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UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 29, 2016

Frank Wilson

San Antonio, Texas

UTSA - 31, North Texas - 17

Q. It seemed like a total team effort tonight in all three phases. Just talk about every phase of the game. It seemed like you guys were successful.
FRANK WILSON: Yeah, I thought today we were able to put it all together at times, and we played well, very well at times. I thought our defense was lights out. You look at them shutting the offense, the opponents' offense out in the first half. To come back the second half, they got a quarterback draw that went the distance, and then after that, we kind of buckled down and did the things necessary to prevent them from getting in the end zone.

Certainly at the back end of the game you want to keep the ball in front of you. We did those things to try to make them go the distance, but when you talk about, and right before half to have that big momentum swing with the goal-line stands and scoop and attempted score was fabulous, and then at the back end of the game when they yet again try to get the game within seven points, and we put the defense back on the field, and they responded.

I thought the offense did the things necessary when we created turnovers twice. Once we were able to get a three-point field goal, the next time we were able to go down there and score touchdowns, and then at the back end of the game, to see our offensive line put the team on their shoulders and drive the ball down there and run it in the end zone was certainly something vindicating for us as a team.

I thought we did things well in spots from a special teams standpoint, but we'll worry about those things on Sunday. Right now we're enjoying a great team victory for our team. Very proud of them.

Q. I thought you guys were supposed to be tired after last week. What about the resiliency of those guys sitting behind and coming out and playing?
FRANK WILSON: You know what, to respond like that -- that's always a big thing, such an emotional situation last weekend, a five-overtime game that was played so tough, and to come up on the short end of the stick, and then to respond against a team that was playing very well in our conference, had back-to-back wins and an offense that would go down the field, and a defense that created turnovers, 10 interceptions, and as we talked about before, two interceptions in back-to-back games.

We did the thing that was most important: We took care of the football, and we did not give it to them, and defensively we took it away from them. I think that was a huge part of the victory today, the offense doing the things necessary to protect the ball, and the defense creating turnovers.

Q. You talked about North Texas blitzing a lot. It seemed like Dalton had all of those today a lot of the times. Talk about your offensive line.
FRANK WILSON: Sometimes. They got to us sometimes. They would bluff and then come, then bluff and come, and then honestly, it wasn't necessarily schematically where we did not know where they were coming from. We knew where they were coming, and a couple of guys just unfortunately from a technical or technique standpoint, we fell a little short, and then we were able to calm ourselves and communicate more effectively and pick them up.

At the back end of the game, when we were able to get in certain formations in downs and distance once we picked up their new tendency, which was different from what they were doing, we were able to then take shots and throw the ball downfield because we were able to see it, which was different from our game from their scouting report, and so hats off to our coaching staff and recognizing that, and then putting our team in position to move the ball down the field.

Q. North Texas has sort of made a living this season off of creating turnovers. I think they had seven last week. How were you guys able to avoid falling into that trap with them? The guys did a good job of taking care of the ball. What were you doing right out there?
FRANK WILSON: What we always try to do. We have a creed, and it's titled "it's all about the ball," and we say it as a team every Wednesday, on no-turnover Wednesday for the offense and turnover Wednesday for the defense. Our creed is something that's sincere that we say from the bottom of our heart, and basically one line that I'll share with you guys is "this ball is the pride and tradition of UTSA football. It will not be entrusted in the hands of the timid nor the weak," and some more lines and stanzas that go with it, but that ball is the heartbeat of our football team, and we protect it with everything that we have. I thought we were conscientious of it, and we made sure that we took care of it, and I think on defense we went after it.

Any time there was a loose ball, I was more than sure that we would have an opportunity of getting it because of the heavy emphasis on a daily basis that we talk about with the football.

Q. Your defense had several goal-line stands. Specifically the one right before halftime, how good was that?
FRANK WILSON: Yeah, you know what, at times they bent but never broke, and to see those guys come off the football and play with the aggressiveness that we were looking for and push the pocket -- and their quarterback is slippery, now. He was able to wiggle out of there a couple of times, and then at times we were able to put a hat on him and wrap him up and get him to the ground.

But our defensive line came off the ball, ball key, and just great first steps getting off, and then our linebackers were in position to be able to fit it, as well.

I thought our game plan defensively as well as offensively was on point. That let us beat a very, very quality football team today.

Q. The TV replays kind of looked like Marcus's ejection was a little bit specious. I wondered if you might consider talking to the league office between now and say early in the week to see if they can overturn that.
FRANK WILSON: Yeah, we certainly will. You know what happened, and I didn't know what it was because it wasn't a late hit. I didn't think he led with his helmet. He was coming off of a block, and he went to make the tackle, and Marcus is 6'6", the quarterback is 5'10", so to get that low to target him is challenging, to get him in the sternum or chest area. He tried to do that, and I don't know -- I didn't see the replay. I would have to see it on film, but we respectfully understand sportsmanship, and we're about protecting our quarterback, but we'll review it, and if it's in question, it's certainly something that we'll appeal.

Q. With one month left in the season, possibly a bowl, but sitting at 4-4, what are y'all's mentality going forward?
FRANK WILSON: Getting ready for our next opponent, getting No. 5. We celebrate the number. Today the number was 4. Next week the number will be 5. So what's most important is Middle Tennessee and our ability to go there and to compete and play well against a very, very good football team, and it'll require us to be at our very best, and we will be. We'll prepare accordingly, and we'll go there and we'll compete.

Q. On officiating calls again, they called a grounding call on Dalton on the gadget play. I thought you couldn't do that if you were a quarterback, that a play like that would be a grounding call.
FRANK WILSON: They called it. That's a correct call. Even though he's a quarterback, he didn't get the initial snap, so had he gotten the initial snap, and even if it would then reverse and then hand it off to him, he would have been protected. But him lining up as a receiver and then getting the reverse, it's like a wide receiver throwing the ball away, and so it doesn't protect him anymore. That was the proper call.

Q. Is that what big boy pants look like?
FRANK WILSON: Yeah, yeah, we put on our big boy pants and recognized that no one was feeling sorry for you. They were a little chippy in pregame and during the game, and we reminded our team that we would play between the whistle, we'd play with class, we would play with toughness, we would play the UTSA Roadrunner way and we'll let our hats do the talking, and we did that. I'm very proud of our team and the way they competed today.

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