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VALERO ALAMO BOWL: STANFORD VS TCU

December 24, 2017

San Antonio, Texas

RICK HILL: Good afternoon. Our first press conference is with the TCU defense. It's my pleasure to introduce TCU defensive coordinator Chad Glasgow.

If you could introduce the players you brought with you today, give an opening statement.

CHAD GLASGOW: First of all, we got Ty Summers, a linebacker for us. Homecoming for him. He's a San Antonio product. Travin Howard, another senior linebacker next to him. Ben Banogu is next, defensive end. Then Nick Orr is a safety for us.

First of all, we want to thank the city of San Antonio for giving us the opportunity to be back here again. We talked about it's a homecoming for Ty Summers because he's from here. A bunch of our football team has roots in San Antonio. Derrick Fox, the Alamo Bowl organization, have done a great organization. Mike Ciscowski last night, had a heck of an event. It's been an overwhelmingly positive experience so far.

Had a great practice today. Looking forward to the game.

RICK HILL: Questions, please.

Q. Coach, as you look over the two games against OU, do you chalk it up to that's one of the best offenses that's come along in a long time in college football?
CHAD GLASGOW: Well, Oklahoma is a very good football team. The Big 12, week-to-week, you got to get ready to go play. You get some opportunities to make some plays. We didn't make some plays we needed to go make against a good football team. We had chances.

Our deal is to go win championships. Doesn't matter who we go play, we have to find a way to stop them. We didn't do it those two games.

Q. Ty, talking about your homecoming, have you had flashbacks to that tremendous bowl for the ages when you came back? Have you thought about that?
TY SUMMERS: Of course, I mean, it's been on our minds. One thing we took from it I think the most is to start fast this time, not make it so difficult to come back, just come out, hit the ground running the first quarter. That's what we're taking away from that game, translating into the next one.

Q. Coach, you've been at TCU for a while now. Where do you rank this defense among all the defenses that you've seen over at TCU?
CHAD GLASGOW: One of our goals every year is to give the senior class the best possible year that they can go have. A bunch of these guys up here are seniors, a couple of them are. It's their responsibility from a leadership standpoint to go lead the defense. That starts back in January of the previous year. Our bowl practices right now are for the 2018 season, when other guys are going to step up, be seniors, be expected to lead the defense.

This is a group that some guys have stepped up different places that needed to step up, some guys that hadn't played. Ben hadn't played in a college football game till this year. Some of those guys have really stepped up, made plays for us.

We've got a next-man-up philosophy and mentality that when a guy steps and gets his chance to go play, we want him to go play great. That's kind of how we practice, the expectation we have, and what we want to push them to go do.

This defense is really good. They've performed well. It's a credit to how they go out and work on a day-to-day basis, the situation they put themselves in to be successful and execute the game plan.

It's a really good defense that plays hard and fast. I think that gives us a chance to go be good because of how hard we play. They're athletic guys that can run. We put a premium on speed.

Q. Travin, as one of the elder statesmen of the defense, what do you see specifically from the younger guys on defense like Ben in terms of how they're playing now, their potential for the next few years?
TRAVIN HOWARD: I just see them growing up. I try to lead by example, just trying to take them under my wing really. They're growing very well. Their play speaks for itself. They're coming. Heck of players.

Q. Travin, what are your memories from the bowl game, when you were defensive MVP, memorable plays of that game?
TRAVIN HOWARD: My most memorable play would be Denzel breaking up the pass at the end of the game. That was my favorite play. People ask me this all the time. That's the play I go to.

CHAD GLASGOW: A good Alamo Bowl memory of mine. There's a coach that coaches at John Jay High School. His name is Chuck Lawrence. Coach Lawrence was the head coach at Navarro Junior College when Zarnell Fitch was playing there. Coach Lawrence got the opportunity to come to the bowl game a couple years ago when we were playing here. Somehow in the heat and the excitement of the bowl game, Coach Lawrence ended up with his shirt off, circling around after we scored to take the lead.

Every time you go in John Jay High School, that's what you get from Coach Lawrence, the excitement of that Alamo Bowl. We're sure this one is not going to be any different.

I can promise you that will never happen with me (laughter). Maybe we can get Coach Patterson to get the right shirt on to begin with this year.

Q. Nick, have you thought about what it's going to be like putting your pads on for the final time as a Horned Frog?
NICK ORR: Yeah, it's going to be mostly just because I've been playing so long for them, built a lot of good relationships with people on the team, with the coaching staff and everything.

I'm excited, though.

Q. Nick, can you tell us about your football family, with your brother, your dad. What have you been talking about this game, in general growing up in that family?
NICK ORR: I mean, just growing up, I can tell you we argued a lot. A lot of people don't really know that. I mean, we're just real competitive, just how we've always been. We're always very supportive of each other, too. I think that's what helps us.

Like with Zach, I mean, obviously he made it all the way. We always try to follow him. He does a good job of leading by good example to us. Will lead my little brother.

Got a great older brother that coaches at De Soto. He does a great job. He's the one that set the standard for us, always led by good example for us, always helped us believe in ourselves, so...

CHAD GLASGOW: Better not forget about Mama Orr either.

NICK ORR: She is what holds everybody together, my dad included.

Q. Ben, you told us one of the reasons you came to TCU was to play defense for Coach Patterson. What have you learned about that side of the ball?
BEN BANOGU: I feel like when I first came into TCU, I was more of a raw athlete, kind of running around, making plays. Being in this defense, being around guys that understand football at a higher level, it really made me more of a smarter football player. I was able to make plays knowing what I was going to get. If I ever had a question, if I ever needed help, like during practice or film, my teammates and my coaches were always able to help me, help me expand my game.

I guess the best part about being with this team was being a smart football player not only like on the field but in the film room, too.

Q. Ty, since you grew up here, you've been to other bowls, how does the Alamo Bowl compare? I don't know if you ever came to one when you were growing up here. The way it's grown in stature, this is the 25th anniversary.
TY SUMMERS: Yeah, no, I mean, the Alamo Bowl does a great job. I mean, I can speak for all of us. We all enjoy everything that goes on. They take care of us really well. Especially for me, of course, because it's my hometown.

So to be able to come back and be able to have the opportunity to play here again, that's a blessing. I'm excited to play a team like Stanford. They're a great team.

Yeah, I think the Alamo Bowl does a fantastic job. Obviously that's why they've grown in stature, like you said, the 25th year.

Q. Coach, it's not every day you see an offense like Stanford's in the Big 12. How do you prepare for a physical offense like Stanford lining up in the I-formation? How do you simulate that in practice?
CHAD GLASGOW: Fortunately we've had some extra practices being a bowl game. Stanford has a mentality that they want to go run the football. They're a very physical football team. You have to go match their physicalness to have a chance to slow them down with some things. We're trying to make practices very physical, emphasize tackling, play with great leverage, eyes, doing those things.

Like I said, fortunately we have more than three practices in a week to go get ready for it.

Q. Ty, your teammate Travin made 333 tackles in three years as a linebacker at TCU. What do you think when you hear that number?
TY SUMMERS: I mean, it's ridiculous. You think of what it feels like to go and hit someone one time, the effect it has on your body, someone else's. To do that 333 times, with violence. He comes in there, he is not just like wrapped (indiscernible). It shows how tough he is, how athletic he is, just consistent.

I'm trying to keep up with this guy over here going into this next year after he's out.

Q. Mr. Howard, what jumps out at you, when you watch film on Stanford, about their offense?
TRAVIN HOWARD: Like coach said, they're physical. You have to come to practice with your mind ready to be physical. Every play, you got to be willing to give up your body, go hit somebody. That's what they're going to do.

Of course, they have their runningback, Heisman candidate. You have to respect him as well. Pretty much do (indiscernible), everything will fall in place.

Q. Ben, Ty trained some at defensive end, moved back to linebacker. Just describe how you have performed as a defensive line versus going into the year.
BEN BANOGU: For us as a D-line, we were being told we were going to be the weakest link. We had a lot of great players leave from our front seven last year. We really made it a big deal for us, guys that were able to come in and play, not just play, but we needed to play well.

It was good having Ty come down and play a little defensive end for a little bit. Watching Ross, Corey, all those other guys grow. It was pretty good.

I'm just kind of proud for the type of effort we had out there on the field because, like I said, in the beginning a lot of people thought the D-line was going to be the weakest link. I felt like we came out with a purpose this year, so I'm proud of those guys.

Q. Ty, Bryce Love, what are your impressions of him? What makes him the great back that he is, Heisman Trophy candidate? He was a little dinged up in the regular season, but what makes him special?
TY SUMMERS: As you mentioned, he was fighting an ankle injury. To be able to run for almost 2,000 yards like he did, it just shows he's got grit. He's a great player. We played a lot of great runningbacks. I mean, his skill, he's shifty, really elusive. You can't go in there and break him down. He'll make you miss.

We have to be ready to go, fly around, throw our bodies around, give ourselves the best opportunity.

Q. Nick, when you look at the offensive line for Stanford, see those weights, what do guys in the secondary think about the job that the defensive line has to do against those guys?
NICK ORR: A lot of times we know we're not the biggest defense most people face. We know we're going to have to play leverage, good leverage, just good technique. That's how you have to beat size.

RICK HILL: Thank you, guys.

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