Takeaways: Offense focused on starting hot in Ames

Offensive players met with the local media on Monday evening to discuss their week of preparation leading into Tech's final true road game of the season in Ames against Iowa State on Saturday...

-Slot receiver Jonathan Giles noted that they've talked a lot about how the offense started the game with three straight three and outs against OSU, and that the team is trying to make sure and get going early against the Cyclones in Ames:

"Our main focus is just to start fast and start early."he said. "It starts in practice with starting off good in practice, because whatever we do in practice is gonna translate into the game."

-When asked about the number of drops by receivers in Stillwater, Giles said it was just a matter of failing to execute:

"I think it's just bad execution, especially on my part. I think I had three drops, which is inexcusable. I think I've just got to work harder and stay later, catch more balls in practice."

-I asked the receiver if the team has been frustrated after losing three of the last four games by a possession. He said they have been, but they don't have anything to blame outside of poor execution:

"It is frustrating, just cause we know how close we've come. It's a play here or play or two there. So, it's very frustrating, but the thing we saw on film after we watched the film is that it was bad execution as a whole. It wasn't just one person. As a whole offense, we didn't perform up to how we're supposed to."

-Giles noted that Coach Morris teaches the inside receivers to run their routes as hard as you can so can free up someone else, even if you know you're likely not going to get the ball.

-Giles said the group expects to see a lot of press man from Iowa State in coverage on Saturday.

-The players we talked to noted that Coach Kingsbury and the staff have compared the situation they're in to the high school playoffs going on right now. It's a win or don't go bowling situation for the Red Raiders, and they know the next two games are essentially eliminators.

-Slot receiver Cam Batson said that Pat Mahomes gave him a bit of a nod before the 3rd and 20 conversion to keep the game alive on the final drive. What he didn't know until after the fact, however, was that Mahomes threw him a no-look pass.

-Offensive lineman Baylen Brown's thoughts on how true freshman Bailey Smith handled himself against OSU:

"I think he did well. I did it as a freshman, and it's hard to come into a big game like that as a freshman, and he really hadn't played since SFA. But I think he came in and did well, knew his assignments, and just getting where he needed to be."

-Brown also said that he believed the O-line and QB Pat Mahomes have continued to trust each other more in recent weeks, noting that Mahomes stayed in the pocket quite a bit more against Oklahoma State.