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TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 24, 2011

Alex Torres

Q. How tough will it be to get over this?
ALEX TORRES: I think we really enjoyed this one, coming home and everything. Everyone was really excited, really happy to get that sour taste out of our mouths the past two weeks. It was big. We enjoyed it, and started our preparation today to get ready for this week because we know we can't live on that.

Q. How was last week when you were asked about the possibility of not getting to six wins? Thoughts on that after Saturday's game?
ALEX TORRES: Just like I said last week, that's not even in our mindset. The possibility of not getting there, that's not part of who we are and what we think this team's about. Like I said last week, that's not anything we're worried about. We could win every game on our schedule. (No Audio).

Q. Do you feel like having done almost the impossible, that you guys are capable of anything?
ALEX TORRES: I think we had that feeling throughout this whole season. We knew it was going to be tough, and week-in, week-out, that's the way it's going to be. But here in this room I don't think we ever had a doubt that this was a game that was impossible to us or that we couldn't do.
I know a lot of people out there are going to say this is a lucky game. OU didn't bring their best and they made a lot of mistakes. At the same time, they're a great team. Hat's off to them. That is true. They have some tremendous athletes and great coaching there and those guys can play, especially up there in their home field, and we knew that going in.
There were mistakes we made on our side of the ball, and it was a hard-fought game. Hat's off to our team for being able to stick through everything throughout the game. Even when OU made their run and really came out and gave us their best shot in the third quarter, for us to be able to handle all of that adversity and not panic, and moments that there could have been a lot of panic on our sideline.
Thankful to have some of those fans there that that small group that we had up there, it was awesome. Everyone at home that we had support from, it was a big win. I'm just happy with the way everything turned out.

Q. Could you talk about the weather delay? Did that hurt you, help you, was it a factor at all?
ALEX TORRES: It was good having gone through one early in the season and knowing what it was like, especially in such a big game like this, having that kind of experience early on in the season in a game that we kind of had a handle on was nice to know that it wasn't going to affect us. Just stick to the game plan, go out, no panicking, no worrying about factors that we can't control.
It was nice having the fact that we had experienced it, but I don't think it was any kind of affect on us, good, bad or anything like that.

Q. Did you guys work more on the (Indiscernible) play this week? Given its success, is it something we'll see more?
ALEX TORRES: No, it's just a play that's in our playbook, and we work it every week. Some teams give us a good look to run it and some teams don't. We knew OU was aggressive, and they have a great D-line that really gets up the field. If we caught them in the right look, it could really break for a good play.
Because we get some of those D-line up the field, and our O-line get out to the linebackers and safeties, and that's exactly what happened. The D-line got up, Seth got me the ball as quick as he could, and we had great blocks by not only our O-line getting down field and getting on those backers and safeties. But the backside receivers are some of the guys that I cut off their blocks to be able to get those big runs.
I mean, it's just another play in our playbook that was called at a great time and executed to perfection pretty much on both of those plays. It's something that we'll continue to have, and I'm sure the coaches will find another good way to use it on a team that it will fit.

Q. What does it look like in your eyes after you catch that ball and start to make your turn up field? Did it look like mass chaos? Did you just try to weave your way in and out?
ALEX TORRES: When I first started running it, that's exactly what it looked like. But after working on it in fall camp, I kind of know who is coming from the O-line, who is coming towards me, who is going away from me. When it gets set up like it was this Saturday, I mean, it was just an easy, pretty much, sprint to the end zone.

Q. Talk about what you remember from the Iowa State game last year?
ALEX TORRES: Man, it was just a shock. That's one thing. They came out and just hit us in the mouth right away, and I don't think we handled it as well as we should have. It just was a terrible taste in our mouth because they have a great team.
They've been coached well, and they've done some good things in these past couple years. They have some players that really sell out on that side of the ball, and I don't think we did that last year. I think we left too much out on the field, and those are the losses that are hardest to take.
I know Coach Brown kind of talked to us about it before. When you sell out and leave everything out there on the field, it's a lot easier to take that loss than when you just get outplayed by the other opponent. Effort-wise, they're playing harder than you, because that's one thing that should never happen. That's one thing that we're really focusing on week to week is going out there and sell out and never letting anyone outplay us.
If they execute and are just more talented, it's a lot easier to take that. Last year's Iowa game, we left that one out there on the field. That one really hurt, especially for me personally. I felt like I left too much out there on the field and let some of my teammates down. When something like that happens, I mean, there is no really, other than feeling just disgust for yourself. That's kind of what I remember from Iowa State.

Q. You said a lot of younger guys weren't here for the game last year. Was there a chance they'd get overlooked?
ALEX TORRES: No, I think that's when leadership really steps in, especially coming off a win like we just had against such a great team. We've got to remember that our last two games here at home we've lost. It starts with the leadership, and kind of works its way down.
I think most of the guys that played last year or even traveled last year and went up there remember this, and remember how good this conference is right now, and how just like we felt anyone could beat anyone going into Norman last week, it's the same way this week.
Iowa State's played hard, and we still feel that they're a good team and they're going to come in here and give us their best shot. We've got to get the younger guys prepared and have the right mindset. I think we've done a good job with that with the coaching and how they've prepared us each week to sell out and play hard. I don't think that's going to be something that's overlooked or anything this week.

Q. How good is Seth Doege?
ALEX TORRES: Man, he is so dependable and so reliable. It's great to have someone like that back there at quarterback. Everything he's done, I think he's kind of amazed all of us. Everyone here in this facility and in our locker room knew everything he could do. Seeing him through fall camp and in the spring, and seeing how hard he works with the little things like film, weight room, classes, everything he does he really sells out on anything. So we knew the potential that he has.
There are things that he does that are unique. He brings that sense of leadership and accomplishment and that kind of desire to succeed, it really just feeds off into everyone else.
One thing that I was talking about with a couple of other players, he brings that and he knows he's not going to let you down, you can't help but feeling the same way.
Letting him down is probably one of the most disappointing things I can do, because I know he's not going to do that for me. I know that's rubbed off on so many of our players, and it just keeps spreading. We're not going to let each other down, and it's become personal. We're not going to let our guys down. It's been huge for us.

Q. What do you know about the Iowa State defense so far?
ALEX TORRES: I kind of base it off last year. I know they have a couple guys returning in the secondary. And they play hard, they're physical, they get up and press sometimes, sometimes they draw back.
Last year, like I said, I was disappointed in my play and in this game in particular. I felt like I was battling, but I wasn't as focused. I've gone into a lot of other games and they really surprised me. I felt like there were nine of them back there because I couldn't seem to find a window. They just played really hard, and it was something I didn't expect.
One thing like I said earlier is to get outplayed simply by effort and how hard they played is embarrassing to me and disappointing. So I know that's one thing I'm going to really focus on this week is not letting that happen.
No matter what happens in the game, just to give all the effort on every play is going to be my main focus. I know that will be the focus of all our offense and kind of been what we talked about week in and week out.

Q. Alex, if I recall right you were here in (Inaudible) do you remember what a weapon that was in Crabtree?
ALEX TORRES: Back when Crabtree was here, every play was a weapon. I definitely remember him running it. That screen was really successful with him. We had tremendous O-linemen that got down there and blocked. Any time he had the ball, you never know what could happen.
I definitely remember watching every game and seeing the kind of success he had with that play. It's just one of those plays that you've got to scout up your opponent and really see when the right time to use it is and when you execute it well, it's called when the defense is in a certain blitz or something that really exposes them. It's really a great play. Seeing that in our playbook back then, to carry it on and keep running it, I'm just happy we had that play and we're successful?

Q. (Inaudible)?
ALEX TORRES: Yeah, I mean, I don't think the first time I ever ran it, it went smoothly. It took a while adjusting to how the blocks were getting set up and who is coming out. Just who you're trying to read off of, and which way you're trying to go off the blocks and stuff. But after a couple times running it, you get the feeling and idea of what kind of where your path is and how to get upfield and everything.

Q. On Saturday night, what was the plane trip back like and what time did you get to sleep?
ALEX TORRES: Shoot, the bus ride to the plane trip was exciting. Everyone was fired up and everything. But I think as soon as we all got on that plane, they turned off those lights, we got in the air, and everyone was dead asleep within five minutes. We were all exhausted, and rightfully so.
We had guys out there just playing their butts off. It was a good feeling. Shoot, I think we got back around 3:30 or something and finally made it back to the facility and everything. Went ahead, and headed home, and watched Sportscenter, and enjoyed a couple of those highlights and everything, and finally made it to bed around 4:00 or 4:15 or so.

Q. (Inaudible)?
ALEX TORRES: I was watching more for Doege.

Q. (Inaudible)?
ALEX TORRES: One thing Coach Brown says in and out of the locker room at the end of the game, and I think it fits so well with what he says, enjoy this one tonight and be ready to go tomorrow. When we lose, he said, let it hurt tonight, and be ready to forget it tomorrow. I think that's huge.
So when we get that kind of recognition nationally and everything, it's nice. We definitely enjoy it that night and just kind of keep our mindset that the next couple of days we'll have to get it, and get ready for the next week.

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