On the fundamental mistakes made in the game

Yeah, I think the big thing is just everybody doing their job. Players, coaches, we all got to be better together. That was the message to everybody after the game. You know, we're not going to point fingers and say it was this person, this person. Collectively, we got to be better as a whole group, whole unit, offense, defense, special teams. You got to be better. You got to be fundamentally better. You got to be better getting off blocks. And just doing little things and straining because the guys play hard, but you got to play with detail when you play teams like that.

On the preparation for Texas

Yeah, it was nothing that we weren't prepared for. They just executed at a high level and we've got to do a better job.

On playcalling on both sides of the ball

Yeah, I think guys are getting the rhythm. Offensively, I thought, you know, the thing that we talked about on offense, we got to run the ball more efficiently and do things to help us and move the chains to get the ball in the end zone, which we're not doing enough. So we'll continue to fix that. Defensively, you know, guys just got to tackle. Guys got to make plays. Guys are in position or not communicating. So there's too many wide-open things happening. That's the big piece for us. We got to get fixed.

On whether changes need to be made or stay the course after a loss

Yeah, I think the big thing I talked about with the team is it's urgency. It's not panic. The first time we've lost a game here since 2020 and the first time we've lost an in-season game since 21. So it stings. It should sting. It stings everybody. A lot of guys haven't lost a game here at our home stadium. And nobody likes that feeling. Coaches, players, you know, the players take it to worse. People talk about coaches and everybody else, but it's really the players that are in the games that take it the worse. So for us, it's consoling them and helping them get over it because they're still feeling it today. You know, we always talk about 24 hour rule, win or loss. And for us, it's what can we do to get better today? So we're looking at it as a 1-0. We're just trying to go 1-0 this week. We're about this week. And what can we do to get better?

On what he wants the offensive identity to be

Yeah, I want us to be a physical offense that's detailed and we can score points. And for us to do that, we've got to be better running the football. We've got to be more consistent running the football. And when you get games like that versus really good teams, if you get behind and it becomes a throw game, that doesn't put you in the best position to win. Never has, never been a formula for us for that to be successful. So we've got to do a better job of establishing that and play action and run action and stuff off of it, which we will. And just ready for us to get to work with that.

On whether he found things to build on after the game

Yeah, for sure. There was times there were some efficient runs and we've got to be consistent when we do it. Protection early was good. You know, the big thing when you get passing situations and the guys are just rubbing off the ball, it's hard to protect at any level. So for us, it's getting behind those sticks. And I thought the defense finished really well in the second half and gave up seven points. But in the second half, there's a lot of three-and-out punts. So for us defensively, there's a lot to build on there and we'll continue to build on as a whole team.

On cleaning up turnovers

Yeah, I think it's a big thing. It's just detail. You know, the first pick was a tip ball that was in somebody's hand and the second one was a wrong route. So, you know, everybody looks at the quarterback and said he didn't do this, he didn't do that. Well, we've got to be detailed up as a whole unit to make sure it all is efficient. And, you know, the fumble is something that Colston's never done. And he was in here watching it beat himself up. But he's a really good player. He'll fix that mistake. And I think it's a great learning experience for everybody. But you can't have three turnovers against a really good team.

On the run game troubles

Yeah, it's a combination of things. The biggest thing, guys, is you've got to get a rhythm. Because there's enough good ones in there that you see that it can be done. It's just sustaining those all the time. And if we do that, we'll be in a better position.

On whether it means more Donovan Edwards or Kalel Mullings

No, I think just as a whole, we've just got to be better as a whole group. Whether it's running back, O-line, receiver, tight end. The whole offense has to be better to make sure it's established the right way.

On the OL being more physical and whether changes need to be made

No, I mean, you know, we're always going to challenge the guys and make sure that nobody's coming full in their position. So we're always, you know, that's always been the standard here. There's competition every week, so we're going to continue to do that, have that throughout the week and see who practices the best and the best players will play. And then for us, it'll just be who's going to strain, you know, strain in every phase. That'll determine who will end up playing.

On communication issues on defense

Yeah, I mean, just we've got to do a better job just as a whole group, communicating and talking and, you know, getting a line, getting set and making sure that we do that so that we can, you know, not have these guys, you know, running back lanes wide open and certain missed assignments. And if we do that, it'll put us in a much better position.

On whether the program felt overconfident with the players it had on this roster

Yeah, no, I don't think we felt overconfident. We just got to execute, especially when you play a good team. You know, if you have three turnovers in any game and you don't convert on third downs like we did, you're not going to win. You're not going to beat a team like Texas. So for us, it's about those little things and fixing those little details.

On the lack of explosive plays on offense

When you go three for 12 on third down, you're not going to have a lot of explosive players. So we've got to do better on third downs. We've got to not turn the ball over, and that'll create explosive players.

On not looking for a quarterback in the portal

Yeah, I mean, you know, a lot of change, a lot of things happened. So for us, it was, you know, the quarterbacks that we had here we felt pretty comfortable with, and those guys performed well in the spring and did a good job, and then things happened in the portal where guys go different places and all that. So we had a good beat on who we wanted to get and what we wanted to do. And for us, it was, you know, for us to be successful and keep our culture and keep our team the right way, you know, we have the quarterbacks we have here. And still feel like we can win with our quarterbacks, have confidence in our quarterbacks. And for us to be successful, it's not just the quarterback. Everybody around them have to perform at a good level and perform with detail and not turn the ball over and do things to make us successful. So when people point towards the quarterback, the same thing last year, you know, JJ threw three picks in a game, and people were talking about JJ. So it's, you know, we feel confident in our quarterback, and everybody around them have to execute their job at a high level as well.

On the receiver route running

Yeah, we've got to do a better job of just creating separation. There are some times where there's separation, and the route spacing is good but not detailed and not good enough all the time. And for us, it's just going to be going back to the basics, you know, simple. It's good, letting our guys play fast, not making it too complicated for them. And if we do that, we'll be in a good place.

On TJ Guy

Yeah, I mean, he's been there since, I mean, I remember him when Aiden was here, and he was on the scout team causing havoc. So he's been one of those guys that followed the Aidens, the Jabels, the Mike Mose, the Jalen Harrells, the Brian McGregors, and kind of been behind in the shadows. He really just worked and saw how those guys worked to put himself in a position to where he is now. And I'm really proud of TJ and how he's carried himself, how he's matured, what he's done, and he keeps impacting the game, and I think he'll just get better and better.

On Davis Warren making plays out of the pocket and Jack Tuttle's statys

Yeah, I thought Davis did a good job, especially at the end. And to that, just the fight that they all had. You know, it's easy in a game like that for guys to just stop playing or not want to fight, not want to. You know, those guys fought down. They kept playing, kept playing, and went down and scored. Davis escaped out the pocket. It's a good thing, makes him throw him the run. So, yeah, definitely something we could build on for him. And, yeah, Jack's throwing more this week. And it looks like he'll be ready to go.

On teams figuring out the run when Alex Orji is in the game

Yeah, I mean, that's what he's done in the past, so that's the assumption that he's going to do, but we'll have packages for him to throw. So, you know, for us, it'll just be managing that and getting him in a rhythm and getting the team in a rhythm.

On his thoughts on the targeting rule

Yeah, I mean, I think it's all an intent. You know, there's some blatant ones where guys are launching themselves and putting their crown right in the head and head down. It's not only to help the player, but the head would help themselves. So for us, for them and for us, it's a big thing. It's more of a safety deal. So for me, it's just really about intent because there's football plays, right? There's plays where the guy can't stop. He's got his head up and all of a sudden he hits the guy in the chin, but then he's hitting the crown of his head. It happened in our game and they overturned it, which we thought was the right call. So I don't feel strongly about either way. I just want the guys to play football and be safe.

On getting Orji more involved

Yeah, I think it's all going to be how he practices. You know, for us, it's always been that way. How do you practice? Who practices best? Who plays the best? So, you know, we'll make those evaluations as a staff as we go.

On Colston Loveland's fumble

Yeah, just a fundamental, you know, fundamental mistake by him, which will tell you seeing the ball all the way tucked, all the way into your tuck. And when you try to make a play before the ball is all the way in your tuck, that's what happens. So it happens on the NFL stage or it happens on the college stage. So we just got to make sure we clean that up, which we will.

On how far away he sees the program from Texas

Not far. You know, I think for us it's they executed very cleanly, all the credit to them, what they did and how they played. So I wouldn't take anything away from them. But for us, we know that there's the turnovers, the third down margin. You take those two things and it gives us a much better chance to be successful. So we know where we're at. We know what we got to do. And it was a good lesson for us to learn.

On owning the ball more being the right answer

Yeah, I think just for us from a rhythm standpoint and who we are and what we've done and how we're built, I think we've got some really good running backs. So you've got to use those guys. And it'll help us to help the play action, help the run action, help set everything up. So for us, that'll be an emphasis, as it always is. You know, obviously not trying to run the ball 32 times in a row, but if it comes to that, it comes to that. But for us, really, it's just to keep us balanced, to make sure that we can, you know, open up the lanes for the passing game.

On whether the mood in the building is different now after a loss

Yeah, I think it can be just a blip. Guys are hurt. Guys are stumped. Guys don't feel happy. Guys aren't smiling and laughing. But now it's our job to uplift them and bring them back to the light of, hey, don't, you know, this happened. Now we've got to see the mistakes. We've got to fix the mistakes. We've got to attack the mistakes. And we've got to get better from it. We can't let this game beat us again.

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