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TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 23, 2019

Donta Thompson

Lubbock, Texas

Q. What was the biggest thing you all did during the bye week?
DONTA THOMPSON: Bye week, we took real time to take off and prepare our bodies. We got some guys back healthy. We just took time to relax and get our minds right and bodies right focusing on this week.

Q. Is this different than what you normally do before a bye week, just like what you said, a bit of half and half, where you get your body rested and prepared?
DONTA THOMPSON: It's always been the same. Like I said, we take time, get our bodies right, prepare for, get our minds right for this week and mentally locked on what needs to happen, what has to happen.

Q. Do you think this was the perfect time for the bye week considering Alan getting hurt and the quarterback changing a bit?
DONTA THOMPSON: Yeah, it came at a good time. We've got some guys banged up a bit from Arizona, had time to recover over this past week, and we're still doing the recovery and stuff. But we're definitely more locked in on what we need to do this week.

Q. How prepared are you for conference play, especially against such a good offense in Oklahoma?
DONTA THOMPSON: I'm very prepared for it. I'm excited for it. They say that one of the hardest games is your first conference game. And I've always known that growing up playing football. So just very start of the conference and see where we are.

Q. As a receiver, as a guy who catches the ball, how is it like after Alan Bowman, how important is it for you to get those reps to both Jackson and Jett?
DONTA THOMPSON: It's good for me to do both. But it's kind of been doing the same thing since spring and the fall camp. So they rotate the guys. So it's kind of like the next-guy-up mentality. So whoever, and calling the plays, calling the shots, we run with them for sure.

Q. Even when Alan was the starter and healthy, how many reps did you get with Jackson or Jett on a regular practice?
DONTA THOMPSON: It was a few, but we still got the reps in. Like I said, because how they rotate the quarterbacks at practice. I got experience with both guys. And whoever is called, we've got to roll with them.

Q. How is their ball different?
DONTA THOMPSON: It differs from, like Jett, he slings it kind of good. Jackson -- I played with Jett for a few years now. Jackson, he was a transfer in. So not really used to his balls. But he has a good arm strength and he can evade the pocket as well.

Q. What did you do in the bye week?
DONTA THOMPSON: I watched a lot of football. Like I said, just relaxed and kicked back, watching football basically all week. Just getting my mind right, body right, getting back healthy, something I took pride in.

Q. How does a guy like Kenneth Murray -- Matt Wells said he's a guy that will play on Sunday. How does him and that linebacker corps pose problems for you, do you think?
DONTA THOMPSON: I think I go against top guys here in our defense. So just another step, another game, looking forward to getting out there, getting out there and doing what we do. Like I said, I've played with the top-notch talent here and over the past few years. So I'll be ready for it.

Q. With Alan going down, Coach mentioned you were one of the players stepping up in the leadership vacuum, I guess the way to describe it. What have you done differently since his injury in that leadership role?
DONTA THOMPSON: Just letting guys know that we'll be all right. Like I said, it's next-man-up mentality. No matter what, we've still got to go out there and play. It's not like we just lay down and say the season is over because our starting quarterback got hurt. But just telling them guys that we're good and we'll be fine.

Q. Have you seen a lot of this Oklahoma offense, areas that you can attack or areas you think you guys can exploit in the passing game?
DONTA THOMPSON: I feel like they're a pretty solid defense. They run a cover 4. So what that allows seams and stuff to be open in spots, you find areas in the defense there will be open hole shots and stuff like that.

So Coach Wells is doing a great job in drawing up plays, figuring out what we need to do and where the ball should go. And just trust in him, we'll be fine.

Q. For you, when you watch the tape against Arizona, what stuck out to you that maybe caused some struggles offensively or caused drives to stop?
DONTA THOMPSON: We just had some missed plays. It wasn't nothing that they really did to stop us. We stopped ourselves sometime with penalties and dropped balls and incomplete balls, stuff like that. Plays that we wish we could have had back. But that's just how the game goes.

Q. Is that something you can correct or just a mentality thing that they need to fix?
DONTA THOMPSON: Kind of both, because when you're facing adversity, you just need to know what it is and fight through it and find a way out of it. And just try to get the job done.

Q. Having been to OU a couple times in your career, what do you like about going on the road playing in front of that crowd, one of the biggest stadiums in the the conference, what excites you about that -- the fans, special place.
DONTA THOMPSON: It's definitely a special place. They take pride in their home field. I like going there, personally, because it's kind of closer to home, closer drive so I have a lot of family, stuff, they're able to go to the game.

And it's just going to be a lot of energy going on the road, always tough going on the road, but we had a winning road game. Another one this week. And we just are going to be prepared for it. You've got to know what you're getting yourself into and be prepared and just block out the noise and focus on the game.

Q. Have you taken on more of a leadership role now considering with Alan going down?
DONTA THOMPSON: I would say so. But not just anything crazy. With me being a senior, I try to be a leader from day one. Got young guys following me. I try to lead in my actions, in, like, just how I carry myself.

Q. How vocal are guys like Jackson and Jett in the huddle and practice and whatever, have they gotten more vocal in leadership events?
DONTA THOMPSON: I wouldn't say so. I think with Alan going down, it's not like we have to act all crazy and stuff. We're keeping our composure. We all know, you know what I'm saying, we all know what happened. We just gotta -- we know. So we just gotta prepare and do what we gotta do to succeed.

Q. In a weird way, did last year kind of help you guys prepare for this? I know it sounds bad, but given the fact he was injured a year ago, you guys kind of been down this road before?
DONTA THOMPSON: Yeah, exactly like you said, we've been down this road before. It's nothing new to us. We played without the starter a few times last year. So we just -- it's something that had happened and we just gotta work on it, work on being better. And whatever 11 guys on the field, we've just got to execute each assignment.

Q. Were there any unexpected -- you mentioned playing with Jett. Talk to your relationship with him, given you guys have been around each other for a handful of years now.
DONTA THOMPSON: I actually played with him back in high school. He was a young buck then. I played him in high school. Saw him a little bit.

When I was here, I saw him in-state game. I've known Jett even before he got here. Like I said, just practicing with him over the few last years, they rotate quarterbacks. Not always going to go with the one or two like you are considered as being, you rotate. And then just doing, like, little drills, like pad and go, stuff. You just get that chemistry with the quarterback. And it's just something that happens all the time.

Q. Were there any unexpected challenges going to Arizona that you think the team has to work on before going on the road again this week?
DONTA THOMPSON: I wouldn't say so. It's just being an away game, you go into someone's territory and try to leave out the victor.

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