Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma State

October 10, 1998

Texas Tech Coach Spike Dykes -
"It was a nice win. It was probably the best team win we have had. The offense was good. The defense was good. The kicking game ... They were all good. Dorian Pitts had two big plays - the blocked punt and the fumble recovery for a touchdown. It was one of those nights that you get behind and you really worry about your players. But, they never put their heads down. We finally won a fourth quarter. There were times when we were not cohesive as a unit. And, that was because we had a lot of guys playing who have not played for an extensive period of time. As they settled down, we got better."

"OSU has a great team. I thought Brian Roberson punted very well. Chris Birkholz had some key kicks."

(On how it feels to be 6-0)
"It feels good. We are just taking it a game at a time and hoping for the best. We have just been keeping coming up with wins. I think the tougher the times get, the better they do."

(On the first quarter)
"I think the wind was definitely a factor in the first half. It was a strong factor psycologically. After we came out after warming up, the wind appeared to increase. That is one of the things you worry about. The defense gave our offense a number of chances to get back into the game. And, our offense did a good job of getting back into it."

Texas Tech Receiver Donnie Hart -
"This is a big-time, important win for us. It is nice to be 6-0. It feels wonderful to be in this situation. Oklahoma State pulled so many into the "box" to stop Ricky (Williams). We made adjustments and were able to find our receivers. Rob (Peters) made really good decisions and was able to get us on track. You have to credit the whole team because it was a team effort. People said we couldn't compete for four quarters. But tonight, we proved otherwise."

Texas Tech Linebacker Kyle Shipley -
"They came at us playing very well. In fact, the first two series we had trouble just moving the ball. I think we were a little flat and Oklahoma State was ready to play. We got down 10-0 but were able to fight back and pull out a win."

(On fourth quarter letdowns)
"We knew going into this game that we had to win the fourth quarter in order to be a championship team. We worked hard over the last week to improve on the things that we hadn't done right over the last two weeks. We came in as a team and got it done."

Texas Tech Raider Dorian Pitts -

(On punt block)
"This was not a designated call for me. But, I noticed that the guy was playing me soft. I was able to get to the ball and get my fingers on it. It was just being at the right place at the right time. There is no better place than Texas Tech right now. There is no telling what we can do if we keep playing well week-to-week."

(On interception)
"I had to redeem myself after that Iowa State miss a a couple of weeks ago. I didn't want that to happen again. I was just fortunate to be there"

Texas Tech quarterback Rob Peters -
"Oklahoma State came out and played very hard and physical. At times, it was hard for us to figure out what they were doing. They showed us several different looks and we were able to make to make some adjustments. I was able to hit Donnie (Hart) on some pass plays and that was the difference in the game. The defense once again came up huge for us tonight. There is no other defense in the country would rather have than ours. They really came up big for us tonight. It is great to be 6-0. It was a team effort all four quarters."

Oklahoma State Coach Bob Simmons -
"It was a game of mistakes. We continue to make critical mistakes. Until we eliminate those type of things, we will continue to struggle. Our team played hard the whole game. I thought our defense played well enough to win. I thought our offense played well enough to win. (About switching qbs) I had planned on played Chris. Chris deserved to play. I told him he would play in the ballgame. Right now Tony is feeling a little bit of pressure."

(On final kickoff)
"You can go both ways. I wanted a kick high and not in the end zone."

(On Pitts punt block)
"He pushed him right back into the kicker. That's just effort. That is a guy taking personal pride in his effort."

OSU Running Back Nathan Simmmons -
"I am not going to question any coaching calls. It doesn't matter who is in the ballgame, you have got to move the ball. We got flat. And, we shot ourselves in the foot when we had the momentum. Our future is big and bright. We've got K-State next week. That is going to be a hard team to play on the road. But, we have got to play hard and overcome these mountains."

OSU quarterback Tony Lindsay -
(On being taken out of the game) "I think there were a couple of throws that were bad throws. They wanted to give Chris a shot to see what he could come in a do. I felt we were doing great. I have no say about the quarterback switch."

(On Simmons' comment on presure)
"I am thinking too much. I have to put that aside and out and play. There's been a lot of expectations and I am letting that get to me."

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