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TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 11, 2019

Riko Jeffers

Lubbock, Texas

Q. How much of a confidence booster was that win just in terms of the way you guys played defense?
RIKO JEFFERS: It was really good. I mean, it gets us ready for this week. We're just going to try to stack success and build on it from there.

Q. Just in terms of the victory, getting a road victory, what does that kind of say about this team, especially after if you want to call it the talk where you guys couldn't win a game on the road? How much of a confidence builder was that in that sense?
RIKO JEFFERS: I mean, yeah, it's really hard to win road games on the road in this conference especially. So really everybody coming out there ready to play with the mindset that we can't let anyone else determine how our season is going to go really helped us, and it's going to help us continue on through this stretch of the last part of the season.

Q. I know you saw them from last year and it's a different team, but what do you remember about TCU? I know they have a new freshman quarterback but Jalen Raegor is still coming back.
RIKO JEFFERS: Yes, sir. They have an extremely good run game, pass game. Our focus is to stop the run game, stay sound vertical, put pressure on the quarterback and hopefully get him to make some mistakes so we can get more turnovers and put the ball back in the offense's hands.

Q. Coach Wells kind of mentioned that there's some freshmen who have stepped up this year. Who have you seen take that next step?
RIKO JEFFERS: I mean, there's been a lot of freshmen. Zay, he's a redshirt freshman, he's stepped up tremendously in the linebacker room. Our punter, Austin, he's done phenomenal. We had X-White when he was available for us, he was participating very good in a role. We've had a lot of young guys really step up. Tony, he's stepped up, and they're just contributing and trying to help get the seniors to leave out of here as winners.

Q. Riko, what have you maybe taken from playing alongside Jordan this year, just to elevate your level of play since he will be gone next year? What have you maybe observed in him that you'd like to emulate?
RIKO JEFFERS: Just having a sense of urgency with your preparation. Throughout the week is very important, being able to find out certain tendencies that the offense has or that our opponents have, so it's just preparing well throughout the week to be able to perform on Saturdays.

Q. From your perspective what is his best trait as a linebacker?
RIKO JEFFERS: Man, Jordan is a freakish athlete. I don't really know if he has a best trait. He can really do anything. I'm very grateful to be able to play alongside of him. He teaches me a lot. He's just a freakish athlete. He can really do anything. He can drop into coverage, he can chase after the quarterback. He's just phenomenal to play with.

Q. What are some of the goals y'all are still looking to achieve before the season finishes?
RIKO JEFFERS: Get the seniors to leave out as bowl champions. I mean, that's what the coaches came in and promised our seniors, and that's what the team has promised our seniors, as well. We want to be able to let them leave a great legacy here and be able to have a ring when they leave and just leave their mark on Texas Tech.

Q. Coach Wells after the game on Saturday, a couple players mentioned the backs-against-the-wall mentality that y'all are playing with. To you, what does that mean?
RIKO JEFFERS: I mean, it's just everyone versus Texas Tech. Not a lot of people think that we can do what we can do, and as long as we believe in each other and go out and practice with a purpose every day and just do what we know we can do, everything will fall the way that it should.

Q. Is there a different focus you guys have to play with, getting off the field on 3rd downs, given the fact that TCU is one of the best in the conference at converting those and keeping those drives alive?
RIKO JEFFERS: I mean, we just have to stay sound. Everybody has to do their 1/11. Sometimes we try to get outside of the framework of our defense, and it kind of hits us on the hand or -- you know, we all just have to do our job and rely on our other teammate to do his job and not try to do too much because that's usually when we have holes in our defense.

Q. Do you guys like those scenarios, like those 3rd downs where you have to get a stop late in the game where you know the pressure on you guys as a defense?
RIKO JEFFERS: I mean, honestly myself, I do. I mean, what else could you really ask for, for it to be on you, for you to have to make a key play or someone to decide with you making a key play to be able to give the team an opportunity to win. I mean, I think that's really what everybody comes here to play for, to be able to make those big plays when it comes down to it.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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