The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers Discuss Southern Miss Game With Media
10/17/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 17, 2005
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- UAB head football coach Watson Brown and several members of the Blazers met with the media on Monday afternoon in Bartow Arena's Green and Gold Room as the Blazers look ahead to Friday's nationally-televised game against Southern Miss. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. CT at Legion Field.
UAB (3-3, 1-2 C-USA) looks to get back in the win column after suffering a 20-19 loss at Marshall on Saturday evening. The Golden Eagles (3-2, 2-1 C-USA) have won three of their last four contests, including a 52-31 victory over UCF. The Blazers have never defeated Southern Miss in five tries.
Head coach Watson Brown
On Saturday's loss at Marshall:
"We're disappointed to say the least. I thought the effort we gave was good enough to win. Our kicking game, especially punting, has been our main problem most of the year and adding penalties didn't help."
On UAB's play against the Thundering Herd:
"We dominated on both sides of the ball, but it was the kicking game that beat us. We had to go long distances to score points and gave them good field position. We even seemed to overcome most of the penalties. Most of the game was played very well."
On UAB's 3-3 overall record:
"Its tough for the kids. We were sitting here exactly one year ago at 5-1 and in the top 25. But we've lost two games in a row now. If you compare those two games to last year, we beat Cincinnati and Memphis late. This year we've lost two games on the last play. That's the difference."
On the Blazers' status at the season's halfway point:
"Our backs are to the wall. How you start and how you finish controls the whole year in college football. If we can get going and get a win this week, we're still in the hunt. We're in the top two in offense and defense across the board in the league but in the bottom with our kicking game. We know where we are and have things we need to correct."
On Southern Miss:
"Southern Miss looks good like they always do. They're strong on defense and have a good quarterback and kicking game. If you go back and look at our history, Southern Miss and Louisville are the teams that were always ahead of us. We just haven't been able to knock them off. But talk all you want about the past. This is this year's team and we haven't played them this year. We have great respect for them, and we have a lot at stake here. I have a feeling our guys will return and play just as well as they did Saturday at Marshall."
Defensive tackle Sam Williamson
On finishing the season strong:
"We lost two tough games. If we don't start winning, it will be a tough season. Our goals are still attainable. If we win out, we'll be right where we want to be."
On eliminating penalties:
"We have to play disciplined football and not make mistakes."
On facing Southern Miss:
"Southern Miss has had our number. It's a must-win game."
On Southern Miss quarterback Dustin Almond:
"Dustin Almond is a real good quarterback. I'm looking forward to playing against him. We just have to contain him."
Linebacker Mastaki Smith
On two-consecutive one-point losses:
"Our backs are against the wall. We've lost two tough games. We know what we have to do to get out of this hole."
On a 3-3 record this year compared to a 5-1 start in 2004:
"Last year, we won in the last seconds. This year, we're on the other end and it hurts. Last year, we were the ones jumping up and down celebrating. We know we're a good football team. We just haven't had the ball bounce our way."
On facing Southern Miss:
"Southern Miss is a tough team and we have a lot of respect for them. We know they're going to come in here and play hard."
On Southern Miss quarterback Dustin Almond:
"He makes good, smart decisions. He's a good leader out there."
Defensive Back Chris Felder
On his first career start as a Blazer:
"I just looked at the game as a normal game and was ready for the opportunity to get a chance to start. Overall, I could have played a little better. When I went into the game, I knew I couldn't make mistakes because it was going to be a close game."
On Marshall's running backs:
"Marshall's running backs were very strong and powerful. They had a lot of moves, but all week we had worked on passing so we weren't really expecting the run."
On Southern Miss quarterback Dustin Almond:
"This is going to be a game to watch. They have a strong quarterback and a bunch of good receivers. I feel like we have one of the best quarterbacks in the nation with Darrell (Hackney), so as defensive backs we feel like we go against the best everyday."
Wide Receiver Jhun Cook
On the Southern Miss game:
"Southern Miss is a must win situation for us. We are going into this week with the attitude that we need to win and our backs are against the wall. We are 1-2 in the conference and we have to come out of this game with a win. This is bigger than just a rivalry game."
On the team's attitude heading into Friday's game:
"We won two close games last year but this year things have been turned around. It's an eye opener knowing that you can win or lose on one play. We need to play better early in the game so we are not so dependent on those last plays."
On the team's level of intensity:
"Every week we are told that we need to go out with the same level of intensity. Playing at home and being 1-2 in the conference will give us a fire to allow us to play better and win."
