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TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 17, 2016

Jonathan Giles

Lubbock, Texas

Q. What's the morale like, Jonathan?
JONATHAN GILES: It's disappointing. Homecoming game, we were excited to play in front of the former football players who played here. So for us to come out there and play the way we played, it was very disappointing.

Q. What do you think the cause was for you guys coming out flat?
JONATHAN GILES: Just not being focused mentally and physically. It was an 11:00 game, so I guess we weren't just physically and mentally focused into the game.

Q. What do you do to change that?
JONATHAN GILES: We get better each and every day at practice. Get ready for OU because there's another big opponent coming up, and we know how big that game is. So just getting better each and every day, starting today.

Q. Can you turn that morale around in a week?
JONATHAN GILES: Yes, I feel like we can. We have great leaders on this team, like Luke Stice, Pat Mahomes. I feel like we can easily turn it around.

Q. Your team didn't have a good game, but the inside receivers, you, Batson, Keke, Sadler, all had productive days. Do you feel like y'all had a good day inside?
JONATHAN GILES: I feel like we had a pretty good game. But overall we were more focused on the wins than losses. Even though we had a good game, we still weren't too excited because we knew we didn't come out with the win.

Q. (Indiscernible) how much does that affect you guys throughout the week? It seems like it's quite a bit?
JONATHAN GILES: I feel like it affects us a little bit as a whole, but Pat is a competitor. He works hard each and every day. So I mean, you just have to know what was going on and go with the plan.

Q. I don't know if we've seen an offensive struggle with you guys like that in quite some time. In your estimation, what was the biggest issue?
JONATHAN GILES: Penalties. I feel like penalties are the one thing that slowed us down. They could see throughout our losses, penalties being the main key and not being disciplined. So I feel like that's what happened to us Saturday. Us not being disciplined.

Q. Who do you feel that falls back on the most, just the undisciplined play and penalties?
JONATHAN GILES: Just us, the players. The coaches preach that to us every day being disciplined. We have it on the wall, be disciplined. So for us to come out and not be disciplined, it hurts.

Q. Fans criticize Kliff for not jumping on players immediately on the sidelines and not saying come here (Indiscernible) or whatever. What is Kliff's punishment structure say you get a silly penalty?
JONATHAN GILES: Well, usually if we have a false start in practice or some kind of stupid dumb penalty in practice, we'll do up downs and then also we just hold each other accountable. Instead of Kliff getting on us all the time, we have our leaders come talk to us and get on the players. Makes it much easier for Kliff.

Q. What happens (Indiscernible)?
JONATHAN GILES: Just punishment during practice, during the week. Just punishment. Lot of punishment.

Q. (Indiscernible)?
JONATHAN GILES: Running too, board pushes, lot of different stuff after practice.

Q. Would you like to see people be a little more vocal on the sideline when things don't go well? Maybe a little more emotion, whether it's from the coaches or your fellow players?
JONATHAN GILES: I think so. It also, just bringing more energy to the sideline. I feel like that's one thing we didn't do a good job of. Like when things didn't go our way, everybody was looking down and looking inside instead of keeping the energy up.

Q. Who do you all usually look to for that type of leadership in those moments of adversity?
JONATHAN GILES: Usually it comes from quarterbacks or even our defensive captain, Luke Stice or Justis Nelson, that's where it usually comes from. Also, like I said, holding each other accountable, holding yourself accountable.

Q. I guess that discipline in practice, why do you feel like it doesn't translate to the game?
JONATHAN GILES: Just not being mentally focused, I guess. That's probably one of the main things is not being mentally focused.

Q. (Indiscernible) wasn't sure. How much falls on you and the inside receivers to step up your game when some of those guys are out?
JONATHAN GILES: I feel like it falls on us a lot, especially as a group, we always like to make plays against our receiver group. But also we have our outside group. We still have Ben Lauderdale, Tony Brown, Quan Shorts, so we still have great players at the outside position. We've just got to continue to get better each and every day and get ready for OU.

Q. Patrick made mention in the postgame that we've got to have people running the routes. Were there people just not running the right routes?
JONATHAN GILES: I'm not sure. We'll have to watch film today and figure that out. I know there were a couple times where we get tired and the routes aren't as crisp as they used to be in the first half. So that's something we have to fix as a receiver group.

Q. You mentioned you looked to the quarterback in moments of adversity when you guys are in a hole. Is Pat very much of a vocal leader, or is he more of a lead-by-example-type person?
JONATHAN GILES: Both. I feel like he leads by example and he's more vocal. He does both. He's very good at deciding which one to use at the right time. Like sometimes at a point in the game he'll be more vocal rather than lead by example, then he'll lead by example rather than leading by his voice.

Q. At this point, do you feel like you need more of those guys to be vocal leaders?
JONATHAN GILES: I feel like we do. Just because at the point in time where we're at right now, I feel like I said, I'm holding myself accountable and everybody's holding each other accountable, it really helps the team a lot.

Q. You're six games in and at least halfway through your schedule. How crucial does the locker room feel like this game is in terming how the rest of your season finishes?
JONATHAN GILES: It's very important just because it starts the second half of the season. It's especially important also because it's OU, and we know how big of a game that is for us, especially after this past game. So we're going to watch a lot of film today and tomorrow and get ready for them.

Q. So just to be clear, you would like to see more sideline motion, whether it's from your coaches or your teammates and you feel like that might be something that needs to change so you don't lose your focus and you don't lose your energy, and maybe helps change the dynamic of things?
JONATHAN GILES: Right, yes, sir.

Q. What do you focus more on coming into this week? Is it penalties?
JONATHAN GILES: Usually Mondays we'll focus on this past game and focus on the mistakes we made. Starting tomorrow, we'll focus on OU and get ready for them.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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