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Takeaways: Red Raiders reflect on Kansas State loss

Following the 21-6 loss to Kansas State, Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury, senior kicker Clayton Hatfield and sophomore defensive lineman Eli Howard spoke with the media Sunday evening. Here are the takeaways:

Kliff Kingsbury

- Kingsbury started off saying he felt like the team had great effort, great effort. “I just didn’t see it offensively yesterday. I feel like we had the fight taken to us, have to give their defense a lot of credit, but that was the first time – I don’t know if it was a let down emotionally or what occurred but we didn’t fight like we had been offensively.”

- He then said a few positives that he could take away from the game which included Hatfield’s kicking and the linebackers stepping up on defense. “Offensively, there were no positives.”

- He later gave his thoughts on Les Miles going to Kansas. “What a tremendous addition. He is one of the legendary coaches in our game and it’ll be great recognition for the Big 12.”

- In regards to the pressure of getting that sixth win to go to a bowl game, Kingsbury compared it to high school football playoffs. “It’s survive and advance and they’re fighting for the same thing we’re fighting for and you want to get that sixth win and become bowl eligible. This team’s overcome a lot of adversity to put themselves in this position and now they just have to find a way to do it.”

- On Hatfield, “It’s incredible and it was tough conditions, it was cold, it was windy, and he just knocked those two through and has been doing it all season. Just can’t tell you how proud I am of him. We talked before about him having his comeback season, he sure has.”

- The biggest improvement on offense Kingsbury said he wants to see this week before going into the Baylor game is ball security.

- Kingsbury then gave a message to the fans. “it’s just a good group of young men who’ve fought really hard against some adverse situations and continue to battle and have been competitive as any team since I’ve been here in each and every game and would love to have a great crowd in Dallas to help them try and extend their season.”

- Dakota Allen is still day-to-day.

- Kingsbury said Riko Jeffers will likely be the future leader of the defense next year and has stepped into that role these past games.

Clayton Hatfield

- Hatfield started off giving his thoughts on this year compared to last year. “It’s really big to have my teammates and all of the guys, all of the specialists, Coach Kingsbury, it’s really big to come back after last season.”

- Hatfield then gave his thoughts on the offense. “It was a little of a different feel for me. I always kind of finish up the offense and it’s frustrating cause I want those guys to do really good too and for me to get opportunities to go out there and help the team out as well. It’s just, you hate to see it.”

- Hatfield on the pressure this week, “You can’t sit, turn around and look back at the season and go, ‘oh my gosh what’s happened last week, the week before,’ you’ve just got to step up and game plan and be mentally tough and go out there and do your job.”

- In regards to the frustration of the past couple of weeks, Hatfield said it has been difficult and you can tell with the locker room.

Eli Howard

- Howard started off saying there was a lack of execution from the game against Kansas State. “I feel like we played hard, I feel like we’re creating the identity we always play hard until the end but at the end of the day, you’ve got to execute.”

- He then said he felt the defense did not give the offense as many opportunities to win as they have in the past. He also talked about when the offense is struggling, the defense has to make stops and create turnovers in order to pick them up.

- He then gave his thoughts on Kingsbury putting a lot of the blame of the losses on himself. “It’s incredibly respectable on his part because like I said, at the end of the day it comes to execution. Coach Kingsbury can’t catch a snap and he can’t help block for a punt, so the fact that he takes a lot of credit for the losses and stuff, you just can’t do anything but respect as a player. He’s truly a player’s coach and at the end of the day, I think the players need to look in the mirror and we’ve got to be better for him and for the community and just for everyone that wears TTU on their chest

- He later said that is what makes him want to fight harder this week, “Personally Coach Kingsbury gave me a scholarship, so I’m sure I’m pretty biased towards rooting for him but he’s an incredible player’s coach and takes a lot of the blame for when players maybe have slip ups or poor execution or undisciplined, so I feel like this week we’re really fighting for him, fighting for each other and fighting for our seniors. We don’t want these last six days to be our last six days.”

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