UNIVERSITY OF TULSA FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 19, 2020

Philip Montgomery

Press Conference

Tulsa Golden Hurricane 30, Tulane Green Wave 24

COACH PHILIP MONTGOMERY: Words really can't explain that one, right. Again I'm just so proud of our young men. You know, words can't really explain it but the one thing I can explain is that is just a special group of guys down there. And it took every one of them, it took all three phases. You know, Tulane is a really good football team, came in here on a roll with three wins. I think Willie does an outstanding job there. So take no credit off of that part of it.

You know, don't know that we played our best ball tonight but we found a way to win and that's the best way that I can explain it. Those guys down there in that locker room, they believe in each other. They are going to fight for 60 minutes, every second of it and it took every second of it tonight. Just couldn't be more proud.

Q. Have you ever been a part of anything like these, the craziness of it all, have you had a chance to make sense of what you're experiencing?

COACH PHILIP MONTGOMERY: Not really. Obviously over the course of my career, we've been a part of some really good teams. Been fortunate to do that and had some comeback wins but not -- not this many of them, right and that many of them in a row. So like I said, the only way you can kind of even talk about it is it's just a special group guys. They fight and they don't give up on each other and I'm just happy to be a part of it.

Q. Zaven, back-to-back, game-clinching. Any words for him?

COACH PHILIP MONTGOMERY: Here is what I'll say about Zaven: Unbelievable kid. Unbelievable teammate. Great leader. Makes plays at big times. I'm just going to go ahead and say it. I mean, why is that guy not in the running for the Heisman? Tell me someone that has affected more games than that guy. I mean, if we want to talk about the best football players in college football, in my opinion, I mean, he's there. He's a part of it.

You know, whether it's picks to end games, that's two back-to-back. He took this one back for a touchdown. You know, game-saving tackles. Tackles for losses. Sacks. Again, to me, he ought to be in the conversation. I know that's just little 'ole Coach up here saying that, but why is he not.

Q. Can you talk about the impact that Brin had on the game? Offense didn't seem to be doing a whole lot and then he comes in.

COACH PHILIP MONTGOMERY: We were real inconsistent offensively. I thought we had some decent things going and then we just kind of shoot ourselves in the foot or get behind the chains.

I've been saying it since the start of the season and everybody's asked me questions about it, but this is the best overall quarterback room I've had since I've been here. And I said I have three guys in that room right now that I feel comfortable going in and playing games with and we needed all three tonight.

Davis is a kid that he does exactly what we ask him to do from the standpoint of preparing himself to be the starter each and every week. He's taken notes. He's studying. He's getting extra film time. When he gets those opportunities in practice, he's making the most of them. He's diligent about it, and tonight, didn't surprise I don't think anybody on our football team, and I know it didn't surprise Davis. He prepared himself. He was ready. He stepped in there. Made some big throws. Heck, made a great run. You know, I can't say enough of how proud I am of the way he prepares himself and then what he did tonight and just the confidence that our team has in him, that we have in him, and he stepped up big time for sure.

Q. Can you talk about the last play, describe what you were planning, was that what you were planning? What was the plan on the last play?

COACH PHILIP MONTGOMERY: I wanted to bunch the receivers out to the right. We motioned the back out to the left. Obviously that bunch, you know, we got a little bit across through it and then told them to stay tight together as they are going down the field and obviously it's a Hail Mary-type play, right. JC, boy, you can't say enough about him. Davis threw a nice ball. He stepped out of the way of a little bit of pressure and stepped up and threw it. Allowed those guys a little bit of time to get down there in the end zone and then got hit, I believe, right as he threw and JC just went up two-hand and made an unbelievable. I mean, unbelievable catch.

You know, Keelan goes down tonight. Zach goes down tonight. Seth goes down tonight. I mean, we lost quite a few weapons offensively. T.K. wasn't 100 percent tonight. Just guys stepped up. We had to move a lot of receivers around and do some different things with them. You know, again, they took advantage of the opportunity they had in there and they all believe in themselves, they are confident and they made plays.

Q. The one that tied 14-14, that looked like an all-time play, back in the end zone, fourth down play. Talk about that.

COACH PHILIP MONTGOMERY: Yeah, I'm trying to even -- it's all kind of running through me a little bit. But you know, which one was that? To Josh?

Yes, I mean, we had a little bit different look there. I think Davis was on top of it and you know, JJ, again, just came up with a good one, and you know, I was -- it's just one of those deals. I mean, the fourth quarter, our guys have been really good in the second half. We got some good drives together in the second half but then we started getting on top of things. You know, obviously once we break the ice, I think our team just kind of continues to keep that mode about them and they stay hungry and they keep attacking.

Q. You touched a little bit on the players that are banged up. Can you give us an update on any of them?

COACH PHILIP MONTGOMERY: You know, not yet. We'll wait and see. We'll get a chance to kind of evaluate them tomorrow. Let the doctors look at them. I can tell you Seth's is pretty significant, I believe. But as far as everybody else, you know, we'll have to wait and see till later on.

Q. About the composure with Davis, here is a guy that had not started, hasn't played and comes in and looks like he hasn't missed a beat and looks like he's been starting for you all season long.

COACH PHILIP MONTGOMERY: You know, like I said, Davis just prepares himself that way every day, and he views himself as a starter every day. So when he gets in, you know, and it goes back to when he first got here. I mean, I remember watching him on tape and Zach may have been going or whatever and as he was just learning the offense, he's standing behind it and going through every action. You know, verbal communication that you have to say to our offensive line, going through all of that, and then he's just progressed over the years.

He's a guy, again, with a ton of confidence in himself. He really fits what we are looking for, and you know, our guys just believe. He played unbelievable tonight.

Q. With Zaven, you said in the past that he keeps getting better and he hasn't even played a position for that long. Teams know who he is now and he's still able to do what he does. How much farther can he go?

COACH PHILIP MONTGOMERY: Zaven can go wherever Zaven wants to go. You may be able to get a block on him here or there, but he's a big guy that's long that can run and that's why he's, in my opinion, whenever he decides to come out, he'll be a first-round draft pick.

Q. It seemed like early in the game, energy was kind of low with the team. What was it like getting this team ready with such a short week for this game, and obviously energy is high the at end, but what was it like trying to get them energized and ready to play?

COACH PHILIP MONTGOMERY: We only had a day and a half of practice just like they did. And pretty emotional game the week before. Obviously we got another emotional game tonight. Just building back up. I thought our team was ready to play. They were focused. You know, from the stance of I thought our energy level was good. I don't think we were bouncing off the walls, but I thought our energy level was good and I thought our guys were locked in. That's a good football team we played against tonight and they were hot coming in. We knew it was going to be a battle back and forth. Our guys were prepared and ready and you know, made enough plays there at the end to win.

Q. Have you started thinking at all about the fact that this puts you guys in the running for that conference Championship Game?

COACH PHILIP MONTGOMERY: You know, for us, we've got a lot of goals that are still in front of us and you know, we feel like we're in the driver's seat to those goals with you we'll take it one week, one game at a time. We have big tests in front of us and obviously we've got to go to Houston next and it's a very talented group. We have to win on the road and those guys got a lot of weapons. We'll see what that holds. I know they didn't get to play this week. They are not planning on playing this week. I don't know where all that's going to stand, but right now, that's our mindset. We know we have to go to Houston and we've got to find a way to win down there.