Opening Statement:
"That's a great and deserved honor for [Shawn] Oakman. Like we were saying last spring, we felt like we had a chance to have one of the best D-lines in America and those guys have not disappointed and Oakman is certainly one of the leaders, if not the leader of it. So I'm really happy for him and how he performed the other day and how he's performed all year. He's played with a lot of tenacity, a lot of energy and a lot of positive vibes, which is pretty impressive. The thing I like about our football team, the thing you always try to preach is consistency. It's hard to stay consistent over a four-month period of time with a lot of distractions and I think our guys have done that for the most part. I'm pleased with their attitude, their mentality, their focus and their vision. The game the other night--there was a good crowd coming out. I thought it was an outstanding crowd for the blackout. That's always a fun and festive atmosphere and they made it that way. Mother Nature didn't quite cooperate but at the end of the day she really did because we got our game in and no delays and got out of there with a hard fought win against a good football team. Oklahoma State is a good football team, and I've said that all along and will still say it now. They've got good people, they've got good coaches and they've got great tradition. They're a hard football team to beat and that was a big game for our guys. All of our focus and energy right now is on Texas Tech. There is no Saturday past this Saturday at Arlington at 2:30 p.m. in the climate-controlled confines of Jerry's world. We're certainly looking forward to that and we know we'll have an outstanding crowd. It'll be a great football game between two teams that are fighting hard for respect."

On Kingsbury declaring the game their "bowl game":
"The thing that's a little bit different about this year than last year is last year toward the end of the season we were a couple teams' bowl games and it kind of surprised us and we weren't used to it. This year we're used to getting everybody's best shot. We're used to people coming out and swinging at us, not punches, but haymakers. That's a different version of this year's team as opposed to last year's. What we want it to be is every time we play someone-it's our bowl game. That's our mentality when we step on the football field because ultimately that's what you're shooting for. If you don't take care of this week, next week doesn't exist so our mentality is we have this Saturday, we're playing a good football team and it's two teams fighting for respect."

On team depth now compared to what it was when Briles first came:
"It's incomparable. It's apples and oranges. It's not six one way and half-a-dozen the other. It's night and day between what we were then and what we are now with depth on our football team. It took us about four years to build up to Big 12 quality depth and now I certainly feel like through recruiting and everything that's gone on with us over the last two or three years that we certainly have people that we can put on the field and perform at the level it takes for us to win on Saturdays."

On what Texas Tech does well:
"They're just good. They're always good. I'm trying to think back-in '08, '09, and '10 they beat us by seven points and in '11 it was a two-point game at halftime. Robert [Griffin III] got hurt right before the half and Nick [Florence] came in and we ended up winning the game but it was a two-point game at half. In '12 I think we were down 21-7 and get a turnover right down there late and throw a touchdown and make it 21-14 at half and then last year they're up 20-7 or 21-7 and it's 21-20 at the end of the first quarter. They're an explosive football team and being in the controlled climate-it's good for Baylor but it's also good for Texas Tech too. It fits both our styles. There's really not an advantage for one team over the other but they're just good. They play well and up until the last couple of years they've been a thorn in our side. We know that it's a game where we have to be at our utmost best to have an opportunity to win."

On advantages of climate-controlled stadium:
"It's just a great environment. It really is and I think you play with a little more pep in your step and the controlled environment really does make a difference. Everything is pretty precise and if you have an accurate QB and you can throw and catch a little bit then it's conducive to that. It's clear and the vision is good. There's no distractions at all or obstructions during the game and maybe that's a little bit of it."

On injuries for this week:
"I think we are in pretty good shape right now. As we get through the next couple days we'll know for sure. We came out of the game the other night against Oklahoma State in good shape."

On Shawn Oakman living up to his hype:
"I don't know, I've always said turn the hype into type. It's not real until you put it on paper. I think he's getting to that stage. I certainly don't think as a football team we've fulfilled all the hype for us and me as a coach and him as a player. There's always more out there and more to give and more to do. I do think that he's been consistent this year, and to me that's the most impressive thing. He's played extremely hard every snap he's been on the field. If you can get playing hard with talent then you've got a chance to have a stud and that's what we have with him."

On playing at the neutral site:
"There's two different ways to look at it. First of all it's a decision I'm involved in, and I think it's good for Baylor and I think it's good for Texas Tech. I think it's good for our fans in the Metroplex. They have a bunch up there and so do we. It's a controlled environment. I think it's a little different feeling now since we have McLane Stadium as opposed to a year ago, but I'm not against it. The only flip side is if we weren't doing that one year we would have five conference games at home as opposed to with this we are always going to be 4-4-1. The flip side is you've got five on the road on the other year, but you know every other year you're five at home. That's the only flip to it. I do like it and I think it comes normally at a good time in our schedule. It's a little different next year with it being a little earlier in the year. I think we end up always trying to play it on Thanksgiving just for students going home and stuff like that, it kind of helped them, but I think next year it is moved up to a different date."

On fans wanting this to be the first Baylor team to repeat as a conference champion:
"I don't have to look any further than the mirror. The thing that we take pride in is that it is hard to do. I think '06 and '07 is the last time it happened in our league, and I think Oklahoma did it. I think you can look across the nation and see how hard it is to repeat as a champion. That's something we take a lot of pride in. If we were sitting in August and said, `Hey, you're going to be deep in November and still have a chance to do it,' we would have said that would be outstanding. So we are where we need to be but we can't touch it yet. We've got to take care of business. We took a big step the other night. That was a big win for us and playing Saturday in Arlington is a huge win for us also."

On how undersized guys succeed on the line at Baylor:
"It's more first of all about them being great football players. They're great football players. They're very instinctive and great team players. They understand the game. They play with a lot of passion and attitude. Consequently it fits the style of our conference too. We're predominantly pretty much an open league from an offensive standpoint and guys of that stature certainly have a better chance to get on the field and be playmakers."

On what he's seen from players like Devin Chafin:
"Not just Devin, but Shock [Linwood]. Both those guys kind of got thrust into duty last year midway through-Shock probably a couple of weeks before Devin, and then Devin as the season progressed. I'm just really proud of both of them because of what they bring to us as a football team from a mentality standpoint. I think they're both very tough aggressive runners that run with an attitude and run with a purpose and I think we feed off that mentality. Devin is certainly that way and Shock is that way just as much. They're really good football players that have a burning desire to win and help us succeed as a football team."

On having running game clicking into form:
"We're to the point to where it's like the NFL playoffs or it's like high school football playoffs. You win, you advance. You win, you advance. A lot of times to be able to win and advance you've got to be able to control the ball and control the clock at later stages of the game. Being able to do that or having the potential to do that is certainly a plus for our team or any team that possesses that ability."

On what Collin Brence brings to the program:
"He's helped our team GPA tremendously over the past three years. He's just a really smart guy. We've talked about Collin a little bit, and everybody's got a story and he's one of those with a great story and a great purpose. He's a great inspiration. He's a guy that's done what he's had to do to get himself an opportunity to get on the field, and that's what he's done here on and off the football field."

On being shortchanged in comparison to Kingsbury as far as looks go:
"He is a good-looking guy. I'm not going to lie. He looks good. I quit trying to worry about looking good thirty years ago. I don't feel short-changed at all. As long as I'm breathing and walking on my own I feel very blessed."

On having good backups:
"Definitely. I think that's what separates the good teams from the great teams. Coach Kaz always says, `you're not a backup. You're a starter. Everyone is.' And that's true in every sense of the word, because things happen in games and you've got to be able to step up. You can't have the mentality that you're a backup and you're not going to play. So we don't have backups or second strings here. Everybody is a starter. It just depends on when you get your call. So I think everyone has done a great job up to this point of stepping in when their number is called. We have to continue to do that because you have to have depth to make championship runs."

On his TD run:
"It was great. It's hard to think about last year and not think about that play, because there are a whole lot of what ifs. What if that hadn't happened and we had scored? It might have changed the game around, who knows. So it was a redemption game, not just win/loss, but also the production value out of it. It was cool the way it happened, with capping that off and really putting the game away. It was never really out of hand. Every time we would get on top, something would happen or offense would have a lull, so we never really pulled away until that point."

On getting it together after West Virginia:
"We were happy going into West Virginia and we thought we had done something. That happened one time last year with the bowl game. We thought we learned from that, but we kind of let that emotion creep back in. So we had a meeting saying that we're not going to be happy about anything again. You hate having those wake up calls, but sometimes they help."

On what legacy his class will leave:
"We want to leave it better than we found it. We've got to finish in postseason, in November and December and wherever we end up, we have to finish because those are the things people remember. Last year, we left things in doubt and left a sour taste in your mouth for a whole year and we can't let that happen again."

On Texas Tech having nothing to lose:
"Every team is dangerous and this game will be no different. Last year, they came out hot and you could tell they wanted us from the very get-go. So we have to be prepared. They're not just going to roll over because they're playing us. These guys want to beat us. It's going to be a good matchup and one we have to prepare for all week."

On having the two interceptions:
"It's tough because that kind of gets into the selfish mentality. Obviously, I was pretty upset. It wasn't a clean game for me. I hate turning the ball over. It gives them chances to put points up on the board, and they did that on one of them. So that game doesn't sit well with me. But at the same time, we did win, so there's nothing to be upset about in that sense. It's just about learning from it and moving on and getting better every week."

On playing in AT&T Stadium:
"It's where the Cowboys play. It's always cool to play in that place because of what it brings and who plays there. That's where we all want to be, playing on Sundays. You're playing on the same field they are, so you love the whole emotion and the setting. And looking up and seeing your face on a screen as big as this building is kind of fun, so it's great."

On how his faith has impacted his playing:
"It's been really cool. Chris Womack, the guy that I do Bible study with every week, has really changed how I look at my faith on the field and playing-wise in the sense that I basically pray before every snap. So it's really cool even in the midst of interceptions and bad plays, still knowing that He's right there with me. The good stuff that happens is only because of Him. There are a lot of kids who would love to be in my shoes, so it's never a `me, me, me' thing. It's not about me, so I like to give God the glory. It's not pointing at me, it's pointing at Him."

On wanting to put up big numbers to impress for playoff chances:
"I don't think so. Not personally, anyways. I think as long as you win, you're putting yourself in the best chance to be there. As far as style points go, you can't control that. It's going to be whatever they come down to, and all we can do is win. That puts us in the conversation and they can take it from there."

On thinking about playing at AT&T Stadium two years ago when Robert Griffin III got hurt and Nick Florence went in ahead of Petty:
"At that point is when I got pretty sour about things. I really like to go out and prove every game, not just because it's at this stadium. It does bring back that memory of being looked past. But at the same time, if he (Briles) doesn't put Nick in, Nick redshirts and I don't play last year. So it's interesting. God has a plan in everything. There's a reason that I didn't play that game and there's a reason they put Nick in, so it's nothing to be upset about."

On scoring quickly against Oklahoma State:
"It is always good to get the crowd involved and then they stay in the game for the defense too. It really helps us both out."

On the weather against Oklahoma State:
"We knew rain was coming so we wanted to score quickly off the first two drives."

On the 19-play offensive drive against OSU:
"It is very rare for our offense, but our lineman fought through it and got us the touchdown. It just shows we are determined to score. You may have a couple of drives like that."

On following Ahmad Dixon:
"Sitting behind him and learning from him he taught me so much. I have to go out there and do the best I could do."

On the improvements he has made:
"I missed too many tackles. I wanted to get stronger so I gained some weight since last season."

On playing at AT&T Stadium:
"It is fun! I have actually played in the stadium five or six times. Growing up in the Metroplex, to get the opportunity to play in the Cowboys Stadium, you are always blessed. Every time you go, it does not matter how many times, you look at its amazement."

On playing Texas Tech:
"Everybody is going to give us their best shot, especially this late in the season. In addition to that, it is their last game. I would not say they like us that much, and with that being the attitude they have going in, they are going to lay everything out on the line. It is important for us to go out there with our best because we know they are going to give their best."

On if it is hard to not look ahead to December 6th:
"Not really. We need to do a great job here and take it one game at a time. That is what we are going to do. We are not looking too far ahead to that next one."

On Tech viewing this game as their bowl game and if that makes them more dangerous:
"Tech always is a great team. They always have that one game a year or a couple games a year where they come back and really compete against someone, so hopefully that is not us. We are going to do all we can to not let it be us. They have nothing to lose, so that makes them even more dangerous. It will be a good game."

On being able to run the ball with a revamped offensive line:
"It feels great with people coming in there and being able to rotate in without having to worry about who is in there, knowing that we are still going to be able to run the ball. It has been very nice to have because depth is always great and the guys have really stepped up. They have been playing outstanding."

On how he has improved over the last few games:
"I just had to go in there, and I really just got thrown in the fire. I had to do some things I had never done before. I saw a lot of looks I had never seen before. I got a little flustered. However, the OU game I think I played better. This past game I played a whole lot better than I have in the last few weeks."

On the comfort level of depth of the team:
"Last week I had a few bumps and bruises and I had to come out for a minute and Tyler Edwards came in and he did a good job filling the role. He even went all over from guard to tackle. He even inspired me to be better knowing that I have someone on my tail coming for my job."

On someone who isn't starting that people should keep an eye on for the future:
"I am going to say Jordan Feuerbacher. He has got a little pop to him and he is kind of nasty."