	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 26, 2015

Kliff Kingsbury

Lubbock, Texas

Q. Is there any sort of prescription that you're highlighting this week to sort of quell some of the ills you've had the past couple weeks?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: No, just need to start faster. You know, there's no recipe for that, just got to do it as a team and work on it as practice and try to get better at it.

Q. So first possession, second possession, just make sure you get down the field and score?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: That would be great, yeah. We've done a good job of it I think the first six games, and then the last couple we just started slow, and against a team like we played last week, if you do that, you're behind 21-3 and then it's tough to catch up.

Q. What did you see on the tipped passes that wound up as interceptions? What do you look at to try to break that --
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, they just made good plays. All four of the reads, he was going to the right place with the football. That's one of the things in football that happens, and you've got to try and overcome that, but the one Striker jumps up, makes a great play, too, got tipped, and then the one in the end zone, we throw a fade route, give our guy a chance and their guy makes a play. I had no issue with the reads, it just went the other way this time.

Q. Are you crediting the defense?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, no doubt. Even balls that got tipped, they had guys around it and slid in and made plays.

Q. Is that an adjustment you expect future defenses to make with some of those throws?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: No, I mean, I think -- I can't even think of one that's been tipped prior to that. I think it's just one of those deals that happens in football, and it didn't go to our way.

Q. Is there anything the offensive line can do different or is that just what happens?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: No, I think it happens. Watching the film, those guys are rushing, they see him about to throw, they get their arms up. It's pretty standard procedure.

Q. Beyond the interceptions, why do you feel like Mahomes is struggling the last two weeks compared to the way he played early in the season?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: You know, last week that's a good defense, I think, more than anything. I've got to do a better job, like I said, of getting him going early, but I think a lot of those drives were thwarted on those interceptions, so we couldn't really get in much of a rhythm and threw everything off. But he did a great job on 3rd down. I think we were 12 of 18. He converted a bunch of those, and anytime you turn it over four times, you're not going to have the day you want, but I thought he did some good things.

Q. Do you have any concerns about -- I think the first six games he was only sacked twice and the last two games nine times.
KLIFF KINGSBURY: No, no. I think it just comes with the territory. That's just part of playing the position, and sometimes you go through streaks and teams see different things, and we just have to continue to call better plays for him and execute better.

Q. With that being said, you guys are facing one of the best pass rushing teams, leading the Big 12 in sacks. How do you challenge your offensive line with that challenge this week?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, they'll be challenged. They've watched the film. They know what's coming, so they'll have to play their A game to try and slow those guys down. They have a great front. They have a really good defense overall, but those two ends are very good players.

Q. What did you think about your receivers overall and just kind of how they did against their man coverage?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, still a work in progress. We've got to get some guys outside, I think, that can be more consistent. I thought Reggie Davis did a couple good things. He was into the game. Jakeem did his thing, but we just have to be more consistent as a group. And I think that'll help everything.

Q. Are you pretty satisfied with the enthusiasm of the team, both on field and off the field?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, I think they came out with a good frame of mind, it just didn't go the way we needed it to go early, but I felt like they kept competing, even at the end.

Q. The last couple weeks it feels like the defense has started to create more turnovers. Have you seen that, and what do you think is the cause of that?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: I hope so. I hope that they're getting more comfortable in the system. I think when they truly understand what Coach Gibbs is getting at against different formations and different offenses, then more and more turnovers will come, but it was good to see them get the ball out a couple times.

Q. Specifically with Jah'Shawn, though, it seems like he's just been in the right place at the right time. Is that something you see in practice daily?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: You know, in high school, I've said this before, they stuck him about seven yards from the line of scrimmage and he just followed the ball, so he has a real nose for the ball. He always seems to be able to get a hand in there or the ball comes to him, and just one of those guys that has that knack.

Q. What concerns you about Oklahoma State's offense?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Really good wide receiving group. The quarterback is a good thrower of the football. They mix in Walsh, who's an outstanding athlete to run down there on the right area, and good running backs. They have a good scheme. They mix it up. They've been good on offense for a lot of years and do a great job of keeping you off balance.

Q. Obviously the tragedy there this past weekend, is that something you guys plan to address on Saturday?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: I'm not sure. I've heard something is in the works for that. Obviously it's a tragic situation and all our thoughts and prayers go out to those families, but yeah, I think we'll be doing something to commemorate that.

Q. Will you continue to monitor regarding the left guard position and is that competition ongoing?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yes. It's ongoing, and we'll have a rotation going this week in practice and see who practices the best, and whoever practices the best will start.

Q. Coming back to the Jones, you've seen the atmosphere, it's a blackout, big game, big opponent coming in. What do you expect the atmosphere to be on Saturday?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: To be exciting. Our team loves to play at home, only two home games left, being Halloween, being that blackout, having a costume contest, I think it'll be an awesome atmosphere. I think it'll be very raucous, and I know our guys will be fired up.

Q. It's pretty cool, the story about being at the Oklahoma game, I think it was homecoming, y'all are down three or four touchdowns to Oklahoma, and you patted Mike on the back and said, don't worry, we've got them right where we want them. Do you share those same types of messages with your team or do you feel like as a coach they have to be said a little bit differently, and do you feel like your team has that same kind of resilience?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: I think we're working towards it. I think when you look at it, you're 5-3 and you've lost to probably three of the six top teams in the country, and that goes with the territory. A lot of prognosticators, guys that are looking at our schedule wouldn't have even thought we'd be 5-3 at this point. I've been proud of our team, how resilient they've been, and I expect these last four for us to play our best football.

Q. How is Baylen?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: He's day-to-day. It doesn't -- it won't require surgery. We found out that today, so we'll get him out there and see how he moves around.

Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297