Chris Rix - Q & A with Chris Rix
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Chris Rix correcting mistakes What did you pick up after looking at the Miami film?
I learned a lot from that film - When to run, when to hang in there, wait a little longer for that receiver to get open and throws you can, and can't make. Throws you can make against a Wake Forest or Duke you can't make against a Miami secondary with how talented and fast they are. Just staying within myself is what I learned from watching that film. I think I got outside of myself a little bit on Saturday. It was a little humbling in all honesty. I wasn't happy with what I saw or with a lot of the things I did. How is it going trying to learn to hang in the pocket longer and not take off running at the first sign of trouble? I'm still getting the hang of that. It's a weekly thing of when can I stay a little longer and when is it time to go. Coach Bowden said if you have green in front of you go. But after watching that film and talking to coach Dickey and coach (Jeff) Bowden I have a little more time in there to move around in that pocket and wait for that receiver to get open and I do want to be passing before running. What are the coaches having you do differently in practice to help you learn to throw the ball away rather than trying to make a run when nothing is there? In skeleton drills if nothing is there the quarterbacks would just tuck it and run and then the defense would two-hand touch. Now they are emphasizing if nothing is there throw it away and get that practice down and get used to it. Honestly, that is something I'm still getting used to. Yesterday I did tuck it a couple times when I was supposed to throw it away... I have come to realize that it is safer to do that because I don't get hit at all during the week in practice, it's only in games, so taking all those shots, sooner or later it's going to take its toll and I'm going to end up losing the ball and I can't have that any more. I just need to throw the ball away and get used to being safe. It was never something I did in high school and of course I'm still getting used to in in college. Weinke used to do it all the time and now I've come to realize it's not such a bad thing. Did you wear some type of non-contact jersey in high school? No. I was always live in high school. How does that effect you now that you went a whole year without any contact and now you only get it once a week? I think it has played a role for me not holding on to it as best as I could and protecting the ball. That has played a role in me not getting hits every day and going through the ball-protection drills with the running backs and receivers. The only time I really have contact is on Saturday. It's just going to come with more game experience, more snaps and taking more hits to get me used to holding on to the ball like that. I think about that sometimes and I think it has played a role and I don't get hit but one time a week and that's when it counts, the time I'm getting contact. Is this the most sore you have been after a game? No, UAB was probably the most sore I've been. I couldn't move the next day after that. It was a change from Duke and it had pretty much been over a year since I got hit. This is probably the hardest I've been hit but I wasn't as sore after this game. I played a little golf with my Dad on Saturday and I started out pretty sore but throughout the day, but it went away pretty quick. What are your thoughts going into the Virginia game? We beat them pretty soundly last year as I recall. When you first look and see Virginia that should be a given but after seeing how they they've played this year they have done very well. They beat Clemson on the road at Clemson which as you know is very hard to do. We can't underestimate them. They have a good defense, I don't know about the offense, but they are pretty experienced on defense. Their defensive line is strong, they have some strong guys in there. It's going to be a good hard-fought game. Have you listened to any radio talk shows or looked at the message boards since the Miami game to see what fans are saying? I don't listen to radio at all. I took a look at the message boards earlier in the week and saw people arguing between each other as to whether I should play or I shouldn't. It is interesting to see some of the feedback there and people defending me and other people who have their opinion. It kind of goes in one ear and out the other seeing what people are thinking. It doesn't change what I'm going to do and some of the negative stuff motivates me even more. I think that was Monday night and I haven't looked there since. Have you ever gone in there and added your two cents? Never. |
