Tulsa Postgame Quotes vs. UAB
10/16/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 16, 2011
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Tulsa Head Coach Bill Blankenship
Opening statement
"Very proud of GJ. He was very efficient. Only had a couple of off throws. I thought he gave us a chance. Obviously, we're excited with the win. Very excited to win. We're not ever going to take those things lightly. Was there some ugliness to it? Absolutely, especially turning the ball over like we did and gave up plays on defense over the top that we hadn't been doing and those are the big things that glare out. But great play by Clay Sears. He had nine catches of the night. GJ Kinne was very efficient. It was good to see Ja'Terian step in. And he had more carries tonight and was more of every down back than he had been in the past."
On keeping confidence even when trailing
"We didn't have any panic, just frustration mainly from turning the ball over. I think we only punted two times, maybe three by the end of the game. Offensively we weren't being stopped. The interception was a ball that could have been caught. Fumbles were very loose with the ball and those are things very correctable, but can get you beat in a hurry that way."
On the difference between the first half and second half
"I would say we didn't let any balls over the top. We made them snap the ball. Our defense while they gave us yardage, the last drive was a good example. We didn't get them get back over the top, that's where you get killed. They gave two early on in the first half. Number 1 is a really fast good receiver. We knew that coming in and still let him get away the one time. And you have to be very careful when you have guys that have that kind of speed."
On the game next week at Rice
"We go back on the road. Rice is a good time. They beat Purdue early in the year. They're a team that plays well at home. You know I think Coach Bailiff's done a good job with the program. They continue to battle and be a similar type student athlete that we have, and those guys will go in and never given us absolutely everything they've got."
On being 3-3 after six games, and if he is OK with the position knowing Tulsa had success in the final seven games of last season
"Well, our players that have been in the system talk about that, this is similar to what we had last year. It's happened in a different way. I will accept a good seven-game run, if that's what you're asking. I think that would be a pretty good finish in conference play. Rice is going to be critical. They're all going to be conference games from here on out. We just said it again, it's a six game playoff."
On throwing the ball with 45 seconds left in the first half
"GJ Kinne gives you that opportunity. Again we felt like we were controlling the ball in chunks of yardage with run and play action and kind of mixing it up. But when we got a stop and had some time, we basically went into the two-minute game that we practice about every other day and did a great job of peeking the safety at the first play and got the ball to (Jordan James) and made a good run."
On if the thinking at halftime was similar to the game at Tulane in September, feeling in control, but with a closer score after making mistakes
"I think you've got to give UAB a lot of credit for battling and bringing their A game. They played well. One of the things we talked about from the beginning, if you look at their record and play down to that record, it's going to be a huge mistake and I think it was a really hard wakeup call for our offense and defense that we were playing down, not to UAB, but playing down to their record. And by doing that, you give yourself a whole lot of problems."
On Tulsa's turnovers not proving to be much of a factor
"It probably was a huge factor from the sense of the yardage and completions. If you hang onto the ball there's probably another 21 points on the board. You just cannot turn the ball over four times against good teams and there was a five turn over because you have a fourth in one you don't make. Five times we gave the ball up without kicking it. And one of the things we talk about we strive for every drive to end in a kick. It's okay to punt the ball. It's okay to kick and so is extra punts and field goals."
On the ball being stripped from Tulsa players' hands as a cause of fumbles
"It was good plays on their part, poor ball security on our part. We didn't take care of the ball like we should have."
On the special night for Clay Sears
"I think it's pretty good. There's a guy who made his way through here and is getting a lot more playing time, probably, than he expected going into the senior year, and he's a good go-to guy."
On the 16-yard pass to Clay Sears on fourth down being the play of the game
"We pushed the envelope a little bit. We were in the no-man's land. Whether you kick or punt or go for it, and you just kind of like it when you've got play makers. It gives them a chance. And GJ is really good when he breaks it down and protects it and finding guys. And Clay is a big target with big hand and was strong with the reception."
Tulsa Junior Cornerback Lowell Rose
On the defensive performance
"We played well. We had a few mistakes, and mine was probably one of the big ones that sparked everything. But we bounced back in the second half. Coach (Brent) Guy got into us at halftime, and we came out in the second half a completely different defense."
On the difference between the two halves
"We just weren't being ourselves early and we weren't focused. It wasn't the whole defense, it was just a couple of us."
On starting his first game since the season opener
"It felt good to be starting again. I had that adrenaline rush, and I missed that feeling. I was pretty pleased."
On his interception
"We had a deep coverage, and I just saw the quarterback throw it. That one I knew I had, I just had to make sure I caught the ball."
Tulsa Senior Quarterback G.J. Kinne
On the offensive performance
"We came out and scored on the first drive, which was nice. We turned the ball over a little bit too much, but I think the running backs did a good job pounding the ball, and we finally got that big run. Ja'Terian hit it, and we just have to continue to get better this week in practice."
On the offensive line
"They did really well. They brought a lot of pressure. I was also real happy with how Ja'Terian played. We all know he can run the ball, but he really picked up the blitz well tonight. That's something we have to continue to do."
On his own performance
"We played well, but we left a lot of yards out on the field and we left a lot of points on the board. We can't do that against teams in this conference, and we know that. We're going to have a good week of practice this week and get ready to travel to Rice."
On how the team is going to work on not turning the ball over
"I think it's all about focus. After that first touchdown, guys started to lose their focus, and we know we can't do that when we're playing a team that's hungry to get a win like UAB. They played well, and I give them some credit, but we just need better focus."
Tulsa Sophomore Running Ja'Terian Douglas
On the offense
"We wanted to run the ball, and G.J. did a good job of finding the right guys to throw it to. The offensive linemen did a good job making holes for me, and I did a good job of finding them."
On his performance
"I think I played well. I came out focused this week just like I do for every game. I came out prepared and ready to battle.
On earning the starting nod
"It was a great opportunity for me to prove to a lot of people that I can come in here and be an all-down back. I think I handled the situation pretty well."
On how the team will work on not turning the ball over
"We just have to come out and focus this next week of practice to prepare for Rice, and we'll just go from there."
Tulsa Senior Tight End Clay Sears
On his career performance with nine receptions for 105 yards and two TD's
"G.J. (Kinne) was on fire tonight and I just happened to be open a couple of times. They gave me a shot to make a couple plays, and G.J. put the ball in there perfect. It just worked out that way, and we're happy about it."
On the offense
"Obviously, we have to shore up the ball security. That was a big problem for us tonight. But we were able to put up 559 yards of offense, so overall I'm pleased. I felt like UAB didn't stop us tonight as much as we were just our own worst enemy. We're going to fix our ball security and we're going to continue to throw the ball in the air and run the ball on the ground and do what we're doing."
UAB Head Coach Neil Callaway
Opening Statement
"First off, I give my congratulations to Tulsa. Bill Blankenship is a good coach and they have a good football team. We just got whipped up front and made too many mistakes."
On what Tulsa did differently on defense in the second half
"They didn't do anything different. We didn't pick up the blitzes off the corner."
On success in the passing game early
"We made some big plays. Jamarcus Nelson had some good catches for touchdowns, but we have to do better than that."
