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TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCENovember 25, 2019Matt WellsLubbock, Texas MATT WELLS: Just coming off the game Saturday night, really proud of my team. The passion and the fight that they played with, it was very evident. Live it was very evident as I watched the tape. That's something that I think we made a big improvement on this year. I shared it with our guys early this morning in the team meeting, that their care factor continues to go up because their investment level goes up. And we continue to invest and get off the mat and come compete at a high, high level every week. Results on the scoreboard aren't there, not where we want. It's not the final result that we want. But I will tell you the things behind the scenes are really changing and it's very process-driven, and I think we have got more and more buy in. You have to have a lot of buy in to win games at this level. I do know this, that the hurt from the last two games, the K State and the TCU game, the hurt in the locker room the day after is a lot higher than it was earlier in the year, like, for instance, the Arizona game. And the reason is, it's not because they didn't care then, it's just because the level of investment is way higher now. So the more you invest, the higher you care. The higher you care, the longer you're going to hold the rope. Those are things that are maybe not important for the media to hear, but it's important for me. So I'm just kind of giving you a state of the union right now. So the things behind the scenes in this team meeting room that are starting to turn around are very, very positive and it's things that continue to inspire me to help get this program where we all want it to be and where Red Raider Nation wants it to be. And that's in the month of November competing for championships and I truly believe that we're going to be there very, very soon. I'm very thankful, as well as grateful, for our senior class. I wish we could have sent those guys out as winners in terms of on the scoreboard in Jones stadium for the last time. Our bowl game will be this week in Austin and that's how we'll treat it for those guys. And our guys will be absolutely ready to go into Austin and compete with Texas, which has a good team and a good program, excellent coaching staff, and great leader at quarterback and a lot of long, athletic guys on defense to have to contend with. So with that I'll open it up for any questions. Q. You mentioned like on Saturday that you guys are really close and there really have been a couple of close losses. How do you address close losses and capitalizing on that? Is that something in the off-season? MATT WELLS: How do I address what? Close losses? I address them every single game. Every single Monday morning we address them. We go through the plan to win. We address the things that are really good and the things that I need to see improvement on. We're very direct, we're very real with them, we don't wait until the off-season. Will all the close losses get addressed in the off-season? Certainly, yeah, we're going to dissect that and analyze that, but I can tell you we have analyzed it and dissected it now and we'll continue to do it and find ways to win those as we go forward and we have a plan already in place for that. I've already got good thoughts but we, I don't think you're referring to it, but we sure don't push it away and try to move on to the next opponent. We absolutely analyze the whole game and we go through everything that's good and things that we need to work on. Q. You mentioned behind the scenes and I couldn't help but notice you posted a (inaudible) right before you came in here. I know you can't mention the guys, specifically, but how is recruiting going for you so far right now? MATT WELLS: It's good. It's really good. Recruit and develop. Two ways to get this program where we all want it. Recruit every single day. And as I look back just in this first year it's been 50 weeks since we have been recruiting a lot of these guys. And that 50 weeks was basically the first week that we went out in December a year ago. It was two weeks from today, basically. That motivates me. That inspires me to continue to get this program turned around. It is all about recruiting and it's about developing your current locker room and our players. That's why this kind of fires me up, is to see our players really start making the turn, and I think helping turn this locker room around. Because there's more and more guys that are buying into the core values and our plan to win and the way we do things. I've always talked about what you do and how you do it. And the how you do it is more important than the what you do. And the what you do, my example would be X's and O's, O, D, special teams, whatever. It's the how you do it. It's the discipline, the accountability of being a football junkie, of being accountable to your teammates, player-led leadership, all those things that I believe win games and they win games consistently. We're starting to do more of them. And when you do that, the how, and you focus on the how, that's how cultures change. And I think more and more of our guys, I even heard it from a couple of the seniors, some of our top seniors and senior captains, and them validate what we're doing. That continues to inspire me. But it's two things: It's recruit and develop. I believe we're a developmental program. And recruiting and development are so important to this foundation. It's already started. There's more pieces getting added, there's some big fish that are jumping in, and I couldn't be more excited. And I think it's, I think with you guys, as you can see, the guys that are telling a lot of schools, no, to come to Texas Tech and to believe in our staff and our team and our players, I think is significant and we have to continue to add to this program and develop our locker room and they're both equally important. Q. I know for you guys it's important, regardless of who the opponent is, to continue to focus week by week, game by game. But when it comes to having that game that is beyond, the kind of, you know that bowl eligibility isn't a possibility, is it nice to at least have a Texas rivalry game and something that means something within the state and gives you kind of meaning in that last game? MATT WELLS: I think every game's meant something to us. I think that's evident by how we show up and continue to fight our guts out. Texas is a tremendous program. Has been for many, many years. And it's an opponent that we'll have to play our very, very best to be in the game with and somebody that, I've known Tom for a long time, guys on their staff I've recruited, I've coached with. And so the amount of respect that our staff has for them is at a very high level. So it will be a fun game to play in and it will be a tremendous challenge on Friday. Q. For the players, there's, they can get hyped up for rivalry games. It's definitely different for them. For you as a coach, what changes on either the day of one or how is that different for you because you're not actually playing, but how is that different for you when you actually have a heated rivalry and you know it means a lot to the players, it means a lot to the fans? MATT WELLS: A lot of games kind of mean something different to fans or to players. And some players have high school teammates on certain teams and others than they don't. So I think every game, maybe, is a little bit different and unique in and of itself, but hopefully, the preparation that you're doing Monday, this week Monday through Thursday, Sunday through Thursday this week, is the consistent part. That's what we're trying to preach to our players, that's what we're trying to instill in our players is the discipline and the accountability to invest prior to the game has to be at a consistent level and a high level to play at that level -- or the level you want. But in terms of the meaning, this is certainly a big rivalry and has been going on for a long time here to the people at Texas Tech. And I certainly heard about it the day I was hired, and so I have a respect for that rivalry as well. Q. I know you guys go against guys you coached with throughout your career, but could you take us through how you met Coach Orlando? MATT WELLS: Orlando? Yeah. TO and I are very good friends. It's no secret. Our families are close. Amy, little beserker, his daughter, I mean, he was my D coordinator my first two years at Utah State. Still are good friends. We'll be fierce enemies for three and a half hours and go back to being friends. It's just kind of how we do it. How you would do it if that was, and if were you in that spot. But I have a tremendous amount of respect for TO. He was a great D coordinator for me at Utah State. First two years we won a lot of games together. I think we won 19 together. We won two bowl games together. So we had a good time. We had a lot of success together. Q. What have you seen from his defense? They have dealt with plenty of injuries lately. MATT WELLS: Yeah, he's been dealing with injuries, just like we have. And late in the year that's a challenge for any coordinator. Our guys are going through it. Their guys are going through it. That's a challenge to put out healthy bodies, as well as be very dynamic in what you're doing and very, be very multiple. But yet sometimes you're doing it, and we're doing it with guys that haven't played a lot of ball and so you're always each week, you're trying to say, what's too much, what's not enough, and who do I have and who is healthy. So I know I'm sure that's been a challenge for him, but my two coordinators are dealing with it too. Q. Is it easier to watch film of a guy that you coached with? When you're watching stuff, are you, like, I know what he's going to do here. MATT WELLS: Oh, I think he's changed a little bit over the years and adapted. I think we both have. We have kind of adapted. We don't run the same offense that we did when he was defending us in spring ball and training camp, so there's differences. But I still see some similarities. And is there similarities in personalities? Both ways. I think it goes both ways. Q. As you round down your first year of coaching here, in terms of the first season, what kind of lived up to expectations? What was different than what you maybe you thought you would experience in the first year? MATT WELLS: Depends on whose expectations. Q. Your own, I guess. MATT WELLS: Mine? Q. Yeah. MATT WELLS: Two things I promised everybody is our guys would be absolutely prepared, well prepared for every game. Absolutely well-versed in what we're doing and what they're doing and be very prepared. And number two, the second thing I promised is that we would play with a passion and a pride that Red Raider fans would be very, very proud of every time they saw their guys. I wasn't, I'm not into predicting wins, predicting this or predicting that. If I was really, really good at that I would not be the head football coach at Texas Tech. End of story. So I'm not into that prediction. The fact that we have had five games that we've either lost the fourth quarter lead, gone into the fourth quarter with a lead or lost two of them on the last play of the game. Four of them in the Big-12, three points or less, shows you the unpredictability of college football and the parity of this league. Just go look at it. We beat Oklahoma State and now they have run the table. Have they lost since? Q. They lost to Baylor. MATT WELLS: Yeah, Baylor at the end, yeah. Okay. So one. I mean, we beat West Virginia by whatever we beat them by, and then look what they have done since. It's just a league right now that's really got, Baylor's playing at a high level, Oklahoma is playing at a really high level. But there's a lot of parity in the league, and we all knew that and we knew it in the summer. To say that we would go 0-5 in those games that we either had a fourth quarter lead in or last play of the game, I don't think anybody could predict it. And so what if things turned different in one of those games or two of those games, would we have exceeded your expectations? Say yes, because I saw what you wrote in July. I'm just kidding. Don't, no, relax, I'm just kidding. But what I'm saying is it depends on whose expectations it is, right? I didn't read what you wrote. But it depends on whose expectations. I tell you what, the guys, the way that these kids have continued to invest, and I'm just going over the last probably six weeks since the Baylor game, when they have had emotional disappointment and high emotional games that came down to the wire and they get beat and to see what they come back in and do the next Monday, the next Tuesday in practice, and put themselves out there and get games to the fourth quarter again, I got a lot of respect for that. That's what tells me this thing's starting to turn. Q. Is that because they have been close that it's starting to change, like you said, like that six weeks ago? MATT WELLS: Maybe. But I'm still proud of them for, I mean, to see the investment and the emotional disappointment after a game and still pick themselves up when they're hurting and guys are banged up late in the year, and then you don't have a chance, you know, you lose one and you don't have a chance to run the table in November and then you get beat by TCU at the end, very end, and then how do we do it against Kansas State and they have already got bowl eligibility. I mean, that's every week that our guys are continuing to do it. That's what gives me more than hope that this thing -- that's evidence to me that this thing's turning. Q. Speaking of hope and things are turning, I got to go back to recruiting again. You mentioned some big fish are choosing Texas Tech over some other programs that you are competing against. What is working for you on the recruiting trail? What is the message that you're communicating with these kids? MATT WELLS: I think it's clearly describing and painting a picture to parents and recruits and high school coaches of, this is what we do and this is how we do it. I think we pride ourselves on being very transparent. We try to be very real. We have a passion about what we do. We have a passion for that logo. I've grown in my passion for this logo and respect for this logo, the alumni, the guys that have played here, the boosters are our supporters, our most loyal supporters. Mine has grown, and I think people can know that I sometimes wear my emotions on my sleeve and they can see right through me. I think we just try to be genuine. And then, honestly, I think we try to outwork everybody. There's -- and we have that attitude that we're not going to be outworked in recruiting or in game planning and whether we are or not, that's our attitude. And so we walk into this building every day, how do we recruit, how do we develop, how are we going to win today, how are we going to move the Texas Tech Red Raiders forward today. And over time I do think we will outwork people and we have a tremendous amount of passion. And it, whether -- it just takes a bunch of coaches that have a mental focus and mental toughness that just it's going to grow every day and they're going to let Matt push them every day. Who are we recruiting, what's the message, get the coach on the phone, get the aunt on the phone, get the whoever. And it's just a relentless pursuit to change this program. And I truly believe our coaches, I'm so thankful for them, our staff, our recruiting staff, they have done a tremendous job so far. We just got to finish in the next few weeks. Q. It seemed like y'all did a lot of legwork as soon as you got here in December in that regard, going out to a lot of programs. Are you starting to see some of the dividends of that? MATT WELLS: 50 weeks. Do the math. Yeah. And that's maybe aimed at a more recent commitment, but it's 50 weeks. You got to put time in. You got to put all the time in. And I'm proud of our recruiting staff and our coaches. And we got to finish. We have still got scholarships open. We got to finish, whether it's JC kids, it's grad transfers, and we're still waiting on a couple more high school. But the other part of that is high school coaches and players believing in your vision and staying truly committed, even though the results on the scoreboard aren't exactly what maybe we all want, where it's a lot easier to stay loyal and committed, our guys are staying loyal and committed right now. We just need to finish in the next three weeks. Q. It feels like you mentioned the Texas defense. What have you seen from the offensive side of the ball from them? MATT WELLS: Well, that guy is the heart and soul of that football team and that program. I mean, he just, let's just put everything on my back and I'll carry us. Tremendous moxie, tremendous physical toughness. I'm sure he has mental toughness. I'm sure he's fun to coach. And big O-line men, very athletic wideouts, but that's who makes them go. Q. It feels like every week there's another great receiver or a couple of them -- MATT WELLS: It's the Big-12. There's good receivers with every program. Q. And Collin Johnson -- MATT WELLS: We're going to continue to recruit those guys here to Texas Tech. Q. Collin Johnson might be a game-time decision, but Devin Duvernay, tops the conference in yards, reception -- MATT WELLS: Yeah, he's on top of almost every category. Q. Yeah. How do you guys defend a duo like that, that does some different things at high levels? MATT WELLS: Well, you don't just defend him. You got to defend the other guys. Obviously, there's times where you're going to double-team him. There's going to be times where you got to get pressure on the quarterback, you go to the move the quarterback off his spot. You're going to zone them, you're going to man them, I mean, there's, I'm not sure there's a perfect way to defend a guy like that. He's dominated the entire Big-12 all year. Q. Going off that a little bit, with one of them being 6'6" and the other 5'11", for you as coach, which one would you rather see in a game since they can do such different things. One's a burner, one has the height to get over your corners. Which, is there one that's tougher to defend? MATT WELLS: I think that's what you're supposed to do in recruiting. You're supposed to get, in this league, you get big, tall, physical athletic ones, and then you get ones that can run right underneath this podium right here and make guys miss in a phone booth. I think you need a variety of them. Texas certainly has a variety of different shapes, sizes, builds. That's how you should build a wideout room. And they have got good coaches, they got good recruiters, and I think you see the fruits of their labor, because those guys are, I think that's what makes it difficult to defend them, because you have different athletic ability tease and physical characteristics of very elite wideouts. Q. How much improvement have you seen from Jordyn from when you first got here to now? MATT WELLS: Like, in December? Q. How much better a player has he gotten? MATT WELLS: Well, first of all, he has changed his body. I mean, he's leaned up. He did that over the summer. He really bought in what Dave Scholz and our nutrition staffer was preaching. He leaned up. I think he plays faster. I think he's probably gotten a tick faster, but he actually, he plays really fast. I've been told that by a lot of scouts, his tape. He's had a tremendous season. He's had his best season of his career. The other place that I've seen him really change is just become more of a student of the game and continue to really accept Keith Patterson's coaching. And Keith's really strained him, challenged him. But Jordyn allowed himself to be coachable. To see a senior do that with a brand new coach, brand new head coach, brand new strength coach his senior year, I think is, it's gratifying for me as a head coach. But I have a lot of respect for that and I think that's why you see Jordyn Brooks playing the best ball of his career. I think every award and every accolade he gets is very, very well deserved. Jordyn Brooks is going to play a lot of football past Texas Tech. Q. (No microphone.) MATT WELLS: There's another guy. That's one of the more improved guys in the program since really Xavier's progress has really been since late September, early October is where he's really risen. Another guy that has allowed Coach Patterson to strain him and really challenge him. And again, I see the same thing. I see more investment, I see more buy in, I see better play. Xavier Benson can have a great career here at Texas Tech. He's long, he's athletic, he's twitchy, and he's got a little bit more power than you think. Although, he's too skinny right now. He needs some off-seasons here with Coach Scholz. He's still young, being a redshirt freshman, but he's improved a lot. Q. (No microphone.) MATT WELLS: Day-to-day. Q. (No microphone.) MATT WELLS: Same thing. Day-to-day. Yeah. Yeah. Q. Is he out of protocol? MATT WELLS: He's in protocol so that means he's day-to-day. Q. Ta'Zhawn Henry. MATT WELLS: Same thing. They're all in it. Yeah. We'll see if they practice today. And if they do, then it clears up then they will go. If they can't then they will end up being out. So day-to-day. Both of them. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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