UNIVERSITY OF TULSA FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 26, 2024

Kevin Wilson

Press Conference

Tulsa 46, UTSA 45

KEVIN WILSON: Again, it was a very unique game. We kind of got our butts up and down the field the first half, couldn't run the ball and couldn't generate much. Defensively gave up a couple decent stops because they had a couple guys that missed and they made some big plays on us. At halftime we didn't have -- coaches made a couple adjustments. We kind of stayed with the game plan. We needed to throw it a little bit more. We needed to find some things in protection and we couldn't protect because we're young and we're struggling keeping our quarterback upright.

But again, the guys battled their tails off. It was all those guys. All I told them before the game was when it's one play, it's six seconds. There's 86,400 seconds. A play is six. We've got 180 of them. If you divide those, there's 1446 segments and we've got 180 plays. There's 1,300 left to do whatever you want to do the rest of the day, but when you're playing, play hard.

Second half we finally did. Kind of thought at halftime, we went up the field a lot of people kind of laughing at us, and all I said at halftime was you're the only thing that's going to change when you want to change the narrative. So we've got to get off some blocks, we've got to make some tackles, we've got to complete some passes. We've got to fight and just go out and -- our first half goal was to win the first quarter. We were down 14-0. Our first half goal was to be good on 3rd down conversions. They had five of nine, we were two of nine. Our first half goal was to be good on turnover ratios. We were down two. Our first half goal was to be good in the red zone. They were two out of three, we were 0-fer. We hadn't got there. Our first half goal was to win the first quarter, we were down 14-0. Our first half goal was to win the last four minutes and we were down 7-0, so we were 0-fer. So our goal at halftime was to come out and win the first three, four minutes of the third quarter and win the third quarter, and from there we started battling.

Defense did a heck of a job. Coaches did a nice job making some changes. Offensive coaches did a great job.

I came in this week and didn't do anything with the offense. I said I'm going to be a head coach for a change, and so Coach Spurrier, Coach Dennis, Coach Mayes, Coach Frey, Coach Switzer did the offense, and I just yelled at the referees and encouraged our guys to play hard. That's all I did today. I thought it was time to start being a head coach instead of trying to, quote, call plays because we weren't doing good.

I thought I could help the defense. Like I was calling every play out there. I was getting mad, come on, it's inside zone with the RPO. Here comes the boot. So I was trying to be a head coach for a change.

In eight years, that's the first time I was a head coach, so credit the coaches, but mostly credit the players because those are the guys that made the plays. Those are the guys that did what they needed to have a really strong second. We ended up with over 400 yards and we got 80 yards at halftime, so great second half, and just -- we talked about one play at a time, we talked about to the finish, and that's what they did.

So it's always been there. We ain't got it. This game, like life, is things are you rent, you never own it, so if you think you got it you're getting ready to get it, so we've just got to stay humble, be very happy that our process got us a result we liked, and now let's kind of go back. We're very smart last weekend at our practice, we tried to lighten some things to keep our kids fresh, had some subtle changes that were more just subtle adjustments versus changing because change doesn't get you any better. I wanted to keep the guys fresh, and I think you could tell by the way they played the second half, that wasn't a team that's mentally or physically beat up. It's a frustrated team, and they finally took their frustration out on the opponent, and that was good to see.

Questions?

Q. Obviously talk about the play of Legas who came in and played terrifically and the situation coming in with Kirk being banged up.

KEVIN WILSON: Yeah, Kirk just got an ankle in I think a lateral movement. We were struggling running, so he got a couple runs that got us a little bit more on schedule. With that, he started creating some passes, and with that, he actually did a nice job of extending some pass plays with the scramble, so sometimes he did make a few shots or really -- the first touchdown pass, was that him on the first touchdown pass to Billy? That was like a tight window. We thought that play was going to be wide open. That was covered. That was a tight window, great play about Billy Jack, because again, to win games you've got to make plays.

We've been in some games, we talked last week, we had a couple in our hands we didn't come up with. But today when the ball was in our hands, our guys came up with those balls. So that's a credit to Coach Switzer, credit to those kids, credit to Cooper. So proud of Coop. I don't think Kirk's injury is significant, but I did think we weren't blocking well. His movement, I think he just has not a major but an ankle sprain. He tried to go and just wasn't -- he sat down and Cooper started playing well, so we just rode it out.

Q. You talked this week about the young players having to come up, step up and make plays, and they obviously did, especially in that final drive, the young receivers made some really good plays.

KEVIN WILSON: Yeah, which is good. I mean, that's why we recruited them. We thought they were good. But the comment I told them today was like, puppies do bite when they're young, so if you're a good player it's about time to start flashing a little.

I know what your highlight tape looks like, I know what you're capable of. Sometimes we're bridging that world -- quite honestly we're taking a lot of kids whose parents did everything for them. There was so much talent, they did everything. Now they've actually got to go to class, turn in their homework, be on time, be accountable, show up every day, work as hard as you can. They kind of hit that little wall, they get a little frustrated, they don't know how to deal with working hard, and sometimes we've got to push you a little bit. But they've got to push through the wall. It was nice to see.

That's a credit to Coach Switzer and the receivers outside. We've got a couple of linemen like Brody Duffel got a little dinged so we had Jackson Tanner out there playing left tackle, another true freshman battling his butt off against two really good defensive ends. They're a really big front. I thought we were going to have our hands full blocking those guys.

Our kids battled. It wasn't pretty. Coop and those skill guys made plays.

Q. The defense, obviously you were up one with a minute left. Defense came through --

KEVIN WILSON: Yeah, I was kind of concerned at the end. I was worried about getting a celebration penalty with Cam. Everybody is like smiling, I go, it's not -- a minute in college football -- I just talked about a play is six seconds. They basically had ten opportunities in reality. They got eight opportunities for sure unless the clock runs. So if the clock is going to be incomplete or pass the chains, that's a lot of time to get in field goal range.

I think the key, they made the one bender shot, we came back and had the 1st down, and I thought Vontroy and Owen both on the edge, the quarterback could fill it, and it looked like -- just live, I thought the rush affected those two. They didn't get home, but it's a credit to the rush, and we finally tightened up the coverage a little bit. We were giving too many passing yards up.

Down the stretch, they were a very good pass team. McCown has a lot of yards. They came in, and we're going to play teams like that down the stretch. The teams we're playing are good pass teams, so we've got to keep improving in pass defense.

Q. You didn't come in here like you were that happy. What happened in the locker room because you could hear the roar all the way down the hall?

KEVIN WILSON: They were just having fun.

Q. Were you having fun?

KEVIN WILSON: Oh, yeah. I mean, it's those guys -- I'm happy for those guys, but I'm not going to -- this game is hard. I mean, to me it's just a credit to those guys. I'm not going to come in here like hey -- again, we had a bunch of fun. But at the same time, we've got to be careful that we don't get too big and think we've got something figured out.

What we've just shown has kind of been there. I keep telling you, I think some people struggled, but I'm actually very, very honest and very, very direct and don't have a bunch of agendas. I keep telling you we've got good kids that work hard, and they do. It's amazing the way those kids work.

Now, you've still got to perform. You've got to make a critical block, you've got to make the big kick, you've got to stick the shot in there, you've got to get off the block and get the stop. You've got the tipped ball, you've got to make plays. We're not going to make them all, but we hadn't made our fair share, and we're kind of young enough that you start -- you need to get to a point that there's time for that to start happening. You don't pressure that. But it's just kind of time where the jump shot goes in, the putt goes in. You've shown you can do it, it's just hard in the arena to trust and believe that.

I told them once again, what comes first, the more win, the more confident you are, but the more confident you are, the more you win. I'm just telling you I know what it looks like. I appreciate -- now, at halftime, I'm like, geez, nothing has went well, so I'm thinking just play the first -- I'm like you, I'm wondering what's going to walk out here. I think, I didn't know. So it's a credit to those guys. It's one thing for me to say they're believing it. They have to do that. I feel that, but they have to answer the call, and they answered the call.

To me, that's why -- I was just having fun with him because that was hard, that was tough, that wasn't easy. That's a very talented, good football team, and we're very fortunate to have this win.

Again, a year ago all of a sudden I've seen us get to not be where we need to be, a little fat, so I ain't going to come in here fat. Even though I'm a little overweight, I'm not going to come in here fat.

Q. Could you sense on the sideline things change when the defense scored in the third quarter?

KEVIN WILSON: Yeah, I don't know, I just -- I think Kam made the one play was a part of it. The big hit -- again, they did come back and get a score, so we had to weather through some highs and lows.

I thought in the second half we weren't emotional and they just kept playing, and that's a credit to their coaches, because again, I just tried to stay with the defense. Defense and offense, I let those guys make their adjustments. They did a nice job. The players did a nice job, and they deserve all the credit. That was a hell of a team win.

Q. I just want to go through that last scoring drive. I think four different receivers touched the ball, and for big yardage. I'll get into Kam, obviously, in a second, but those guys stepped up at the right time in big plays.

KEVIN WILSON: Yeah, Kam didn't field the punt so it goes all the way to the 5, which was kind of wow. In protection, going to get a sack safety, Ray unfortunately falls on. We get the two-minute warning, but we needed to make a shot down the field. We were chipping with backs and tight ends trying to help the young linemen. We had a seam shot on cover two. We had a go ball cover two. Coop made some plays he extended. Everybody was battling and we were fortunate it went our way.

Like to say it was magical or we had it all schemed up, we just kept attacking and swinging. It's like mojo got going our way, and I think all of a sudden they started believing they could, and they did.

Q. I think half of Kam's completed receptions today were for touchdowns. Talk about him. He had three touchdowns but had seven receptions out of 15 targets.

KEVIN WILSON: The double move at the goal line was good. The go ball cover two. We were trying to do a double move on his first score, and the DB didn't buy it and he shut it down, and Cooper back shouldered it, which that's really not a play that's designed to do. We're trying to go out and up and we're going by you, and he kind of shut it, Coop saw him put it behind him, and they kind of collided, he made a guy miss, and then it was a heck of a run after catch.

Again, we've had a lot of games where yards after catch and yards after contact haven't been there. That was a huge -- I think that was the play that got us going, that play, and then you get the sack fumble, boom, and then they just competed their butts off after that and had a good fourth quarter.

Q. You mentioned first quarter goals on offense. It seemed like whenever Legas got the ball, those needs were met. Is that something you look for going into next week, having a guy like that that can push this offense?

KEVIN WILSON: Yeah, at the same time, he's been out there before starting. We've just been -- it's not really been the quarterback. Kirk favors a little bit more throw, Coop is a little bigger with the run, Cardell is a little faster. They're all a little different. But quite honestly, when you're not blocking well or getting open, creating separation, it's hard to play quarterback. In fairness to all of them, credit to Coop, he came out, made a couple runs, jumped around, made a few plays, all of a sudden made a shot or two, got the mojo got and he got hot, and that was great.

Our thought going into it because we haven't played well, we need to get the ball down the field more. The last few games we did not get the ball at all down the field, and I didn't think we were mature enough to snap it again, snap it again, snap it again. I just didn't think we were wired to be that -- we tried it against West Point, and we just aren't physically mature enough to be that kind of grind-it-out team, and we've got young linemen so we need to be smart with protection, but we've just got to find a way to get some mix, keep them off guard, take care of -- I was disappointed with the two turnovers more than anything else, irregardless who the quarterback was.

Q. Anything specifically that you did in the second half offensive line-wise because you got the sack fumble touchdown they had and then Kirk got hit on his last play, got just straight out --

KEVIN WILSON: I mean, it's been that way for two weeks. I say when you draw a circle just remember that's a freshman who's a match-up, and you can only run what you can block and what the quarterback can do. We had things in the first half we were still trying to -- whether we gap blocking, chip blocking, tailback staying in, trying to help out most dangerous, and that was really the bulk of the second half. It was hard to do true drop-back against a really -- again, that's a very, very strong mature defensive football team, so we had to help them out the best we could.