UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 3, 2022

Frank Harris

Rashad Wisdom

Press Conference

Houston 37, UTSA 35

Q. Can you talk about the message Coach had in the locker room for you after the game, and what was the mood of the players overall?

FRANK HARRIS: Coach wanted to us keep our head up. He takes the blame but I definitely take the blame myself. That last play, I forgot to set in motion so I definitely. It's hard on me right now. We have to just come out there tomorrow, learn from everything, good, bad, and get ready for next week.

Q. Coach was telling us a game like this can push a team a couple different ways. How do you think your group is going to respond to a game like today?

RASHAD WISDOM: I think we're going to respond well. Kind of alike what Frank said, we're going to have to go back tomorrow, look at the things that we need to fix and get ready for a great opponent, Army.

But the way that the guys are responding right now and how they are just upset that we didn't come up with the win I feel like is a good thing, because you know, everybody's mood is that they want to win.

So I have no fear that the guys will separate because we have a great thing right now and we are really bought into the try angle and into this team. We have to go back tomorrow and look at the things we need to correct and get them fixed. But I feel like we played a great game overall, and I'm proud of the way we played.

Q. There were three or four times it looked like the game was lost for you guys and you somehow battled back. Is it hard to appreciate all the little successes and bounce-backs because of the way it ended?

FRANK HARRIS: We never give up, and I kept telling the guys, keep believing, if we get an opportunity, we have to go out there and try our best and that's what we did.

I'm proud of those guys. Came up on the losing end but I definitely will go to battle with these guys each and every week and I'm proud of them.

Q. Coach talked about the emotions in the locker room after this game. With it being Week 1 and still being 11 games left to play, the emotions this high this early in the season, what does that tell you about the program?

FRANK HARRIS: It means a lot. To say that we lost to a Top-25 team and we're upset, it just shows a lot. A lot of people can say we fought well, we were close, we didn't lose that bad.

But to us, you know, that means a lot to us. We feel like we can play with anybody. It's definitely tough right now for us but we have to come back tomorrow, learn from it and grow from it, and like I said, get ready for next week versus Army.

Q. Do you feel you proved anything about your team with your performance against a ranked team?

RASHAD WISDOM: I feel as though regardless if we are the underdog, chosen to win, we're going to go play our hearts out, and like Frank said, we'll go toe-to-toe with whoever. That's just kind of our mentality that we are bought into, and just regardless, man, we are going to go out there and play football and play our brand of football and just be about the triangle.

Like I said, I'm proud of the way we played tonight. I feel like we played a great game, and you know, it just comes down to a few little mistakes that we had.

But like I said, at the end of the day, I'm proud of the way we played and I'm confident in this team that we can go toe-to-toe with whoever we line up against.

Q. What was it about Tune on third down in the final two-point that you guys struggled with getting him corralled in critical downs?

RASHAD WISDOM: He's a great player, man. We knew he would be able to get around and be dangerous on his feet. You know, just he just made some great plays. He's a great player and that's what I expected out of him tonight, just being able to make plays; if nothing was open down field, be able to try to get out and scramble around. I feel like the D-Line did a good job, though. We were able to get some pressure on him early and get him on the ground.

But like I said, he's just a great player, and great players make great plays. So kudos to him and the type of dude he is.

Q. I know you said you're not happy with the loss but there's a lot of RoadRunner fans that are proud of the effort of the guys. What's your response to that?

FRANK HARRIS: We definitely appreciate it. We appreciate everybody coming out and making some those. We feed off the energy that they bring, whether it's a home game or an away game. It definitely does not go unnoticed and we hope to see everybody in the Alamodome when we play again.

Q. Rashad can you comment on that?

RASHAD WISDOM: For sure, the fans did exactly what they were supposed to do and being as loud as they were and rowdy as they got, they play a big part. There's a couple false starts that they had. You know, there's a miscommunication on their end. That's just because the fans, man, just how loud they get, it messes up the offense.

So I'm excited to be back in the Dome, in about three weeks from now, and I hope to see everybody back out there again and being as loud as they were tonight because it definitely helps.

Q. Frank, Coach talked about the strength of Houston's front four. What challenges did the pressure they put you under create for you?

FRANK HARRIS: They are great up front, athletic, fast, get back to the quarterback so it made me step up a lot and ID the right IDs. I had to know who was coming in hot. Definitely a challenge for us up front. I definitely think we did a great job handling those guys up front with the O-Line. We had a couple guys go down so we had younger people go in, younger guys, people who didn't play as much. Definitely appreciate them and earned their respect. Like Coach always said, the next person mentality; those guys definitely stepped up and it meant a lot for us.

Q. Coach took responsibility for the loss, something he just said at the podium. For you guys as players, what's your reaction to him saying that?

FRANK HARRIS: I definitely appreciate it. I know he said that because he knows I was going to take credit for the loss. But he's just a man of his word. He never wants nobody to bash us. Great guy, we love him and we're glad he's our Coach.

Q. Rashad, you guys were having a lot of success on defense, and they started to get some things going. Was there something that changed for you guys?

RASHAD WISDOM: No, not really. They are a great team. They are going to make plays and at the end of the day they are able to make some. We got a couple things that we need to go correct. But like I said, I feel like we played a great game, and they are not -- it's not like they are a bad team. They are a great team as well and they made some great plays. We have going back and just keep being us at the end of the day and that's what matters most is be about us and be about our brand.