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TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 9, 2015

Eric Morris

Lubbock, Texas

Q. Coach, you have an inside receivers coach, outside receivers coach that played professional football and on the college level. Is it frustrating to see dropped passes and what do you do to try to combat that?
COACH MORRIS: Yeah, catching a ton of them, five on the day, and really at huge points in the game. I mean, two touchdowns, the screen set-up is going to be a great play for us on a first down when we're driving, and then the other touchdown that Pat made an incredible throw into cover two. And couple on drives, Cameron Batson drops a big one on a drive we're marching down the field.

It's inexcusable. So we've got to continue to harp on it. We'll catch some extra balls and stay late, later than normal this week and we'll try to get it corrected.

Q. Does that become a mental thing more than anything else?
COACH MORRIS: Yeah, I think so. On the jugs, I mean, Devin's as good as anybody we have on the jugs, so we're going to try to do a little bit more with them moving a little bit more as opposed to standing still on the jugs. It's a little different when you're moving so we'll do a little bit more of that and see if it helps a little bit.

Q. Do you feel Jakeem feels pressure to perform big every game?
COACH MORRIS: No, I don't think so. I know that was their game plan was to take him away. They had two people bracketing him the entire game which was smart by them, and that opens up other people. So when these people have these opportunities, they have got to make the most of them and they've got to execute.

They're going to know where 21 is and try to take him and 11 away. That's just the facts of it. We've got to have guys step up and make plays, and they obviously didn't do that on Saturday. They'll have another chance to do it this week, but they've got to perform.

Q. Speaking of, just your outside receivers positioning this year, just the production hasn't been quite as good. What do you think at this point with the coming staff for those guys to catch more balls in general?
COACH MORRIS: Yeah, they've got to start making plays. It's embarrassing. It's not what this offense is drawn up to do, and it starts with us who have coached them. I've coached these guys for three years, and it's inexcusable. They've got to step up and do it, or we've got to make some changes.

We started a lot of youth out there against a lot of West Virginia older players. They've got linebackers that are flying around and they play more physical than us. You turn on the tape and watch the first ten plays of the tape, and you can tell right then that they played faster and harder and came downhill and put it on us and kind of suffocated us a little bit.

So you've got some kids out there. We started those two freshmen, and both of them are 18 years old playing against two senior corners. So, you know, you expect a couple, not us not to dominate out there on the outside, but they can't just drop. When we do get them open, we have to capitalize on those opportunities.

Q. Why do you think it's not translating from practice to games?
COACH MORRIS: What part of it?

Q. Catching balls.
COACH MORRIS: Yeah, that's a good question. I don't know why it's not. We're catching a ton of them. We chart them and catch more now than we ever have. So I think it's probably a number of reasons, but it's got to change. If not, we're better off just handing it to No. 21 back there.

Q. Speaking of 21, he closes 1,000 again. It's almost seems like he does it quietly. What's he meant to this program throughout his tenure?
COACH MORRIS: I think he's one of those kids you'll miss more when he's gone. We don't give him enough credit for what he does at every aspect of the game, both running game. Did another great job on blitz stuff. Couple times he was down the field blocking for other guys, played extremely hard.

He's making a name for himself. It's being noticed at the next level. Scouts really like what he's doing. Yeah, he's a kid that I would call probably him and Le'Raven are probably two guys on offense that are, no matter who it's been, they've been consistent and dominated their one-on-one match-ups throughout the year.

Q. How did you feel Pat played last week?
COACH MORRIS: Yeah, I think Pat did some good stuff. One bad throw there in the red zone we can't afford to have. He knows that and took away points from us. Overall he made some plays with his feet that were unbelievable and got some -- made some throws on the run like he's been doing all year. The one that Keke dropped. The one that Cameron Batson dropped. Those are all on-the-run throws. Extended a play for Jakeem on that first touchdown.

Doing some really good stuff. Tough player, you can see that. Ran over a couple of those linebackers who are all four are seniors and played a lot of football. So he's a tough kid that definitely brings a lot to this program.

Q. As the drop passes, has that affected play calling inside the 35 a little bit or is that a non-factor?
COACH MORRIS: Yeah, I mean, we've got to continue to do what we do. We've run the ball more so these last couple weeks to try to force the issue on getting the ball to 21 who is do being good stuff with it. But at the same point, if they start walking everybody down in there and give us eight-man boxes across the board, which West Virginia did a lot, you're beating your head against the wall if you're trying to run it into that.

So, yeah, we've got to continue to throw it and find unique ways to get it to the guys we trust right now.

Q. First series in the second half you guys had 31 and then 34 and then a sack from an outside linebacker (Indiscernible). Is there protection to account for that yet?
COACH MORRIS: No, they brought six, and we didn't pick up the twist. We got carried off the twist. Keke and Jakeem, Jakeem ran wide open. Had man coverage on him over the top. So, yeah, they twisted and it was a good scheme and they executed it, and we didn't pick it up.

Q. (Indiscernible)?
COACH MORRIS: Yeah, we had a back in and he got his guy and we just didn't pick up the twist.

Q. As far as K-State, can you talk about them defensively?
COACH MORRIS: Yeah, as well coached as anybody in this conference, and you go back and look at all these games. They could have won four of these games they lost in our conference. They lost in the end at Oklahoma State, played Baylor really, really good last week. Did some good stuff against Texas. So defensively they're, I wouldn't even say down. They've lost a couple key guys. They lost their best corner last week, but it just seems like Bill has done forever, Coach Snyder plugs guys in everywhere, and they seem to perform pretty dad gum well.

So they've played this defense for a long time. They read their keys. They're not going to give you anything exotic. They blitzed a little more this year than they did last year. But they're really good at taking away what you're good at, even Baylor, they stopped Baylor's running attack last week. So I think they'll have that same plan this week is to take DeAndre out of the game and find a way to take 11 out.

But we'll know where they're at. They play the same defense and they're really good at it.

Q. What does their secondary do so well?
COACH MORRIS: I think they keep everything in front of you, and they do a good job at just not making mistakes back there and giving up big plays. They've tackled well for a long time, so I think they keep it all in front of you is their first and foremost plan, and then rally the ball and make plays and make you put together long drives. And they bank on you making that mistake at some time.

You know, they're pretty good at what they do. Like I said. They play too high most of the time and those safeties do a good job reading, and run passing. They come down in the run fit and they're good tacklers.

Q. Is that something you preached to Patrick this week, check down? Be patient? Trust the process?
COACH MORRIS: Yeah, no doubt. We'll have to be patient with it. We need to be good on first downs, so we can stay ahead of the chains. Last week we got behind on first and second down a couple times and it put us into third and long situations, and they kind of dictated what we did offensively. They zero pressured us and set those guys flat footed and played man coverage across the board. So, yeah, we need to stay ahead of the chains and be efficient on first and second down?

Q. What about the play call on first and goal at the three?
COACH MORRIS: Yeah, we practiced that play for a long time. Didn't do a very good job of executing it. We ran the ball and weren't having much success down there running the football when we tried it, and we did the next play too. We had another run play where they came downhill and got after us.

So just one of those things. We've had a lot of those plays that have worked for us this year. So not second-guessing that call at all.

Q. Is that play designed to be a goal-line type play?
COACH MORRIS: Yeah, yeah.

Q. It is?
COACH MORRIS: Yeah. Scored against Oklahoma two years ago on it, and then scored last year one time on it as well. So it's worked a couple times. So didn't work this time.

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