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TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 14, 2016

Patrick Mahomes, II

Lubbock, Texas

THE MODERATOR: Take questions for Pat.

Q. With what the defense has been doing the last few weeks, seems like you guys figured out in the second quarter the other day moving forward, definitely the second half. What do you think was the difference? Is it just seeing it so much, getting used to what to do against that?
PATRICK MAHOMES, II: Yeah, we had a better game plan, I feel like. Going into it Coach Kingsbury told me to take the little ones quick and don't try to make -- scramble around, because they have eight guys back, there not a lot of stuff is going to get open. So just take those unders, take those stops, and it worked out well.

Q. Why do you think it took so -- the three-and-outs, three three-and-outs, what was happening, were you just not --
PATRICK MAHOMES, II: I mean, they just had a good game plan coming in. And it just took a little bit to kind of see where those holes were. And a lot of it was me not just trusting in those -- the windows weren't big. I have to trust in myself and my receivers to throw them in there and the receivers have to make some tough catches, and they did.

Q. What do you look at when you see Iowa State's defense?
PATRICK MAHOMES, II: Just their whole team in general. They have a lot of talent. They've been in a lot of close games, a lot of games they could have won. And it hasn't gone their way, kind of like us.

So they're going to be giving us their best effort. It's going to be at home for them. Tough place to play. So they'll be out there and they'll be flying around. Just gotta to go out there in a tough environment and try to get a win.

Q. The extremely early weather report, supposed to be cold and snowy on Saturday. How do you guys prepare for that mentally?
PATRICK MAHOMES, II: We knew before we got the season started there was a chance it could be snowing up there. And it's something that you just have to embrace. I think last year when we had at bowl practices we practiced in the snow. It's something we've done before. And we'll just have to embrace it and be ready for snowy atmosphere.

Q. Mentioned bowl practices. How important is it for this team to get those this year and become bowl eligible?
PATRICK MAHOMES, II: It's very important, especially moving forward to the next season. Those bowl practices, they give you a lot of experience, a lot of time where guys get to try and show what they've got, going into the spring, going into the next season.

So I know after my freshman year we didn't get those. Going into my sophomore -- it's something you don't want to be at home. You don't want to be sitting there.

Q. Do you feel like your defense has turned a corner?
PATRICK MAHOMES, II: Yes, I think they're just going to keep getting better. A lot of young guys, a lot of young talent. I feel they'll keep getting better the rest of the season. And going into next year I'll be feeling very confident.

Q. I know last week I kind of asked you about Oklahoma State being a turning point type of game for you and your career. But I remember Kliff a couple of years ago, when you guys had come back and won at Ames, you saw that as a light bulb coming on for you, your career. What do you remember from that game in Ames a couple of years ago?
PATRICK MAHOMES, II: I mean, like it's supposed to be this weekend, it was cold. It was a tough game. Going there for anyone is always a tough environment. But you just gotta find ways to win.

And I think it's my first career win. And like you said, it can be kind of a turning point where I kind of found my way, I guess you would say, and how what it takes and what I need to do to be good at this level.

Q. With all the changes you've had in the offensive line, especially with Murphy leaving, how hard is it to get the trust of those guys coming in for what could be the first time this year?
PATRICK MAHOMES, II: This last game we didn't have Murphy. And, I mean, Murphy's a great guy, a great leader and I hated for him that he had to be gone. But those young guys have stepped up and they're playing. And I'm just going to trust in them, try to get the ball out fast, try to help them out a little bit. And at the same time they played their best game probably this last week and so hopefully it just carries on.

Q. How much pressure do you deal on yourself to kind of be that other running back since you guys are so thin at that position right now?
PATRICK MAHOMES, II: I mean, we had -- all season I felt like I've ran the ball well when I did run it. A lot of the yards I take -- negative plays take away from that. But I mean all year long I've been able to run the ball a little bit. But I trust in those running backs. They came in, they've been stepping up, they've been getting better every week. So I'll just keep trusting them.

Q. Did you play without your brace on Saturday?
PATRICK MAHOMES, II: I started, I think, the first two series and then I took it off.

Q. Is that just because --
PATRICK MAHOMES, II: It got loose -- it was getting loose again. And I've been kind of asking if I could take it off these last few weeks. And the trainers have told me to kind of keep it on, just try to play through it. But they said if I felt comfortable I could play without it.

Q. Played the rest of the game without it?
PATRICK MAHOMES, II: Yes, sir.

Q. There's still lingering effects of that knee, that it's kind of carried on throughout the offseason and into this year?
PATRICK MAHOMES, II: I think I kind of tweaked it one time at the beginning of the spring. But since then nothing's happened to it. And I worked out all summer without the knee brace, did all the cuts and all the stuff. It was just a confidence thing. And I feel like now I'm pretty confident in it.

Q. Is it going to be hard not to press because you know you need to win these two games?
PATRICK MAHOMES, II: Yes, definitely. I mean, you want to get to a bowl game. You don't want these two weeks to be your last two weeks of the season. I mean, we went through a lot together on this team. Great brotherhood. And, I mean, we all love each other.

So we're really going to go out there and just try to play our game. But we're going to leave it all out on the field, try to win two football games against two great teams and get to a bowl game.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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