Ben Bass explains his story and rallying back to Jordan K

Jordan Kirkland: Ben, evaluate your performance. It was your first start since your freshman year, playing tight end.
Ben Bass: "I thought I played, I guess, decent. I didn't do exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to get some tackles for loss, some sacks. That would've been nice. That was more our defensive line goal, not necessarily a goal for me. My goals are usually to go out there, play hard every single play and whatever happens, happens. I'm not out there to shine for myself. It's more or less to make this team better and make some plays so we can win."

JK: There's been a lot of talk about the lack of turnovers. How is the defense going to come together and try to change that and get some more turnovers? You've been able to sack the quarterback a lot but not a lot of fumbles came out of it.
Bass: "Every week we have this thing called a turnover circuit, before practice even starts. We work on stripping the football, picking up the football, all the things you need to do in a football game in order to get turnovers. Coach said this morning that it's time for us to get turnovers. We haven't had turnovers the past three weeks, so we need to get some. It's on us as a defense to make those things happen and just ... get it done."

JK: Since Saturday, what have the meetings been like, particularly the defensive line meetings with Coach Williams? What have y'all been assessing and what's the feeling within the D-line group right now?
Bass: "It's the same feeling it was when we first started. We're still confident as a defensive line and as a defense and a team in general. We're just trying to figure out what we can do better. All I can control is what I can do, and all our D-line can control is how physical we are and how fast we get to the football. All we can do is just keep going to practice, keep working and preparing as we have been and it will all come together."

JK: Who are the leaders on the defense right now, in your opinion?
Bass: "Pretty much every senior we have is a leader in some particular way. We might not have as many vocal leaders as we've had in the past, but we have a lot of guys who lead by example. And I think we need more guys like that, guys that won't come in and be a 'Rah-rah' guy but will go about his work and show others how it needs to be done."

JK: I assume you're talking about Trent Hunter, TJE and some of the other guys that are there. Do you guys feel a responsibility to take charge of the defense and turn the season around?
Bass: "Yeah, definitely. I think, as a senior, that's your responsibility. It's your last year. Some guys don't know if they'll play another snap tomorrow or in the Texas game or a bowl game. It's on us to let everybody know that they're fortunate to play this game and we have to come in to every game trying to put forth your best effort."

JK: What are y'all going to do this week against Tech? They're known for their passing, y'all have struggled a bit in coverage ... what's going to be your strategy?
Bass: "Turnovers, obviously. Coach told us they haven't had many in their first four days, but we have to get to the quarterback and we have to get the ball out. The way to beat a passing team is to put pressure on the quarterback and not let him feel safe in the pocket. That's our game plan."

JK: What can the 12th Man do to let y'all know that it's here supporting y'all?
Bass: "Nothing, really. Y'all do everything y'all can do. This is the most fan support I've seen since I've been here. It's more or less on the team to give y'all something to be excited about than y'all giving us energy. We feed off the 12th Man's energy, but at the end of the day we're the ones on the field that have to go make the plays."

JK: Talking about you and your background, you played here and redshirted, became academically ineligible, went to Blinn ... do you want to talk about that process, going there and back and now potentially being a starter for the rest of your senior season?
Bass: "When I was here my freshman and sophomore year, I didn't have my head on straight. I wasn't making the right decisions in order to stay in school. I wasn't going to class, I didn't study the way I needed to, and because of that I got warned many a time that if I didn't do what I needed to do, I'd get kicked out of school. I must've thought somebody was lying or something, but I eventually got kicked out of school. In order to get back, I had to pass 45 hours in a semester and a summer. I did that and I came back here for a summer session. I got here last summer and in order to be eligible, since Texas A&M takes your hours but not your GPA from Blinn, I had to pass 19 summer hours of straight A's. I did that last summer and was able to play last fall."

JK: Now, looking back, do you think that experience you went through will be able to help you through your senior season, getting the rest of the players together and helping them understand how lucky they are to be in this position? Since you've been in it and out and back in.
Bass: "Most of the people we have on defense here were here last year. Last year we were 3-3 and looking around and wondering how to get back. We feel like we can win the rest of our games, just like we felt last year when we were 3-3. I don't think much needs to be said other than, 'Let's get back to work.'"