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TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 30, 2018

Kliff Kingsbury

Lubbock, Texas

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Anything specific you've been working on in practice to sharpen up after last week's performance?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: I think offensively ball security. That was a huge issue, having three turnovers, then the safety where we fumbled the ball. Can't do that against anybody in our league. Definitely not against Oklahoma.

Q. What have you been working on with Alan to get him more comfortable in the offense?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, just more experience, more reps. You can't simulate those game reps. He's a young player, had some growing pains on Saturday. I expect him to be better, learn from it and move forward.

Q. Have you noticed any players being vocal to help him out?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: No. I mean, at that position you're kind of on your own. If you have a bad game, you have to get yourself back up and get back after it.

I talked about it after the game. I didn't have a good plan. We couldn't run the ball. You don't want to throw 60 times against that defense, that team. I put him in a bad spot all game.

I thought he competed really hard. We just have to clean some things up moving forward.

Q. How does it happen in the game, you're calling it, after the game you can say we should have run the ball more in the second half, but how does it happen in your thought process where you go away from the run?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, you watched the game. When you're getting in second-and-11 every single time trying to run the ball. That was kind of it. I didn't feel good about anything we were doing running the football at all. I thought we could get it on the perimeter, get some easy throws here and there. Even those became difficult later.

You got to give their defense and their staff credit. But we just weren't getting anything moving at all. I didn't think we could handle being in second-and-long, third-and-long.

Q. Antoine Wesley, seems like he's been at an elite level.
KLIFF KINGSBURY: He really has. The defense we played last week, a lot of safeties over the top which they want to keep that in front of them. The one opportunity we had, took a shot, made a play on the ball. Really proud of his development. He had the injury after spring, rehabbed hard to come back. Has had a great mentality, focus, work ethic. He's a testament to hard work pays off.

Q. It's hard not to mention that game two years ago. Your main takeaway from that amazing offensive performance.
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Just how fortunate you feel to be on the field with that many NFL players on both sides. You look at the names, what they're doing on Sundays right now, it's incredible. Guys playing at an elite level already early in their careers. They're all out there on one particular night all making plays that night.

Q. Are you going to be able to watch the game Sunday?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Probably not. We'll be right back to it. I'll keep track of it.

Q. The difficulty that you had running the football on Saturday, given the experience of your offensive line has been one of your strengths, what does that say about them? What is your maybe disappointment level?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: I think if you look at what they're doing defensively right now, they're playing just at a really high level. We still needed to be better, there's no question. But I got to give them a lot of credit. We tried different things, just weren't able to get anything going at all.

Probably could have hammered it in there a few more times. Being in second-and-long, third-and-long, that was tough on Alan, tough on us. We were trying to get just balls in space in different ways, screens, some trick creation, bells and whistles to try to move the football.

I think it says more about their coaching staff and defensive players. You saw what they did a couple weeks before to West Virginia, shutting down their ground game as well. They're playing at a high level, taking away the run.

Q. What about Kyler Murray makes him so dangerous?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: I mean, what doesn't is the question. When you look at him, I watched him, I've said it from sophomore in high school on, never seen him have a bad game. Always poised, always in control. He can beat you from the pocket like a seasoned veteran, then if he gets out of the pocket, he can scramble, be the fastest player, quickest player on the field, extend plays, keep his eyes down the field, find guys down the field.

I don't know how you stop him. Nobody has figured it out however many years it's been since he's been playing quarterback. He's a talent.

Q. (Question about Lincoln Riley.)
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Just that he continues to adapt. He does a tremendous job adapting to his personnel. Lost a bunch of great players last year. These young guys stepping up are carrying the load. He's putting those guys in position to be successful. Each week he game plans new wrinkles, things. He's a tremendous offensive mind.

Q. Have you seen a major difference in the way Ruffin runs that defense as opposed to what you saw from Mike?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: They're playing hard for him. I knew they would. When he was here, he was a great mentor for me, a great friend, a great person in my life. Still one of my favorite people in the world. You know how he makes those kids feel, how he motivates them. They're flying around, playing at a very high level for him. That's what he gets out of his players.

Q. Do you ever worry a little bit about guys trying to overthink tackling with the hits that have caused ejections?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, I don't think they overthink. You're going to play, cut is loose. Some of those are pretty subjective. You just have to live with it. You want to coach it as well as you can, hit them below the shoulders, different techniques. When it's moving that fast, they're moving, you're moving, things happen. We don't want them to play soft or timid because of that.

Q. You've been one of the better Power 5 teams with time of possession this year. When you play a good offense like Oklahoma, where does that come into the game plan?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: You'd love to limit their possessions, no question. Army did it, but they run a different style offense than we do. I don't think it will be like that. Any time you can have sustained drives, keep your defense off the field, let them rest against what they have on offense, which is incredible, you'd like to do that.

Q. How much does it help Alan to have receivers on the outside that he can throw the ball up to, help his confidence and development as a player?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, it's huge. Those guys are a safety blanket. When he likes what he sees out there, he gives them a chance. They're proving him right on a lot of those throws. We have to keep working as an offensive unit, be more consistent.

There's a lot of young guys playing with us that have years left to play. Just have to keep getting better every week.

Q. What you have seen from Kenneth Murray from Oklahoma on their defensive side?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: I was really impressed with him last year as a young player stepping in there. He's taken that next step in the progression. He's all over the field. You can see him diagnosing things, the game has really slowed down for him. He's obviously a physical player. He shows up on tape. He's all over the field. He's taken the step that as a coach you'd hope he'd take in his second year.

Q. Everyone has been talking about the offense, but they have a good defense. What kind challenges do they pose, especially with all the athletes they have?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: They're a very talented defense. I think the last couple weeks you've seen they've held teams under 300 yards a game. Their defensive line can get pressure, they can stop the run, they got corners that will walk down on your face and challenge you, safties that will come up and hit you. They're as good as anybody we'll play talent-wise.

Q. When it comes to the running game, where is the running game right now with health of everyone?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Not very good judging on our last game. That's something we have to get going again. We've had moments where I thought it was pretty good. Last week was nonexistent. We're not built to play that right now with a true freshman quarterback. We got to get better.

Q. Everyone talks about Kyler, for a good reason. Is there a part of that offense that doesn't get enough exposure that is just as dangerous?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, I mean, all of them. Offensive line, Bill does such a tremendous job. They play with an edge, really tough, targeting the right way every time. Wide receivers, Lynn and Brown will play on Sundays, some other will, too. They lose one of the draft, this kid is going to play on Sundays. Runningback crew, had a couple guys hurt, these two kids step in and are all world.

The whole thing, it's as good as you get offensively.

Q. What do you see differently on film of their defense since Ruffin took charge?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: It's hard to say. There's a small sample size. But I think at times they've been more I don't want to say base, but just lining up and playing football, maybe not trying to disguise things as much, making sure guys know where to be, then just cutting them loose. They're playing fast, they're not thinking, they're flying around.

I think, if anything, that's what I would say has shown up, is them lining up saying we got really good players, we're going to attack and play things we know how to play, play fast.

Q. I know you see guys that you either are familiar with or know pretty often playing in the Big 12, but what will it be like this week? More guys you know on the coaching staff than just about anybody.
KLIFF KINGSBURY: No doubt. A lot of those guys, we had some special times here at Texas Tech. I owe a lot of those guys a lot of credit to helping mentor me, being there for me at tough times, different things in my life, during my college career. You're excited to see all the success they're having. They do a great job, they do it the right way. One time of year you want to beat them. Other than that, you have a great appreciation for what they are, who they are.

Q. Is Tre King healthy and available to play?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: We're still working through a little bit of a health deal. I wouldn't say 100%. But we'll see if he's going to be ready or not.

Q. Was he not available last week health-wise?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: It was kind of an in-between deal. We wanted to be smart with him.

Q. The opportunity obviously to play a night game at the Jones against a top 10 opponent, from your perspective?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, just excited for our players, excited for our program, our student body, our fans, our alumni. What a great showcase. It will be rocking. We take a lot of pride in that home-field advantage. As a program, we need to put our best foot forward, have an awesome night in Jones Stadium. Be a great showcase for our entire community.

Q. Last week was a tough result, but from the outside it seems this team has more resolve, hung late. Is that what y'all are hanging your hat on?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: I think everybody inside that building knows we can get it done if we play better. Two losses, you throw three interceptions apiece, you're not going to beat anybody in the Big 12 doing that. We've got to clean that up.

But the fight, the belief, some of the mental toughness is starting to show up. It's a fun team to be around the way they carry themselves, the way they approach each and every day.

Q. How do you think Alan handled mentally on Saturday when things were not going well?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: I thought he was really good. I watched a guy who is favored to be the MVP of the NFL go up there and have a really, really rough day, as well. It really came down to us as an offense not executing the game plan the way we wanted to. We got into a pass-heavy game, put a lot on his shoulders. They were giving different looks. Obviously he had a couple throws he'd like to have back.

He's a kid who doesn't blink. Got that ball back at the end, expected to win the game. It didn't work out. He'll come back and play better than he has is my expectation for him Saturday.

Q. What is Connor's status this week?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: We'll see. It will be a game time decision.

Q. Not a long-term thing?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: We're hoping not.

Thank you.

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