The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Quotes
10/20/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 20, 2007
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Head Coach Neil Callaway
Overall take on the game:
"Obviously it was very disappointing for us tonight. I think the way we started off the game and set the tempo with the turnovers offensively. It's something we haven't had a problem with, but obviously we did tonight. You can't turn the ball over four times and expect to beat a good football team. I thought defensively we were doing some nice things there at the beginning. Then as the game went on and the offense kept shooting ourselves in the foot, we didn't play like we needed to play. I think we probably took a step backwards tonight as far as the things we've done. We have to go in there tomorrow and regroup and make sure we all keep pulling together. We have to stay on the same page and play better."
On the team taking a step back tonight:
"The turnovers offensively were horrible. We couldn't establish anything offensively running the ball. We added some plays offensively, but overall I'd say 90% of the game we couldn't do anything. Defensively, I thought we did some things better early, but as the game wore on, they didn't hang in there."
On the four interceptions:
"The first one was on Joe (Webb), the next two were on the offensive lineman and I'm not sure about the fourth one. The fourth, he (Sam Hunt) probably forced it a little bit. I know the first was one was on Joe (Webb), the next two were on the offensive left tackle, he got beat. I guess the fourth one he (Sam Hunt) did force it in there."
On not setting the tempo at the start:
"We get good field position, we return a punt. You take the first couple of series, if we execute, who knows what happens. But again, offensively we were very poor."
On the lack of a running game adding pressure to the offense:
"It sure does. I don't think it puts pressure on Sam (Hunt) to make plays. I think it just makes it harder to throw the football. People can play you in `cover 2' and you can't run the run, that's not good."
On Houston's Defense:
"They obviously whipped our butt up front. I don't think there's two ways about it. Their D-line whipped our O-line's butt."
On how to get the running game going:
"The problems in the offensive line with injuries don't help us. But we have to figure out a way to do something running the football. It's difficult when you are playing with a bunch of freshmen and hurt people, but we have to figure out something."
On Houston's offense being as good as advertised:
"I think so. But there again I do think our defense did some very good things early on. I just think we turned the ball over and gave them field position that put our defense in a bind. I don't think we competed at the end like we needed to."
On not finishing the game because of lack of depth:
"I'm sure that has something to do with it. But if you are out there, you need to play as hard as you can play every snap. So I was disappointed in that."
Defensive back Will Dunbar
On the Houston offense:
"They have a really good offense and if somebody slips up an assignment on defense, they are going to make you pay for it and that's what they did tonight."
On how team competed:
"As a defense, we have to learn that we can't give up, no matter how much we're down, we have to keep fighting."
On how team bounces back from the loss:
"We have to try to do something different at practice. We have to work even harder than we did before because it's embarrassing losing like this. We have to come out and try to do everything correct next week."
Quarterback Sam Hunt
Overall impressions of the game:
"This is a really big disappointment. A lot of things didn't go our way and we didn't make plays and made mistakes, it was a rough night."
On the first half:
"It's really rough and really hard, but you have to bounce back. Whatever happens, you have to go on to the next play, but for awhile there it seemed like it was just bad play after bad play."
On the interceptions:
"The ball is coming out of my hands and going to the other players so I take the blame for them. It was unfortunate the way they happened."
On his outlook heading into the game:
"We knew that we had to play well and knew we had to be successful. We had to put the ball in the air and make sure we put it in the end zone to keep up with their offense and make sure we had enough points at the end of the game."
On what the team can take away from Houston game heading into next week:
"A lot of times you make the most improvement when you played your worst. We made a lot of mistakes and will be able to learn a lot from those things."
On having struggles running the ball:
"It is difficult and is something that we want to improve on because it will help out the offense as a whole and will help with the passing game. When the defense starts respecting us running the ball it's going to open up some things for us throwing it."
On the pressure from the Houston defense:
"They had some good players on the front line and I thought our offensive line fought hard all night, but there were times where some of the defenders got free and made plays."
Linebacker Joe Henderson
Thoughts on the game:
"I'm really disappointed and feel like we got embarrassed, 49 points, that's just really disappointing."
On the field position throughout the first half:
"It was really difficult because they have a really good, explosive offense, they probably have one of the best offenses in the conference so it was tough with the short field position they had."
On the Houston offense:
"They are a fast offense. They've got a lot of fast skill guys and have receivers that can fly so they are pretty good as an offense."
