The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers Shift Concentration To Saturday's Matchup With East Carolina
10/22/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 22, 2007
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB football team has turned its focus and concentration to its Conference USA meeting with East Carolina on Saturday in Greenville, N.C. The Blazers lead the all-time series with the Pirates, 4-2, including the most recent contest, a 17-12 UAB win, on Sept. 9, 2006 in Birmingham.
UAB will enter Saturday's game with a 2-5 overall record that includes a 1-2 mark in league play. The Blazers are looking to bounce back from a 49-10 loss to Houston last Saturday.
"Obviously, it was a very big disappointment for us," said UAB head coach Neil Callaway. "Offensively, we struggled all night. I thought we went down the field pretty good the first couple of times. Then we threw the first pick and from there it seemed to go downhill.
"Defensively, I was really worried going in because of their high-powered offense. They have a lot of weapons and a lot of speed. I thought we played them well during the first two or three series. When the picks started coming, it started going downhill defensively, too."
East Carolina goes into Saturday's game against the Blazers with an overall record of 4-4 and a C-USA record of 3-1. In the three previous meetings between UAB and ECU in Greenville, the Pirates have won on two occasions.
The last game in Greenville saw East Carolina topping the Blazers, 31-23, in the regular season finale two years ago. UAB's only previous win in Greenville came on Oct. 28, 2000 when the Blazers defeated the Pirates, 16-13.
"It will be a game that will be a tremendous challenge for us," said Callaway. "I'm very impressed with what Skip Holtz has done up there, getting that program rejuvenated and going in the right direction.
"I think East Carolina has a very talented defensive front. They're a big, strong and physical group that does a good job.
"Offensively, I think they have a lot of weapons. I think they've got a situation at quarterback where they have two guys that are good players. They have two or three excellent receivers and a couple of good running backs. They've scored a lot of points and been in some good ballgames."
The Blazers and the Pirates will kick off at 3:30 p.m. EDT at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.
The game can be heard on the Blazers' ISP Sports Network flagship station WUHT 107.7 FM. The broadcast is also available on affiliates WIQR 1410 AM in Montgomery, WTRB 98.3 FM in Talladega and WACT 1420 AM in Tuscaloosa.
Head Coach Neil Callaway
On the loss to Houston:
"Obviously, it was a very big disappointment for us. Offensively, we struggled all night. I thought we went down the field pretty good the first couple of times. Then we threw the first pick and from there it seemed to go downhill. It was a very frustrating night. We knew we would have a hard time running the ball against them with what they do defensively. But, we thought we could do some things throwing the ball. With the turnovers, it just compounded the frustrations. Defensively, I was really worried going in because of their high-powered offense. They have a lot of weapons and a lot of speed. I thought we played them well during the first two or three series. When the picks started coming, it started going downhill defensively, too. We are very disappointed, but we are going to put that game behind us and move on to East Carolina."
On East Carolina:
"I think East Carolina has a very talented defensive front. I know I've said that over the last couple of games, but I've been impressed with their defensive line and linebackers and how hard they play. They're a big, strong and physical group that does a good job. Offensively, I think they have a lot of weapons. I think they've got a situation at quarterback where they have two guys that are good players. They have two or three excellent receivers and a couple of good running backs. They've scored a lot points and been in some good ballgames. I'm very impressed with what Skip Holtz has done up there, getting that program rejuvenated and going in the right direction. It will be a game that will be a tremendous challenge for us."
On keeping the team focused after the Houston loss:
"Well, first of all, we've got to learn from our mistakes. The mistakes being the turnovers. We have to put it behind us and move forward. There's not a lot positive to say about it. We are just going to put it behind us and move forward to the next one."
On East Carolina's two quarterback system:
"They (ECU's quarterbacks) are a little different. Pinkney is a little more athletic than the other guy (Rob Kass). They both do a good job of throwing the football. With Pinkney in the game, you'd be more worried with him running it, pulling it down and doing some different things than the other one (Kass)."
On the performance of wide receiver Frantrell Forrest this season:
"We are very happy that he's emerged. When we got here, we didn't know anybody as far as who could do what. Frantrell lined up at safety. I think that's where the previous staff penciled him in at. We were here a couple of days and Frantrell came to see me and told me that he wanted to play wideout. Heck, everybody else did, too. I just listened. But, halfway through spring ball, we changed that over. We thought, what little we saw of him, that he could do some things at receiver. Of course, he got hurt the first day of two-a-days and he missed the first 10 days of practice. But, he came back and has really caught on. We are excited about what he is doing."
On playing on the road again:
"It will be tough. It's been a long time since I've been to Greenville. I know they have done a lot of good things from a facility standpoint and with their fan base. They are a good football team, so it will be quite a challenge for us. I think they are one of the better teams in our league."
On seeing an offense again that was as good as Houston's:
"I thought Tulsa was good. Houston's good and East Carolina's good. Yeah, we will probably see some other offenses that will be in the same category."
Cornerback Zach Britten
On having to win on the road to stay in contention in the conference:
"It's something that we know. It's something that coach Callaway has put out there to us. If we don't focus and take care of small mistakes, he made it clear to us we are going to be out of the running. I think our team is young, but we have proven that we can get the job done if we play a whole football game. If we do that, I think that we can still be in this thing and win out."
On coming back with the same focus after a tough loss:
"For the younger guys, we have to harp on them and let them know that it is not over until it is over. Some of these guys in their first year playing college football, they might not understand that. The older guys have to get with the younger guys and make it clear to them that it's not over."
On proving the doubters wrong and winning at East Carolina:
"We know that we are capable of doing it. First, we have to prove it to ourselves before we prove it to others. We haven't played a complete football game yet."
Wide Receiver Frantrell Forrest
On attitude of team following Saturday's loss to Houston:
"We made some mistakes and I had some drops, but we need to put it behind us, move on and continue to improve. I think if you are down in a game, you have to try and stay focused regardless of what happens and try to stay motivated."
On keeping a positive mindset throughout the season:
"It is a little tough, but you have to look past all of that and keep moving forward. We are a team and a family and we want to stay together. I feel like things are going to happen for us. We all believe in the coaches, so it is going to happen."
Defensive Lineman Jerrickus Speights
On the defense's good start against Houston and the struggles after that:
"I think it was a lack of concentration and I think we lost a little bit of focus. The turnovers kind of turned the momentum around."
On recovering from the loss to Houston:
"We need to come back and practice hard. We need to try to get everything as perfect as we can. We have the players, but things just aren't swinging our way right now. Everything will turn around. This weekend is another chance to prove that we are a good team."
On what the team needs to focus on with East Carolina this week:
"We need to focus on technique and executing our plan. If we do that, I think we will be fine."
Offensive Lineman Adam Truitt
On bouncing back following Saturday's loss to Houston:
"I think this team is going to come back and have the best practice we've ever had tomorrow. I don't think there is any question about that. People are going to be more focused. We definitely need to keep our focus and not hit the canvas. If you aren't focused at practice, then there is no way you can focus on the game. To me, focus is everything."
On the East Carolina game:
"I don't see any reason why we can't bounce back and have a great game against East Carolina. They are a good football team, but we've played a lot of good football teams this year. As long as we focus and prepare well this week, I don't see any reason why we can't go out there and play well and hopefully come out on top."
On the response from the team following the loss to Houston:
"Houston is a really good football team. You can talk to any of the players and they will say the same thing. But, we also had a really bad night on both offense and defense. It is going to take the whole team to come together to have a chance to beat East Carolina."
