UAB Blazers College Football Pregame Quote, 09/30/2019

Going back over the last game, it was a tough road loss for us in conference. Anytime you go in conference play, it’s going to be a big deal. For us, we knew. It wasn’t from a lack of preparation. It wasn’t from guys wanting to play their best. I thought we were well-prepared. I thought our energy was good. It was just a hard-fought game against a good team. Give them credit. They came off an open date and did a good job preparing. They had the backup quarterback come in and do a really good job. Just like we did the week before, I thought they got better. It was a tough loss and now we move on to Rice. Coach Bloomgren, I’ve known for a long time. I think he’s really got them heading in the right direction. You might say, ‚ÄòWell, they’re 0-5.’ Look at who they have played. Three Power 5 teams and they played them very well. The Texas game was probably the one that got a little out of hand. With Louisiana Tech, by every stretch, they should have won that game. Give Louisiana Tech credit for finding a way to win in overtime. They’re getting remarkably better from last year. We are going to get all we want this week. It’s good to be back home, obviously.

On quarterback play against WKU:

Everything he’s done up to this point has been great. That’s one of those things where you come back and hindsight is 20/20. With the screen pass, he would love to throw over his head. We would love for him to. He forced one early and the one right before half, we were trying to make a play. The last one, he throws into double coverage. I know he wants that one back. Like every player we have, we have to get better. Knowing him like I do, I think he’ll get those tings corrected. I hate it for him, and of course, we haven’t turned the ball over, which is the No. 1 stat in football. That’s where it all starts and we talk about it all the time. Nobody hates it more than he does and I think he’ll get it corrected.

On motivation against a winless opponent:

I do think from hearing from the guys yesterday, they are smart enough to understand. If you look at who they have played, and I say it’s tough just because it’s human nature. It’s human nature for fans, for players, for everybody. I’m hoping with this Louisiana Tech game, all we have to do is turn on the film. We’ll watch them play and lead this whole game. We have a lot of respect for Louisiana Tech as well, so hopefully, that will do it. That’s how we’re going to start today. If we don’t, we’ll be in trouble.

On rebounding from a loss:

There’s nothing automatic. History is written. We are writing the history now. There is no history that is already written. What that team did before, this is a new team. We didn’t lose the second game of the year, even though history told us that that had been a problem for us. For us, what do you learn from a loss. That feeling you get after a loss when you wake up today, wake up Sunday, it’s a feeling of misery. Those are things you use in preparation for the next team. I think they saw what it looks like when you become a Super Bowl. Every win in conference is a big deal, but you saw how those guys (WKU) acted after the game. It’s a big deal to beat us right now. The bullseye is on our chest. That means we have to do more, prepare better, whatever those things are. We just have to continue to do better.

On Spencer Brown becoming UAB’s all-time rushing leader:

Records are those things, especially when you finish, that you can look back and be proud of. You look back, and it’s a culmination of these guys that have worked so hard. It’s preparation from coaches, the offensive line, tight ends and of course Spencer. That’s something to be proud of and it’s also kind of a cool note that goes with The Return. All this has kind of happened together. He’s got more in front of him.

On the run game:

Our running game is kind of running back-quarterback centric. We do other things, but we are a one-back offense. Our other runs are really throws. They may be quick throws or screens, but there are other ways we get the ball out, and we get it out pretty quick. When you’re a one-back team, that’s kind of what it looks like.

On playing games as the defending champion:

I think we saw it the other night. We were unbeaten going in with them needing a win at home. There are no games that aren’t important. There’s not a return trip, there’s not a conference tournament. These games are historical. Those are the things when we talk about football. You can go back five or 10 years and you remember these singular games. The champ is the one that you hear about. Once again, we are all human. They’re sick of hearing about us. We are going to be the one to prove. Those are the things, as athletes that we are all looking for. How does the other coach feel after having two losses? What is he telling his players? How are they reacting? What does it mean to have heard UAB over and over? Those are the things that get them ready to play. We expect that and we should be the same, and much more ready, also.