Texas Longhorns College Football Pregame Quote, 01/06/2025

Q. Kelvin, a moment ago, Jake [Majors] was here, and he told us that everybody showed up the day after the Arizona State game with a chip on their shoulders, determined to get the run game back. Could you feel that? And if so, what gives you confidence? What have you seen over the past few days that lead you to believe it’s back?

OL KELVIN BANKS JR.: Yeah, like you said, we didn’t put our best foot forward in that game. And the biggest thing Coach Sark (Steve Sarkisian) wanted us to emphasize was the run game. And I feel like we didn’t do that.

So, we definitely had a chip on our shoulders for sure, because I know we’re better than what we showed on that field. So it definitely gave us a sense of wanting to go out and practice and do better.

So we’ve been doing that. We’ve been executing very well in practice. We’ve been showing we’re locked in and focused in on the game plan.

Q. Ohio State had eight sacks in its last game. Just what stands out to you when you watch the film about their pass rush?

OL KELVIN BANKS JR.: Yeah, just physical rushers. Not one of their guys take a play off. They give maximum effort every time. So just guys who are going to put their best foot forward for their team and give maximum effort for you. I’d say that kind of just sums up their rushers in one word.

Q. Specifically about Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau, what makes them so tough to go against, and what kind of challenge is that for you?

OL KELVIN BANKS JR.: Yeah, they’re great rushers. Like I said, they like to press the pocket very well. They have a high motor, so it’s not like you’re going to block them and they stop and not try to chase the quarterback. They do all that. They have good counter moves to give you if the first move don’t work. So they’re just high motor rushers and just me being locked in on the techniques that Coach [Kyle] Flood has taught me to make sure I do my best to block those two guys.

Q. Kelvin, just wanted to ask about the heart of a champion, right? That was the conversation before the Georgia game. You described the Bulldogs as that. So I’m wondering, after the Arizona State matchup, do you feel like that was your heart of a champion moment?

OL KELVIN BANKS JR.: Yes, sir, you could say that, because like I said before, we didn’t come out there and put our best foot forward as a team. We felt like we left a lot out there on the table that you want to get back, but at the end of the day, you can’t. The game is the game, and it happens.

But it definitely shows the heart that we have as a team to go out there, no matter the adversity that we face in those moments, we came out and pulled through at the end.

Q. The last time you all were underdogs was going to Alabama last year. Do you get the same sense of resolve amongst your teammates, knowing that you’re the team that’s being counted out in this game?

OL KELVIN BANKS JR.: I mean, you could say so, yeah. I feel like any time any football team is counted out going into a game, it definitely puts a chip on their shoulder to want to go out there and prove people wrong.

But at the end of the day, we treat every week the same. We come in every week with the same mindset. We try to make sure we have that same mentality of going out there and wanting to go dominate, no matter if we’re the favored or if we’re not.

Q. Burt Auburn struggled a little bit with his kicking. What’s gone on with him since the Peach Bowl, and how do you get his confidence back?

OL KELVIN BANKS JR.: That’s not kind of a question for me. It’s a kind of question for Coach [Jeff] Banks. Burt has been himself. He’s been himself. I don’t think any athlete people go through slumps. I mean, I’ve had slumps before where stuff happens. You kind of just got to move on from it and just brush it off.

But Burt, he’s been doing fine, he’s been doing good in practice. You know what I’m saying, his confidence doesn’t look like it’s gone away at all. We trust him as a team and we believe in his ability to go out there and make field goals.

Q. Kelvin, so as a team, you guys throughout the whole entire season have always every game, you try to get better, fix the mistakes, and so on. Against Clemson, you guys had two penalties. Coach [Steve] Sarkisian talked about that was the result of a come to Jesus meeting. I’m just curious, how do you guys go into practice, for example, this week. You guys are self motivated. You don’t probably need a come to Jesus meeting, but how are you guys working on that aspect of the game to lessen or refine not as many penalties?

OL KELVIN BANKS JR.: Yeah. I mean, it kind of starts up front with the O line, if you want to be honest. Pre snap penalties and stuff like that, that’s stuff that puts you behind and kind of makes it harder for you to go out there and go score and put drives together. So things like that just has to stop. I mean, It’s stuff we do in practice, where we get in practice, we don’t have the same mistakes.

So just that moment of staying calm, being calm in the field of play and to understand what your job is, and not kind of getting too overexcited or too overemotional, because that’s when you start having pre snap penalties and such.

Q. I was curious about the mindset of the team. Did the way you win bolster your confidence? Or blowing the 16 point lead hurt your confidence? How did you react to those?

OL KELVIN BANKS JR.: I wouldn’t say it hurt our confidence at all. We kind of understood what we did during that game. And at the end of the day, you’re here for a reason. Arizona State was here for a reason. So we kind of just go in there and think we’re going to play our best game.

But obviously, no game is going to be perfect. So we go in, we win. Okay, now it’s time to go back and fix the mistakes.

So, at the end of the day, we’ve just got to look at that and learn from those mistakes and bring it to the next game.