UNIVERSITY OF TULSA FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 10, 2021

Philip Montgomery

Press Conference

Tulsa 35, Memphis 29

PHILIP MONTGOMERY: Okay, first of all, Memphis, very talented team. Austin, man, he can really run. He's an explosive wide out. I was proud of our full team today. Offense, defense, special teams.

Obviously we got things we need to continue to improve on, but thought we did some really good things today, too. To be able to finish out a conference game in the style that we did, huge play there by Travon Fuller and Bryson, but before that, we get the big sack with Jackson and Goody.

You know, the offensive drive before that put together a couple good drives there, and then Anthony finishes it off with a big run. JJ had a big catch there late in the game. Just guys stepping up and making plays when we needed them to be making them.

The drive right before the half. Crucial drive for us right there. So showed some good things today. Obviously we still got things to work on, but proud of our football team, the way which battled and came back and continuing to work.

Q. Defense faced 99 plays. Didn't have Ray at the end. To dig down deep and make the final stop you guys needed...

PHILIP MONTGOMERY: Yeah, just guys stepping up. Again, we don't like to make excuses, but we got a lot guys banged up already this season with the schedule that we played and everything else, and so guys just continuing to step up and make plays for us, you know, that's been our calling card the last couple years.

Got to continue to do that. Young guys got to step on the field and the standard can't drop. It's got to continue to raise, and those guys are doing a good job of that.

Q. Talking about Fuller, obviously besides that last play makes a big interception. Seemed like he's developing. Talk about that.

PHILIP MONTGOMERY: Yeah, just really, really proud of him. He's a guy that is new to our program but a guy that was looking for an opportunity to make an impact somewhere and he's making that for us. He's played extremely well throughout the year. Played the majority of the year with basically one hand and continues to just make plays.

So love his spirit, the way he works, and just continues to compete each and every time.

Q. Anthony's touchdown run was insane. Obviously you know he has that capability. What was it like to see that happen in a game?

PHILIP MONTGOMERY: You know, especially at the crucial time of the game. Thought we had a good call coming into it but then he breaks, I don't know, four, five tackles on that. Stiff arms a guy in the middle of the field and gets kind of butted up and just continues to keep driving his legs. Guys are coming to help.

Just continue to keep rolling. Just a fantastic, unbelievable type run.

Q. Quite a few plays affected the outcome. How important was the last drive before the half?

PHILIP MONTGOMERY: I mean, I think it was crucial for us just from a momentum standpoint, you know, to be able to do that. Because time of possession in the first half was not good. We take the first drive, put a really good drive together, go down and score. We get the turnover, I go for it on fourth down.

Probably should have kicked the field goal, but I thought we had some momentum and really wanted to capitalize on that.

But, you know, we were moving, and one of the areas that we got to continue to work on, I mean, our third and short game wasn't great today from on offensive standpoint. And then defensively we still got to get off the field on third downs. We had them in a lot of situations that we could have got off the field. Give them credit. They were converting quite a few of those.

They sustained some really long drives in there. Our defense competed their tails off all night. To go against 99 plays and we're shorthanded with some of the injuries we've had, really, really proud of the effort and the demeanor that they had on the field.

Q. Along those same lines, a lot fewer penalties, a lot fewer mental type errors. Is that you were wanting to see after last week?

PHILIP MONTGOMERY: You know, absolutely. Last week's done, all right? You know, wasn't our best performance, but tonight I thought we really did a nice job as a team just paying attention to the details. We played with a lot of effort, a lot of attitude, a lot of confidence, and I thought our sideline was great. The crowd was great tonight.

It was great for a homecoming crowd and people out and about. I know it's a late kick and all that, but the energy in the stadium really, really helped us I thought throughout the game.

Q. Status of Kendarin Ray? His family said he broke his ankle. Do you have an update on him?

PHILIP MONTGOMERY: Yeah. I mean, you know, really don't comment on those things. That being said, I mean, he has a significant lower leg injury, and then we'll see where he is from that point moving forward. Obviously he's such a huge factor for us defensively. He's one our team captains, he's a fantastic player, but even better kid.

Q. You alluded to it some, but can this past week and the preparation bouncing back from the Houston game, can it be a springboard? It's hard for me to say because I don't know exactly what was done differently, but can you see this team just building on this?

PHILIP MONTGOMERY: I think we have to. Yeah, I think we have to build on this. We've talked all week about putting one good day on top of another good day on top of another good day. We went into this game saying, Put a good play on top of good play, a series, a quarter, so on and so forth. Our goal this week just like every week is to go 1-0. Next week same thing. Keep growing and building.

But I liked what we got in practice this week. We had a competitive practice, but guys were locked in and focused. We have a good football team. We played a tough schedule, but we just got to get back on track and believe in each other and get it done.

Q. What was your takeaway from Shamari tonight? Looked like he couldn't be stopped.

PHILIP MONTGOMERY: Yeah, I mean, he ran like Shamari runs. He runs with a lot of passion about him. He was in and out of breaks, trying to run through tackles. Made some big runs for us there, especially late. I mean, I thought he did a fantastic job. Little banged up in the running back room and I thought Anthony came in and played well.

Got to continue to keep growing in that area. I thought the receivers, when they had opportunities, made the most of them. We just got continue to keep building from that.

Q. I guess overall thoughts on Davis, how he was able to keep going with everything that went on tonight?

PHILIP MONTGOMERY: You know, Davis is playing with a lot of confidence. He believes in guys around him. I thought the offensive line played much better today. I think they gave him a lot more time back there, and then established the line of scrimmage and allowed us to run the football.

Coming into to this team hadn't given up any rushing yards, and for us to be able to run the football the way we did, I thought that was a fantastic job by those guys up front.

Again, this is a huge team win for us on a big night with homecoming. You know, just proud of their effort and what they gave us.