Kansas Jayhawks Head Coach Lance Leipold meets with the media after his team upset the Oklahoma Sooners.
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00:00 For me, I'm just processing yet everything, the ups and downs, the emotion, how proud I am of this
00:08 football team for so many reasons. So many today, but so many as we lost two of our last three
00:16 against some good football teams and play an excellent team today and to find a way to keep
00:21 battling and come up with stops when we needed them and execute plays on top of that. You talked
00:27 about a lot of battling, being resilient. How proud are you of that aspect? Oh, extremely,
00:32 extremely. That's what we said a year ago. I don't know if we, you know, they were so hot early and
00:37 got in rhythm and I'm gonna be able to go fast and you know get lined up, making calls and that. I
00:44 didn't hear us coaching wise or player wise panicking and feel like we're not getting where
00:54 we need to be. So, really proud of them that way. Sorry, my throat, my voice is starting to go.
01:01 Back-to-back seasons with bowl eligibility, how big of that is that for you guys? It's huge. I
01:08 mean it's huge. You know, you guys have been here every day, you know, we've sat here for a long
01:12 time just trying to keep it even, do those things, not talk about it, but you know what, it's probably
01:19 time for me to start talking about how proud I am about how far this program's come. It really has,
01:24 in a short time, and that has to do with the players. The players, especially the ones that
01:30 stuck around to believe in the direction, to our staff, support staff, administration, all those
01:36 things that allow you to try to make progress like we have and to become bowl eligible. Last
01:44 year we beat a rated team to get the sixth win. To do it again this year, I think is extra special,
01:50 but we got a lot of football to play and now we've got to continue to take steps and you know,
01:56 that's the way I am. I'll probably talk more about the things we didn't do, college clean as we want,
02:00 but at this moment though, so proud, so proud of them and happy for them. As I say, we asked a lot,
02:09 okay, and it's not easy, but under the stage and everything today and weather included, it's a big
02:18 win. Yeah, I just was talking radio. I said this and probably not fair and I don't say things like
02:30 this a lot, but sometimes when you step out of your role as a coach, sometimes you let your
02:35 emotions kind of get to you a little bit, but you know, as disappointed and bad I feel for Jalen not
02:42 being able to play at this particular time. I'm happy and probably pulling for Jason in ways that
02:49 I don't always because he's been unselfish. He could have left like a lot of guys do today in
02:56 college football. A lot of things, he's been through a lot of ups and downs and he just keeps
03:02 coming back and even in the fourth quarter, you know, throws the interception and you know,
03:08 there's some things there, but he just kept fighting and that's all we can ask for him and
03:13 to see him make some plays like he did today, I thought was really special. You know, again,
03:23 there's times through the ups and downs, I go back to our first year, you know, things aren't going
03:29 well, the kind of look and things like that, you kind of get discouraged. I thought even through
03:35 some down moments, he found a way to keep battling and like you said, persevering through it and
03:40 again, he asked to talk to the team afterwards and you know, he's thankful for them. They're
03:49 proud of him and happy for him. It's a pretty neat situation. Coming out of the lightning delay,
03:54 you guys gave up those two touchdowns, but you were able to keep scoring. Why do you think the
03:59 team was able to maintain its composure in that moment? Well, I think, you know, we've been through
04:05 it on both sides. Last year we had a weather delay. I think we have found that, of course,
04:10 you know, the pick six with Mello to start the game, we end up scoring again. You know,
04:16 it wasn't like we were sputtering and I think we have confidence in one another. Our coaches felt
04:25 solid that we were going to be able to run the football and if we could just find a way to make
04:31 some things happen and get, you know, settle down again, get back in the rhythm, it was going to be
04:36 a four-quarter game and you know, we talked about that at halftime. We got to be ready. If it's 60
04:41 minutes, but if it's five hours worth with weather delays, then that's what we got to do.
04:45 I know you guys didn't end up scoring off of it, but the pooch kick, is that something you guys
04:49 sort of saw that made you want to go short and try to create a turnover in that one? Yeah,
04:54 and that's credit to our special teams staff, our analysts, all those guys that do a great job,
04:59 but you know, we're kicking in the wind a little bit, you know, and you know, the weather conditions,
05:05 you know, we did it early in the game as well, but to kind of get the fumble there,
05:10 obviously was a big break for us. Yeah, just kind of looking at obviously a big win, you know,
05:16 they're part of the SEC next year, would you want to play Oklahoma next year? Oh, I don't, I respect
05:23 the question. I'm not going to get, I play what's on the schedule and go from there, you know,
05:27 it's again, that's a lot of hypotheticals and things like that. Hopefully, if nothing else,
05:34 we earn a bowl opportunity someday that maybe the schools match, but I can't worry about who's
05:42 going to be with us and who not anymore. Max? Lance, can you take us through your thought process
05:50 on the last play of the game, their staying and watching it, and then once they're rushing the
05:54 field, how did you get out of there? The last play, I'm sitting there going, I don't know,
06:00 did Quinton, did they credit him with the interception or not? You don't know? Thank
06:06 goodness. Again, I'm thinking, why aren't we knocking it down like I was yelling them to
06:09 knock it down? Okay, that's number one, we'll talk about that Monday. But again, where we're at,
06:15 hopefully we're gonna get some pressure. I want to make sure we're trying to get some pressure from
06:19 his left side to try to flush him right a little more than we did. He did a nice job stepping up,
06:24 but again, is this one gonna play out? I'm thinking, which way of the TV shows, highlight
06:36 films, is this thing gonna play out on this last play? And again, then try to go out there. I try
06:43 to look for Coach Venables, and then I got caught in a whole bunch of students, I don't know, off
06:52 the fumes. I hope nobody gives me a breathalyzer just off of the fumes out there. But no, I did,
07:01 I don't know, I just kind of looked, actually, I kind of, you know, I've been through one of those
07:06 ones where it wasn't really good a long time ago at the University of Wisconsin, so you got to be
07:11 careful in those situations. Did find Coach Venables and had a chance to just talk to him,
07:16 and then just again, trying to celebrate a little bit with our players, but of course,
07:20 keep them safe as well and get inside and go from there. But, Lance, oftentimes to win games like
07:28 this, things have to go your way, you have to play pretty clean, and you guys didn't exactly do that.
07:33 How'd you manage to overcome some of those things that did go against you? Just keep fighting,
07:37 you know, I mean, I think when you look at it, both sides of the ball, or both teams,
07:42 clean was probably some things that neither side would say perfect. I mean, they have two
07:50 15-yard penalties in a row and a targeting call on the same drive. We have some things not go our
07:56 way as well. You know, we're minimally in field goal range, and then the penalty kind of takes
08:04 us off and we get short there. So a lot of things that are happening that aren't exactly the way you
08:11 want it, like you said, but that's what makes this game special. And I think that's one thing that,
08:16 well, where we've grown as a football team, Matt, is understanding that we just got to keep playing.
08:22 You know, our disposition and confidence and, you know, just a look in their eye and body language
08:30 is night and day difference than a year and a half ago. You know, it just is, or two years,
08:36 whatever. And it's a sign of playing, making plays and doing things, and we know that you
08:42 got to keep doing that in this conference. A couple quick specific plays I wanted to ask you
08:47 about. When Devin scored the game-winning touchdown there, did he talk about maybe he
08:51 should have gone down? Yeah, you know, again, you want to do it, that's on me. Sure, I'm just
08:56 curious. No, that's because when we looked, we hit such a big play, and we looked and we had a
09:03 figure, and as quick as it was, I didn't think they'd let him right away, per se, which maybe
09:09 is definitely my fault, but it was quickly, I was saying it as we were snapping it. Andy and I were
09:16 talking about just running it and doing it, and like Devin said, nobody said it, we didn't give
09:21 them the call to make sure we'd go down. So, really, I should just say that we wanted everyone
09:29 who stayed for the whole game to get their complete minus one threat. And then, being on the one that was called
09:36 targeting when he slides near the goal line, what's your perspective or what do you want to see on something like that?
09:42 What are you really asking? Should he be going forward? Sure, yeah, but I also know you can't afford to lose, right?
09:51 That's the first thing I said, what should we have done? Because the targeting calls also, when you slide, it's where you
09:56 start, and that's where everything had to be, it had to be there, is that because he comes close to
10:02 scoring, and he knew it as soon as it happened. But yeah, those are things we've talked with Jason
10:08 for a long time about, instead of sliding, lunging, you know, getting down, but staying low,
10:15 and unfortunately, he didn't do it on that, and he'll probably tell you the same thing.
10:18 That's one, a positive one for me, the jibby fumble, the hit he knocks the ball out of you. That's the guy you were
10:25 talking about all camp. He's made other plays, but that's got to be his biggest to date, huh?
10:29 Yeah, probably. I mean, I guess I appreciate that you noticed I say he can hit and he can run and hit.
10:39 Yeah, I couldn't tell who hit and who recovered, but the way he came off the field, I had a feeling it was him,
10:45 and that was a big, big play at that moment, no doubt.
10:49 Lance, everybody's going to talk about the offense, but the defense got some stops, too, and I just want to know what your take is on their play.
10:56 Yeah, you know, I should probably study this a little better for you guys, but I mean, yardage was so close, what, three yards different?
11:02 I mean, 440 yards for them on 74 plays, and we have 443 on 73. I mean, that's a one-point game.
11:11 I think it kind of all points to that direction, how close it was, but you're right. We got some stops when we needed to,
11:18 and it was, you know, maybe it wasn't almost the prettiest, but, you know, that's a really good football team,
11:26 and for us to do that in battle, I guess I'm extremely proud.
11:31 And then hired 70 recruits on hand. I mean, what can this game do?
11:35 Yeah, you know, I was telling Travis the other day, you know, first of all, 70 recruits, that's big.
11:41 You know, high school season, you know, there's recruits there that are equally excited as we are, you know, in there.
11:48 It was awesome to see because they see Kansas football's changing, and then you couple it with what's coming on the horizon.
11:55 There's so many great things. Rain or no rain is a beautiful atmosphere, and there's so much to it that we can build upon.
12:03 I was saying, I told Travis, our first year we had visiting coaches, you know, get tickets, high school coaches and stuff.
12:09 We had six coaches request tickets. We had 75 for this one.
12:14 Now, there's teams still playing and doing things, but this is a monumental shift in how this program's being perceived,
12:22 and we need to keep working to make that a constant.
12:27 Since you were on the coaching staff, you pulled off a couple of big ones. Where does this one rank up on that list of the big ones?
12:35 It'd probably have to be as big as any, and I usually don't do that, but I'm not in the mood right now to downplay this win, okay, for a lot of reasons.
12:46 Hopefully, it's a sign that we can continue to try to fill this stadium, that we continue to recruit at a high level and do so many things.
12:54 So, yeah, and to become bowl eligible for two consecutive years, again, it's a lot of great things.
13:02 Appreciate you asking. Everyone else, have a great weekend. Thank you.
13:07 [audience chatter]
13:21 We'll bring players in for breakouts. We've got Jason Beam, Daniel Hyshaw, Mason Fairchild, Kevin Neal, and Ross Grant.
13:31 [audience chatter]
13:59 [audience chatter]
14:26 [no audio]