STANFORD UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 2, 2021

Tanner McKee

Postgame Media Conference

Stanford 31, Oregon 24

Q. If you could tell us everything that happened the last drive in regulation.

TANNER MCKEE: So obviously we knew we had to execute, had to put points on the board. We just kind of settled down and did what we did. We didn't really do anything special, we didn't really call any special plays, we just went out and executed, and I felt like we did a good job of that.

Q. On the play where you got hurt, what happened, and was there any doubt that you could come back in? What was that process like getting back in the game?

TANNER MCKEE: Yeah, Oregon hits hard. I took a shot to the ribs. Kind of got the wind knocked out of me a little bit, couldn't breathe for a little bit so I was on the floor. Once I got off, kind of walking around a little bit, thought I was totally fine, doctors checked me ribs out, cleared me, and I'm feeling great right now. A little sore, but I feel good.

Q. Later on that drive and you're trying to punch it in the end zone, how did you stay calm in that situation? The game is on the line at that point and you don't have a lot of experience at this level. How did you manage to kind of keep your poise in that situation and then in overtime?

TANNER MCKEE: Yeah, one play at a time. They're all big plays, and so we just execute like normal. In practice when we work jumps, when we work our fades, we work on them like they're to win the game. So that was not the first time that we were in that situation becase we had repped it in practice with that same intensity and ultimately it won the game for us.

Q. What did you see on that pass?

TANNER MCKEE: Yeah, so backside, the safety kind of was trying to double-team the whole game, so we went to the field. They saw that, adjusted and adjusted to the field, had a one-on-one backside. You've seen Elijah Higgins; he's a mismatch for pretty much anybody with his speed, his height and his strength, so when I knew it was a one-on-one match-up, that was the guy we were going to.

Q. Seemed like a lot of improvement in the running game from a production standpoint and a blocking standpoint, as well. How much of that was a factor in some of the effectiveness that we saw from the Stanford offense overall today?

TANNER MCKEE: Yeah, obviously it starts with the run game. That was super big for us, O-line I thought did a really good job against a very talented Oregon defense. Obviously their front four and their linebackers, they're very talented, very physical, so I thought our O-line did a great job giving our guy a crease, and then we know what Nate Peat and Austin Jones and all those guys can do when they get a crease, so they made big plays for us.

Q. When you're throwing that fade, specifically the one to Elijah there, what goes through your mind in the time from when it leaves your hands until it hits his hands?

TANNER MCKEE: Just trust, I would say. Kind of see his position. Once the ball is in the air, I can't do anything about it. There's a lot of times where we're watching film and we see how the ball was thrown, Coach will pause it as the ball is leaving my hand. He's like, at this point, let's see what you see, let's see the relationship, let's see if he's beating him or not, because once the ball is out of your hand, there's no changing it. You just have to trust your guy to go get it, and obviously he did and he's a great athlete, and me and him, we've worked at it a ton of times, and we obviously have great trust with each other.

Q. What's the emotional swing like when you throw the pass before the one to Elijah; incomplete, game over, then the flag is thrown. How quickly did you see the flag, and what are those emotions like, just the up and down of that?

TANNER MCKEE: I mean, I kind of saw it right away because I had a direct line, so obviously -- as the ball was going up, I thought it was a flag, but sometimes what I think and the refs think could be a little different, so I was happy we obviously got the call, and it worked out well.

Q. Can you talk about John Humphreys, a couple really key passes to him including the touchdown, just talk about what you saw from him and kind of those plays?

TANNER MCKEE: Yeah, John is a great receiver, not only because he's fast and he's tall and he's got great hands, but he knows the game very well, and it's nice that Coach Shaw has complete trust in us, and so when we get to the sideline, John lets me know what kind of leverage the defense is playing with, if they're flipping their hips quickly, kind of how they're playing, and then based off that we'll run -- we'll change a lot of backside routes depending on how the defense plays.

John and I, we're on the same page, and a lot of those backside routes that started as one route but then based on how the game was going, how the defense was playing, we changed the route, and ultimately it was successful for us.

Q. Returning to the topic of going against Oregon's defensive line, arguably they have a potential No. 1 pick in Kayvon, and this offensive line just kept him in check throughout the whole afternoon. You being the quarterback, how much do you love that? How much do you love to see your tackles keep a guy like that in check?

TANNER MCKEE: I mean, that's huge. We knew coming into the game that it was going to start up front, and obviously as a quarterback I can't do anything if the O-line doesn't do their job. They know that that's where it starts. So I thought they did a fantastic job. Obviously it makes my job possible and a lot easier, and I thought they did a great job all night. So I really appreciate them.

Q. I asked Coach Shaw this and I want to get your thoughts on this, as well. Short week, obviously. How long is the celebration for this one and when does the prep start for A State?

TANNER MCKEE: Prep start right now. We already got our cherry juice in, our protein, everything like that. Recovery starts -- yeah, the preparation really starts right now. Yeah, it's good, but it's kind of the expectation to win, so we have to turn the page and start preparing for the next week.