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TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 25, 2019

Travis Bruffy

Lubbock, Texas

Q. You've been on the record many times before, saying what the Texas game means to you guys. Now, this is your last collegiate game. How much would it mean to be able to go out on top, not only out on top but against an instate rival?
TRAVIS BRUFFY: Right. I think if any of you ask anyone from Texas that plays for our team, they're going to highlight the importance of this game, and just always want to get that win circled on our schedule every single year. We have a lot of kids from different states that may not understand the impact of this game. But we have done a good job of this program convincing them about how much this team, what it means to beat them and especially what it's like. I don't want to give them too much credit, but it does mean something absolutely. As you said, I've been on record understanding and stating my position on it. I love playing against those guys. I love the pageantry they bring to the game. I love the background, the history of their program. I love matching it every time we get to go against them, especially in Austin.

Q. What does that or how is this different -- is it the how you guys feel leading up to it or is it just the emotion during the game or, like, pregame or what is different about it?
TRAVIS BRUFFY: Well especially when the schedule falls like this where we play UT at the very last game of the year, as it did my sophomore year. It's interesting because you really get to highlight the focus of your opponent. Schools going to get out early this week so we'll be able to eliminate that distraction from the game plan. It's holiday for about 99 percent of the country, but college athletes and NFL athletes, this is a normal game week for us. So the city is going to shut down a bit. They will be hopefully indoors or frying turkeys. Be safe if you're doing that. But, for us, it's just a normal workday. It really just keeps our priorities in check and it makes sure that we're locked in in our goal. But for when you see the burnt orange come on the field against you, you know the history behind it, like I said, one of the historical, one of the greatest programs of all time. That's about as nice as I'll be about it. I love playing them. I love circling them on the schedule. It's always a pleasure going against them and especially bringing our A game too.

Q. After Friday, what's next for you?
TRAVIS BRUFFY: I'm going to see where this game takes me. Figured if, I want to see if someone can, if I can make something out of it, make a career out of it, I'm going to give it everything I have as I have the 12-plus years I've played it prior, and see if I can get something out of it. I'm going to train as hard as I can. If someone wants to give me a shot, trust me, they know exactly what they're getting. That's someone that will do anything for the program that I'll be a part of. But honestly, right now I'm just focused on beating UT and those next steps will come at a place. I have nothing but faith in that.

Q. How do you guys come into a game like this that means so much to the people on this team, keeping the emotions in check to the point where you don't commit unnecessary penalties or anything like that or get those penalties for trash talking?
TRAVIS BRUFFY: One of the things that, I guess, there's a silver lining to being in the position that we're currently in. We have really nothing to lose. We're playing for nothing but pride. And I don't know anyone in a that locker room that wouldn't want to put their best foot forward in a game like this. We're going to play hard, we're going to play with no holds barred, we're just going to play the game that we love and play it the way we love doing it. That's through the coach's preparation and everything like that. But there's no a fear of making a mistake. All the mistakes have been made for this season. All the, there's things we can't take back. So with this game going out on top you want to just play your heart out and just fall in love with the game all over again.

Q. When you think back, do you have a favorite memory on the field?
TRAVIS BRUFFY: Yes, absolutely. Beating Texas at Texas in 2017.

Q. What was it like down there at that game? What do you most remember?
TRAVIS BRUFFY: We went in with five wins. I remember two of the greatest catches I've seen, TJ Vasher's catch, I'm not sure, going other way. And then coming the opposite way that pass to Cam Batson where we took the lead. And then also Justus Parker's interception was just unreal. During, that entire game was, it was electric. The atmosphere was awesome. Always winning on the road is something special.

But then we clinched and we got to go to a bowl game -- or we didn't clinch, but we won and were allowed to go to a bowl game. Celebrating with your teammates on the field after an emotional game like that is something I'll always cherish. But, yeah, that's my favorite college memory. Absolutely. I wish we were in a position where we could replicate that.

Q. And again four years ago down there, you were a Tech commit at that point.
TRAVIS BRUFFY: I was, yes, sir.

Q. Do you remember, did you watch that game or what do you remember about that game?
TRAVIS BRUFFY: Absolutely. So I mentioned, or, my mom was a student athlete and my uncle for Texas A & M. And another part of my family they strayed off and went to University of Texas. So it's always been a house divided on Thanksgiving. And when I committed to Texas Tech I had to follow suit. And when they ran the, when Jakeem busted that long run and I think Lauderdale had that catch for a touchdown, I let my cousins have it, I was all in their ear, wearing my scarlet and black prematurely and just all gung ho about it. So, yeah, the past two times Tech's gone down to Austin it's been a pleasure, an enjoyable experience for me and I hope this one follows suit as well.

Q. I don't think Tech has ever won three in a row in Austin.
TRAVIS BRUFFY: Well they never won two in a row in Austin either, but we made that happen.

Q. Do you know anyone on this Texas team?
TRAVIS BRUFFY: Not any more. The kids I did know ended up leaving, transferred, that were in my class. But I don't have any, I guess, I don't think I'm leaving anyone out, no, I don't think so, I don't think I know anyone that close on the team.

Q. Do you have any sort of, I guess, hangover after the Kansas State loss, knowing you had a chance to get into a bowl game and if so how long did that last?
TRAVIS BRUFFY: It's an emotional experience, not only is it, did it eliminate our chances for bowl eligibility, it's also my last time playing in that stadium. And soaking up that, just that, the magnitude of that moment, it's something I'm going to have to remember for the rest of my life is what was it like being in the uniform that last time in Jones AT&T stadium. Unfortunately we came out on the losing end of the game, but what was it like, what was that experience like. I got to be with my brothers, I got to express my feelings and my love for them through my words post-game. I got to be around great coaches, I got to be around a great fan base, great people that are involved with the program. So accepting all of that and realizing that that was the last time being in that stadium was already emotional and then the reality of it setting in that I have six more days as a college athlete, that wasn't easy to deal with on Sunday, but that's what church is for. So I'm trying to just keep my priorities straight right now and make sure that I'm focused on Friday, Friday's game. And whatever plethora of emotions hit me after that game, I hope you'll get it on camera.

Q. As much as you can go into, what was the locker room like afterwards, in terms of emotion?
TRAVIS BRUFFY: Right. Well, you know, something like that you can get caught up in the X's and O's post game. But like I just said, the emotion that comes with the game is something that's really hard to address. So with the 17 seniors that we had, essentially just recognizing that this was your last time in the stadium, embrace the seniors, understand the impact of this game to them, that was something that was the focus of the locker room. The underclassmen did a great job putting their arms around us, I don't think there was a single dry eye that a senior had in the locker room post-game. But, yeah, that's kind of how deep I can get into it in this setting, but it was truly, it was an interesting experience, like I said, coming up on the losing end on your Senior Day isn't easy too deal with, but the embrace that we felt from our coaches and the recognition that they had on the impact that that moment had on our lives was truly special.

Q. You got a final push for Don as your running mate in the future?
TRAVIS BRUFFY: He was already, he already turned me down. I don't know what I can do. We'll see where it takes us. Thank y'all so much again.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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