STANFORD UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 18, 2023

Joshua Karty

Postgame Media Conference

Stanford 15, Cal 27

Q. Josh, what are your emotions? How you deal with a game where you personally nailed all your kicks and did your job but still lose? What were the emotions where you personally played well but the team comes up short? What's that like?

JOSHUA KARTY: It's a lot of confliction. We were just talking about it among the specs downstairs. You know, all around we had a pretty good game. Field goals, kickoffs, as well as punts; didn't have a single return; 44 yard average punt inside 22.

All around our whole unit had a really good game. It's just tough. One of those things where we have to be proud of what we put out on the field, put out on tape, but at the same time, it hurts to lose.

We're there for our brothers as well after a game like this when we didn't get the outcome we wanted.

Q. Rare bad weather game here at Stanford. Didn't seem to bother you so much. How does that change your approach?

JOSHUA KARTY: Yeah, no, I think it's the first rain game I played in here in my fourth year. It was not so much for me that it makes a difference. More so for the holder and the snapper when the balls are wet. They try and dry them the best they can. Sometimes it's harder to spin the ball for Connor Weselman, my holder.

But he adapted really well, especially for that third kick. Had a great hold; snaps were solid all day.

In extreme if it's super wet then I would have to change my form, change my technique. But it wasn't too bad today with the rain. Obviously -- well, not obviously -- but the field itself is kind of in shambles a little bit this time of year every year being a grass field, so it was pretty sandy and stuff.

But you just got to hope that everything goes well.

Q. Josh, I know you're a humble guy and a team guy. Do you sometimes sit back and say, I'm doing pretty well here. You had that long streak without a miss. Are you someone in the back of your mind looking at the next level?

JOSHUA KARTY: Yeah, of course. The next level is the dream. It's my goal to make it there, whether it's after this year or after next year. But as of right now, I'll focus on Notre Dame for next week.

Then after that, I'll have a decision to make. I'll look at the whole picture of every thing and just get all the advice from all the people closest to me.

Q. Just what's the emotion like in the locker room now? Tough rivalry loss.

JOSHUA KARTY: Yeah, it sucks. You know, we weren't bowl eligible coming into this game, so the Cal rivalry that we have is really, you know, kind of a season-defining moment today.

A lot of us in the locker room -- most of us actually -- we haven't beaten Cal in their time here. I luckily have back in 2020 in the COVID year.

But this rivalry means a lot to our team, to our fan base. You know, it's one of those things where you can have an average season, but if you beat Cal a lot of people will be a lot happier than if you didn't.

It really stings for us. It would have been, you know, really, really nice to have a win in the big game for Coach Taylor in his first season here. Unfortunately didn't go our way today.

Q. Notre Dame next week. Also a legends trophy on the line. You guys won that last year. Do you think after a stinging loss in a big game it helps to have one final game with another trophy on the line? Does that help?

JOSHUA KARTY: Yeah, definitely. The two games we have to end the season, both trophy games, so there is plenty of motivation there. There is the motivation for the trophy, but also just motivation from the guys that we have.

They're very intrinsically motivated in the first place. Doesn't take a whole lot for them to want to work and put in as much effort as they possibly can.

Definitely trying to end on a high note. There is a lot to play for in this game, and we need to keep our heads high and act like that.