CHEEZ-IT BOWL: OKLAHOMA STATE VS MIAMI

December 27, 2020

Tyler Lacy

Camping World Stadium

Oklahoma State Cowboys

Q. One of the main things we've seen you do this year is get after the quarterback and pressure the pocket. How do you feel going against a guy like D'Eriq King that can evade the pocket with some speed and some elusiveness and how does that adjust how you go about rushing the passer?

TYLER LACY: For me, just being quicker in what I do and making decisions and try to stick with the decisions, and just watching him -- try to like watch him like where he's trying to go and beat him to the place where he's trying to go is the main focus, and just I don't want to rush tentatives but like, you know, still be worried about him scrambling and running out of the pocket.

Q. As one of the young guys on this defense, what do you have to do to continue the momentum of the program and defense this year to next year?

TYLER LACY: To continue the growth of the defense I feel like I have to come in day-in, day-out with the mentality; that we want to give win every game and get to where we want to be; and being a leader around and encouraging the guys that we can be better than what we are right now.

Q. It looking at how you played, the defense, from game one to the Baylor game, the entire season, what are your takeaways from how the defense was able to hold up this year?

TYLER LACY: I feel like our defense did good. I mean, some games, we could have done better, but for the majority of the part, I feel like we done good. Everybody has been stepping up. Somebody gets hurt, somebody is coming in right away and ready to play and show what their abilities are, and us just trusting the defense and trusting Coach Knowles, I feel like we're pretty set for a good year this year and next year.

Q. On the defensive line, you're thinner than he were at the beginning of the year. Any young guys you think might get any action and help you out in the rotation this week?

TYLER LACY: Some young guys that come in and change the game, impact the game, I think Tuihalamaka will come in and impact the game in some ways, and Brendon Evers coming in and yeah, I mean, you know -- and Calvin, switching the defensive end, I feel like is a very strong impact and he's a very good weapon we have on the D-Line.

Q. Obviously Trace Ford went down, pretty recently, but how has the defense adjusted especially on D-Line when you're facing a quarterback like this to make up for some of that production that you lose from Trace Ford?

TYLER LACY: I feel like we did lose production with Trace Ford, but I also feel like we can manage him well with Calvin and Brock coming in. I feel like they do a good job and they can come in and impact the game in a certain way. And Calvin is coming in off the bench and getting sacks every game, so that's been a really good game plan for us.

Q. Earlier this season I saw that story, you said your biggest growth over the course of the season has been trusting the defense more. What did you mean by that? Can you expand on what you mean and how you've learned to trust your defense more?

TYLER LACY: What I mean by trusting the defense more is just trusting the guys beside you that they are going to do their job and you just have to buy in and do your job. Trusting Coach Knowles that he's tried to put us in the best position to go out and execute the play.

Q. I wanted to ask, does D'Eriq King remind you of anyone else you've faced before?

TYLER LACY: D'Eriq King reminds me of, let's see, last year, Jalen Hurts. He reminds me of him running the ball and trying to get down the field and do something with his legs, and he also can just sit back in the pocket and release the ball.