UTSA Roadrunners College Football Pregame Quote, 11/11/2019

On the comeback win at Old Dominion:

For years we’ve had those games that were near finish and then just didn’t quite do it. And if we could have picked up a first down, made that last touchdown. We were charged (on Saturday) with doing it and we committed to doing it and went out and delivered in grand fashion. Picking up several third downs in those last two drives that were critical. And not necessarily third and short situations at times. I just really liked the composure of our football team and the determination of our football team to win it. Our ability to find a way to win those games becomes paramount for us. And again, we knew we would get their very best. We knew we’d have to weather some part of it. Thankfully it happened early in the first half and we weathered it. They kind of played keep away from us in the first half. But when we needed to drive to score we delivered. When we needed to make a stop we did. There are some things that are becoming norm for us ‚Äì a late drive in the last couple of games we’ve won, a defense with a sack/fumble that has happened in the last two victories to preserve a win, the last one at home as well as this one. Those things are a good habit that you call upon a unit to go make a play and they delivered.

On the ability for freshmen to provide big-play offense:

You always want that but the more you do, the more you learn. So many times you have that big play, big strike ability. We showed flashes like that. A young Zakhari Franklin. We hadn’t had a guy catch a ball for modest yards and take it another plus-50 on the run. Even the one that didn’t go the distance and set up the last touchdown, he caught it in traffic, broke tackles and made guys miss and just ran with a toughness. And the big catch by Joshua Cephus, the blocks on the perimeter by Dywan Griffin. So many young guys stepping up to make plays speaks to the talent but yet the development of our team, as well. Anytime we, if it requires us to put drives together, which we were, we were not trying to go tit-for-tat with them, we were trying to eat up some clock but at the same time be very effective. So you can see in that game, we sped it up and then slowed it back down. And then we when thought we could, we took advantage of them again and slowed it back down and picked our opportunities to do so and ate up seven minutes. Double digit (plays) drives. It wears on the defense. It speaks to the maturity of an offense, when you are able to sustain that many plays consecutively.

On the 134-yard receiving game from freshman WR Zakhari Franklin in the win over ODU:

A lot. He does it practice, he flashes it in practice. He has a very laid-back personality. So, you always want to get him going but that is just not his natural personality to be boisterous and outgoing. In this game at times, for the first time, he came up to me and wanted me to come back at him. He was just very determined and eager to have an effect on the game. You have to like that when a young man wants in a pressure situation to want the ball and make the play. That is just the greatest jump is his want to, and his ability to voice it. He has always been talented and always showed flashes but now his maturity is starting to take effect. He is more attentive in meetings and more attention to detail in practice and it is allowing him to be successful. In his limited targets, I think he may just have one drop when the ball has been placed properly. He has been very consistent in catching the ball.

On the development of freshmen:

There were a couple of plays from a guy that you won’t hear about and it was just physical as could be is Spencer Buford because it’s in the trenches. And Oscar (Cardenas) got in there and played in some snaps too, another true freshman. I think it speaks to the talent level that we are able to recruit to know that they are able to complement our most veteran players that are very talented and have matured. That these guys, that maybe they haven’t reached that same plateau but they can go in and complement the veteran players and effect the game.

On play calling with an effort to protect the minor injury to the non-throwing hand of QB Lowell Narcisse:

A couple of times he took off in not designed stuff and that is just his competitive nature. The ones that he did down there when we kicked the field goal, it was in the pocket call and he took off because he saw green grass and had a chance to go and got nudged out of bounds. Then in the last drive, he didn’t wince at all, he didn’t blink. He was going to do whatever it took to will the team to a win. There is a part of it by play call you keep things in the proper perspective but when the game was on the line, he was going to make the plays, irrespective of an injury or not.

On freshman RB Sincere McCormick with a big-play ability:

It’s a testament to our offensive line. We’re getting on the right people and those guys are finishing blocks. He has great vision and great feet and enough twitch that he is able to accelerate through the hole and get to the second level more times than not. And if he is able to get to the secondary he can pull away. He has several plus-40-yard runs on the year and that is a tremendous compliment to an area where we haven’t had a whole bunch of, post-Jarveon Williams. He is better at understanding blocking schemes and entry point reads so he is able to stay on track and on course. And then enough God-given ability to run away when he gets in the secondary.