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TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

August 28, 2018

Zach Austin

Lubbock, Texas

Q. Zach, who do you think the starting quarterback is going to be?
ZACH AUSTIN: We'll see. Everybody is like to know, wouldn't they. I knew I'd get a tough question the first one.

We'll see. All three quarterbacks have been playing really well. I'll be excited to see who it is, too, come game day.

Q. We talked a couple weeks ago at Media Day about how special this is going to be for you. You're getting that much closer. Has it kind of hit you that you're ready to get back out on the field?
ZACH AUSTIN: Yeah, the past two years, I don't even think I've made it this far. So it's kind of setting in. Come Thursday, maybe even tomorrow, I'll start realizing a little bit, maybe the nerves will start to kick in. Like I told my dad, once the game starts, I'll be fine. I think all of us will be fine, too.

Q. The excitement, is it you're coming back and you want to prove -- the SEC known for their defense, how does that factor in for you?
ZACH AUSTIN: I think it just makes it even more exciting. I've only -- I haven't personally gone against any of the SEC teams that we've played in the past, LSU and Arkansas. I didn't get a chance to, but they are big, physical, fast and a lot of people talk about their defense.

So it will be really fun to go against them, and obviously really challenging.

Q. Relatively inexperienced wide receiver core, do you think it will take a couple plays until guys get into the flow of things, or do you think from that first snap, it will be --
ZACH AUSTIN: I think it's always after the first snap. I can't really speak on everybody else, but for me, it's always been after that first snap, it's kind of -- you're locked in. We do, I don't know how many plays we've run this fall, but it has to be over 5,000.

So it's there. The plays are there. They are in the back of your mind, whether you're new or old. You know, we have a bunch of old guys, like me and Ja-High and T.J. has been there and Antoine has been there, De'Quan has been there. I think it will just be once that first play gets out of the way, it will be fine.

Q. You said two or three weeks ago that one of your concerns was getting yourself back into game shape and getting back into the shape that the other guys were already in. How much progress do you feel like you've made in that regard? Are you where you want to be?
ZACH AUSTIN: Yeah, I think I'm good now. When I talked to you last, I was kind of -- it was like three or four practices in. So I was a little bit behind those guys. They had been practicing for two or three weeks, maybe a week actually and I didn't practice that first scrimmage.

I got that second scrimmage in me, and now, practice isn't as hard as it used to be. I'm good now.

Q. Back in the spring and summer, Kliff said he wanted you and Ja'Deion to show the younger guys how things are done. How has that evolved?
ZACH AUSTIN: Well, I can't really speak for the younger guys, but you know, I think me and Ja-High have done a really good job of pushing these guys along.

Seth was new, but he's done an excellent job of picking up the offense, and he's an older guy. He's been around systems and stuff. He kind of knew what to expect.

KeSean has been really, really good about picking up the offense, and he hasn't really had any problems these past few weeks. If that's anything to go off of, then I think we did a pretty good job, but there's more to go, we'll see.

Q. Kliff said a moment ago that KeSean only said two words and that's yes, sir. What's your first impression of him?
ZACH AUSTIN: He doesn't say that to me. Yes, maybe, or no. I'll get that.

Yeah, he's a quiet guy. He's obviously listening, though and that's the most important thing when you're new. I try to tell those guys just to listen. If you're not doing anything else, watch, listen, look at the quarterbacks, ask questions. Although he's not asking very many questions, he doesn't talk very much, but he's definitely paying attention.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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