The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
10.20.2014 | Football
Head coach Charlie Strong and players met with the media to preview the Kansas State game.
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Head coach Charlie Strong and players met with the media Monday morning to review the Iowa State game and look forward to this weekend's contest versus Kansas State. The Longhorns and Wildcats are set to kick off Saturday at 11 a.m. from Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan. Below are quotes from Strong, senior RB Malcolm Brown, senior CB Quandre Diggs, senior WR John Harris, junior WR Marcus Johnson, sophomore QB Tyrone Swoopes, sophomore S Dylan Haines and junior CB Duke Thomas.
Head coach Charlie Strong
Opening statement: It was really great that we got that win on Saturday, and it was really outstanding to see our offense come back and play the way they did. I told our defense they did not play up to the standard that we're used to seeing them play at. Offensively, we jump out there quickly and we get to 14-0 and then they come back to 14-7, have a chance to get another seven, and then [QB] Tyrone [Swoopes] throws the ball across his body and creates the interception. But he knew it the moment he threw that interception, he just runs off the field and knew that it was his mistake.
And then you see the stretch there at the end where our offense takes the ball and scores with a minute and 19 [seconds] to go and then our defense allowed them to move the ball down the field. Then it was probably about 22 seconds left on the clock, and I said to [assistant head coach Shawn] Watson with the headset, him and [offensive coordinator] Joe Wick[line], I said 'look, we depend on the return if we're going to really send this game into overtime.' I said, 'if we get a good return we're going to go for it.'
So we got the return and I said, hey, let's take a shot, and [WR Jaxon] Shipley was able to beat the defensive back down the sideline. Then they come back the next play, and I said,'how many yards do we need to get the field goal?', and they said, 'I think we need about five', and I said, 'no, no, let's make sure, though. Let's get as many yards as we can. I don't want five. Let's try to get about seven to nine here if we can.' And then they go press coverage, and [WR] John [Harris] was able to beat the defender over the top and Tyrone made a really good throw.
It's just so fun to watch the development of Tyrone and how he's getting better and better week by week, and then our offense is going to go as our quarterback goes. Offensive line, we we're squeezing every drip out of them. They played well. Cameron Hughes started for the first time. I tease him and call him 'NCAA' all the time, but he ended up starting and played very well.
But it's just fun to see our offense and also our special teams stepped up. We had some really big returns, and guys got down and covered the kick. But defensively, like I said, we weren't very pleased our players weren't pleased. It's good when you get them in that position where they feel like they know that the standard has been raised here and what the expectations are.
On if he enjoyed the win or was too disappointed with the defensive performance: A combination of both, but you know what it is, you have to enjoy the wins because you can't ever not [enjoy them]. When you're thinking about winning a football game [you have to realize] just how far we've come with our offense. That's what I was very pleased with, just offensively how we responded. Yes, you're upset about how the defense played, but just to see our offense bounce back and drive the ball and get the scores.
On if there is still work to be done for QB Tyrone Swoopes: He's still a work in progress, because we think back to that Baylor game, he didn't play very well and then he was able to bounce back against Oklahoma, put a good game together, then played very well against Iowa State. He's always in that position, and what we try to do is just manage him each and every week. When we added the quarterback runs, that was all Coach Wickline, something they did at Oklahoma State, and he inserted the quarterback runs, which has really helped him. I think you look, he had close to 90 yards or over 90 yards rushing, but he is so strong and physical, and he has enough arm strength where he can put the ball in the right places. But when he can become a dual threat that he's doing right now, and then it just adds another dimension for him.
On his confidence in the defense bouncing back against Kansas State: You know what, it's good that that happened because now we have to slow down [Kansas State QB Jake] Waters. Then you look at [WR Tyler] Lockett on the outside, he's a really outstanding receiver. For our defense, sometimes you need to be brought down to earth, and I think that all the press is about the defense playing well and now they have a chance that they've really got a challenge in front of them, and they have to step up.
On S Jason Hall's injury status: Jason actually last night moved around, but he is just day-to-day, and whenever he's ready, we're going to be able to get him back out. But we really haven't done much with him.
On his confidence in Swoopes: Well, you know what it is, I think that he made the turn, and the Oklahoma game is when the confidence really started building within him and also building within the team because when you hear guys on the sideline, when our defense is saying, hey, let's get a stop here so we can get the ball back to Tyrone and see our offense go score, then you know their confidence level and the confidence that they have in him. But it's fun to just watch how he's developed and how he continues to develop. He's making the throws, he's getting us in the right plays, and it's just his poise and how he's just standing back there. Even with the way we have restructured our offensive line, he's still standing in there and may take a shot, but he's releasing the ball and not so quick to just run out of the pocket and release it.
On correcting defensive mistakes: It was nothing the [defense] did that's not correctable at all. It's all about fundamentals and technique, and it's about alignment. You know, it's all about gap integrity, and [Iowa State] making the throws that never should have been able to make. Pass drops weren't dropping in the right spots, and that's what upsets you because it's things that we have done and played so well, and then all of a sudden we get up 14-0, and we allow them to drive the ball. Then to pick up [a defensive touchdown after the Harris fumble] and go score. Still, though, it's our job on defense to go stop them, and we didn't stop them.
We looked at the film, and I actually took off five plays for myself and I showed them as a defense, I had the whole defense in there, and I said, 'this is not us, but I want you guys to see these five plays. Now, if this is us, I need to know that. If it's an imposter wearing your jersey, I need to know that, also.' I want you guys to watch this tape because we didn't run to the ball. You see one guy had the football and then he's holding on, and usually you see seven or eight guys running to the ball, and guys are jogging, just casually taking their time to get there. I said, if that's not you, I need to know who that guy is. But what we did can be very correctable.
On the strength of the Big 12: Well, you look at the league, and what's great about this league is you get a chance to go play everyone. What's really special, if you play well at home then you always have a chance. You look at this past weekend, West Virginia beating Baylor at home, but then you look at [Kansas] State going into Oklahoma and beating them at home in Norman. You can't just look at [the Big 12] and say there's really a dominating team. Teams are putting up big numbers on offense. Still, though, it doesn't really matter because if you go into a game and if your offense is playing well, then you always have a chance.
On Swoopes running the ball straight ahead more often: I think you saw the one in the Oklahoma game where he had a chance to just go north-south and drop his pads and run over someone. I didn't think he wanted to make that mistake again. But, it was good to see him just run with the football. He's a physical presence, and you see him and if he takes off and gets in the open field, he can make a lot of guys miss, too. But it was good to see that happen.
On changing from a white turtleneck to an orange one this past weekend on the sidelines: Trying to change something so I can get a win somehow, so I just changed the shirt.
On Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder: Coach Snyder, I've always had a tremendous respect for him. You think about when he went to [Kansas] State, I think they had only been to one bowl before he had gotten there, and now they've been to like 15, but that's the job he's done. When I took over that program at Louisville I called him, because that's the type of program I wanted to run. [I wanted to run Louisville] just like it's being done at Kansas State. It's a balanced attack. You look at it, and it's nothing fancy about what they do, just line up and play with good fundamentals and technique. They are a very disciplined team. You look at just the number of penalties that they have, they're the fewest in the country, and then they don't turn the ball over. It's a disciplined team that plays within themselves, and that's what you really like about them and you respect them so much.
On the offensive coaching staff helping Tyrone grow each week: That's what's been really great is just what [Coach] Wat[son] and [Coach] Wick[line] have done with Tyrone, and just to see his development. Just for him to get better game by game, We had a conversation when Ash went down, you look at it, and good thing that he was able to complete that game because if we had thrown Tyrone in there in like the third or fourth quarter, would he be playing with the confidence he's playing with right now? And actually would he have been ready to go play and go into the game?
What allowed us to get that week behind us and then put him out there now, knowing it's his team, he can go and develop it. But to watch him go develop the way he has, and even with the run game, with putting in the quarterback runs, that's only going to help him. Also, that puts pressure on the defense because now when you talk about defensively you have to go stop a guy who can release the ball and make some really good deep throws there to now he can go run and he's a danger to run, now you just can't really load the box because if you load the box he can put pressure on you outside, and we're winning outside. "Nine" [John Harris] is playing unbelievable, [Jaxon] Shipley is playing, and then "seven" [Marcus Johnson] goes down the field and catches the deep one. But he's beginning to open up, and it's going to open up our run game.
On joking about Tyrone Swoopes changing positions after the spring game: I think everybody thought about that after that spring game. Everybody was saying -- all of you guys were thinking that. But everything is about confidence, and it is with any player because you know when you're sitting there and the player is not playing very well, you always say, hey, where else can he play or what else can he do? Because, you look at his physical presence, you say, he can help us somewhere, so where else can he help us?
But that quarterback position, it's a very touchy position, so it is, it's about guys gaining confidence and making sure that they have some success and they need to have some success, and he goes into it and you look at his play the second game, it was just embarrassing for us. But then for him to bounce back and play as well as he played at UCLA you saw him continue to build and build and build.
On what advice Bill Snyder gave him: Well, Coach Snyder said you just have to be yourself. You're the coach, you know who you are, and you can't be anyone else. You can always take ideas and share ideas, but at the end of the day it's how you run your program, and that's what it's all about. It is all about you just being yourself and running it the way you think it should be ran.
On Coach Watson's excitement in the coaching booth after Harris caught the long pass to set up the game winning field goal: [He] was really pumped up because you look at those throw - we were thinking about, hey, if we don't get it here, we get it into overtime, and I didn't think if we got into overtime that they were going to stop our offense and we were going to go score. But for us to make that throw, for Tyrone to sit back there and make those throws. The first one to Shipley was a really good throw. Ship just outran the defender. He laid it out there and then for him to lay it up to "nine" [John Harris], and "nine" made a really good catch. He was pressed up against the sideline but he was able to get his feet down, and now we get into field goal range and have a chance to go win the game, which we did.
On OL Camrhon Hughes earning his first career start: I'll say this, what happened was he had had a really good week of practice. What I said about the offensive line is you give guys the opportunity to go. If they practice well, then they're going to get that opportunity, and it's nothing that Darius [James] didn't do, it's just that he didn't practice that well, so we said, hey, let's give C[amrhon] Hughes a chance and see what he can do, and he played very well. I was surprised because looking at a guy for his first start, I walked up to him before the game, I said, 'you okay?' He's like, 'yeah, I'm ready to go.' I said, 'yeah, we all say we're ready to go. Okay, you have never been out there, so don't tell me you're ready to go. It's going to be your first college game, so let's calm down with that.' But I said, just relax and just go play. I said, even if something bad happened to you, don't drop your head, you have to have a short memory. Just don't get Tyrone hit. I don't care what happens, do not get my quarterback hit.
On Texas' past struggles with Kansas State: I think we're like 1-5 out there [at Kansas State]. Last time [Texas won] was [2002]. I was teasing [Assistant Athletics Director for Football Operations] Marcus Tubbs because he's on our staff now and he was the one who blocked that field goal [to win the game]. But we haven't done well at all. This is a road game, and it's one of those games that's all about our focus and our emotion, but it's all about our defense, too. We've got to play great defense. If we're going to go out there and get that game, we've got to play great defense, and it's about playing great defense on the road.
On if he was glad the team won a close game against Iowa State: No, I would love for it to have been 48-10, which means the defense would have played better. But no, just to watch our guys battle [was great]. Just their resiliency and how they kept playing, very easily there was a point where they could have just given in and we didn't give in, we just kept playing. Our offense was making plays and defensively we just need to make a stop and get off the field and get the ball back for them. But even though it ended up as a high-scoring game, we came out on top, and it was good.
On if winning close will pay off more than winning 48-10: No, I would love for it to have been 48-10. But no, just to watch our guys battle and just their resiliency and how they kept playing, very easily there was a point where they could have just given in and we didn't give in, we just kept playing. Our offense was making plays and defensively we just need to make a stop and get off the field and get the ball back for them. But even though it ended up as a high-scoring game, we came out on top, and it was good.
On finally winning a close game: Well, it was good that we did go win a close one because we've been in some close ones, and just to get away from that, and even our players in the locker room, they were just so happ. You could just tell it was almost like they were just relieved because it had been so close, so close, and then boom, we get over the hump.
On WR John Harris: John is having an unbelievable season, and he really has stepped up. The thing you really love about him, you can coach him any way you like because he's a guy that you can really press him and just stay on top of and he'll respond. A lot of times that position, it's a very fragile position because you've got to be careful how you talk to some of those wide receivers. But with him, you can just drive him as hard as you want to drive him. Even when he fumbled the ball, he ran back to the sidelines, he said, 'Coach, I'll get it back, don't worry about it, I'll get it back.' I said, "You've got to just hold onto the football, just tuck it away." He said, "I didn't see the guy coming." I said, 'That's why you've got to hold onto the football; you're not going to always see him.' But he said, 'I'll get it back, I'll make up for it.' But just to see how he responded and how hard he's playing, and he's a go-to guy for us. He's hard to tackle. If you watch some of those catches that he makes, he just keeps driving his feet and there's got to be three or four defenders that come in and try to knock him back, but it's fun to watch him develop and he has become our guy for us.
On how he fixed the special teams: I hope it can last more than one week, but what we did is our guys try to allow him to go back to block. I said, just get out of his way and he runs in there, and if he gets out of his way, he's still the safety, and I know this, he's going to make that kicker miss, and there's no telling how far he's going to run. But he's such an explosive runner. And then the punt team, it's all about the punter, and he did a great job of just putting the ball in the right place, and then Nick Rose stepped up and hit the two big field goals for us. But it's all about challenging and us sending a message to our special teams where we have to play better because we're not getting what we needed.
On if Kansas State is a kind of program that he admires: You admire that program because you look at they're just tough, smart and dependable. You just look at it because when I say dependable, they're a very disciplined football team. You look at the penalties, not many penalties, not many turnovers. You just look at how hard that the quarterback, and he may not be the most talented guy, but what he has is a presence about him, and he directs the offense and makes the plays for the offense. And then defensively you like how on defense they run around, they play hard, they're not much out of position. I look back at that Auburn game and they had their opportunities to go win that game, and you look at two missed field goals and then the receiver has the ball bounce off of him. That could have been a touchdown right there. But what that is, that's a solid football team. That's a team that it's fun to watch.
On S Dylan Haines: My man Haines, if he just stays straight, he doesn't have to cut back. If he just runs down the sideline it's a touchdown, but he said, 'I wanted to make it interesting, Coach.' I said, 'I see you did.' But Dylan, you know, when you look at Dylan, he's also involved in all our special teams. He goes down on punt, he makes the tackle, he's down on the kickoff, and it's fun to watch him. What's happening now is everybody is taking notice, and because the whole team, when you're looking for that player that you really say, hey, that's the kind of guy that you like to see go play, and because he plays hard, and he gives you everything he's got. And then for him on that interception, he took a chance, but it's all right to take a chance sometimes. And it paid off for him because he knew the route, and he knew that the guy was going to -- No. 3 [Jordan Hicks] coming across in motion - he was going to go to the flat and that was one of the routes they were going to throw and he jumped in front of it. But just being smart, studying tape, but he does everything you ask him to do.
On the defensive line needing to play well: Well, it's not only from Ced [Cedric Reed]. They all need to play well because you look at us up front, '90' [Malcom Brown] plays well, but we've got to be more consistent with all four of our guys up front. They all have to play well. Our backers have got to be consistent. You see Hicks [Jordan Hicks], '33' [Timothy Cole] needs to show up, '55' [Dalton Santos] has got to show up, they all need to show up. Our front seven need to show up. We can't allow people to run the football against us. We've got to be able to get off the field on third down. You look at us in the back end, losing Jason Hall hurt us some, but also other guys when it's their opportunity, they need to step up and play, too. You look at Haines plays well, you look at Duke [Thomas] on the other side, but we have to play well as a unit. It can't be four or five guys. It has to be all 11 guys.
On if adding QB runs is a recent development: No, the plays were there, but then we just started really focusing in on him. We felt like it would just help his game more and it would take some pressure off him having him just sit back there and just release the ball where people can load the box. Because what happens now is that if you're not a threat as a runner, they can play coverage the whole time, and now that you are a threat as a runner, now it's all about, hey, we need to get an extra guy in the box to try and stop the run. So when that extra guy comes down and he sees a guy coming down, now he knows he can win outside with '9' [John Harris] and with Shipley [Jaxon Shipley] and '7' [Marcus Johnson], now we have a chance to go win outside which we did the other night. What they did, we had a couple of runs and we had some big ones where he was able to get outside the defense, and now next time you see that safety drop down in the box, now he knows I have one-on-one coverage, now I can make the check and I can release the ball and get it out to the outside. And that's what he did, which was really good to see that happen for him. You look at the first play of the game, they think we're going to come with the quarterback run, the design play, and they come down in the box and then we beat him on the skinny post with '7', with Marcus [Marcus Johnson] beating the defender inside.
On if the run plays were happening earlier: It was happening early, but I just think that the more he started developing, the more we gave him. But now he felt confident about it. It was there for him. We go back to the Baylor game, and it was there in the Baylor game, and what they did was they took the backer and they moved him to top No. 3, but he never went anywhere, so '3' was beating him behind. But he just didn't drill it, didn't just give it to him. If he would have given it to him, that opening drive would have been a touchdown.
On if he is surprised he is getting the long runs: Well, it opens up because like I say, when you're balanced, then you can get the long runs. He doesn't have to be very fast, if guys just get a hat on somebody and he can get down the sideline. And you look at the long run against Oklahoma, that's a long run where they had to go get him, catch him and run him down. But I think that the more confidence he builds within himself -- he's not that slow. I told him you just need to open it up and go with it. We had a conversation, and I said, 'listen, you're not a pocket quarterback. Don't worry about just sitting in the pocket and releasing the ball. Sometimes it's going to break down; take off running with it and go get the 1st down and don't be afraid to run with the ball.' I mean, you can run the football and get a first down. There's nothing wrong with it. You don't have to sit back there and take the hits.
On if Iowa State found a formula to make Texas defense look bad: Well, if that formula is there, it's there every week in this conference, because there's a lot of guys that put up big numbers. But no, I don't think that. Defensively guys got to be prepared to go play, and we weren't. You've just got to have the focus and guys need to make plays and get off blocks and run to the football and it's all about fundamentals and technique knowing how to play the ball in the air and just not give up those routes, getting in the right pass drops. We weren't in our right pass drops; never got pressure on the quarterback. We may have gotten one or two sacks maybe, but not getting the pressure on the quarterback - it's just where we've been playing well, we didn't play well. We had too many missed assignments, too many missed tackles, and all those things, they come hand in hand. When that happens to you, you're not going to play great defense, and we didn't do it the other night.
On DE Cedric Reed: Well, he's getting singled, and it's all about him getting off it and going and making it because any time you have a guy like '90' [Malcom Brown] who demands a double-team because he's playing so well, then the guy, we have to win outside, and we're not winning outside right now.
Senior RB Malcolm Brown
On making plays in the final minutes to defeat Iowa State: It was definitely a great feeling, just to see this offense click a little bit. The past couple of weeks we haven't been able to put points up like we wanted to, so to just go out and have a drive like that to really win the game, I mean, it just greatly uplifted this team and uplifted this offense.
On playing alongside RB Johnathan Gray: We're always out there, me and J-Gray, just trying to compete and rack up as many yards as we can to help out this team. Just to go out there and have our name called to go run the ball, I mean, it was fun. Definitely this offensive line that we have, me and J-Gray, we like to compete, so when it's our time, we like to go out and play.
On seeing the team's growth from the spring game: Yeah, it's cool to see it grow. I've always believed that we had it in us, we just needed something to bring it out. We definitely brought it out against Iowa State, and we want to just build on that.
On QB Tyrone Swoopes creating competition in the running game: Yeah, he is, he is. I said that to him during the game, too. I told him he outshined us a little bit, so we need to pick it up. I'm definitely happy for him, but we need to catch up.
On the team's issues winning on the road in Manhattan: You know, it's really not a whole bunch on atmosphere. It's the team. A bunch of disciplined guys. It is a pretty great environment out there – the fans are crazy and they're yelling and everything like that. You know, those guys out there, they have pride in playing at home, and that's something that we need to go in and break. We just need to go out and play our game definitely on the offensive side of the ball, just play how we've been playing the past couple weeks and eliminate those small mistakes, and I believe we'll be fine.
On seeing the final phases of the team coming together: Oh, yeah, no doubt. I feel like we're very close, very close to it, just for us as an offense to go out and play like we have the past couple weeks. I feel like that was really the one thing that we needed to pick up, and I feel like we just need to continue on that. We definitely don't want to just feel satisfied or anything like that, so we just need to keep playing how we're playing. We still have a whole lot of things that we can correct on film, even though we put up the points we did, so we've just got to go and correct those things and get even better.
On the biggest change in Swoopes so far: I can see the passion coming out - definitely a whole lot of passion to his game. I'm not saying that he didn't have any passion at the beginning, I can just see his emotions a little bit, and I can tell he wants this team to win. He cares about the guys that he's playing with, and that's his whole team. We care about each other, but as for Tyrone, I can definitely see that even more from him.
On Swoopes becoming more vocal: Oh, yeah, for sure. He's been working on that since he's been here. He came in a very quiet guy, and he's still even keel and quiet, but he's definitely talking a lot more.
On the offensive line creating more opportunities: They've grown tremendously. I've always had confidence in those guys. From the spring to now, I mean, there's just so much growth in those guys there. Something about the offensive line, they kind of had a lot of pieces going everywhere and a lot of guys changing positions, but I feel like now that they're set in stone, they have a little bit more confidence in themselves. We had a couple good games under our belts, so they're just getting that confidence. That's what it's all about, just having that confidence in your play and knowing that you're at the University of Texas for a reason.
Senior CB Quandre Diggs
On the defensive struggles against Iowa State: We didn't play the way we were supposed to, plain and simple. Tired of hearing about it, and we've got a week to go out here and prove that the defense that you saw on Saturday night wasn't really us. We'll get it fixed.
On preparing for Kansas State this week: We've just got to continue to grind this week at practice and get back to what we do best, and that's being an attacking defense and just having fun on the field. I think we showed [it] in the first quarter and then we just kind of tailed off. Other than that I think we'll be fine, and I know it'll be a fun environment. We like fun environments to go play in anyways. I think we play well on the road.
On the Kansas State program: I have a tremendous amount of respect for them, also. Those guys, they play tough each and every game. You know, it's something that Coach Snyder has had since he's been there, since he's been the coach. It's a great opportunity for us to go out and play a well-rounded team that's going to give it their all each and every play. We've just got to focus on us and continue to do what we do best and just go out and compete.
On if the game plan changes heading into a tough environment: You prepare the same way that we've been preparing all year. Probably should prepare a little more. Obviously we didn't play well last week, but at the same time we need to prepare better, continue just to focus on us and quit worrying about all the outside stuff.
On why playing in Manhattan, Kansas is difficult: I don't know, I've only played there once, but the crowd, it's fun. It's a fun environment to play in. That's the environment you always want to play in. Those guys are always pumped up, and the little wildcat, he gets going, and he has his fun. We've just got to continue to maintain our composure and just have fun out there.
On not worrying about outside pressure: Just don't really worry about what y'all are saying about the defense. We worry about what's being said inside of Moncrief and what we're going to get fixed. That's all that matters to me.
On S Dylan Haines: He's having a great year. He makes plays when they need to be made, and he takes advantage of opportunities as you guys can tell. He took advantage of the opportunity to get a scholarship, and since he's been on the field he's been making tremendous plays for us, and even on special teams he's giving his all. He's a great player for us on defense.
On if he was surprised that Haines scored: It was kind of out of the blue that he ran a pick-six back because he's kind of slow, you know, but at the same time he had a nice couple moves, but they were kind of slow motion moves but at least he got to the end zone. We make fun of him about it, but at the same time he takes it in and he enjoys being out there with us.
On if Dylan Haines surprised him with his play in the spring: No doubt. He made plays in the spring and it's crazy, because just one or two plays can definitely let you stand out if you're going against a second team group. He made those plays, and he comes from an athletic family. Also his brother Dakota was making a couple plays on scout team at receiver and stuff like that. They have a very athletic family, and he just took advantage of his chances and his opportunities, and I think he's having fun.
On Tyrone Swoopes' running ability: The funny thing is we told him he needs to start opening up when he runs. Like he was cruising out there at the beginning when he first started playing, and I think he's getting a feel for the game, and he can be deadly with his feet, as you can see. He's not a slow guy, he's just 6'5" and has long legs. Hopefully we get him running a little bit more and continue to punish guys.
On if he was able to enjoy the victory: You enjoy victory any time you can get it. We know we didn't play well, but it's not going to stop us from being excited that we got a win. Like we said, it's a one-game season, and we're going to take that win. You take ugly victories if you get them. All that, I just care about winning, and we got that done, and we got a "W" in our book, and that's all that matters. We're going to get things fixed, and we know that. We had a rough one at the beginning of the year against BYU but we bounced back from that, so it's not like we can't bounce back from it.
On Kansas State QB Jake Waters: Right now he's playing like he's one of the best quarterbacks in the Big 12. We have a number of great quarterbacks in this conference, and he's doing some great things. He has two tremendous weapons out there with [Tyler] Lockett and [Curry] Sexton and those guys, they go out and compete each and every game. That'll be fun, and it's just another opportunity to go out and play against a great quarterback that you usually see in the Big 12 each and every week.
On Kansas State WR Tyler Lockett: Like I said over there, he comes from a very athletic family. My brother was actually friends with his uncle when he played here, so those guys, it runs in their blood to play football. He has a great football IQ. He can run all the routes. He loves to go out and compete, and for being such a small guy like myself, he takes tremendous pride in being small, and going out and making plays and just having fun. I love to see that on film because he's a good guy. I met him at media day, and just the opportunity to go out and compete against one of the best in the country [is special].
Senior WR John Harris
On running hard after he makes a catch: I've always run like that. I played running back when I was a kid and I played quarterback in high school a little bit. When I get the ball, I just run hard and try to get yards after the catch or just yards whenever I have the ball in my hands. That's nothing to me. That's just normal. That's just how I play football.
On how his breakout senior season feels: It feels good because you never know what can happen and you never know how things can turn out, so I mean, it feels good just to stick around here and to stick it out and to get some success out of it because it's easy to quit from things and walk away from it. And if I would have left here, I probably would have quit a lot of other stuff in my lifetime. I'm glad I stuck around. I learned a lot from staying with this coaching staff and some of these guys on this team.
On why he contemplated transferring at one point: Just frustrated with my situation. I wasn't playing. I had my ups and downs here, just was looking for a fresh start and wanted to go somewhere where I could contribute and play a little bit more. I just wanted to have a chance to just get some confidence in myself more than anything. I think that's what most of it was, just frustration.
On when he considered transferring: Probably last year during the season. I caught a couple touchdowns but didn't really play much after that. I was stuck on special teams most of my time here. That's when most of that was.
On if there was a coach that convinced him to say: Coach K [Les Koenning], I remember talking to Coach K in his office. He told me just stick it out through the spring, see how things go and after that make a decision and see what you want to do. After that I went out there and had a good spring. It wasn't the best spring I've ever had, but it was okay. It was good enough for me. I made the decision to stick around here and work and just try to make a difference.
On what it was like having a level playing field after the new coaches came in: You know, I think it's a good thing. You give guys like walk-ons and even scholarship athletes a chance to show what they can do and then you find out what guys really want to be here and what guys don't. I think it was a good thing to have a level playing field. Seeing Dylan go out there and play like that, I had never seen Dylan do that. That was kind of a shock to me watching a kid go out there who was a walk-on and get seven picks in the spring and then do it in the spring game, and then you saw it on the field the other night; he took one back for a touchdown. Seeing stuff like that, you never know what you can get out of people on your team until you open it up and let people show you.
On playing at Kansas State: It's a loud place to play. More than anything it's a good fan base up there. They get behind their players and they support them. I mean, it's loud there all the time, especially when you step on the field. Wherever Texas goes it's going to be loud regardless, but you know, I think it's more of a mental thing for the Texas team that's been there, knowing that you haven't won there or knowing that this team kind of has you rattled mentally is the thing we have to get over.
On if the coaching staff not having a perception of Kansas State is a good thing: I think it does and it doesn't because we still know the history of the Texas and K-State [Kansas State] rivalry. We haven't won there since '06 [editor's note: 02], I think, and I mean, that's a pretty big gap for any team to go somewhere else and not win. Even with a fresh start, I think you've just got to go up there and play football. We can't worry about the past and just go out there and try to get a win.
On being the go-to guy on offense: I just feel like I'm a part of a great group of guys. Just being out there with Ship [Jaxon Shipley] and Marcus [Johnson], those are great receivers, too, but to feel like I am the go-to guy, sometimes and then sometimes I don't because any day Ship [Jaxon Shipley] could be the go-to guy and then I could be the go-to guy one week. So I don't necessarily feel like that. I feel like the whole group is go-to guys because just like you saw, with 22 seconds left, he threw that ball to Ship, he caught it, he was the go-to guy at that moment and I just made another play to help him out. We all can be go-to guys in that room. Anybody can make a big-time play at any big-time moment on the team.
On coming back from a fumble and making the last catch of the game: That felt great. Making a fumble and then watching a guy take it for a touchdown and be able to help seal a victory by watching Nick Rose put a field goal up felt great. Because I've had a history of dropping those passes in times, like UCLA I wish I would have caught that ball because it could have possibly led to a first down and then kept the drive going, and you never know what could have happened after that. That felt good to finally get over a hump like that. I just felt like I've been stuck in a situation wherever I had to have a chance to make big plays that I haven't.
On being able to set mistakes aside and not letting it bother him: Yeah, I've developed that over time. You can't worry about the play before, you just have to worry about the next one and just go out there and keep competing and keep playing because if you worry about the next one, you're just going to cause more problems for yourself. You can have more dropped balls and then you can have another fumble and next thing you know, you're on a downward spiral. I had already got off to a great start, so I mean, I can't worry about a fumble. We were still in the game at that point so we were just still trying to win.
On the feeling after getting the ball back: When I was in one-on-one situations, I knew I was going to get the ball back. Even at the end of the game I knew he was going to come to me. I mean, it was one-on-one with a guy who we had been picking on all night. There was no doubt in my mind that I was never going to get another chance to make a play.
On what was going through his mind on the play: The one thing that was on my mind is that they really put him one-on-one with me. That was the really interesting thing. I was like, are you serious? But that's really all I was thinking. I mean, I just couldn't believe that they actually manned up on me one-on-one.
On QB Tyrone Swoopes: I mean, he's young. He's going to have to grow up like everybody else. He's done it at such a tremendous rate that you can only expect so much, but my expectations for him are growing each and every week. Every week that he plays better, our expectations get higher. He can be that guy here. I don't understand why people doubt him. I mean, keep doubting him because I want him to keep playing the way he's playing. If you want to talk bad about him, if you want to hate on him, that's fine. The kid is playing some great football and he's leading this team the way he needs to lead them. He doesn't have to worry about what anybody else is saying outside of that.
On how many times he has caught that route from Swoopes in practice: I haven't caught that route that many times. We throw the fade every now and then, we don't really throw the deep ball that much in practice. In practice we actually connected on that same type of play in practice in seven on sevens, so I actually was thinking about it after I caught the play in the locker room. I was like, we ran that play in practice, and it happened on the practice field and it happened in the game, so it was kind of surprising to me when I thought about it over time.
On the catch when he got the ball off the guy in the third: It was ridiculous. I wasn't sure if I was going to get to it, and then it ended up in my hands, and when I ended up watching it later on, I mean, it kind of surprised me a little bit because I didn't really think I was in that great a position to get the ball. I actually thought I took the ball away -- I actually thought he had the ball in his hand and then I pulled it away from him. But when I watched it again I actually had the ball before he even touched it. It was pretty crazy.
On if he is thinking about next year at this point: I mean, I hope so. That's the goal. I want to play at the next level, but you know, I just have to keep playing at this level that I'm playing at and then hopefully I'll get that opportunity.
Junior WR Marcus Johnson
On how it felt to get in the end zone: It felt good, just to contribute early and help toward that win. I was joking around with some of my teammates saying I didn't get called back this time, but it felt good.
On what the locker room was like after that win: You know, very excited. We still have a lot to build on. We expect a lot more out of ourselves, so it's one of those things where we continue to build. But it's one of those things where we were just -- that was the only thing on our mind at the time, enjoying the win and just celebrating it.
On if he and Iowa State Sam Richardson knew each other in high school: Yeah, I played alongside Sam in high school and we always competed in practice, and to get to be able to play alongside of him in the Big 12 and things like that was great. He talked trash. I'm more of a quiet guy, I just play, so I kind of stayed to myself and let him talk. But at the end of the game I talked to him a little bit, and I just told him to keep doing his thing and keep his head up.
On how nice is it for him to see Tyrone Swoopes grow and become a starter: It's been great to see him grow each week and see him progress as a leader. Coming in and seeing him from freshman year to now, to take full advantage of his opportunity, you know, even after that North Texas game going into BYU, it was an easy transition. I told the guys earlier, going into spring, he kind of got put in that role of going into the spring game and having a start. It was one of those things where we expect big things from him and we know he'll continue to lead us and be a great QB as he's done these past few games.
On how much improvement Tyrone Swoopes has made from the spring: Honestly even when he first got here, I never said he was bad or anything like that. Little things you have to work on coming from high school to college and things like that, but as he's progressed and gotten better and better. We've only seen a little bit of him now, so I can only imagine what's going to happen the next couple years as he continues to build on what he's already doing.
On Swoopes not being the fastest guy out there: Yeah, he's not the fastest, but he's a big guy. I remember when he first got here, we said, you can play D-end for us. But being a big guy like that, he's one of those guys where he's hard to bring down and he can break off those big runs because of his size, and he's done a great job with it so far.
On how the guys find a way to continue to battle with the depth chart always changing: Just [be] resilient. It's one of those things where being at this kind of university and having these kind of players, even if somebody goes down, we expect him to be able to step up and make plays, and we expect that out of ourselves. It happened last year and we continued to fight and go through it, and it's happening now and it's the same thing. We expect that out of ourselves, to be able to step up when need be. That's what's happened so far.
On how big of a challenge is it this week going up to K-State: It's going to be a tough challenge, very disciplined team, but it's just going to be one of those things where we just have to control what we can take care of, being fundamentally sound, limiting the penalties, and just mistakes that will hurt us. We can't really worry about what they're going to do. We know what to expect with them being such a disciplined team. At the same time, like I said, just control them when we can and going out there and playing a complete game in all three phases.
Sophomore QB Tyrone Swoopes
On stepping into the QB role: I wouldn't say I became, like, a man, but I think it was a big step in that direction, just because we got caught in a tight situation in the end, and we made a couple of plays. I think we all kind of made a step in the right direction this weekend.
On if he ever considered changing positions: No, I honestly didn't. If he asked me to I would have done it just because you do whatever makes the team better, but I honestly didn't think about it. I knew there was going to be growing pains, new coach, new philosophies, and things like that, so I knew it was just going to be difficult at first. In the end I had enough confidence in myself to know that it was going to eventually turn around.
On nervousness in the last five minutes: Not really, just because we came off the field, and the offensive coaches kind of told us to stay ready. But they had been kind of been moving the ball on the defense the whole game, so we just had to stay ready. They eventually scored, and we were ready when the opportunity presented itself.
On biggest challenges of road games [specifically Kansas State]: I think it would just be staying calm. We're going to make plays, and they're going to make plays, and I know their fans are going to be into it. They're going to have a lot of people there, so I think it's just going to be staying calm, staying composed in those situations.
On his on-field relationship with WR John Harris: My freshman year we were both kind of on the scout team together, and we sometimes made plays - we connected during that. Then going into the spring and the summer, I just saw how hard he worked and what he's become. Going into my first couple of starts, he told me to put the ball in the air and I'll go get it for you and I'll make plays for you. I kind of took that and kind of ran with it, and he's been making plays for us.
On the final drive: We got the first play call, and it was kind of 50/50 in my head. I didn't know what they were thinking, but we got the first play call, and we completed the ball to [WR] Jaxon [Shipley] and had I think it was 14 some seconds left, and we took another shot and completed the ball to John [Harris]. Eventually we ended up getting the field goal. I guess since we got those two throws, they kind of gave us a chance to get the field goal in the end, but I feel like if we wouldn't have got the one to Jaxon, we probably would have gone into overtime.
On the team's growth: We've come a long way. We've been saying the first couple weeks, we're just a couple of guys away, a couple missed assignments away from making big plays, and we feel like we're finally putting those opportunities together and making big plays when needed. It means a lot that Coach Strong has confidence in us now to know that we're going to move the ball and get scores when we need to.
On predicting he would be the starter: I honestly did not, but I knew I needed to stay ready. I know a lot of other people didn't think I would be, either. I just kind of stayed ready, just went out and practiced every day, worked hard, tried to do what Coach Watson and everybody else were telling me to do, and just kind of came into what I am now.
On confidence in John Harris and Jaxon Shipley: It helps a lot to know that you've got not just one but you've got two guys out there that can help you when you need it. They may not be just wide open, but I know if I give them a ball that they can go compete. I have a feeling that they'll go up and get it for me.
On if he is a pocket quarterback: I mean, I think I have the ability to be a pocket quarterback, but I have enough athletic ability to get outside the pocket when needed and make plays. Like I said a couple weeks ago before the OU game, [Coach Strong] just told me when the opportunity presents itself, don't be scared to go out and try to make plays with your legs. And I just kind of took that from that week and carried that into this week, as well, and I tried to do the same thing.
On whether he was scared to run outside the pocket before talking to Strong: I wasn't scared, I think I just wasn't really thinking about it at the time when he brought it to my attention. I guess it, like I said, kind of got my attention, and I tried to put it on the field.
On quarterback runs: I think it's helped us a lot just as an offense. It just mixes it up a little bit. Not every one of them are quarterback reads, but I mean, the defense doesn't know that, so carrying out the fake on the backside can hold a defensive end or a linebacker both for just a step to help [RBs] Johnathan [Gray] or Malcolm [Brown] get a couple extra yards.
On being surprised by his long runs and comments from other players: Yeah, I mean, but I guess I'm just not used to getting out and running like that, so it kind of caught me by surprise. Of course I get stuff from guys, but it just comes with it.
On QB coach Shawn Watson: He's just a passionate guy. He loves football. He loves coaching us, and we kind of get that kind of passion from him every day in practice, in meetings, wherever we are. Whenever we talk about football, we get that kind of passion from him anywhere he is, so I feel like that's a good thing from him.
Sophomore S Dylan Haines
On his interception for a touchdown against Iowa State: It felt great, obviously, and to be able to run back and score a touchdown was a really special feeling.
On his journey from a walk-on to starting safety: That's been really exciting. Going from walking on the team two years ago and then from spring to fall going from scout team to starter, it's been a quick transition, but it's been really fun. I feel like I've deserved it.
On why he decided to come to Texas and walk on: My dad played here in 1977 to 1980, so he had a huge impact on me deciding to come to UT and then walking on. You know, the walk-on tryouts were tough. It was probably one of the hardest things I've ever done, but it was definitely worth it, you know, to be able to come on, to walk on, and then to spend the first two years as a scout team player and kind of, like you said, [be] a hitting dummy. But to make the progress that I've made and for it to all finally start to pay off, it's been really special.
On earning playing time this season: Well, I came out, obviously not playing the first two years. And then with the new coaching staff, they made it clear when they got here that there were no superstars, there were no starters and backups. Everyone was going to be treated equally and everyone was going to be given equal opportunities, so when I was given those opportunities, I came out and I showed that I can play at this level. That's just what I've been doing, just going out there and just playing to the best of my ability, and it's proving to be working.
On if he ever thought he would get a chance to play: Well, I redshirted my first year, and then my second year I wasn't given the opportunities in practice or in spring ball and camp to really show what I was capable of. I was kind of just limited to running the scout team against the first team offense. I guess, yeah, just a lack of opportunity was the real problem.
On how his life has changed this season: It's been a lot different. For the first time I've had people come up to me that I don't know and recognize me. So it's very humbling and it's something that I don't take for granted because I think coming from - I wouldn't say a nobody - but being not recognized universally and not being recognized as a player of the team to being recognized, it's certainly just a special feeling.
On talking to his father : You know, he obviously told me he's really proud, and he texts me every day and tells me that he's extremely proud of me. I've got to go back and I've got to thank him because he's the reason that I came to this school because I wasn't recruited and I could have gone anywhere that I had the grades to go. I chose to go here because of his influence on me, and he convinced me, he always knew that I was capable of whatever I wanted to do, and when I told him that I wanted to play football, then he said, 'you go play football, that's what you can do.'
On his father knowing defensive coordinator Vance Bedford: When the new coaching staff came in my dad told me, and when they found out who they were, my dad told me that he had played with Coach Bedford when he was here, and he kind of told me what he was like as a player. Obviously they had kept in touch, but he didn't really know what he was like as a coach because he was over there at Louisville.
Coach Bedford was just like my dad said. He's an intense coach and he'll get after you and he'll praise you when you do something good, but he'll fire you up really quick when you don't. Yeah, I think the relationship between those two is -- yeah, it kind of helped maybe get my foot in the door and let Coach Bedford see what type of player I was.
On what his other college options were: Well, I didn't have any scholarship offers, Division I, Division II, partial. I didn't have any of that, so really my college -- my process of deciding on which college I wanted to go to was fairly simple. I wanted to go somewhere close to home, so it was either Texas Tech, Texas State or UT, and ultimately I just decided UT was the best place to get my degree from, and it had the best academics, so that's why I wanted to come here.
On if he considered going to Texas A&M: No, not A&M. My parents would not have let me go to A&M.
On what the defense needs to improve on this week: Well, I think in the first quarter after we got up 14-0, we played good up until then. Then I think if you look at our defense, it's not that we didn't play hard, but we looked like we got relaxed, and we just missed assignments, missing gaps, not dropping into pass coverage, and it's little things like that that just allowed Iowa State to create explosive plays and then move the ball effectively and with tempo. And then as soon as that happened, we lost momentum and they were able to move the ball really effectively all game.
On his journey to this point: Well, like I said, my first year I redshirted, and I knew that I still had a lot of things to learn as far as understanding the game and then developing my size as well as my strength. But the second year I felt that I just hadn't been given an opportunity, like not saying that I could have been a starter, but I think I could have played on special teams or fit somewhere in that spot. I think when the new coaches came here this spring, the spring they got here and I came out and they made it clear that no one was a starter and they were going to give everyone an opportunity, I kind of felt like, okay, this is the time, and if I can't make it now, then okay, maybe I can't play at this level. So I came out there and I just did everything I could that spring to rise on the depth chart and show that I can play, and that's exactly what I did.
Junior CB Duke Thomas
On what he saw on film: Things that have to get fixed. We allowed too many yards. That's not what we want to do as a defense and definitely didn't shut them down like we wanted to, so we've got to get that fixed.
On if the mentality of the new coaching staff brought out the best in players: It definitely brought it out of a lot of people. Just seeing Dylan Haines come in and be a walk-on and have his opportunity to play, basically everybody knows it's a competition, and everybody's spot is up for grabs, so it definitely brought the best out of some people.
On if he has heard any stories about playing at Kansas State: I mean, I've played there before. I feel like it's just an away game for me, same 100-yard field, just go out there and play.
On if there is anything that stands out about Kansas State: I think they're a hard-nosed football team, hard-working team. You can see on film they don't make many mistakes. We've got to go out there and execute more than anything.
On if the preparation for this game is any different than any other one: No, every game is the same preparation, go out there and get ready to dominate. For this week more so than anything we've got to understand that [WR] Ty Lockett is a big player, so we've got to get ready to play against him.
On what makes WR Tyler Lockett so good: He makes big plays. The quarterback throws it up, he comes down with it. Being a defensive back, you've got to negate those plays and be ready to make the plays on your end. Just him being out there makes it a different kind of offense.
On what they saw on film: We haven't really had a chance to watch film yet. We'll go over [it] later today. I watched a little bit of the game. I saw a post route, he went up there and got the ball, just a lot of things like that knowing that he can get the ball.
On if this is the kind of game where that eye discipline comes in very handy?
Yeah, definitely. The quarterback is sitting back there dancing, and I've seen that play you're talking about, a pop pass to their fullback. Definitely got to keep eye discipline, reach keys and things of that sort. So if you've got a man, you've really got to pay attention to what's going on.
On Iowa State bringing the defense down and if that is good for them: I don't know if that's good for us or not. I'd rather just continue to shut people out. Just knowing that any given day, any given game that you can get -- you're not on your stuff, they can exploit you. They can find ways to make plays. Every game you go out there, you get ready to make plays. You can't be slow stepping or anything like that.
On missed assignments during the game: Coach said we've got to execute. That's what it comes down to in the game of football. I'll get that stuff figured out.
