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TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 12, 2015

Kliff Kingsbury

Lubbock, Texas

Q. I thought you had an interesting question in the teleconference this morning about playing 11 games in a row. When you first learned you were going to have the schedule, what was your reaction and what was the reason why you had to play 11 games in a row?
COACH KINGSBURY: Yeah, I'm not sure the reason. Like I said on the teleconference, I've been part of one where we got hot and worked out, and there are also times you're kind of banged up and you like that off week. I guess for us the interesting part is like I said, that Thursday game we'll still have practice on that weekend, so it's not a free weekend for three straight months.

So just kind of how it fell this year. Everybody takes their turn with that Thanksgiving game, and it just worked out that way.

Q. Which was the one here that you got the reference that you said you got hot and it worked out?
COACH KINGSBURY: 2012 at A&M. For some reason our first game, we were supposed to play Louisiana Tech and it got pushed back to our bye week, so we just played straight through.

Q. What are your concerns going up to Kansas? Defense, offense, what do you see so far?
COACH KINGSBURY: I know they're well-coached, being very familiar with Coach Beaty. I think Coach Bowen did a great job last year as interim head coach and playing hard. So defensively they'll be lined up and playing well. They're trying to build it.

Playing a true freshman quarterback, I know what that's like. But they're still a well-coached team, that anybody in the Big 12 can beat anybody on any given day. So we have to be prepared and make sure we try to get better this week.

Q. What was your biggest takeaway from David Beaty having coached with him and his coaching style? Particularly in recruitment too?
COACH KINGSBURY: Tremendous recruiter. I think when we got to Texas A&M, he had a veteran group of wide receivers and Mike Evans who was a young guy and watched the way he handled that group. He had Ryan Swope. It was just really impressive to get Mike Evans to the level he did that quickly and manage those older guys and gain their respect very quickly. I think he's a tremendous football coach. I know he's trying to build something special out there.

Q. With Kansas winless this year, how do you talk to your players about not taking them too lightly?
COACH KINGSBURY: Yeah, I think we're talking about starting the second half of our season the right way, and that's been our focus is getting better each week, and that's what we'll try to do this week.

You look to last year when TCU went on the road to Kansas, and Kansas almost got them there. So it's great to point out that it is a good football team that's well-coached, and they had a tough run, but they're getting better. They have young players. So we just need to continue to get better ourselves.

Q. Going back to last weekend, what was kind of your thoughts on Tony Brown and Morales and getting his first start this year?
COACH KINGSBURY: Tony Brown?

Q. Well, at right guard?
COACH KINGSBURY: Oh, at right guard. You know, it's still a little rusty, but I love the effort he plays with. Both those brothers play with incredible effort, and they really push each other. So for not having played in a game for however long, he's come a long way. I think he'll continue to get better and continue to develop. But one thing when you turn on the tape, he's going to play as hard as he can and run as fast as he can every snap.

Q. You got through Tony Brown as well?
COACH KINGSBURY: Yeah, he did well. I mean, subbing as a true freshman, first start, I thought he handled himself well on the big touchdown pass, had two awesome blocks for Jakeem to kind of spring him there, made some big catches. Had a great catch there at the end that Nick threw him. So he's the guy that's going to keep getting there. Has a ton of tremendous natural ability and has to keep honing it.

Q. How big has it been for you to see those guys come in and be so physical over there?
COACH KINGSBURY: It's been great. That's what we preach for the last couple years and starting to see the fruition of it this year with everybody blocking for each other, playing hard for each other. That's when good things happen.

Q. You talk about (No microphone) a little bit, he can't kick off, but he can't punt?
COACH KINGSBURY: Yeah, that one's new to me as well. I don't know. You'll have to ask the trainer on that one. But he still seems to be able to punt the ball well. But Clayton stepped in there and did a great job. I think he had 9 of 12 touchbacks, so really been happy with his progress.

Q. Did your team have a favorable match-up this team, does it give you confidence in the way they handled a somewhat similar situation last week?
COACH KINGSBURY: I hope so. It's about us and getting better every week, so I think they've taken it to heart. I think they know we have six more guaranteed opportunities and you better make the most of each one.

Q. Have you seen this team improve every week?
COACH KINGSBURY: With the exception of the Baylor game, and that wasn't effort, it was just the penalties and those four turnovers, you're not going to beat a team like that doing those things. Other than that I feel like we've gotten better progressively.

Q. What is your assessment of Mahomes' play halfway through the regular season?
COACH KINGSBURY: He's getting better. He made some tremendous plays on Saturday where he just kind of made it all happen. But he's getting more comfortable in the system. Watching him operate, everything's happening at the line of scrimmage faster. He made some great checks, and so now it's just continue to protect the football and when things are there throughout the read, get it to him. If it's not, now go do that stuff that you can do. He's got a chance to be very, very good if he continues to work hard at it.

Q. (No microphone) plays the game seemingly close to flawlessly. What have you seen and what do you want him to improve on when watching film?
COACH KINGSBURY: Yeah, the biggest thing is don't go through lapses where you have success doing it all by yourself on one play, and the next play you say, oh, I'm going to do it again. Go through your reads, stay within the structure of your offense, and if that's not there, then we get to that point. So we're still walking that fine line.

The biggest deal to me is the ball security. He's really taking care of the ball and still been able to find the throws down the field but still protect it at the same time.

Q. Breaking down the speed, what did you think of the 37-yard touchdown from Jakeem that was from infield?
COACH KINGSBURY: Yeah, on the head set it was like, "no, no, no." "Yes," was about the dialogue. It was one of those. Yeah, I mean, just did everything and found those guys. Our receivers and O-line have really learned to play with him in that they continuing to and keep playing and keep blocking and keep trying to get open, because it may take a while.

Q. You look at the offensive performance that you guys had Saturday. How do you build upon that this week?
COACH KINGSBURY: Anytime you watch the tape, there are a lot of yards left out there, a lot of mental mistakes that you can get better at. So we are still a work in progress offensively, playing all those young wide receivers. We'll just keep getting better. We've got to get better over the last six weeks, and trying to get bowl eligible and go from there.

Q. Dylan Cantrell or Devin Lauderdale?
COACH KINGSBURY: Devin will be back this week, Dylan Cantrell will not.

Q. Still possible he would red-shirt?
COACH KINGSBURY: Still a possibility.

Q. How is Patrick Mahomes' knee?
COACH KINGSBURY: It's getting better. He said today it felt better than it has, so that's encouraging.

Q. Is there a structural issue?
COACH KINGSBURY: No.

Q. A tear?
COACH KINGSBURY: No. The term I was given was some sort of sprain.

Q. Since you said Dylan will not be back this week (No microphone)?
COACH KINGSBURY: Pretty close, pretty close, yeah. I would expect that after this week that's probably the direction we'll go.

Q. What did you think about today from your defense? Statistically there were a lot of numbers.
COACH KINGSBURY: Yeah, that's huge. I think prior to that final drive, only holding the three points was really good. That's a senior quarterback, a good offense. Coach Mangino does a good job offensively. So I thought we made good adjustments at halftime. Then to create those turnovers that we're able to score off of kind of jump started us.

Q. You look at Justin's performance, what's that do to push DeAndre?
COACH KINGSBURY: He's a very talented back. One of the fastest players on our team. Any time he touches it, he can go the distance. Those guys do a great job of pushing each other and working with each other. DeAndre's the proven veteran leader on our offense. That's really been fun to watch him help Justin. They have a great relationship, but DeAndre knows he's got a really good back right behind him.

Q. I saw you getting involved defensively as far as I don't know if you were encouraging guys. But what's your routine when the defense is on the field?
COACH KINGSBURY: Yeah, first you try to give encouraging words to the defense, and then Coach Morris, Coach Jinks and Coach Hays and I are on the headset talking about our next drive and what we're trying to do. Meanwhile I'm trying to pay attention to the defense in the situation. Just trying to take it all in while we're prepping for our next drive.

Q. On Saturday we learned that JJ Gaines that was his first start ever at safety. Was that safe for that group and for him individually?
COACH KINGSBURY: Yeah, he's come a long way. We've had him at corner some, some at nickel. For him to step in first game, create some turnovers, he's just a very tough kid. He's been through some surgery and just keeps fighting, keeps showing up and keeps making plays. It's been fun to watch his development.

Q. Did the defensive film you saw after the game look better than maybe what you thought Saturday?
COACH KINGSBURY: It's always not as bad as you think or as good as you think. But I think there are some guys growing up, some of those young linebackers, some young guys in the safety. Then Breiden Fehoko gets better each week. The guy that's really standing out to me is Branden Jackson, how hard he's playing. He looks like night and day. The film this year as opposed to last year, just effort, consistently play in, and play out.

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