Opening statement...

"Another disappointing loss but I do think we got better this week. That was the theme of this week, "Us vs. Us" and trying to get better. We definitely did that. Saying that, I don't believe in moral victories. I don't want anyone to think this is the expectation that you come and compete well with a great team and feel good about it. I do feel good about the improvements we made. Hopefully they carry over into conference play."

On what the defense focused on preparing for the game...

"We are getting a better understanding of our personnel and what they are comfortable with. I wouldn't say we are going to be a blitz-happy team, but we are definitely a team that will have to force the issue a little bit more defensively. I think you saw that tonight. When you do that, there are some risks there. This team missed two opportunities with wide-open deep balls. We have to get better there. Cut back lanes got us a couple times. Quick passing on the perimeter got us a couple times. We weren't very good on third downs. It was better, and I am encouraged by the better. We still have a lot of work to do."

On Carson Beck...

"I talked to him after the game. I know Carson from the Elite 11. He is a very talented kid. He has grown up and matured. I thought he played with a great deal of poise. The thing could have got ugly if those two deep balls were completed. He has got the physical traits to be really successful. I thought they did a really nice job utilizing him. One thing they did that was, again I brag on their coaching all week long, I thought offensively that they made some really nice adjustments. They kind of got into what I call the scalpel king of football where they nick you a little bit and eventually you bleed out. That is what they did in the second and third quarters. They took a couple shots but really those were ball control plays, getting the ball in space to the best players, breaking tackles. It is hard to defend."