about next week and
03:20 going and playing against a great Oklahoma team and a big challenge.
03:26 I'm ready to see the continued maturation and growth from Josh.
03:31 >> Coach, you talked earlier this week about the lack of explosive touchdowns.
03:35 >> Yeah. >> We had four today,
03:36 did you like that?
03:37 >> Yeah, it was finally good to see that, yeah.
03:40 Yeah, we just hadn't had any, you know what I mean?
03:41 It's been a strange phenomenon in a lot of ways.
03:45 And like we've talked about, there's a million different reasons why,
03:51 but it was great to get it today.
03:53 I mean, it really was.
03:54 I mean, it's just college football, it's just hard to drive the ball
03:58 across the field, have a 15 play drive, and finish with a touchdown.
04:03 I mean, it's just a hard thing to do, you know what I mean?
04:05 If you don't get some kind of explosive play that helps you out a little bit,
04:08 in particular a scoring play, because I mean the field shrinks.
04:11 And what happened to us early in the year, now again,
04:14 it happened today with the turnover and then the fourth down.
04:16 But what's happened to us this year is the field shrinks,
04:18 you gotta be more precise, and we just haven't been.
04:22 And today, I think we were, again, after the first two series.
04:27 And we just got, we're getting better, and guys are understanding things better,
04:31 and I'm encouraged.
04:32 It's one of those things I wish we had seven games left.
04:37 But we need to go in next week so we have at least one more.
04:41 >> You guys had two design runs for Josh in that third quarter,
04:44 that quarterback draw that led to a big run, and of course the touchdown.
04:48 Have you guys kind of been holding on to that, maybe with-
04:51 >> Yeah, I mean, look,
04:52 maybe we haven't held on to anything.
04:53 We've thrown everything we can at the wall.
04:57 Yeah, it was good.
04:57 I mean, it's kind of a more scheme thing this week.
05:01 And obviously, the third down run was, got some man coverage on the back end,
05:06 and that was a big opportunity for the quarterback to pull down and run with it.
05:09 And then Josh did a nice read on the touchdown, and
05:14 the read was a pull read, and he pulled it and did a good job getting the end zone.
05:18 And I thought one of the things that we did really well today is I thought we
05:21 blocked down the field.
05:22 And you asked about those explosive plays.
05:24 A big part of the reason why we scored on those touchdowns is when you go and
05:28 you look, Savion was blocking downfield a couple of times.
05:30 And Keith, Jarrett Wiley's long touchdown,
05:33 I think had a big block on one of Mamadi's touchdowns.
05:37 And when you're blocking down the field like we were today,
05:41 that makes all the difference.
05:42 >> How is Savion really able to emerge in these last two games?
05:46 >> Yeah, I think he's gotten on the same page with the quarterback,
05:49 which is a very, very important thing.
05:51 He just continues to develop and get better and play with more confidence.
05:56 And I think he and Josh are just kinda starting to get that synergy
06:03 between the two of them that's really, really important.
06:05 And he made some big plays.
06:09 One of the things I thought was a big play today was Major Everhart making that
06:12 third down catch.
06:13 I thought that was a big play, kept the drive alive,
06:15 loved to have touchdown here in the third quarter.
06:17 A bunch of guys I thought made really good, tough, competitive catches and
06:22 allowed us to move the ball.
06:25 >> Sonny Garrett was wanted on the two touchdowns.
06:27 Was there something you saw on their screen?
06:28 >> Yeah, the one was, I believe it was two man and he showed the block and
06:34 he was running kind of a delay route.
06:38 Well, his guy triggered and blitzed when he blocked.
06:40 And so it kind of avoided that area and the safeties were playing those deep routes
06:45 and we dumped it down.
06:46 And it was one of those things that worked like it was supposed to.
06:49 It doesn't always happen that way, but it did there.
06:51 And then what we tried to do a little bit was show some different motions and
06:56 movements to create a little bit of uncertainty.
06:59 And the first touchdown I think was the result of a little bit of uncertainty.
07:03 >> You guys, it doesn't go down in the stat column as a turnover, but
07:06 I think you guys had four turnovers on downs.
07:09 >> Yeah. >> How big was that?
07:10 >> It was huge.
07:10 I mean, those were all, I mean, every one of those stops was big.
07:13 And we got some last week against Texas too.
07:16 And so it's good to see our defense rising up in those critical situations on
07:20 fourth down and getting off the field.
07:22 And they did it a bunch of times today.
07:24 And as I said, they did some last week and gave us a chance to make a comeback and
07:28 had an opportunity to finish last week.
07:31 But yeah, I mean, they did a great job today.
07:34 They really did.
07:34 I thought, I think those guys, I mean,
07:40 when they hit us on the wheel route to the tight end, Nick was right there.
07:43 On the gadget play, on the reverse back to the quarterback and
07:47 the wheel to the tight end.
07:49 Thought Nick played it well.
07:50 The guy just made a good play.
07:52 It was a big tall tight end, it was a heck of a throw.
07:54 So I thought our guys were well prepared.
07:56 We were gonna see some different things.
07:58 Baylor does a nice job with their scheme every week of having something different.
08:01 They gave us a fix last year with some things that we hadn't seen before.
08:05 And I thought our guys really did a good job of adjusting this week,
08:08 or this year rather.
08:10 And we just kinda hung around defensively.
08:13 I mean, I thought we limited big plays, did a good job of doing that.
08:19 >> Like you mentioned, Meninger, a chance to get next week together,
08:22 maybe get one more.
08:22 How important is it to be in a position to be able to have something like that?
08:25 >> Yeah, I mean, that's a big deal.
08:26 The one thing I love about this team is they're gonna play hard, man.
08:29 I mean, they are, and it's been, everybody's disappointed with the year.
08:33 I've been really encouraged by the last six quarters of football
08:39 that I've seen from this team, I mean, really encouraged.
08:41 They're gonna play hard no matter what,
08:49 but having that carrot to get the ball eligibility is, I think, always a good thing.
08:54 >> What did you see out of Jared Wiley in this game in the last couple weeks?
08:56 >> Yeah, I think they had a couple of big plays, first of all.
08:59 I think that was the big thing for us, like we alluded to earlier,
09:02 was just having some big play touchdowns.
09:03 And Jared had two of those today, and did a great job catching and running.
09:07 And again, I think Josh and
09:10 Jared are starting to get really comfortable with each other.
09:11 Jared is such a big target.
09:13 Josh is kinda starting to understand where to throw the ball and how to do it.
09:16 And Jared made a couple of really nice plays and competitive plays on some, and
09:20 was open on some others.
09:21 And Jared's been banged up all year.
09:27 He has shown a lot of toughness really last month of the season,
09:29 just grinding through stuff.
09:31 And he's had sore ribs, and he's had a little bit of an ankle or achilles.
09:37 And today he got a little bit of a hip pointer.
09:39 I mean, the guy just has fought through a bunch for us.
09:42 And I can't say enough about these seniors that played the last game at
09:47 Amon Carter Stadium.
09:48 I mean, it was, I meant a lot to those guys, you could see it.
09:54 I really did.
09:55 And we talked about that during the week,
09:56 about making sure that we sent those guys out with a win.
10:02 So I was proud of them for doing that.
10:04 >> Coach, can you talk a little bit about the senior class and
10:08 what they've meant to you?
10:09 >> Yeah, I mean, I love these guys.
10:11 I mean, there's some guys that have been here for a long time.
10:14 You think about the Des Moines Hodges and
10:17 the Brandon Coleman's that have been here for a long time.
10:21 The Nooks, they've been through a lot.
10:25 You think about the kids that we added last year, the Jared Wiley's and
10:31 Josh Newton's and guys like that,
10:35 that have been really, really important players for us.
10:38 And I love this place.
10:41 I've said all the time, we're all really blessed to be here.
10:44 This is a great place to be.
10:46 They understand that.
10:47 And it means a lot to them.
10:51 I mean, playing, putting the purple on every week means a lot to these guys.
10:54 It really does.
10:55 And I don't think any of us take it for granted.
11:00 >> Coach, you talked about earlier in the week about the defense and
11:03 some of the issues being inexperienced up front.
11:05 It looked like they were getting some pressure tonight.
11:07 >> Yeah, I thought we were aggressive in trying to pressure the quarterback.
11:11 We felt coming into this game, that was gonna be really important for us to do.
11:15 I felt like we could hold up on the back end and
11:17 thought we got pressure pretty consistently.
11:19 And it was good to see that.
11:20 I mean, like I said, our job is to win football games and
11:26 there's never any excuse for not winning games.
11:28 And so we are a little bit young up front, but we need to win.
11:32 It doesn't matter.
11:32 You know what I mean?
11:33 There's no excuse to not win here at TCU, and we understand that.
11:39 And so those guys have got to continue to develop.
11:44 And the good thing is we have a lot of players coming back that are really
11:48 starting to play well when you look across the team.
11:51 And so I'm excited about, again, next week, trying to get to a bowl game,
11:56 the improvement that we can make going into that bowl game.
11:59 And that's obviously gonna be a big game for us next week.
12:02 >> Coach, you talked a little bit earlier about some of the struggles you've had
12:06 running the ball the last couple weeks.
12:07 >> Yeah. >> How would you attribute that to?
12:09 >> Well, Baylor did a little bit different thing tonight.
12:11 Played their tackles kind of head up to take our double teams away and
12:15 then ran the linebackers through.
12:17 They did a little bit of that to us last year as well.
12:19 I think it's like anything else, you give up a little something to gain something.
12:22 And so it makes it a little bit more difficult to run the ball,
12:25 makes it a little bit easier to pass protect.
12:27 Cuz now you're blocking a head up guy as opposed to a guy in a gap.
12:30 And so it's like everything in football, there's a little bit of give,
12:34 a little bit of take.
12:35 And that's what we tried to do today is had a hard time running the ball,
12:39 but really did a great job passing protecting.
12:44 And so that was the trade off.
12:46 Any time you throw for 430 yards, you had a good day.
12:51 And we did, and we need to be able to run it better.
12:54 No matter what they do to us, we just gotta continue to improve there.
12:59 >> You feel good to be in a position to get Chandler some playing time?
13:02 >> Yeah, it was great to get everybody some playing time, honestly.
13:04 I think we were able to play all our seniors.
13:07 For the most part, it was a couple of guys we wish we could have gotten in.
13:12 But yeah, it was good.
13:15 It was good Chandler, it was good to get him back out there.
13:17 He's not completely 100% yet.
13:20 We had a little bit of setback in practice last week, but
13:24 I think he's closer, and we're hoping he'll be 100% next week.