UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 3, 2022

Jeff Traylor

Press Conference

Houston 37, UTSA 35 (3rd OT)

Q. What was your message to your players in the locker room after today's loss?

JEFF TRAYLOR: I thought we out-played them. That's on the head coach. Our kids gave an unbelievable effort. We made some critical mistakes at some critical times and that's on me. Couldn't be more proud of them. We proved again we can play with anybody in the country. The difference is, y'all used to be surprised, we used to be surprised, and that one hurts so much is we know we belong and we didn't get it done and that's on me.

It wasn't our kids. Our kids were fantastic. There were just some big-time moments against a really great team that you can't make those kinds of mistakes against. It's part of the learning curve and it was a tough one to learn on because we really thought we played so great for so long.

Q. What did you see in the final two-point conversion play?

JEFF TRAYLOR: You talking about ours or theirs? We busted. We made a mistake. That's on coaching.

Q. How did you feel the guys just handled the environment and all the emotional swings of this game? It was back and forth coming down to the wire. Could have been anybody's for a long time there.

JEFF TRAYLOR: Yeah, you know, it's so emotional; it's literally, you think about the last three times we played here, Western Kentucky, UAB and this. The difference is, those were the end of the year and we've still got 11 more to go, right. Told them, this game, it will either split our locker room or it will make us as tight a locker room as we've ever been, and we've got a tight locker room. These kind of moments, coaches are the worst about this play, that play; media, this play, that play; players, this play, that play. They all matter.

We played a really good team. That quarterback, I mean, you can -- my thoughts before the game, I'll just read them to you.

"When we get to Tun, can we get him to the ground? Can we block their down four? If we play clean, are we good enough to beat this team." That was the difference in the ballgame, right. Getting to him on the ground, blocking their down four and we didn't just play clean enough. And that's on me. All that's on me.

Q. There was a penalty in the third quarter on a fourth down play. What happened? Were there 12 men on the field or an illegal substitution?

JEFF TRAYLOR: Substitution error. Strictly coaching. It's on the head coach.

Q. You mentioned trying to stop the down four. What were your impressions of how the line held up, you had an injury and new starter at left tackle.

JEFF TRAYLOR: Khi, man, was a killer. I just don't want to -- they gave us heck up there. It's hard. We just didn't do enough to get our guys to get the ball to our receivers and we've got to find a way to get that cleaned up. We went tight end a lot the second half. We chipped. We deferring we could to help. Those guys were really good. We didn't do good enough up there. So it's unfortunate because, you know, they were really good. Their defensive ends, their down four men are just beasts. They are UAB-good up there.

Q. What was it about Tune, particularly on third down that made him so difficult to corral or get down?

JEFF TRAYLOR: He runs 4-5. He's a three-year starter. He's big. He's really good. Yeah, it's very frustrating.

I've watched him do it his whole life, high school, college. They are over there asking, saying things about why they can't get Frank down, you know what I mean. The guy is really good. And we lost contain on the last one. That's on the coach. That's on me. We went inside and made a mistake, and in a critical situation, that's coaching. That's not players.

Q. That last question in your notebook, if we play clean, are we good enough. As tough as that might be to consider right now, did you prove in so many ways that you are good enough? Is that question answered in your mind, do you think?

JEFF TRAYLOR: We already knew the answer. I just really wanted the rest of the country to know for sure.

We had such a great opportunity here at the Dome and head football Coach let it slip away.

Q. Your guys' defense had a sequence of forcing three-and-outs that was four or five times in a row in the second half and they started to get some things going on offense. Was there some things that changed there that you saw?

JEFF TRAYLOR: They got that 12th man on their side. He's the best player in college football. His name is Mo, Mo Mentum and we gave it to him, and you can't give Houston momentum. The mistake -- their mistake J.J. pointed out is one I'll never forgive myself in the rest of my coaching career.

Q. There are a lot of fans that are proud Roadrunners because of the effort. What's your reaction to that?

JEFF TRAYLOR: They should be. They really should be. Those kids, they sold out, man. They are in there destroyed right now. Their bodies, emotionally, psychologically, mentally. They gave everything they had, every single ounce, fiber they had, they gave it to y'all tonight. I couldn't be more proud of them.

Just when I think they can't do something, they just freaking prove me wrong every time. They are unbelievable. They are the hardest playing kids in the country. I'll put them up against anybody, how hard they play.

Sorry about that, men, and ladies. That's on me.