|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCESeptember 5, 2016Patrick Mahomes IIIOndre PipkinsLubbock, Texas Q. After looking at the film, how do you think you performed? PATRICK MAHOMES III: I thought I did well. I could have definitely done a lot better, got a little loose at some times. Kind of freelanced a little bit more than I would like to, but I mean, we won the game. We scored a lot of points. That's always encouraging. Q. How do you tighten that up, just remind yourself every play? PATRICK MAHOMES III: Yeah, remind myself, working on it in practice, really getting the game plan down and going through the reads and not try to make a big play all the time. Something I've been working on all off-season and hopefully I'll get better as the season goes on. Q. Is it more -- did you do it that way because that's the way you've done it all your life and changing it to be tighter is more -- is newer to you? PATRICK MAHOMES III: Yeah, I feel like I was a little amped up, especially the beginning of the game, trying to make big plays happen. We did make some happen but at the same time, we missed on a lot of things. I'll try to get better at this going into Arizona State. They have a good defense, so need to be better, more efficient, just try to put it in the best player's hands for that play. Q. After the game was it more just not going through all of your progressions and staying in the pocket that Kliff hit on with you or what was it specifically? PATRICK MAHOMES III: Yeah, that was the main thing, just kind of getting off my reads early, and you could tell, I was going through the progressions, I guess you would say but just not really trusting it. Trying to make -- get out of the pocket and run around, throw the ball, instead of just trusting it and making the throws. Something that we've been working on and I expect to do better. Q. Was that more because, I guess, maybe the offensive line wasn't blocking as well as they should have or was it just you, first game. PATRICK MAHOMES III: A little bit of both. I feel like a lot of it was on me just not trusting them. But at the same time, we have to be more physical, the offensive line. But a lot of it was on me just not trusting them. Q. Are you going to try to throw it to 18 different receivers this next game? PATRICK MAHOMES III: If they are open, I will. Try to put it in the best receiver's hands for that play, and whoever goes through my reads and whoever is open, I'm going to give them the ball. I'm not a big guy on having a go-to guy. I try to put it in the best player's hands for that play. Q. Have you looked at any film, do you think that Arizona State is softer in the middle or the outside or short and deep? PATRICK MAHOMES III: I think it just kind of depends what defense they are in. They have a really good defensive line. Their pass rushers are really good. But they have a good defense in general. They have a really good scheme. They blitz a lot, try to confuse you. So just me recognizing the blitzes and getting us in the best play would be the best way to go about that. Q. Were you on the sideline for the Holiday Bowl win in San Diego? PATRICK MAHOMES III: No, I was still a senior in high school. Didn't get to come. Q. Did you watch that game? PATRICK MAHOMES III: I did. I did watch that game. They did really good, first half, especially, jumped on them early. Davis at the time was really good about just going through his reads and making his plays and hopefully I can do the same thing and carry it into the second half, have like a full game of really good football. Q. Anything about Arizona State, the Pac 12, power five conference, does that change a lot for this week, the buzz or anticipation? PATRICK MAHOMES III: A little bit. I mean, we're really trying to go out there and prove to everyone in the nation who we are. We have a really good chance. They are a really good football team. So to go out there and hopefully excel and hopefully come out with the win would be awesome, and really get us going for the season as we are at the beginning of it. Q. What do you take from inexperience in non-conference last year going to somebody else's house in Arkansas and what do you take to Arizona State that maybe you didn't last year? PATRICK MAHOMES III: I mean, last year, the biggest thing against Arkansas was getting on them early, getting that lead from the beginning, and hopefully we can do that this next week, jump on them early and kind of how we've really done well since I been here is once we get up early, usually we can maintain it through the whole game. We have to be better on the road this year, so excited to see us get out there, first time on the road in a big stadium in front of a hostile environment. Q. Have you ever played that late at night? That seems like a lot of waiting around. PATRICK MAHOMES III: I haven't. I was here for UTEP when we played them at nine o'clock my freshman year. I didn't get to play but I was there, so I know what the process is like. So I use that experience to help me out, and really try to get myself maintained the whole day and not be too energized all day. Q. What do you hope to learn most as an offense or maybe try to improve on, power five opponent, a couple of weeks before Big 12 starts? PATRICK MAHOMES III: Biggest thing I'm improving on is being more physical as a whole unit and blocking for each other. We made a lot of plays with playmakers last week but we really need to improve on really blocking for each other and really being a full team and not just a big play team. Q. As least as of yesterday, it came out that you guys were underdogs compared to Arizona State. Do you guys see yourself that way? PATRICK MAHOMES III: I mean, I don't see us as underdogs to anyone. I feel like we can beat anyone in the country, so we're going to come out there and play like we've worked this off-season and played the best we can and compete, hopefully come out with the win against a really good football team. Q. Did you take a lot of hits on Saturday? PATRICK MAHOMES III: Took a few. I don't really notice them until after the game but yeah, I took some hits, took some big ones but for the most part, I don't think I got sacked, so that's always encouraging, and so as long as we're moving the ball forward and not moving backwards, that's always a good thing. Q. The knee doesn't bother you? PATRICK MAHOMES III: Knee, I haven't felt in a while, knock-on-wood. I haven't felt it and I'm excited about that, staying healthy, keep maintaining rehab and stuff like that, just to make sure about it. Q. Two or three times Saturday night, y'all were in third down situations and you kind of took -- were those by design, the first passes? PATRICK MAHOMES III: Yeah, and I think that goes to how good the receivers were playing, making big plays. They were dropping a lot of guys out of there. And learning from my freshman and sophomore year, I've learned that on third down especially, if they give you the first down, just go ahead and take it and run for it. Like you said. I was just kind going through my reads and just saw open space, just ran for the first down and got out of bounds so we can keep the offense and the chains moving. Q. Usually in that first game, you don't really know what you have until those lights come on and you get out on the field. Just after what you saw, Stephen F. Austin, do your expectations change, what you see the season ending up as and what do you have those expectations as of right now after seeing it for the first time? PATRICK MAHOMES III: My expectation is still to win the Big 12, Big 12 Championship. From watching around the country, there's a lot of good teams in Big 12 this year, guys that can really play. I expect to win every single game. I expect to win the Big 12 and compete for a National Championship. Q. What's the toughest part about going through your reads and avoid the rust and making stuff happen -- finding a balance between that and trusting your instincts; I imagine that's a challenge. What's that process? PATRICK MAHOMES III: It's definitely a challenge, especially getting out on game day, you want to make big plays happen, but just have to trust in the offense, trust in Coach Kingsbury and that he knows what he's doing. He's had success. So really just trusting in him more than I guess you would -- I need to trust myself and just really go out there and execute at a high level. Q. You talked about going through your reads and maybe trying to make something happen prematurely; a couple times where maybe you over-corrected, that has been a concern. PATRICK MAHOMES III: For the most part, especially as I say, I feel like I was pretty good at not trying to make plays happen before the play. There was a couple times, I think on the third down, I overthrew Reginald Davis; the first option was wide open and I just took off running. But for the most part I thought I was pretty good about it this first game and hopefully I can be better as the season goes on. Q. Do you thrive off going into somebody else's house? PATRICK MAHOMES III: Yes, I feel like this year especially, that was the biggest knock, I feel like for us last year, we were great at home and not as good on the road and especially as an offense. So I'm trying to really change that mind-set for the team and then for everybody else watching us, is that we can be a road team and we can win games at tough environments. Q. Did you get a chance to watch the UT - Notre Dame game last night? PATRICK MAHOMES III: I did watch. It was an awesome game. Two really good teams, both teams, quarterbacks, played well, all the quarterbacks in the game. It was exciting to see a high-scoring game with a lot of different changes and momentum. Q. Have you watched Narcos? PATRICK MAHOMES III: I haven't watched Narcos yet. I will though, soon. (Laughter). Q. What was it like to get out there and just play well? ONDRE PIPKINS: It felt good to get back out there. It's been awhile. The jitters, of course you have them, but I have my teammates right there beside me, so it felt like it was just another day. Q. What do you feel like you guys need to accomplish overall on Saturday, even if it's something as simple as getting your feet -- ONDRE PIPKINS: I think we were just getting the feel of the game again, the feel of playing football at a fast pace, tempo. We definitely did a good job communicating with each other. That also could get better. Sometimes that we didn't communicate as well. So there was ups and downs in it, so we have to get better at that. Overall I think we all gelled together and we handled the environment pretty well. Q. How do you prepare in practice to go up against -- ONDRE PIPKINS: He's a big back. The team that we are playing, they have a big back, they want to run the ball. So the way we prepare is just to tackle in practice, make sure we wrap up and we get the ball carrier down and also, you know, just weather the storm. If you go into somebody's house, you know you're going to have some ups and downs. Just stay constant and don't panic, don't freak out and we'll be fine. You just manage the environment, that's all. Q. How do you get your teammates to have that same perspective? ONDRE PIPKINS: You just preach it to them. You let them know right off the bat. Today when we go out there in walk-throughs, that will be said. That's the first thing that will be said, once we bring it up, is that we have to learn how to control the environment going into somebody's house and just be together. You know, stay together through the ups and the downs. Q. Do you enjoy going on the road? Do you feel like you thrive in that environment? Seems like come together and build that cohesiveness. ONDRE PIPKINS: I don't mind going on the road. I mean, it's pretty fun. I mean, it's football, you know, so you've got to enjoy, you know, going to other places, seeing different things. But I enjoy it, going to somebody else's house, playing football. So I enjoy it. Q. Even if it's going to be at nine o'clock? ONDRE PIPKINS: Yeah, I've played in a few night games. It's going to be, you know, a challenge for some guys but I'm pretty sure once we dial in and focus in, we're going to understand, hey, this is a football game. So we've got to be ready to go. Q. First opportunity to be on Jones this past Saturday, how did it compare to the Big House and other places you've been around the country? ONDRE PIPKINS: It was loud. It was loud. Before I got on the field, I wasn't as nervous. I'm like, okay, I can -- when I got on the field -- they just started roaring, and I waslike, oh, my, goodness. It's just a good environment and I'm happy to be a part of it. We have a great fan base and they did a great job Saturday cheering us on. Q. Did it disappoint you that so many of them left before the end of the game? ONDRE PIPKINS: You never know. You know, some of them may some responsibilities. Some may have to get home. As long as we get the win; they came and supported and we got the win, so it was good. Q. I don't know if you've had a chance to watch too much film, but who impressed you the most out of the offensive line group looking back on Saturday's game? ONDRE PIPKINS: I think just about everybody, even Lonzell Gilmore, he came in right away and played an impact. Joseph Wallace came in and made an impact. Kolin Hill was a guy who sat out with me and he did an excellent job. I thought Gary Moore did a great job hustling to the ball. Breiden Fehoko did a great job holding his ground; Mike Thomas, Chris Williams, Jacarthy Mack, J-Mack, I don't want to forget anybody. I think everybody handled it pretty well and they went out there and did their job. We do have some things that we have to correct and we'll get those corrected this week. Q. Did that help having not only someone else, but someone else like Kolin in your position group that last year, just going through the process, waiting your turn, I guess does it help going through that process? ONDRE PIPKINS: Yeah, it's pretty exciting, because we talked before the game, it was like, man, it seems like just a week ago we were just on the sideline, envisioning playing the next year and now it's here. So it was just a good moment to share with him because we both sat out. But I enjoy sharing the moment with all of them, all the defensive line guys with me because they helped me through the process, as well. They accepted me who I was and they never resisted the leadership. Q. How close do you feel like you performed as a unit compared to what you've seen the defense is capable of in practice? ONDRE PIPKINS: Can you say that again, sir? Q. How close do you feel like your performance as a defense was to what you've been capable of in practice and kind of the potential you've seen there? ONDRE PIPKINS: I think that starts with Coach Patrick, what he preaches ever day, coming out, bringing the hard hat, try to work every day, try to get better at something. So I thought that we were close at the whole game. We didn't break, we didn't bend. We have a tougher opponent this week so it's going to be interesting to see how we handle that. Q. What was Coach Gibbs' reaction to how you guys played Saturday? ONDRE PIPKINS: He was pretty excited for the most part. Of course, he wanted, you know, the ball a little bit more, so we got to do a better job of turning the ball over and making plays. And also, just taking advantage of our opportunities, batting balls, disrupting the quarterback, throwing his timing off. That's something we've got to do better. But for the most part, I think Coach Gibbs was pretty excited. Q. Only seen one game from their quarterback but he likes to run around. What problems does that pose for you guys up front? ONDRE PIPKINS: I don't think it's a problem. I think we all just need to know where we are on the field to do our job and stay in our gaps, of course and just ultimately do our job and execute when that time comes, if he gets out of the pocket, the guy who may have containment, make sure he has containment. Those are just coaching points and game plan strategies and they did a great job last week, meaning my coaches did a great job with the game plan and I'm pretty sure they are going to do a great job this week. Q. Do you like the statue back there or do you mind a running quarterback? ONDRE PIPKINS: Doesn't matter. I like them all. You know, I like to, you know -- it doesn't matter. You're a running quarterback, okay. If you stand in the pocket, okay. See how that works for you. I like them all. It doesn't matter to me. Q. Is there a specific number that Coach Gibbs preaches in practice as far as turnovers are concerned; that if you feel like you get to a certain number, that gives you a distinct advantage to be able to win the game, or is it hey, turn over as many as possible? ONDRE PIPKINS: There's no set number because we don't want to just set it right there. We want to get as many as possible and get it back to the playmaker, Patrick Mahomes, and high power our offense so they can score and do what they do best. FastScripts by ASAP Sports ... FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|