BIG 12 CONFERENCE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: TCU VS KANSAS STATE

December 3, 2022

Quentin Johnston

Dee Winters

AT&T Stadium

TCU Horned Frogs

Postgame Press Conference

Kansas State - 31, TCU - 28

Q. Quentin, in the football game, do you feel like they left a couple of pass interference penalties in their pockets as far as the referees go against you guys tonight?

QUENTIN JOHNSTON: You could say that about passing. You could say that about a few plays. But I think at the end of the day, it was a hard fought game. Shout out to them, congratulations, all that type of stuff.

Like I said, it's a lot of plays in that game I feel like should have been our way, and I'm pretty sure they feel like some plays that we did and got away with could have been in their favor. So it kind of goes either way. But at the end of the day, the game's over.

Q. How are you feeling right now? Undefeated season didn't happen, and now you kind of have to wait to find out what happens next.

QUENTIN JOHNSTON: I mean, I'm not the best right now obviously. We've been winning all season, and we just took our first loss of the season. From the beginning of the year, that's not something we're used to, so it's going to take a minute. I'm doing the best I can.

Q. It's really for both of you all. Obviously first loss of the season, both of you all, tenured leaders, captains. How much of it is on y'all to get the team ready because there's even more for you this season after a tough loss.

QUENTIN JOHNSTON: Obviously being a captain is a big responsibility, especially as you said, coming off the first loss. It's our job to shake that off faster than most other people on the team, and from the time we get back to the time we start practice in the morning, kind of just getting everybody's mind off of having the short term memory about what happened today and continue moving forward with starting in film, practice, nutrition, everything that goes into that.

DEE WINTERS: I think he pretty much hit the nail on the head. We've just got to come back and use it as a stepping stone for us and come out and kind of use it as motivation to just come out and get better and get ready for the next game.

Q. Dee, you guys are obviously down quite a few guys at your position. What does that change for you knowing that you and Jamoi and Shad are going to be out there for the majority of the game? How were you feeling near the end there?

DEE WINTERS: It kind of messed us up a little bit, but we all believe in each other as linebackers, whether that be second team, third team, stuff like that. We just got to come out and execute the plays that we practice in practice and just do that. We didn't do a very good job of that today.

Q. Dee, I asked Quentin this before you got here. How are you feeling, and how is the team right now, and what will the next 24 hours be like for you guys while you wait?

DEE WINTERS: It just sucks to finally get to a championship. That's something that we talked about as soon as the new staff came here, just talking about championships. And the fact that we got here and we weren't able to pull it off, it sucks.

But like I just said, we're going to try to use this as motivation to come out and prepare for the next game.

Q. I've got somebody arguing with me and saying that TCU should not be in the top four. I'm curious what you guys feel about that. Quentin, it looked like after the game you were taking in a moment for a second. What were you internalizing there?

QUENTIN JOHNSTON: Obviously that's the position we wanted to be in, and I kind of put it in my head at the moment that I wanted to be there to see the confetti fell down, whether we won or lost. Obviously we lost, but I kind of just wanted to take that all in and feel that, kind of the hurt of that and embrace that.

Me being a captain, it's my job to shake off all the hurt. So I kind of want to take that to the chest, shake it off on the field, and then come back in the locker room and try to motivate everybody for future games and stuff like that.

Q. Do you guys think you should be in the final four?

QUENTIN JOHNSTON: Absolutely.

DEE WINTERS: Most definitely.

Q. What is your resume?

DEE WINTERS: We feel like as a defense we didn't play what we're capable of doing. We had a lot of busted coverages, and they executed on that. I believe we should be in the top four, and we're going to prove that next game.

Q. What do you think about Max's toughness and seeing what he lays out there on the line?

QUENTIN JOHNSTON: It really brings the team up every time we get in sort of a dark place, the usual ups and downs throughout a football game, which is expected, but he's always the one to come, especially with the offense, kind of be that spark.

Because sometimes, obviously as you can see, we get a little down. We get several three and outs in a row, and he always finds a way to make a big play first down. Obviously every time he runs, you see him on the ground side. He's dead tired, but he continues to get up and fight each play.

That just kind of motivates everybody to go the extra yard, not only for our teammates but for him. As an offense, it's just very motivational. Obviously he puts a lot on his shoulders, being the quarterback.

Q. For both of you guys, there's been a lot of talk throughout, I'd say, the second half of the season about Max Duggan and the Heisman conversation. He's largely deflected that. I think that's his personality. What are your thoughts on him in that conversation?

DEE WINTERS: I think Max is a great guy. He comes to work every day, and he kind of proved that today as he went out there and pretty much drained his body to fight for a touchdown when we needed it the most and the most adverse time.

It means a lot to have Max as our quarterback, and he proved tonight that he's worthy of the Heisman. I believe that.

Q. Quentin, I know you're down right now, but you and Jared had big plays in the game today. What is it like to represent Temple, Texas on the national stage this year?

QUENTIN JOHNSTON: It means a lot because obviously somebody comes -- not just me, but for everybody else specifically since you asked about being from Temple, that's something like any kid wants to do when they make it to the next level, make it to the next two levels. Kind of just put on for the city. Kind of represent them and kind of give the younger kids with no hope in your city kind of a sense of, okay, I can do it.

Obviously we've been performing on the big stage being from the same area on the same team, which is kind of ironic, but you know a good thing too.

It means a lot. It kind of, along with those things, adds extra motivation to us to keep going. This is a good example. They see us down. We lost. Obviously not the best, but they're going to see how we continue to bounce back for us, so like the team used to feed them and give them good motivation back at home.

Q. If you're not selected for the College Football Playoffs, what will be your message as the leaders in this locker room?

DEE WINTERS: We faced adversity our entire season. We've got to go out and prepare like we are going to the playoffs and handle that situation and take it like a man and come out and practice every day, regardless if we're in the top four or not.