Press Release

Texas Tech Postgame Quotes

HEAD COACH KLIFF KINSGBURY
WR JAKEEM GRANT
RB DEANDRE WASHINGTON

TEXAS TECH HEAD COACH KLIFF KINGSBURY (Transcribed by Stephanie Weaver and Ryan Cantrell)

What did you see from LSU tonight that you didn’t anticipate?
“Nothing, they were fast and athletic and physical, and played a good game defensively.”

What in your game plan didn’t work that you anticipated would work?
“I always expect to score more points than the other team, so didn’t work out that way. They did a good job like I said, bunch of sacks, locked us down with some man coverage. We had some drops early that hurt us and that interception going into the end zone, I thought the game really turned on that. ”

What were your thoughts on the offensive line play?
“It could have been better obviously. I thought they fought hard. LSU is a very talented team. That was a different level of pass rush than we’ve seen I’d say this year. Pat (QB Patrick Mahomes) was under some duress, but I thought they fought hard.”

What were your thoughts on RB Leonard Fournette?
“Yeah, he’s a great player. I thought they had a good plan. I thought they threw it when they needed to throw it. Those receivers, 15 (WR Malachi Dupre) is a stud, went up and got it over our guys. And they had 600 yards offense or something like that, so I thought they had a good plan mixing it up. Got to give them a lot of credit.”

Did you feel that offensively you had to pass the ball rather than rush?
“We weren’t really running the ball. When we would, it wasn’t getting the yards we needed to, so we started throwing it more. I guess, we had a bunch of sacks, which obviously hurt the totals.”

What did you think of QB Patrick Mahomes game?
“He competed hard. Made a bunch of plays running around for his life. I think he’s just going to get better, but that was a different level of speed I think than we have seen this year. It took a little while for him to adjust to it.”

What are your big priorities going into 2016?
“We have a bunch of the offensive skill coming back, we have to replace some lineman, but I think I got to get some coaches hired and we just have to continue to improve. It was a big improvement from the year before. O=I thought offensively, I guess we have the school record for the most points, so headed in the right direction there and defensively, we have got to get a lot better.”

What does it say about WR Jakeem Grant to have a strong game against a strong defense?
“Yeah, he is tough to handle. I felt that he was a guy in space that could have a chance against them. They had a good plan for him, but a couple of times we were able to get him in space and he made the most of it.”

Did the momentum swing on the interception thrown by QB Patrick Mahomes?
“I think the fact that then they went down and scored and made it 35-20 instead of 28-24, or 23-27, so yeah that was a big turning point it felt like.”

From 4-8 to 7-6 do you feel like you made some big strides this season?
“We got better. Like I said, I think offensively, that type output is what I expect. I think we will continue to get better there as Pat (Patrick Mahomes) develops and some of those younger receivers get better. We have to continue to improve in turnover margins, still wasn’t great, and then defensively we’ve got a ways to go. Coach Gibbs has done a great job. We have to get some guys in here, coaching wise, that will fit and then kind of improve talent on that side of the ball.”

With so many players from the Houston area on the roster, did you see emotions play a bigger part than usual in tonight’s game?
“They were excited. It was a great atmosphere. It was a great way for those young men from this area to finish off the year and they were definitely excited to be here.”

Did you think that your offensive line was capable of having that much of a struggle tonight?
“I knew it would be a challenge, particularly when we had to go into throwing mode every play. It’s a good front, it’s a good defense, they had a good scheme and they played a good game.”

WR JAKEEM GRANT AND RB DEANDRE WASHINGTON (Transcribed by Ellie Pardee)

Can you talk about the game today?
Washington: “I think first of all, you’ve got to give credit to LSU. It was a solid bunch, especially up front, fast, fast group, so just give credit to those guys and I think some of the plays when we had some opportunities, we just didn’t capitalize.”

Is that the fastest defense you guys have gone up against all year?
Washington: “They’re probably up there. They’re definitely up there.”

Deandre, did you feel that you were limited rushing the ball?
Washington: “Yeah, I think we were pretty much, we didn’t lead at any point in the game, so that kind of dictated why I didn’t get as many carries, but like I said, a lot of that credit goes to LSU. They did a good job.”

Deandre, what has your career at Texas Tech meant to you?
Washington: “It’s been special, man. It’s been a hell of a ride. Through the ups, through the downs, the relationships I’ve created with these guys are some I’ll never forget. I would have liked to go out with a win, but it was a special night for me.”

Did you imagine this season being the way it was after the Missouri game?
Washington: “Yeah, man, it was definitely a process, I could tell you that, because it was kind of my first major injury, so I really didn’t know what was for me in the future. It was definitely a process, definitely a grind, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”

Jakeem, talk about the matchup you had tonight?
Grant: “LSU definitely did a good job of covering me up. I made a few plays on them, and they made a few plays on me. I take my hat off to (LSU FS) Jalen Mills. He’s a great defensive back and I knew from the first beginning that I was going to be matched up with him, and he got me on a few times and I got him on a few times, and like I said, he’s a great back. I could see him going in the drop of the draft.”

What are your thoughts on where the program is overall?
Washington: “I definitely think things are on the up and up, I mean they got some great guys coming in, they’ve got some great young leaders already here, so it’s definitely going to be a lot of work to put in this offseason, but I think leader-wise, they have that, so they’ll be in good shape.”
Grant: “Just basically going off of what Deandre said, I think this program is a great program. I think those prospects seeing myself, like Deandre, myself, (LT) Le’Raven (Clark), all those guys you see us making big plays in this conference, and that’s just going to bring in more prospects like us, so I feel like this program is going to go up.”

Jakeem, what have you seen from QB Patrick Mahomes this season?
Grant: “I’ve seen Pat grow a lot. He took on the leadership as a quarterback, nothing runs without the center and the quarterback, and Pat he took on that leadership and he’d get on to us about not getting our depths, dropping balls and all that type of stuff. I felt like looking forward into the future, he’s just going to continue to increase that leadership and he’s going to get those receivers right. Never know, he might win the Heisman one day.”

What are your thoughts on LSU RB Leonard Fournette
Washington: “Yeah, I mean he had a great season and just to top it off, he had a great bowl game. He’s a good player, wish him nothing but the best.”