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TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 20, 2018

Kliff Kingsbury

Lubbock, Texas

Q. Coach, starting off, what's the mood been in practice this week? Have they put the loss behind them fully?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, no question. They know it's a great opportunity. It's always a fun game for our players to play in that stadium, and then play against a very good Baylor team who's fighting for the same thing we're fighting for.

Q. How much of an extra chip is there on your shoulder knowing this game is for bowling eligibility?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, no question. You want to extend your season, and plus coming off a disappointing performance like last week, want to show how good we are, and that wasn't a representation of our team and our program.

Q. How is Alan been progressing? Is he a full participant in practice?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: He is, he's a full participant in practice, but I'm not sure of his status. Just we've got to wait and see. It's an internal organ that has to heal, and so we'll just be very cautious with that.

Q. (Indiscernible).
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, I think so. I haven't talked to the doctors as far as what's going on internally, but he's practicing full go. He's full speed, and he looks great.

Q. I know after the game last week you said you felt the weather didn't play any role in the outcome, and I respect that, but just for clarity's sake, who made the decision to not take the heaters and the jackets and why?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, that was my decision. I felt like having the experience we had a couple years ago with the jackets and the heater, we just kind of all huddled around them and weren't into the game, so we decided to go without it this game.

Q. Do you still feel like it didn't have any --
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, I don't. I really don't. We practice in the morning every day outside in very similar temperatures to what that was. Obviously we didn't play well, and it appeared that way, but we're out there in those type temperatures executing plays and catching snaps and doing things the right way. So I didn't feel like that was a reason.

Q. You also mentioned earlier in the year that you alluded to last season before the Texas game, that was real pressure for you and the program. Obviously this is a similar situation. There's a lot of speculation and talk going on around Raider Land. Do you feel pressure? Do you feel like you and the staff are coaching to come back?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, I -- like I said, dealt with a lot of that last year, and this year the focus has just been on our team and our program and these seniors, and so that's been my focus is this week is, hey, how can we extend this season for these seniors. They deserve to go to a bowl game. It's a very good group that's been through a lot, so you focus on that and focus on what you can control, so that's kind of where we're at.

Q. And then Jett's status, what is his status?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, we'll see. He's working through a couple injuries. I hope he's available for the game. But I'm not certain yet. That will be later on in the week.

Q. To follow up on the quarterbacks again, who actually took the most snaps this morning? Who got the most reps?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: McLane.

Q. And what is his sharpness, especially since he didn't look very sharp on Saturday?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, he didn't, and I think that was probably unfair to me and to him, but at that point, Jett was struggling with some injuries, and it was the right thing to do. He had just been sitting there, wasn't warm, and his first game action in a while.

You know, he's progressively gotten better with the ankle, and this week I'd say he's as healthy as he's been. So I don't really have a gauge on how sharp he is just yet. We're only one day into practice, but hopefully by the end of the week he's feeling good.

Q. We saw Jett playing on Saturday with the knee wrapped. Did he then hurt a foot or an ankle at some point in the game?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, that knee is banged up, and then he's had some other issues that occurred during the game, and so we're just trying to get him healed up to where he can play his game and move around and make plays and things that he really wasn't able to do on Saturday.

Q. Ja'Deion Hyde, I know you've discussed it quite a bit, but what has his progress been like? He seems to think that having a second senior year obviously was a huge deal for him. What do you feel has enabled him to take such a big leap from one year to the next?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, I think, first off, he's a very persistent, determined young man. His first couple years here he played scout team, didn't get many opportunities, and continued to work, continued to fight. We moved him to all sorts of different positions. Last year he booked up Keke Coutee, who's one of the best players to ever play here.

So he just kept his eyes on the prize and stayed focused, and he's made the most of his senior year, this extra year that he was granted, and great role model for our young players in our program, the way he carries himself, the way he treats people. Just what you want at Texas Tech.

Q. I know you've said that you were hard on him because you thought he was capable of doing more. Can you elaborate on that?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, I thought when he first got here, he was just kind of happy to be here, West Texas kid who grew up watching Texas Tech, and just seemed like he was kind of happy to be a part of this deal and going through the motions, so I wanted him to know, hey, man, you have enough to be a real factor here if you'll buy in and work hard and do these things. And so first couple years I just stayed on him harder than I am on most, just because I felt like he needed to know this isn't just coming along for the ride and being a part of this. This is you can really contribute, and I'm just glad it worked out.

Q. After the game you had a lot of people on social media kind of going directly after the players rather than you or any of the coaching staff. And yet some players responding in various ways. Is that something you speak to the players about as far as how to handle that on social media? Is it to not engage ever --
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, I mean, we have social media training. Our group with Matt Dowdy does a tremendous job. But kids are kids, and you tell them not to look at it, not to read it, they're going to look at their mentions and they're going to see it, and it's human nature to fire back. So you'd like to stop it all, but that's just society we're in right now and emotions get high and kids respond.

Q. It seems like finishing on this four-game win streak has kind of been one of the issues in -- Iowa State, Texas you come all the way back and tie it, but then can't quite pull it out. We've asked you about that throughout the season, but what have you seen that's different against -- like when you guys went into Stillwater early in the year and pretty dominant all throughout, you really finished that game out versus what's happened here later in the season?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, I mean, this time of year, you can come up with all sorts of scenarios, but bottom line is we haven't got it done in those games. So there's no excuses to be made. Just got to find a way with the players you have and the team you have, and it's a good enough team to win those games.

Q. And some of the players mentioned they thought it might have been digging a hole early in the game that you couldn't quite get out of. Obviously Texas is the best example of that. Have you seen that as one of the issues why you can't quite pull it out in the end, the hole that was dug earlier in the game?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, I think that's going to happen in our league. You have explosive offenses, you see it every week, guys get down a bunch and come firing back. I think more than anything, it's just eliminating the foolish penalties and giving free yards, and then offensively our turnovers have just killed us, and that's something we didn't do last year, and we were really good in turnover margin and we're not great this year, and that's affected some of those outcomes.

Q. You mentioned Keke a little bit earlier, and to know that Antoine Wesley is in a position to pass him up in single-season receiving yards, what has Antoine meant to this program?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, he's been incredible. I've said it all year, but just his preparation, his work ethic through the week, the way he practices, it's what you want those young guys to see. I was disappointed for him that he wasn't on one of those awards lists because I think anybody that's watched him play, the type of plays he's made, the consistent level of play against some of the top-tier competition has been really, really impressive, so just can't enough good things about his work ethic and what he's doing for us.

Q. Has the current situation with Alan just not being able to be out on the field, has that revealed anything to you about his leadership ability and his character and who he is as a leader for those guys on the sideline?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, no doubt, and for the other quarterbacks, too. He's the first one to celebrate with these guys when they make plays. He's out in practice going through the drills and going through things that he can do, and he brings the juice, brings the energy. He's a great leader for our program, especially as a young guy. It's impressive to watch him do that.

Q. Obviously you're one of the guys who you're very quick to say I didn't put a guy in the right position to be successful after a loss, but then obviously a player will say, well, we just didn't execute. How do you kind of balance how much of it is --
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, I'm the head coach. That's how I was raised, and my dad was a head coach, and it's my name on the program. It's my program. So I always feel like I can do better, and I can put these guys in better positions to be successful. If they're not, it's my job to find a way to make sure the next time around that they get it done.

Q. What stands out offensively about Baylor this week?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Their skill positions. I think it starts with the quarterback. He's really progressed in year two, makes a ton of plays off schedule, tough young man. Have a lot of respect for Brewer and the way he plays the game. Then the dynamic wide receivers everywhere, great running backs, really good scheme. They mix it up week in and week out, so we're going to have our hands full trying to slow them down.

Q. Flipping sides of the ball, what have you seen improvements on their defense since last year?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, I mean, all around. I think talent level, a lot of those guys are back. Their front is playing at a high level, really getting after the quarterback, stopping the run, and Coach Snow has done a tremendous job with his culture. You can see the way they chase the football, they fly around. He's very multiple in his looks, and you can just tell in year two, those guys are more comfortable playing in that scheme.

Q. Back to their offense, what has Jalen Hurd added to their offense?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, he's kind of a do-it-all guy for them, was a really good player there at Tennessee, and has brought his talents to the Big 12, and he can run it, he can catch it, he can block, he can do it all. So he's a dynamic player.

Q. Could you speak to them on special teams, as well. I think they have seven blocks of some sort this year and how important and crucial especially coming off last week when you guys let one go against --
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, we've got to be on high alert. They've got some long guys on some of those punt blocks and field goal blocks and have really been aggressive coming after it. I'm sure they'll come after it after last week and us allowing one to be blocked.

Q. I know it's a job and I know it's next-man-up and all that stuff, but how do you go from week to week and not get, I guess, off schedule considering it's a different guy that you're working with every single week? How do you go through that process?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, you just -- beginning of the year, you talk about the room, and we make it about the room, and so it's a group effort. I mean, everybody is pushing each other in there to get better. You want to curtail it to whoever is playing that week, whoever is up, to make sure that you have great lines of communication and you're adapting to your guy.

It's just part of the deal. It's part of the profession. It's part of the game. It's why it's so much fun, because guys get hurt and it's a challenge to get the next guy ready and play to the same level.

Q. What's the fun part for you right now then?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: The fun part? I mean, all of it. I get to coach at Texas Tech where I went to school and watch these guys battle their tails off each and every week, no matter what the adversity is. This team has responded and shown up, and I expect to see the same on Saturday.

Q. What was the most difficult part of last week, just the fact that that's your side of the ball and it wasn't going? I know there were injury issues and everything, but just for you personally, did that one hurt more than most losses?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, they all hurt. I think just that we didn't do what we've done all year offensively, which was put our best foot forward and play hard and physical and that show up on tape. They took it to us. We didn't respond. We didn't make plays, turned the ball over, dropped snaps, just stuff that wasn't typical of our offense and who we are as a program. And so that happens. You have bad games in your season, and it's just how you respond.

Q. You've liked this series at Jerry World, but when it comes to a home-and-home, are you in favor of that? What have you liked about Jerry World, and what are the --
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, I like it for the players. We have a lot of players in the DFW area, so they can go home, see their friends, see their family, have them watch them play, and it's easy for those guys, and what's an incredible opportunity as a college player. You get to play in one of the finest stadiums in the world. It's all about the players in that regard. It's a good showcase for Texas Tech to have our imprint in Dallas and to have that game advertised, but more than anything, just the player experience.

Q. Talking about turnovers, you were saying that's the No. 1 priority on Sunday night, but to protect the football, how does that -- how do you address that in practice with players or if it affects play calling or anything along those lines?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, you don't want it to affect your play calling because then you're not cutting it loose and you're not calling it like you'd call it. You want to make sure you've coached well enough during the week that they understand at my position what limits to push and what you can get away with. During the week you just teach it, show a bunch of film, talk through it. If they make a mistake, make sure that it's not turning the ball over.

Q. Earlier in the year against like Houston, Oklahoma State, the running game really put them away. You y'all were leaning on teams. Seems like that going away has coincided with the losing streak. How do you turn that around, especially with all the injuries and the situation at quarterback? How do you get this running game going?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, that's a great question. You know, you've got to have teams respect your passing game, which opens some of that stuff up early, and we've struggled moving people. We've struggled in some of the pass game, more so than we were when we were rolling early.

I think more than anything, that's what we've got to do. We've got to execute at a higher level all around, the pass game, spread people out, then that run game becomes more of a threat.

Q. Clarify what you were saying earlier about Alan. You said he was full go out there in practice, but of course in practice he's wearing a blue jersey and he's non-contact. Has he been cleared for contact?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: He has not been cleared for contact. Just health-wise, football players wise, he can go out there and compete, it's just internally, we want to make sure that he's healed and the lung is where it needs to be and don't want to put him back out there with any chance of a higher percentage of injury.

Q. Have you gotten any indication that clearance could come on Wednesday or Thursday or Friday?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Not yet. We're still working through that process.

Q. You mentioned the other night that guys like Colt Garrett and Gerber have to be ready. If we should see Colt on Saturday, what has his progress been like, and what would you tell people who have not seen him or know much about the program? What would you say to look for with Colt Garrett?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, I think just from day one as a freshman to now, it's night and day the type of player he is. Wants to be a coach, works really hard at the Xs and Os aspect of it, great leader, one of the hardest working players on our team. I think he can execute at a level that we can move the football and score points. So he's got to get in there. He's got the knowledge, just got to get in there, get the reps and see what he can do.

Q. To follow up on an earlier question, after the Oklahoma State game, I remember asking you if you felt like based on the way the schedule set up, I asked you if you felt like that was a must-win game, and you kind of jokingly said, no, that one at the end of last year was a must-win game. From your personal standpoint, is this one a must-win game do you think?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, you know, I'm not sure. Like I said, I really tried to focus this entire season on the team and program and not get caught up in anything I can't control. I want this really bad for the seniors to extend their season, be around them for another month, so that's been my focus, 100 percent, and that's been the staff's focus, as well.

Q. You can learn a lot about losses, and at Kansas State you put a lot of it on your shoulders, but there were players like Travis Bruffy and Eli Howard who stood up and said, no, this is on the player. I get this is a business that's run by wins, but do you value or see the honorable part that you are teaching young men integrity?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, that's why I love this profession. That's why I coach at the college level, because you can impact those young men and try to teach them things that have helped you in your life. Those are two great representatives for Texas Tech. They were raised incredibly well before they got here, but if they can take anything away from us and go out into society and be great representatives for Texas Tech and great human beings, then you definitely feel a sense of accomplishment.

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