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TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 31, 2017

Nic Shimonek

Lubbock, Texas

Q. What is the biggest thing you saw from the tape that you had to work on?
NIC SHIMONEK: I think just staying consistent. We started really good, obviously, there in the first quarter, and we just need to be able to sustain that level of play throughout the entire game.

Q. Do you just feel it shifted as the game went on? Did it do something different defensively? What kind of changed?
NIC SHIMONEK: They started mixing it up. But a lot of it was on us, our execution. I mean, we were playing hard, it was just we started misexecuting a few things. Like I said, that goes back to just being consistent from the first snap to the last snap, playing with the same attention to detail. I think we would have put ourself in a position to win that game if we had done that. But you can't dwell on that, so moving on to Kansas State.

Q. Would you say you're a rhythm thrower, that you have an internal clock? Like it's snap, catch, throw immediately?
NIC SHIMONEK: I mean, yeah, it just depends on the play call, really. But, yeah, I do like to get in a rhythm. Yeah, you could say that.

Q. When the offense has Dylan on one side and T.J. on the other side, how do you see that helping you all?
NIC SHIMONEK: Yeah, I mean, two big guys. Anytime they're one-on-one, I'm going to take a shot. So T.J. is big and long, 6'5", 6'6", so can jump. So I feel good about that. And obviously, Dylan has incredible ball skills, so I feel good about either one of those guys going up and making a play and coming down with it.

Q. The touchdown pass to Dylan, him and Cameron are both in that same general area where you were throwing to Dylan, right?
NIC SHIMONEK: Yeah, yeah.

Q. (Indiscernible)?
NIC SHIMONEK: Yeah, no, it was for Dylan.

Q. What do you know about the Kansas State defense?
NIC SHIMONEK: He has those guys ready to play and they play hard and they execute. They're where they're supposed to be at the right time. They don't do a lot of fancy stuff or try to trick you or anything like that. They're just going to lineup and play tough. That's how they are every year, and they're very good at what they do.

Q. In terms of the way Trey played last weekend against OU, I guess do you kind of feel like he kind of made a statement saying I should get more carries, I guess? How did you see his performance?
NIC SHIMONEK: I thought he played great. He's just a really good football player. Like he's got high football IQ, he runs really hard, and obviously getting Stock back this week, it will be good to have both those guys back there to be able to give each other a little break every now and then.

Q. Is that something where you see the practice performance kind of go to the game, or did you see something before that where you knew a big game was coming out of it?
NIC SHIMONEK: I've thought since fall camp, since the very first time I saw him play, that he was capable of it. Obviously this past Saturday was kind of his coming out party, if you will. So, yeah, I was happy to see that for him.

Q. How would you describe his personality and team demeanor?
NIC SHIMONEK: Personality? He's a funny guy, he's a goofy guy, but whenever we get out there to practice he's locked in. Like I said, he sees the play one time, he's got a really high football IQ. Seems like he just absorbs all the knowledge that the coaches are throwing at him, so like I said, he can do it and walk through one time. From there on out, he knows exactly what he's supposed to do, and he's not taking reps and reps and reps for him to be able to get it down mentally. Yeah, he's a great football player. Glad to have him over here.

Q. The coaches are working with you guys on this, but why do you personally think that you guys are having a problem finishing games?
NIC SHIMONEK: I think, alluding to what I said previously, consistency. I know me personally, I start the game -- it seems like every game I start completing almost every pass, 7 for 8, 9 for 10, whatever the case may be, and then I don't know if I get lax or what, but I think I just need to be dialed in for four quarters. In a sense, you could probably say that for the whole team. We've just got to be paying attention to the same detail on play one as we are on play 100. So we'll work on that this week.

Q. Has Jack Anderson been asking for more targets since the catch against Oklahoma?
NIC SHIMONEK: No, I've never seen that happen, actually. I mean, I'm glad he caught it. A lot of those times, the defensive lineman is the one that comes down with those deflected passes. So I'm glad it was one of my guys that got it. He kind of pushed the pile a little bit too, didn't he?

Q. In terms of T.J., I know last year Coach always talks about the attitude issues. How was it seeing him transform from last year to this year? Like Coach said, it was probably the first time you had to warrant some playing time (Inaudible)?
NIC SHIMONEK: I think the big thing about T.J. is even when he wasn't playing at the very beginning of the year, he was always saying at practice like he's not mad at practice, he's not upset at practice because he didn't get any targets. He's always saying like he knows his time is coming, whether it's this year, next year. I mean, he knows the potential that he has, and he has the ability to be great. So he knew eventually it would happen.

So it's good seeing him not be selfish or not be mad because he wasn't getting the ball because, I mean, he's good enough. But he knew his time was coming. Obviously these last couple games he's kind of stepped up and made some plays for us, so just got to keep finding ways to get him involved.

Q. Your early part of the Big 12 schedule (Indiscernible) the rest of the way. While you can't win the Big 12, is it helpful knowing that if you guys play right and do what you're supposed to be doing that you can still have a successful season here?
NIC SHIMONEK: Yeah, I think we can win the rest of our games. If we come out to practice, and, like I said, fix the things that we need to get fixed, the consistency, the attention to detail for four quarters, if we can buckle down and figure those things out, I don't see why we can't beat any of these teams that we have left on our schedule. But it's not going to be easy. They're quality teams. We still have to bring it every day. Yeah, I'm confident in what we can do.

Q. How important is it making a bowl game for your season?
NIC SHIMONEK: I mean, that's what you play for. I mean, the goal at the beginning of the season is obviously to get to the postseason. That's what we're going for. We've got to take it one game at a time. With that said, we can't worry about what bowl or when it's going to be or whatever. We've got to attack Tuesday's practice for Kansas State, and tomorrow go at Wednesday's practice, and take it day-by-day, and keep getting better and think everything will work out.

Q. You had that touchdown throw to Cam where you kind of bobbled and was able to bring in. What was going through your head when that happened?
NIC SHIMONEK: Yeah, I thought he dropped it. I just saw it tip up into the air and I saw him tip it again. From my angle, it looked like he tipped it too far. So I look at Coach Kingsbury and I'm like, What's the play? Give me the play. And he's like, He caught it.

I was like, I didn't know we had a signal like this for a play. So I'm asking him what the play was. And he was like, No, he caught it.

So I look back, and of course they had their hands up. So, you know, it was a great catch by him, great concentration. I told him as soon as he came off the field, like I said, I thought he dropped it. But for him to come up with that football was pretty incredible, so great play by him.

Q. What's been the biggest challenge for you so far, just overall as quarterback?
NIC SHIMONEK: Probably going back to what I've said three or four times already, being consistent. Starting the game so hot and then kind of hitting a little, I don't know, running into some miscues, I guess. I just need to be able to regroup, get back on track. I've done it in past games, just need to do it probably more consistently.

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