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TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY MEDIA CONFERENCEOctober 21, 2013Kliff KingsburyQ. You're a confident guy, and it's clear that you have confidence in your players. Do you think that that really rubs off on them? COACH KINGSBURY: I hope so. I want them‑‑ since day one, I told them we're going to cut it loose and make sure you're having fun and you're confident when you're out there. As long as you're going a hundred percent if you make a mistake, we'll live with it. It's when you're out there playing hesitant that we'll have to get on you. But I want them to have fun, play loose and enjoy the moment. Q. Do you feel like they're doing it? COACH KINGSBURY: They have. Yeah, especially when the game is on the line. They've stepped up and made some big time plays in some crucial moments. So that's been fun to see them do that and then the confidence they've gained from those moments. Q. Sometimes it's a building process. Are you surprised it's come so early in your coaching career? It seems like they've gravitated to what you're selling? COACH KINGSBURY: I don't know. We're still early into this deal. We've had the good fortune in some games. That's just the culture we wanted to create here. We wanted them to know, as long as you giving everything you've got, that's enough for us. It's when you start slacking off here or there or your head's not on the field, we won't accept that. Q. How is this team different and better than that '02 team that went to Norman? COACH KINGSBURY: I think that '02 team would have killed them actually. No, yeah, I don't know. It's hard to compare. It's hard to compare. It was a rough trip to Norman in '02, but the rest of that year was pretty fun. We had some great players. I don't like comparing teams. I just know we have a huge game coming up. It's the next game which we approached every game as a huge game on our schedule, and I think our kids will do a good job handling that moment. Q. Can you talk about the core of this team, having won (Inaudible)? COACH KINGSBURY: It doesn't at all. It's a new year, new team, new scheme, they look completely different. We look completely different. I've never been big to look in the past. It's today. Q. Is there something about playing in Norman with Big 12 conference championships on the line that OU just somehow dominates? COACH KINGSBURY: Yeah, I don't know. I don't know. We're in week eight, so there is no championship on the line. So we'll go out there and give it our best shot. It's a huge challenge anytime you go to that stadium. It's one of the storied stadiums in college football. Their fans are crazy, hostile, intense. It's a great college football atmosphere. Q. Do you think that how they've been tested, being behind two weeks in a row that being very fit has cultivated a mental toughness that makes them believe that no matter what the score is they can rebound? COACH KINGSBURY: I think that's helped. We've made a point of that during practice to let them know we want to make sure you're fresh for the game. Our training staff does a great job with Anthony, and our training staff and Coach Dennis has done a great job getting those guys to buy into our programs and how his programs gets them ready for the games. So just showing up in the second half, their fitness is exciting. Hopefully that is a confidence booster for them. Q. Ola struggled in the game and then Derrick Mays came in and performed fairly well. What is the situation at quarterback going into this game? COACH KINGSBURY: Yeah, we talked about it today. I was proud of Derrick stepping in and making some plays. But Ola has been solid for us all year. He had some tough calls on some of those PIs, and that happens. If you play that position long enough, you're going to have situations like that. He's done a great job, and I'm sure you'll see him out there again. Q. What's it say about your team when you have players that can say, look, put the game on me. What's that say to the testament of defense on your team? COACH KINGSBURY: Yeah, I've said it all along, a lot of seniors on that group with a lot of confidence that played a lot of football, and Bruce is one of those guys. He's gotten better and better and better, and Coach Curtis has done a great job since he's been here helping them with technique and our scheme. Just really proud of him. He's got a swagger about himself and he's a real leader on this football team. Q. Speaking of swagger, Jace Amaro, a huge asset on your offense. What's it like for the team to see him just drag people, 15 yards extra after the catch? COACH KINGSBURY: Yeah, he's a big boost on our team the way he plays the game with passion and intensity. He wants the ball. He wants it on him, and you appreciate that. His effort in the off‑season programs, during practice, he gives you what he's got and his teammates respect that. Q. Going into the game was it something that you guys saw on film against West Virginia that, hey, we can exploit Jace if they're going to act up this way? Or was it more take what they give us and (No microphone) was that the plan? COACH KINGSBURY: Yeah, they actually tried to bracket him. Did some things to take him away. But he created space on his own on a few of those. Anytime we got a one‑on‑one, Davis did a good job of finding him, and then he made the play. So it was pretty much more individual effort than anything. Q. Your first start came against Oklahoma. You beat not only Coach Stoops but also Coach Leach. What do you remember about that day? COACH KINGSBURY: Yeah, that was my favorite start ever because it was Coach Dykes last game, and we knew that we were 5‑5. He had been bowl eligible for ten, 11 straight years, and we wanted to send him out on top. That team rallied around me and around him, and found a way to get a win against a very good OU team. Q. What do you see looking at OU? What are your concerns or focal points on offense and defense? COACH KINGSBURY: Speaking offensively, their defense schematically has changed a bunch from last year. He does a good job bringing people from everywhere, very athletic, fly around, fundamentally sound. It will be a very, very good challenge for a young quarterback. Their offense with the big quarterback, he's hard to bring down. They have very talented receivers, a running back that can take it the distance anytime. It's a huge challenge. We know that going on the road there. So we'll have to play our best game. Q. How has Davis Webb grown in these last two starts? COACH KINGSBURY: He's played better and embraced the challenge. Not getting the start from game one and took it upon himself to improve it as a player, and he's done that. Q. Did you learn anything new about your team Saturday? COACH KINGSBURY: No. Just got to keep getting better. I think the exciting part for me right now is I know we haven't played close to our best game. That's, and all I know about our team is the best game is still out there. Q. Was there a turning point? Because there was a point in time where they had 37 plays to your seven. It just seemed that you were down 11, and all of a sudden you're turning it all around. Was there a turning point when you went bag and looked at it? COACH KINGSBURY: No, there wasn't. I never saw a guy on the sideline blink. Here we go. Never felt panic, and that is a tribute to those guys. But we just knew what we had to do, and we hadn't done it to that point. We knew we had plenty of time to get it done. Q. Did Davis earn the start this Saturday? COACH KINGSBURY: We'll see. We'll see how Baker feels and take it from there. Q. Can you break down differences between the two, mental toughness, physical ability? COACH KINGSBURY: Yeah, they're very, very similar. Davis is a bigger kid. Probably doesn't move as well. But can run. Got a really, strong, accurate arm. Baker is more scrappy, likes to improvise a little more. But both great competitors, both played in great systems in high school and both have been winners their whole lives. Q. What did the competition between those two do for both of them to build their talent up as the season has gone on? COACH KINGSBURY: It's been huge. They know they've got to go into practice and bring it each and every day because they're pushing each other. With that being said, they're each other's biggest fans in that room. They support each other. They help each other out on the sideline, there is great camaraderie. It's been a cool process to watch them grow together. Q. What do you tell Davis after the fumble on the goal line the other day? A lot of young quarterbacks might tend to crumble a little bit after that. What did you tell him and how did he respond? COACH KINGSBURY: I just told him don't ever do that again. He knew it. I respect what he was trying to do. It just wasn't the time to do it. He responded great. He has a short‑term memory. He knows what he's capable of and he's very confident. Q. Oklahoma's got a pretty good pass defense; what is the key against that? COACH KINGSBURY: Yeah, protecting it first and foremost. They're a ball‑hawking defense. Get their hands on a bunch of balls. So they're good against the rush, against the pass. They're just overall very well‑coached, very disciplined defense so, it will be a challenge to move it in all phases. Q. Kind of created an identity now on the road. Can talk about that identity that you're trying to reiterate to the team in a road game like this? COACH KINGSBURY: Just embrace the challenge. You've got to bring your own energy. Anytime you go on the road when things are stacked against you, and this group has done that and been a resilient group so far. So hopefully we'll continue to grow and this will be a huge challenge. Q. When did you get the teaching points for (No microphone). Where did that come from? COACH KINGSBURY: Just something I've kind of stuck with me for a lot of years in my life. Q. Do you remember who gave it to you the first time? COACH KINGSBURY: No, I don't. But I just talked to our players about it. We're going to cut it loose and play to win. So that's kind of the motto around here. Q. Are you surprised that that statement has resonated so much over the last two or three days, not only in Texas but nationally? COACH KINGSBURY: Yeah, I didn't think it would be that big of a deal. But like I said, if we have the ball in our hands, we're going to go win the game. We're not going to try to depend on somebody else or something to happen. We're going to sit on it and take control of our own destiny. That's what these kids want to do, and as coaches, that's what we want to do. Q. Did you get Jordan Davis back? COACH KINGSBURY: I think so. He made a huge play. He's very talented, just had some injury problems around here. A kid we put on scholarship before the year and works as hard as anybody in our program to get where he's at. So that was fun to see him have some success, hopefully that continues. Q. At one point (No microphone)? COACH KINGSBURY: It was probably Tuesday or Wednesday of last week. Came out of the game clean, so he should be even better this week. Q. Is what you saw on the punt return (No microphone)? COACH KINGSBURY: That's huge. That's huge, yeah. If you can catch it confidently back there for us right now, that's a big step. Q. When you guys talk about something that you said or everyone remembers to start the season, are the kids still out there, the coaching staff, are you guys still okay? Or we're not finished yet, we've still got a chip on our shoulder? COACH KINGSBURY: Yeah, that doesn't change. That's what I told them. It doesn't matter what people are saying now. Jumping on board. What matters is what we believed in this room from day one. So we're all about the people in this team room and the rest of it really doesn't matter. Q. How much of a teaching point did that provide from day one? You guys were picked to finish seventh in the Big 12, and you've con founded experts all season long. How much has that provided inspiration to you guys? COACH KINGSBURY: It's been big. Any time it was very similar to the situation we had last year with Texas A&M with where they picked us. We know they have a good team and you have to have good things happen. But when you can continue to prove people wrong, it's great for a team's psyche. Q. And you watched game day before the game on Saturday (Inaudible)? COACH KINGSBURY: Yeah, yeah, that helped out Saturday. Q. Do you think Oklahoma may have looked past Kansas to this game? COACH KINGSBURY: I don't. I think Kansas has a pretty good ballclub. They did some really good things. Coach Weis is really good with his schemes, and they came out and started fast against them. So I don't think there was any looking past. Q. Did you notice anything that Texas did well against OU? COACH KINGSBURY: Yeah, they ran the ball very well. They won the turnover battle and pretty much everything else. That's one of those games that you can't put too much stock in it because you never know. One team could be 0‑8, and the other could be 8‑0. It's a toss‑up because of the emotions and everything that goes into that game. We don't look too much into that. Q. Do you know if SaDale Foster will be ready for Saturday? COACH KINGSBURY: We don't. We don't. Q. How is he progressing? COACH KINGSBURY: We'll find out today once we get him over there. Q. (Inaudible)? COACH KINGSBURY: Something with his hip, a contusion. I'm not sure. That's where we're at. Q. Quarterback case keen up got the start for Texas yesterday. Did you get to see that game, and what did you think of it? COACH KINGSBURY: I did. I watched it all. I was proud of his effort. It's a tough task, best defense in the league at Kansas City, the loudest stadium in the league. I thought he handled himself very well, had a chance to win late and didn't get it done. But he's a tremendous player and a great person, so it was fun to watch. Q. Any changes to the offensive line this week? COACH KINGSBURY: Not that I know of, no. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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