The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers Discuss Rice Game With Media
9/26/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 26, 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 UAB prepares for its first Conference USA game on Saturday at 6 p.m. CT against Rice at Legion Field.
The Blazers enter C-USA play with a 2-1 record and will square off against the Owls for the first time in school history. Rice is in search of its first victory after losses to UCLA and Texas to begin the year.
Head coach Watson Brown
On UAB's first three games:
"We wanted to be 2-1 at this point and get both of the in-state games out of the way. They were very hard-fought and tough games, but we're exactly where we want to be at this point. Now its time to make our living."
On Conference USA:
"From here on out, its all conference games the rest of the way. If you look around the league at what's happened so far, its going to be one heck of a league. I don't see a dominant team anywhere in it. I think every week will be hard-fought with a lot of close games. We look forward to it. We were picked third in the preseason, and knock on wood, we've always finished higher than what we were picked."
On the C-USA East division:
"As I look around in our division, it looks tough. We don't know much about Southern Miss yet, but East Carolina is playing much better football. UCF played the fool out of South Carolina, then upset Marshall last week. The other four of us were all picked right together at the top of the league. Its going to be a heck of a year in the conference. To have a championship game on top of that makes it even more exciting."
On Saturday's game against Rice:
"We've got a lot at stake here, but we're ready to go. Rice is a very tough team to play. They're a wishbone team who also plays a bend-but-not-break style of defense. They try to make the game as short as they can. They've played two very good teams in Texas and UCLA so far and fell behind early which took them out of their style of play in the first quarter. That won't happen in league play. Anyone who plays Rice is going to have to battle what they do. We have to control their running game, keep their quarterbacks contained and not let them make the game real short so our offense doesn't get many snaps. They've got the best punter in the league, a very solid kicking game and they go for a lot of fourth downs. That's the type of team we're up against Saturday and we understand that."
Quarterback Darrell Hackney
On preparing for new conference teams like Rice:
"It doesn't change our preparation at all. Coaches still break down film the same after the games then we'll watch the film. We look at Rice just like any other team that we have to go out and play."
On the UAB offensive line:
"They told me there wouldn't be any excuses this year. And as you can see through the first three games, we've only allowed one sack. We've been giving each other credit after each game. I took them out to eat before the Troy game. We went to O'Charley's and they ran the tab up on me. We're just having fun trying to win the conference championship."
On Rice:
"They play a lot of man coverage and have athletes on defense who run to the ball well. Its a little bit deceiving to watch them on tape because they've played Texas and UCLA so far. I compare Rice to Arkansas right now as far as the games they've played out of conference. Arkansas lost badly to USC, then went into conference and played a close game against Alabama. So in conference, Rice should give us all we bargained for."
Cornerback Carlos Henricks
On conference opener against Rice:
"It's an exciting to finally start conference play. I feel we are right were we needed to be. We learned a lot against Tennessee to open the season and last weekend against Jacksonville State it really brought us back down. Anyone can win on any given Saturday and we are looking forward to the game Saturday."
Defensive End Larry McSwain
On Rice:
"We can't take anyone lightly. Rice is a big run team and they love to run the option. We look at this week as another opportunity to get the job done. We need to do our job and stop the run. If we can make them one-dimensional, we will be okay.
On the Rice running game: "I think its better when they run because its easier to stop the run than the pass because I get to be a little more hands on."
On opening conference play at home:
"Its always good to be at home and now that conference play is here, everything gets more serious. This determines if we go to a bowl or what the outcome of our season is going to be. This week is as important as the last couple of weeks. Our goal each week is to win and it doesn't matter what it takes."
Center Matt Batusic
On the offensive line:
"The offensive line has played well especially with our pass protection. I think we've done what we set out to do and we've continued to improve from game to game. This season, we've allowed only one sack so I feel like we've done a solid job. As far as the running game, we didn't start out as well as we would have liked but each week we have gotten better."
On UAB's goals:
"Our goal is to win Conference USA. It starts this week with Rice and will continue for the rest of the season. As an offensive lineman the goal is to keep improving the run and get better at pass protection. Although we have been good, we can continue to get better and be more focused as a group."
