UAB Blazers College Football Pregame Quote, 11/01/2021

So obviously for us after eight weeks of games, it was good to get to an open date. I think we needed it coaches, players, and everybody. We didn’t do a lot of practicing last week. We did a little bit, but mainly we got healed up and because of the voting the NCAA has us all taking off on Tuesday so we practiced yesterday. We had a really good practice, first practice. Obviously we’ve got Louisiana Tech. I’ve got tons of respect for those guys and Coach Holtz. Their record is not indicative of what kind of team I think or know that they are. I think our guys are smart enough to know that. You know we had a tough loss last year at their place and we just know with the battles we’ve had with their team year after year. I know what team they are and I know how they feel with their backs against the wall. So we’re hoping to play our best football down the stretch. You know we’ve got four championship games in a row. Obviously it looks like it’s all on us to do everything we can do moving forward to be back in the championship game. Really that’s irrelevant based on week after week we’ve just got to do what we’re supposed to do this week and early game Saturday 11 a.m. so we need everybody to get up early and come out.

On team needing a bye week:

Yeah, when your trainer says this is the most beat up he has ever seen us. Sometimes that’s when I say luck really is a factor. When is your open date and who gets hurt. We’ve had tons or groins and hamstrings and I mean you can see wrists. We’ve probably had more broke wrists than I’ve ever been around. I just don’t talk about that a lot. I try not to make excuses, but it was a fact. I think there were only a few teams to go to week eight and not have an open date and we were one of them. So, mentally and physically in every way. When I say our schedule is a tough opponent every week. We’ve not just had to get physically ready, but emotionally ready. I think defensively we’ve had a huge revolving door. You can see we looked up versus Liberty and we had eight starters out that game. Everybody goes through things and we don’t want to make excuses. I will say it was much needed.

On team controlling their own destiny:

Yeah, we talk about it all the time and I think motivation for us is always practice motivation. You know just the will to prepare. We try to play the game every day in practice and I say when you’ve done what we’ve been blessed to do. You get everybody’s best game. You get guys that maybe you thought they were out find a way to come back and can play in those games. I do think the fact that we do control our own destiny and have a chance if we win out. What we can’t do is look ahead. I mean you can go back and when you get a chance to sit back and watch football and this game and this game is it an upset or what is it? It’s every game is a new game. Every team is based on who’s in and who’s hurt, but we are excited to have that opportunity. I told them yesterday that a lot of people would love to be where we are with this opportunity.

On DB TD Marshall’s legacy:

I think for TD you’ve got a guy and I think one of the things for us that was how valuable he was even injured. In that little stretch where he was out and it’s kind of like man we’re missing this guy who brings so much energy. You know he is a good player, but the energy he brings to his teammates. The guy always has a smile on his face. He’s a guy that can hold people accountable and yet do it in the right way. He came up to me after his injury on Sunday and talked about wanting to coach. So this is a guy that will probably be on our GA staff moving forward next year. That’s what I think about him.