DALLAS - Ten Conference USA teams are in action in Week Seven, with all five games as conference matchups. North Texas hosts Marshall on Friday night to kick the week off on CBS Sports Network. WKU hits the road to take on Old Dominion, UAB travels to Southern Miss in a West Division clash, 6-0 UTSA hosts Rice and Louisiana Tech will be in El Paso to take on 5-1 UTEP. Florida Atlantic, FIU, Charlotte and Middle Tennessee all have byes this week and did not host press conferences.
Every week head coaches take to the podium to answer questions from the league's media members - let's see what they're saying:
LOUISIANA TECH
Head Coach Skip Holtz’s Quotes from Tuesday’s Press Conference
On the bye week:
“Having the open date last week was really necessary for us. We talked a lot during camp that we need to get through the first five games and get a good feel and see where we are. We used those first five games a little bit as a preseason on where we are right now when you talk about all the new faces we have. What are the transfers going to be like? How are they going to meld into the team? How are we going to jive together in all pulling the rope in the same direction? We talked about some of the challenges we’ve had.
“We had an opportunity to take two days this week and really take a hard look at ourselves in a self-scout as far as watching the whole season from a field position standpoint, down and distance, formation tendencies, what we do out of what formations. We really took a hard look at ourselves in getting ready for the second half of the season. It was a productive week where we really had an opportunity to evaluate ourselves. Then, we spent one day getting ahead on UTEP and one day getting ahead on UTSA. Then, we had the entire staff out recruiting on Friday. For the staff, it was a really productive week from that standpoint. With the team, we said going into the week that we needed some guys to get a lot of team reps. We did about a 40-50 minute team period every day last week and really got some of our depth guys and some of our younger guys a lot of reps as we tried to get them ready if we were to need them in the second half of the season. We felt like we needed to get some of the guys healthy. When you look at the number of reps the starting five o-linemen were getting, the defensive linemen, etc., we tried to take some of the pounding off of them. There were a lot of things we tried to get done during this open date. It was really productive for us. It really showed up on Sunday. When we came back and practiced on Sunday night, it was very energetic. This team is really excited to get into this second half of the season knowing we can correct some things and try to finish up a couple of these close games we’ve been in. The team is really excited to get into conference play and to get these last seven games going.”
On the UTEP game:
“There’s a lot of excitement right now. We know we have a great challenge this week in UTEP. They’re playing really well right now. Dana [Dimel] has done a great job with that program. The last three years, they won one, one and three. So, they’ve won five games in the last three years and they’re 5-1 right now. They’re one game away from bowl eligibility. They’re playing with a lot of confidence. They’re playing with a lot of excitement and a lot of energy.”
MARSHALL
Head Coach Charles Huff’s Quotes from Tuesday’s Press Conference
Opening Statement:
“Obviously, really big challenge this week, excited for the opportunity. I haven’t played in these midweek type games probably since I was with Western Michigan, many moons ago. So this is exciting, you get to adapt your schedule a little bit, you get a chance to refocus. It’s really good, I’d say a really good North Texas opponent that we are facing. It seems like every team we’re about to face is starting to get really good as we face them. I don’t know if that’s coincidence or the coach in me. They did a really good job against Missouri last week. Their offense is starting to come together. I think, their new quarterback, they had a quarterback get injured, the quarterback they have coming in – I think, they found some continuity and flow with their system for him. Defensively, I think these guys run to the ball. This is probably one of the fastest teams that we play as far as team speed. They do a really good job on defense running to the ball, they’re aggressive up front. So, it’s going to be a challenge.
“Ultimately, it’s going to come down to us being able to consistently execute, I know it sounds like ‘coach speak’ but, every game we had success in goes back to successfully executing. Every game that we struggled in, every drive goes back to some kind of drive killer whether that’s a penalty, whether that’s a turnover, whether that’s a bad fit on defense or whether that’s a missed tackle.
“Obviously, this past game, a win is a win. I will take it, any day. I’m probably as stressed out as I’ve ever been for 60 minutes, but I will take the win. No, I don’t think we can play like that and continue to win by any means. But I do think how we won the game says a lot about this program and where we are going. We won the game as a team. I told those guys before we left the locker room, ‘We got into this as a team and we were going to have to get out of it as a team.’ A couple players came up to me after the game and said, ‘Coach, we’re making progress because last year a lot of guys would have quit or a lot of guys would’ve checked out mentally.’ That’s encouraging as a coach but that won’t happen on my team. I don’t believe in that. I believe in fighting until the end. But I do think, especially for you guys that have seen the evolution of this team, the way we continue to fight, it says a lot. It says a lot about the players, says a lot about the coaches, a lot about the progress [that] we’re making.
“Obviously, the turnovers have continued to be an issue, the discipline, the foolish penalties, probably two major penalties that take points off the board, Cory McCoy does a phenomenal job with the interception. One of our team rules when you get an interception is to go down the near sideline. Why do you do that? You do that to avoid crack backs, everybody knows where you’re going and has a chance to block for you. When you cut back across like high school, you’re kind of playing against 21 other guys, because no one knows where you’re going. He went back across the field, he did not score and was frustrated that he did not score—spikes the ball because he did not score. And now instead of having the ball on the four yard line, inside the five where our goal line offense has been really good this year, we get the ball on the 16 and only get three points out of that drive. We throw a bubble screen on third and six to [Sheldon] Evans. Evans comes down the sideline and gets the first and gets us to the five. We get a holding call, miscommunication between the two receivers on who was blocking the slot defender. One thought they were going to pin him and didn’t, got a tug on the jersey, another turnover. Some of the interceptions, we got to continue to be better, Cory Gammage just happened to slip on the play, obviously receiver falls down and throws right into the hands of the safety and then miscommunication. Willie Johnson, decides to go outside the guy on the post instead of inside crossing his face. So again, just the discipline, discipline in our route running, discipline in our throws. Some of those throws, we just have to be mindful, and we can’t just assume it’s going to happen. We have to make sure we see it happens and progress through. Again, program philosophy, ‘I got to get down the near sideline,’ down the near sideline probably gets in the endzone. And again, I can’t allow an emotional outburst to happen in the middle of a play or at the end of a play that hurts the team.
“All the things we talked about, I thought our energy was better. I challenged the guys after the Middle Tennessee game, I didn’t think our energy was great. So, I thought our energy was better, it was better all practice week. But I also thought we lost focus on details and I think that’s what ultimately put us in the position that we were in. But I did and when I walked into our huddle, one of the things we talk about in this program is ‘Focus on the things you need to do to get the things you want. Don’t focus on the results.’ That’s what I tell them all the time. Don’t think about winning because when you think about winning as soon as something goes wrong all the times you didn’t win comes back into your mind. So we don’t think about winning, think about doing the things you need to do to get the results you want. What is that? Protecting the football, lining up the right way, not jumping offsides, being in the right gap, wrapping up on the tackle, running your feet – all the things you need to do to get the results. So on the last drive, I went into the offense and said, ‘Whatever else happened today, none of that matters. Let’s focus on what we need to do to get the ball in the endzone on this drive. Whether you fell down, you shouldn’t have fell down, you went across face, you didn’t go across face, you should’ve thrown it—none of that matters. The only thing that matters is focusing on what we need to do to get the ball in the endzone on this drive. And we were able to do it. Grant [Wells] made some really big plays. On a huge third-and-six, [Rasheen] Ali makes a great block on a blitz, Grant steps up. We been working on a scramble drill at practice last week because we thought we’ve missed some opportunities on scramble plays. He stepped up, scrambled a little bit and found Shaheed [Ahmed] on the sidelines. Huge third-and-six play, which the very next play ended up being the touchdown to Willie. So, I think we’re making progress. Is it as fast as I would want it? No. Is it as fast as anyone would want it? No. Are we making progress? Yes. Do I see some positives? Yes. Do I see some things we need to clean up? Absolutely. So with that, I’ll open it up to questions.”
On Drive Killers and Tempo:
“Yeah, and I talked to the offensive staff about it and I think that we’ve gotten a little bit cautious as coaches. It’s hard when you’re saying, ‘Ok, what play can we call where we won’t fumble and we won’t throw an interception?’ It’s hard, you know, and we’re trying to put the guys in the best position. It’s hard to play with tempo when you jump offsides and it’s first-and-15. Now, you’re trying to get the guys to manage the situation rather than just ripping off plays. Earlier in the season we didn’t have the drive killers, so we were – Navy first play we had 40 yards, yeah we can play tempo. We had a good rhythm. But as coaches, when you don’t have that rhythm it’s our responsibility to try to get the guys at least in a comfortable executing position. We’ve probably been a little cautious. I wouldn’t say drastically, but we’ve been a little cautious. As coaches, when you call a play and you’re saying please don’t fumble, it’s tough. And when you’re calling a play and saying please don’t throw an interception, please don’t have a tipped ball, please don’t fall down on the route, it’s tough. How do we work through that? I think that we have to get a little better at first down efficiency because usually if you can get good yardage on first down, it kind of helps everything get started. We’ve got to be a little more selective on the amount of guys we’re playing, rotating and when, and how to try to keep a little bit of the rhythm. I would agree with that. Our play count probably went down. I think the rain, probably had a little to do with that, you’re not going to run as many plays. But I think over the last few weeks, you’re probably right. But you’re trying to say, ‘What play can we call here where everything is going to go right,’ which that’s tough to do. Does that make sense? But as a coach, you don’t want to put your players in a bad position, so you’re trying to put your players in the best possible position. And I don’t think you can do that. I don’t think I can ask Tim Cramsey or Lance [Guidry] to call the perfect play. It’s not realistic. The players have got to execute, we have to put them in the best possible position. You can’t call a play and say well, ‘What can we call where he won’t fumble,’ that’s unrealistic. ‘What play are we going to call where a guy won’t miss a tackle,’ that’s unrealistic, but I think as humans, as coaches, we’ve tried to manage the situations we’ve been in and probably have been a little bit slower process than we’d want to be in. If that makes sense.”
On Grant Wells’ last two plays and the offense:
“I think, they got confidence, I think they have that. What we don’t have right now on offense is rhythm, that’s what we’re missing. You think about it, the play we hit Willie [Johnson] on – that’s a big play. The big post, but it gets called back because they say the guard is off the ball, so that play gets called back. Again, no rhythm. When we have rhythm, I think, we move the ball with consistency. Our issues come when we don’t have rhythm. We get a false start, we get a guy not on the line, we get a guy covering up a guy, we throw the ball to Cory and they call the push off. I think issue has not been confidence but it’s been rhythm. I think on that last drive if you look at it, we had rhythm. He [Grant] stepped up and found Shadeed [Ahmed]. The very next play, stepped up and threw it to Willie – rhythm. When you run an up-tempo offense, rhythm is what you need to keep the ball rolling. Middle Tennessee, we’re rolling, we’re rolling, turnover. There’s no rhythm. When you can get a rhythm and you can eliminate the drive killers, I think we have a chance at really getting it rolling.”
NORTH TEXAS
Head Coach Seth Littrell’s Quotes from Tuesday’s Press Conference
On the first portion of the season:
"In a football season, there's a lot of ups and downs. We have seven games and a lot of football left. It's really just focusing on this week and the opportunities it presents. The mentality has been great. They're working hard. All year long this group has stuck together … and they're getting better together."
On Marshall:
"They're a very physical team. They've always been one of the top teams in our conference. They've played for a lot of championships [and] they've been able to put points on the board. Defensively, they do a great job within their scheme … It's always a challenge, and we're looking forward to the challenge. It all starts with their run game. They do a great job getting downhill. They've got very explosive receivers. I think their quarterback does a great job, and I've been very impressed with him over the past two years."
On playing on Friday night at home:
"It's a quick turnaround, but the first couple of days have gone well. Practice has gone smoothly. I love Friday night football, in the state of Texas especially, it's unbelievable. It's always been a tradition, and I love playing football whenever they tell me we're going to go out and play."
OLD DOMINION
Head Coach Ricky Rahne’s Quotes from Monday’s Press Conference
On what to tell the team after another disappointing result:
“After the game in the locker room, I told them this is when you invest more. Work and make sure that every single play in practice you’re giving it everything you have until you walk off the practice field exhausted. Ran out of gas a little bit at the end there, I actually think it was more of a mental thing. We’ve got to make sure that we’re mentally locked in through practice and focused in practice through every single play so we can start to build up that sort of mentality throughout the game. We’ve responded well. We’ve got a great group of young men who have responded well to this.
”
On the little things that have prevented them from potentially being 4-2:
“We don’t talk about our record, but we do talk about the details and where we can improve. Where each play matters whether it’s in the first quarter or it’s in the fourth quarter or in overtime. You never can tell. There’s plays that we didn’t make in the first quarter that could’ve really affected the outcome of that game, on the flipside of that there’s plays we make in the first quarter that allowed us to be in that game the way we were. We talk about the details all the time; I know it’s cliché and trivial, but I don’t really believe in small things. Small things become big things. One thing I said after the game, eventually “the football gods” make you pay for those things. You can only do something incorrectly so many times before you have to pay the piper. Kind of make sure that we’re doing things correctly all the time. Everybody in the entire program. That’s always going to be a major focus, but it continues this week for sure.”
On the team’s confidence and if they’re feeling shaken:
No. Are they upset that we didn’t win a game that we could have and probably should have? Of course. They’re competitors and they’re going to be that way. I wouldn’t say that their confidence is any lower. They realize the mistakes we made that put them in that position, we realize the big plays they made that put us in that position. The thing that I’ve seen is I think their confidence is growing from the fact when they do things correctly the type of team that we can be.”
On evaluating things at the midway point of the season:
“I think overall we’re trending in the right direction, but we haven’t been consistent enough to produce what we want, and Monarch Nation deserves. That’s the thing that holds us back right now is just the overall consistency. We’ve had games where we started off well but haven’t finished well. We haven’t started well and then we finish very well. We had some games where we’ve played pretty good on third down, but we’ve struggled on second down. We’ve got to be much more consistent in order to show the progress that we’re actually making behind the scenes. You guys have heard it from me a million times I’m a process-oriented person, but I’m also not an idiot. I’m judged on results and those sorts of thing which is fine. I know we’re still making progress anybody who watches the tape knows we’re making progress, but ultimately the results are the results. We’ve got to continue to be more consistent so we can get better results.”
On what he’s seen on film from WKU:
“Great offense. Really powered by the quarterback. I mean that quarterback is a very good player. I gave him what I consider the highest praise for quarterbacks, he’s a great passer. He’s extremely accurate, he knows how to change trajectories on the ball, he knows when to get the ball out quickly and he knows when to hold it a little bit longer. He’s more athletic than I want him to be, he extends plays and does some really good things on that end of it as well. He doesn’t put himself or the ball in jeopardy. Really impressive. I think he’s a quarterback’s quarterback. He plays the game that you want to play at that position, he does an excellent job. They’ve run the ball well considering the amount of times they run it, they’re physical. They run the ball well when they run it. On defense they’re playing a lot of plays, so some of these stats are skewed a little bit because their offense is scoring well and scoring quickly, and they go very fast on offense. They play a lot of plays so some of those stats are skewed a little bit. They give you a variety of coverages, a variety of fronts up front, they have a defensive end that’s a very good athlete and can really get after the passer. He was a defensive preseason player of the year candidate. They’ve got good players on defense, and we’ve got to be prepared on all sides of the ball.”
On WKU’s ability to score:
“No one believes in our defensive coaching staff and our defensive players more than me. We just went against the No. 1 offense in the league, and I think we played pretty darn well. We’ve got to go out there, we’re not going to get any bonus points for that in this one. We’ve got to go out there and play well again, but our guys are going to be ready to go. I don’t have any doubts or fears about that.
”
RICE
Head Coach Mike Bloomgren’s Quotes from Tuesday’s Press Conference
Opening Statement:
“It was great to be back on the field yesterday and back on a normal Monday if you will in the swing of game week. It was also beneficial to have the recovery time for our players. Allow them to rest up and catch up on their books and academics. It was also great for our staff to get out and recruit nationally and get to some unbelievable players here in the state of Texas. That was a lot of fun.
This weekend, we play a very experienced, tough UTSA football team. I have a lot of respect for Coach Traylor and what he’s done with that program but also what he did as a head high school football coach in the state. Obviously, he’s an unbelievable coach. They’re the top team in our conference and they are sound in all three phases. They bring a lot to the table and they are a good football team. I’m confident in how we’ve been preparing thus far and I know the team shares the same excitement that I do about playing in San Antonio on Saturday.”
On what makes him so enthusiastic to play UTSA after having the game canceled last year due to COVID:
“There’s two things. It’s a conference game and those things matter. The ability to play every one and to try to go 1-0 every time you get to play one. Also, the fact that it is in the state. A lot of our kids played with those guys or against those guys in high school and have known them for years. So that was just a big one. I can’t honestly remember the order that they got canceled. It just seemed like every time one got canceled, the rug was swept out from under us. That was tough. But, we want to play these games and we love the fact that they are an in-state and a conference opponent.”
On where Jake Constantine and Luke McCaffrey are on the progression of the offense:
“They took some really good steps. Every week is just reps on top of reps. That’s how we all learn and that’s how we get more comfortable within systems. We’ve talked about it many times. Some people learn visually by seeing or auditorially by hearing. But we all learn best by doing. The more times on task and the more reps they can get; I just believe reps are the mother of all learning. So they’re all doing better. We’re pleased where our two quarterbacks are and they are continuing to come along.”
On what stands out on UTSA:
“I think they are an outstanding defense. We got a chance to start watching their tape last week and here’s what I see. I see a bunch of guys that feel like they can dazzle you with dance instead of BS. They do such a good job. You watch their explosive cutup and I don’t know if there’s a single run when they are just in their 3-4 technique. They have these strong guys that are unbelievable with their hands. They get their hands on you like a two-gapper does and they’re blocked until they’re not. They violently shed. It reminds me a lot of playing the Pittsburgh Steelers back in the 2008, 2009 and 2010 seasons. They are just so good at their hands at shedding. So anyway, you watch the explosive cutup and the only time you see explosive runs are when they are out of position. But they are so good at what they do. They’re safeties are so active. I don’t know that our conference has seen a defense like this since maybe 2018 UAB. It is just a dominant group out there. It’s an old, veteran group. I think nine of their 11 starters are seniors or super seniors. They are a very good group. They’re very well-coached.
Offensively, it all starts with Sincere (McCormick). He’s such a great runner. He’s as productive as any running back in our conference. I think he’s over 3,000 yards rushing now. They have two explosive guys on the outside. Zakhari Franklin, who we saw live and in-person two years ago and Josh Cephus, who our fans know because we had Aaron here. The biggest difference, to me, in their last game was the growth of their quarterback. Frank Harris is playing like a pro. He’s looking like a pro and making throws down the stretch when they need him to. Special teams-wise, they are as sound as you’re going to be with probably the best specialist in the conference. So they are, from top to bottom, an outstanding team. I believe they have 18 super seniors, which is outstanding. That’s why they are so experienced. But, my hat is off to them for how well they’ve coached up every area, every phase in terms of offense, defense and special teams. They’re just a great challenge. Every area you look at, there’s just no holes. They’re just a solid football team that is going to make you earn everything.”
SOUTHERN MISS
Head Coach Will Hall’s Quotes from Tuesday’s Press Conference
On positive outlook of team despite 1-5 start:
"Everything is going good in this program except one thing. Recruiting is going great. The kids are really doing a great job in the classroom, on the field and lifting. We are improving. You can see these young guys getting better. We're playing so many guys that weren't playing early in the year because they're young and getting better and that's what you should do. Every day you practice to get better. Our mentality is right. We're moving forward. We have to get better, faster. I understand that, but we are getting better."
On the team's attitude of belief:
"They believe in how we treat them. They see the film. We are brutally honest in this program. It's not like we're telling lies. We put the film on and show it. There are three plays in that game [against UTEP] where if one guy just does what he is supposed to do, the whole game is drastically different. There were three devastating plays in that game. We had three situations where one guy just didn't do what he was supposed to do and the whole game is really different. Our kids know that. We just have to get over that hump. Teams that lose, lose for a reason. Teams that win, don't do the things that cause you to lose. You have to quit doing the things that cause you to lose before you start winning. Right now, we set our bowling pins all up and get them all just perfect and right about the time we're about to roll the ball to knock them, we slip the ball out of our hand and throw it backwards. We just have to tighten down and get everybody doing their job. It's going to get over the hump."
On frustrations of 1-5 start:
"We inherited a program. We said that we have a great vision and a very detailed plan to get this program back. I believe in all my heart that this program is way closer today than it was the day we got here. I think when you talk to me tomorrow, it's going to be way closer tomorrow. We wake up every day and control what we can control. It's coaching these kids and improving them, helping develop them as men and impactors in the community, and then recruiting like madmen. We're doing that and that's what we focus on."
On quarterback depth:
"We brought in a young man named Jake Smithhart, he's been a student coach for us. We brought him in, claimed him off waivers if you will. We took him off of the student coach roster and got him cleared through compliance last week and he is on the team now. He's our third quarterback now. Jake was a state champion at Pearl High School in 2016. He played for the great John Perry, one of the all-time great coaches in Mississippi history, who is now doing a great job in Nixon, Mo. That's what we've got. We're down to Jake Lange, Tee Webb and Jake Smithhart. Jake joined our team today and he's competing with Tee to be the backup."
On UAB:
"They're a really good football team that is well-coached. I have a lot of respect for Bill Clark. He and I both came up in small college football together. He was at Prattville [Ala.] High School then he went to Jacksonville State. He was at South Alabama, while I was at West Alabama, then he went to UAB and a lot of my friends have coached for him. There's a lot of similarities in how they've built their program with how we're building ours. He's done a phenomenal job there. He's resurrected that place. I just have a lot of respect for him with the same background and track record that I've got - winning at smaller levels and moving his way up."
UAB
Head Coach Bill Clark’s Quotes from Monday’s Press Conference
Opening Statement:
“Obviously a little bit of a different morning for us this week compared to last Monday. You know, I am just really proud of our whole team effort. This morning as we were watching our film that we always watch on Monday morning. Just the sideline, the focus, and the effort. It started in practice on Monday of last week. We talked about that on Monday. How do you handle coming off a loss? And our guys handled it. Every week we play for a championship and we’re going to talk about that here in a minute. It’s another championship week for us. Just the effort and the practice for the week. As I said the sideline with the focus we had a good crowd there. A lot of good energy and it sure was great to get that first win at home.
“Now turn our attention to Southern Miss. It’s one of those games where records are irrelevant. I have total respect for Coach Hall. I’ve known him for a long time. What a great coach he is. He has done a great job at all his different stops. So, we know they’re going to be prepared. We were looking forward to playing them last year at home and that game got cancelled on us. We really have memories from the last time we were there. We’ve got work to do this week to get ready. In all conference games we say it’s 0-0. We know it’s going to be a huge game for them. It’s huge for us. We’ve got to have another great week and get ready for them.”
On playing Southern Miss and a rivalry game:
“The game a couple years ago was a long time ago, but you know it’s fresh in our mind. I think we talk all the time about being self-motivated and we’re going to try and be motived the same way every week. Conference games are different so there is a history with Southern Miss and UAB. I think proximity, they’ve got guys from Alabama and we’ve got guys from Mississippi. They are on our side of the conference. It’s the next game so it’s all those factors that go into it for us. It’s the next game, it’s a conference game so that makes it a championship game.”
On Hayden Pittman’s 31-game reception streak:
“I am proud that he decided to play one more year for us and what a great leader he’s been. We talk a lot about him being a warrior and blocking him. We had two or three clips this morning where he’s given extra effort on some blocks. He had a really big catch down in the end zone that he’s got both hands on the ball. He’s just been a great player for us and I still remember his big touchdown catch he had in Hattiesburg back in 2017. He’s been a great leader for us and of course you have Alex Wright sitting here who had a great game. I’m really proud of both of these guys and the whole team.”
On defense:
“It’s a constant effort. Maybe it’s an eye-opening experience when you play a guy like we did a couple weeks ago it wasn’t lack of effort. I think it was maybe being on the field too long and injuries and then give him (Malik Willis) a lot of credit he was a great player. That probably made us better and I think it really tells the defensive line what they have to do and it’s relentless, stay on your feet, get off blocks. We had really good pursuit, good coverage which helped some of those sacks. I’m really proud of our front guys for playing the run first. We stopped the run on first and second down and forced them in some passes. They made some plays on us on third downs and we had some unfortunate penalties.”
UTEP
Head Coach Dana Dimel’s Quotes from Monday’s Press Conference
Opening Statement:
“Start off visiting about last week's ballgame. I thought both teams scored early in the game you know we scored on our opening drive which was really good for us to do. I thought we were good on third-down conversions. On that first drive we threw the ball really well. Finish with a good running play. And then, you know, I was impressed by what [Southern Miss] did. They put together a good drive early in the game and tied it up 7-7. So now we're back tied up and then it started to become a type of game I figured it was going be the whole way, ball-control type of game and obviously had a lot of respect for their defense. I was pleased with the way we ran the ball in the first half. I thought we ran it extremely well and thought Deion [Hankins] and Ronnie [Awatt] ran the ball hard and did some nice things for us.
“Our defense responded with a tremendous goal-line stand. Blake Thompson is the guy who stops every goal-line stand. With the ones we’ve had this year, Blake Thompson is the first one at point of attack on those. We talked a little bit after the game, the depth of our defensive line right now and all 12 of those guys – we’re rotating 12 defensive linemen in a game. We don’t take a drop off. All of them get into the game and they all play with fire and intensity. We’re a really good third and fourth quarter defensive football team because we’re fresh.”
On LA Tech:
“Talking about our upcoming opponent. [LA Tech] is a favorite coming into our stadium, and they’re favored right now. It’s a big challenge for us as we get ready for them. They’re obviously very talented and their quarterback is extremely talented. He’s played at two different Big 12 schools, and has a good resume. They have a running back from App State that’s really talented – a nice addition for them. They have some good receivers coming back from last year who are really talented players. Defensively, they have a bunch of six-year players on their defense. A bunch of guys who are super seniors. They’re talented, and we know that. [Skip Holtz] has taken his team to multiple bowl games in a row and won most of them. Skip does a good job there and has a really good program. It’ll be a big test for us.”
On playing on the fact that UTEP is one win from bowl eligibility, and in first place:
“I don’t talk about that right now. There’s so much motivation for us with this ball game right now. So many big things can be accomplished from a win. Right now, the bowl part of it is not really [on our mind] – it’s on everybody’s goal chart, and this win will get us to that number.”
On Reynaldo Flores being more involved at Southern Miss:
“I can’t say enough about Rey. I really complimented him when we talked to the team after practice. After practice we talk on Mondays about the game and who gets decals for special plays. I couldn’t talk enough about Rey for just that. He’s a 4.0 engineering student, he studies his playbook and a fierce competitor. Fundamentally he’s great and getting really close to being really good at the receiver position. He’s got the same type of game like JG [Justin Garrett], because JG is one of our top, most valuable players. But he’s making a pretty good push to become that type of guy that just does everything exactly the way it’s supposed to be done. He plays with physicality and strength.”
UTSA
Head Coach Jeff Traylor’s Quotes from Monday’s Press Conference
On the importance on adjusting on offense:
“It was a conscious decision we had made during the week. It was a tip of the hat to their offense and quarterback (Bailey Zappe). Their quarterback and receivers have been playing together for so long and so well that we made the decision that we were going to be in four-down territory no matter where we were. We were going to take our shots no matter where we were. That is what that was. I let our kids go play. Frank (Harris) has continued to get better. He understands the offense more and more each week. We have been together for 22 months. Bailey (Zappe) has been running his offense for four years. It just takes time. It is the old Malcolm Gladwell 10,000-Hour Rule. It just takes time. Frank has all of the run-pass options now. He makes all of the decisions. He has got run, hand it to Sincere (McCormick), pitch it options. He checks in and out of plays now. We have got great players now too. We have got to let our players go play. We try to play team football. Our defense has been so good since we have been here that we have been able to run the ball and be more conservative at times to complement the defense and our great punter and kicker. We felt, as a staff, that was not the right decision this week and that we were going to play a different way this week.”
On WR De’Corian Clark becoming the first player in program history to record three receiving touchdowns in a game:
“He is such a humble spirit and has a beautiful smile. He is all about the team at all times. He does a great job recovering kicks and a great job on our punt return team. Anything you ask him to do, he is going to get it done. I didn’t even know that John Thomas was his middle name. I have more nicknames for these kids that I never even knew. That is what happens when you bring kids to the radio show. He did a great job at the radio show. I learned a little bit more about my man.”
On the fan base surging in San Antonio:
“Everybody is so kind. Wherever I go, I have my little spots that I hit. Everybody is great. Last week, I was getting a salad at a little spot that I always go to. Two ladies were in front of me, they were talking about the Roadrunners. They did not know who I was from Adam, but they were chatting up. They said, ‘I hear they have a really good team.’ They guy waiting on us had on his Roadrunner mask. They asked him if he went to school there. He said, ‘Yes, I went to school there.’ The ladies said that they had heard we have a good team this year. He said, ‘They are great! You should go watch them.’ He knows me because I always go there, but he did not know that I was right behind them. When they left, he looked up at me and looked like he had seen a ghost. He goes, ‘Coach Traylor, I didn’t even see you there.’ I said, ‘I know. I am glad you were saying nice things just then or I was going to have to get you.’ It is starting to be more of a talk and more of a buzz. It is always one person at a time. I think about my mom giving me a poem many years ago about a man on the beach. He found a starfish and reached down to throw it out into the water. Someone griped at him and said, ‘You can’t save all of those starfish.’ The gentleman said back, ‘I know, but I just saved that one.’ It really is what it is. We have to do it one fan at a time.”
On what he expects from Rice:
“We just dove into them last night. Our analysts and graduate assistants are always one week ahead of us and just gave us the scouting report. We worked on quite a bit. I know from last year, they got a lot of those guys back. They are very complex on offense and defense. They do a lot of stuff. Everybody knows how smart their kids are. They are smart players and high-character players. They are scrappy and tough. It is a Conference USA ballgame. It will be a one-possession ballgame. All of our games are. It will go down to the very end. A champion has the ability to play one play longer than his opponent. We just have to play one play longer than them again this Saturday.”
On his message to fans:
“I loved what we did in our marketing department. Last week we were 5-0, so they gave half off (price) for the tickets. I thought that was pretty cool. Kevin Brown, my Director of Operations, has done a great job reaching out to alumni trying to get them to come. I think once they come, they will really enjoy it and be shocked at how selfless our team is with how they cheer for each other and are into the game with each other. It is refreshing. They are a breath of fresh air. They are kids. Give them a chance. I think if you come once, you will be hooked. I know I love coaching them. I know everybody thinks it is because we are winning, but I am going to love them the same no matter what. We don’t talk about winning and losing. We just don’t. There is a time to talk about it. Our players don’t need to think about that stuff. Pressure is a privilege. Go play and have fun. That is what I want my kids to always do.”
WKU
Head Coach Tyson Helton’s Quotes from Monday’s Press Conference
Opening Statement:
“Another big week in conference. We’ve got Old Dominion on the road. An Old Dominion team that’s hungry for a win, and we’re hungry for a win as well. I was very impressed with their football team this past week. They played Marshall down the stretch and into overtime. Marshall’s a tough place to play, and they gave Marshall everything they could handle. They’re a football team that’s fighting, scratching and clawing like we are. So, it’s going to take everything we’ve got. But, I like our guys’ mentality right now. I love their demeanor and attitude. They’ve got their jaw set. They’re not happy by any means. They’re going to be ready to play, and I know Old Dominion will be ready to play as well, so it should be a good football game.”
On QB Bailey Zappe:
“He’s the best one I’ve ever been around – and that includes Sam Darnold. I love everything about Bailey Zappe. You can check every box: from his competitiveness, to his demeanor, to how he operates, to his unselfishness, to his leadership, to his accuracy. He’s the best I’ve been around, and I don’t mind saying that. I love Sam Darnold, and he’s going to have a great career in the National Football League. If Sam Darnold were sitting here and he watched Bailey Zappe he would say, ‘I wish I played like Bailey Zappe in college.’ I think he’s a top-five quarterback in the country. I think the nation needs to know about him, and I think by the end of the season they’re all going to recognize that he’s one of the top five quarterbacks in the country. He is a guy that, when he’s out on the field, everybody knows that he’s going to give us a chance to go make it happen. And he elevates the play of everybody – and that’s the biggest thing. He takes the demeanor like a coach. He’s in the office at 7 a.m. and he’s there all day. He doesn’t leave until we leave – and you don’t find guys like that. That’s a generational quarterback in my opinion. Not to put pressure on him, but we’ve been in five games and I can see what the guy can do – he’ll continue to do those things. He’s the best I’ve been around.”
On the current demeanor of the team:
“I think we have a bunch of grown men in our locker room that handle their business professionally. They treat it like pros. They’re not happy. They have the right mentality and they have the right look in their eyes. They understand they’ve got everything in front of them to go accomplish what they want to go accomplish. They understand what our strengths are, they know what our deficiencies are. I love walking into that team meeting room with those guys because when I talk to them every single one of them is looking me in the eye and nodding their heads and they’re right there with me, and I’m usually pretty good at feeling the demeanor of a football team. I know our fans can probably say the same thing when they watch us play. We may not do everything right, and at times it may be hard to look at – I’ll be honest with you – but at the end of the day you can’t sit here and say that football team’s not fighting, scratching and clawing. I hope the full body of work at the end of the season – that those young men are rewarded with the victories that they’re working so hard to achieve. So, I’m really proud of our locker room. Nobody’s blinked, nobody’s batted an eye. They understand the realities of where we’re at and they’re going to try to fix it to go have a really good season.”