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TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

August 29, 2017

Paul Stawarz

Lubbock, Texas

Q. How well have you settled in and how confident are you now with the calls?
PAUL STAWARZ: I've been playing it for a while now through spring and through fall camp, so I feel comfortable. I think the guys around me feel comfortable too with me making those calls, so I'm ready for it.

Q. Who do you feel had the best camp?
PAUL STAWARZ: I'd say Jacob Hines had a really good camp coming from JUCO. I know what he's going through. I think he did really well. Travis Bruffy is also another guy who really improved.

Q. What do you think about the Washington front? I know there are some veterans that you're going to have to face.
PAUL STAWARZ: Yeah, I've watched a lot of film on them. I know they run different fronts, stuff like that. One thing that jumped out at me is how hard they play. I'll have to match that intensity. But I've watched a lot of film on them though.

Q. The offensive line has gotten a lot of criticism from fans, from media, from the outside world. What do you say to those guys about how hard you guys are working and how much improvement you guys expect to make this year?
PAUL STAWARZ: Yeah, there are some things that we were proud of last season and some things we had to improve. There is nothing I really want to say to them. It's something as an offensive line you've kind of got to live with. We've put in a lot of work this off-season. So I'm really excited to see how things play out, but I think we're ready.

Q. Coming from junior college you kind of know what Jake's going through. Anyway in particular you could help him?
PAUL STAWARZ: I mean, with him technique-wise and how physical he is, it's hard to match that. He's a really good player. I mean, the only way I could help him is just learning the offense and things he might have questions on. I think that's where I can really help him out at.

Q. You guys have been focusing on the run. Kliff has been talking about that all preseason. How important is it to get off to a good start against a defense that's struggled around here?
PAUL STAWARZ: Yeah, the run game is the main focus for us. I mean, we know how last season played out. We're not really happy with that. We've made huge improvements I've seen since last year. So it's really just going out there and showing what I know this offensive line is capable of. That's really about it.

Q. What are some of those improvements that you've seen?
PAUL STAWARZ: I think the biggest thing and the biggest strides we've made as an offensive line is how close we are and just the camaraderie and how much we jell together. I think that's a huge thing in just the way we communicate and target things. I think we're all on the same page now. We know the scheme. We know what Coach Jones has in place for us, so I think that we understand all of that is what's really going to set us apart from last year.

Q. With Jack Anderson, what have you seen him do knowing that he's a freshman?
PAUL STAWARZ: He's a great player especially coming out of high school, that's something you don't really see much. He's come a long way since being here in the spring. I think he's starting to really embrace the scheme here and how to play at this level. So I'm excited to see what he can do, I know what he can do. I think he'll be fine.

Q. Is there a difference in physicality along the offensive line particularly the running game, having guys who, for example, came from a running offense (inaudible)?
PAUL STAWARZ: It's just the mentality you've got to bring with playing the offensive line. I think Coach Jones has really drilled that into us in how you need to play, especially in the run game. That's something we need to change this off-season.

Q. What's been the biggest adjustment for you playing under center?
PAUL STAWARZ: I think the biggest thing is just embracing that leadership role. You have some guys relying on you in making certain adjustments, certain points, so I think that's the biggest thing. But I think just playing throughout this fall camp, playing that position. I think I've gotten comfortable with it and it's been going well.

Q. Three or four years ago someone told you you were going to be the starting center for the Texas Tech, what (inaudible)?
PAUL STAWARZ: That would have never have crossed my mind. Especially coming from Illinois, I never thought I'd end up in Texas.

Q. Can't remember, did you root for any particular Big Ten school growing up?
PAUL STAWARZ: I wouldn't say I rooted for a school. I know Northern Illinois is a school that's big in my family, so I always kind of kept up with them. I thought I was going to somehow end up there out of high school. So I've watched a lot of Northern Illinois.

Q. So you pictured yourself in maroon and black?
PAUL STAWARZ: Yeah, just not the same school.

Q. Are your parents going to come down?
PAUL STAWARZ: They try to make it as many games as they can. Usually away games they can make a lot of. Iowa State, West Virginia, they can make those. But they try. As many games as they can get down here, they'll be here.

Q. For you, what would you consider a successful game for the offensive line?
PAUL STAWARZ: There's no really stats or anything, at least me personally, I don't look at that. I just want us to play the way I know we can play and how we have played over this camp. Just selling out for the man next to you.

Q. How much have you guys talked about not sleeping on teams like Eastern Washington? You guys know that they obviously beat Washington State to start the year last year, and they dominated at the FCS level for a lot of years. How much is that a conversation between players and coaches?
PAUL STAWARZ: Yeah, I think at this level you can never overlook a team, especially a team like Eastern Washington. Just watching film, like I said, they play really hard. So you know how bad they're going to want this win. So you can't overlook them, and I think we've prepared for them.

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