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LA Tech Head Coach Skip Holtz

"I just want to start with it's great to win. We always talk as a team about never taking winning for granted, and to come on the road against a really-well coached Rice football team (cannot be taken for granted). I think David bailiff does a great job. I know they got a bunch of injuries. Look at their wall up there and the four bowl games they've been to in the last (EIGHT) years. (David Bailiff has been) doing that here, with (Rice's) academics and everything else. I have great respect for David Bailliff and the job that he does, and the way that he has built that program.

"We've never won here. To come here as two teams tied for first in the C-USA West, and to be able to come out on top with a win, I feel really grateful."

"To our players, I am excited for them for what they were able to go on the field and do. I cannot thank enough the senior leadership of this football team. The maturity that they have, the focus that they have. Every week we've talked about having a target on our chest as the preseason pick to win the west. Every week we were going to have to play, and we could not have a letdown. To see the way they are taking care of business right now with the nine seniors on defense, five on offense and two on the offensive line. I just can't thank the seniors enough for their leadership and for what they're doing right now. They are driving this train. They're doing an unbelievable job.

"It was not pretty all the time tonight, but it was a great win. It was a great win and we had some guys have some great individual performances on offense, some guys that really played well. As a defense I thought we played team defense. Bryson (Abraham) knocked down a ball. Everybody was involved. I think (Rice) is a really good football team, so we're really excited to get the win right now.

"This was closer (than the final score). I told you it would be close. In the first half they started loading the box to stop 28 (Kenneth Dixon) and stop the run game. Jeff Driskel was able to sit back there and I thought he was right on point. He was 12-of-15 in the first half for 220 yards. I thought he was really dialed-in, and saw the field. He did a great job on the touchdown pass when he came underneath to Kameron McKnight. I thought he saw the field, was throwing it. He had the opportunity to throw some deep balls. Second half it got a little bit sloppy. I think the passing game was really one of the differences. Late in the game the running game was able to get on track.

"We allowed just one long scoring drive. We talked about on defense it's not what we're calling, we just have to do a better job of executing it and coaching it. I thought defensively we played really well. I thought we played great, team, defense. They (the defense) has given up their individuality for the good of this team. Right now there just are no 'single heros.' We're getting it done as a team. Every game somebody else is going to step up. It's the unselfish leadership we have on this team."