It was a downcast, tight-lipped group for the most part last night after Tulane pulled defeat from the jaws of victory. Willie Fritz, Cameron Sample, Patrick Johnson and John Leglue talked.
FRITZ
Where did you feel like it got away for you after leading almost all the way?
"We needed to grind out some first downs and we just couldn't do it. They did a good job defensively of stopping us. We had a hard time running the ball. They got up and pressed us and we had a hard time getting open. We didn't have great protection at times, either, so there was a lot of areas to look at."
You went with Jonathan Banks the whole game.
"At halftime he really had played pretty well. A lot of it (the offensive issues) was some other guys, so we went with him. I didn't think it was fair to try to put Justin in there late in the game. A lot of guys didn't play real well. The thing I'm most disappointed in was the penalties. We just had way too many. We didn't play very smart."
Did you see what Encalade did when he was called for a block in the back on Banks' long run in the fourth quarter?
"I didn't see it. I know they called a block in the back. I'm not sure what happened."
How do you feel Banks played?
"I'll have to go back and look at the tape. There's a lot of things that we have to look at to see if it was him, was it the protection, what was it? The first half he played pretty error free for the most part."
There was some early success running, but it dried up.
"They did a good job of packing the box, clamped us down and really did a good job defending the run."
This was a game you needed to win. How tough is the loss?
"It's really disappointing we weren't able to get the outcome we wanted."
Did you like the way the defense played?
"We played pretty well defensively. Right there at the end we were blitzing them up and unfortunately they got a safety (P.J. Hall covering James Proche) and did a good job of protection and we didn't get a whole bunch of pressure and they found the guy. They made the play when they had to and we didn't."
The touchdown they scored in the first half on the fourth-and-1 pass to the uncovered back, what happened there?
"It was a pick route. The motion man came down and picked the linebacker, and he ran a little wheel of the backfield."
Where do you go from here?
"We've just got to regroup. It's disappointing. Hopefully we've got some tough-minded coaches and players and head coach. We've got to recover."
When the defense dominates the line of scrimmage most of the way, how hard is it to not come up with the win?
"The defense played well for the most part. We had too many penalties defensively as well, but whatever it takes to win, sometimes it's got to be the offense, sometimes it's got to be on the defense. We just did not play well enough in all three phases to win."
SAMPLE
The defensive controlled the line of scrimmage. How hard is to take this loss?
"Yeah, it was definitely a tough loss. Our game plan was to control the line of scrimmage in the running game and get pressure on the quarterback. I feel like for the most part we did a pretty good job of that, but it hurts that we had some costly penalties and a couple of missed tackles. We just have to clean up some of the little things."
It's going to be tough at 2-5. How do you keep guys focused going forward?
"Yeah, definitely. We'll learn from this. Every game's a learning experience for us, but we still have a chance to achieve the goals we want to, so we'll learn from this and move on forward. It's a new week, and that's how we're going to treat it."
Do you know what happened on the fourth-and-1 touchdown?
"I'm not a hundred percent sure what happened. I'm assuming he slipped from the backfield, and the defense was probably expecting an inside run on fourth-and-1. Our eyes were probably bad. We'll look at it."
You came up with two key stops late in the fourth quarter. How tough is it to keep having to go back out there with the game on the line?
"As a defense we pride ourself on being the toughest group on the field, so we take adversity head on. We're just out there doing our job, so it's not really tough for us. We just keep playing hard all game."
They converted some key third downs in long down and distance situations. How frustrating was that?
"It's definitely a little frustrating. For our defense we just want to stop the run and get off the field on third down and then get them behind the sticks and get those third and long opportunities. Not converting on defense is definitely tough, but we just have to keep fighting and find ways to come up with a win."
JOHNSON
How do you feel like the game slipped away?
"Costly penalties like Cam said. We have to clean those up and do the little things right it. That's what it comes down to. We have to find something here that's going to work. We've got to change things to the right way. I know we've got the right players here that can do it. We just have to believe in ourselves to do it."
What were you saying when you had to go back on the field a third time with the game on the line?
"Do it again. That's what we were thinking. We have guys on the field that make plays. We just have to get the job done and that's how we went out there."
Other than penalties, where do you think you hurt yourself the most?
"We hurt ourselves. They played a cleaner game than us with penalties. That's about it. We have to d our part and play a clean game."
Why are penalties such an issue?
"Just focus. That's all you can really do. You have to know your job and go through with it. The coaches did a good job making the calls. It's on us to do it."
LEGLUE
The running game struggled. What were they doing well against your front?
"They moved here and there a couple of times. We just have to go out there and execute. We practice it during the week. We just didn't do our job."
They also got some pressure on Banks. What were the the issues there?
"As an offensive line we just have to listen to what coach (Alex) Atkins and coach (Doug) Ruse and them teach us and we have to come out and execute each and every phase."
You were up 9 in the fourth quarter. If you win, you're in second place in the AAC West, but instead you lose and fall to 2-5.
"You know, every game is tough, so we just have to keep battling each and every week, flush this and come out Monday with a new mindset."
Do you feel like you're close to not having these kinds of losses?
"For sure. We've had many opportunities and we're right at that point. This week in practice we're going to emphasize finishing. That's a big part of the way coach Fritz teaches everything is finishing in the fourth quarter, and we're going to do that this next week."
FRITZ
Where did you feel like it got away for you after leading almost all the way?
"We needed to grind out some first downs and we just couldn't do it. They did a good job defensively of stopping us. We had a hard time running the ball. They got up and pressed us and we had a hard time getting open. We didn't have great protection at times, either, so there was a lot of areas to look at."
You went with Jonathan Banks the whole game.
"At halftime he really had played pretty well. A lot of it (the offensive issues) was some other guys, so we went with him. I didn't think it was fair to try to put Justin in there late in the game. A lot of guys didn't play real well. The thing I'm most disappointed in was the penalties. We just had way too many. We didn't play very smart."
Did you see what Encalade did when he was called for a block in the back on Banks' long run in the fourth quarter?
"I didn't see it. I know they called a block in the back. I'm not sure what happened."
How do you feel Banks played?
"I'll have to go back and look at the tape. There's a lot of things that we have to look at to see if it was him, was it the protection, what was it? The first half he played pretty error free for the most part."
There was some early success running, but it dried up.
"They did a good job of packing the box, clamped us down and really did a good job defending the run."
This was a game you needed to win. How tough is the loss?
"It's really disappointing we weren't able to get the outcome we wanted."
Did you like the way the defense played?
"We played pretty well defensively. Right there at the end we were blitzing them up and unfortunately they got a safety (P.J. Hall covering James Proche) and did a good job of protection and we didn't get a whole bunch of pressure and they found the guy. They made the play when they had to and we didn't."
The touchdown they scored in the first half on the fourth-and-1 pass to the uncovered back, what happened there?
"It was a pick route. The motion man came down and picked the linebacker, and he ran a little wheel of the backfield."
Where do you go from here?
"We've just got to regroup. It's disappointing. Hopefully we've got some tough-minded coaches and players and head coach. We've got to recover."
When the defense dominates the line of scrimmage most of the way, how hard is it to not come up with the win?
"The defense played well for the most part. We had too many penalties defensively as well, but whatever it takes to win, sometimes it's got to be the offense, sometimes it's got to be on the defense. We just did not play well enough in all three phases to win."
SAMPLE
The defensive controlled the line of scrimmage. How hard is to take this loss?
"Yeah, it was definitely a tough loss. Our game plan was to control the line of scrimmage in the running game and get pressure on the quarterback. I feel like for the most part we did a pretty good job of that, but it hurts that we had some costly penalties and a couple of missed tackles. We just have to clean up some of the little things."
It's going to be tough at 2-5. How do you keep guys focused going forward?
"Yeah, definitely. We'll learn from this. Every game's a learning experience for us, but we still have a chance to achieve the goals we want to, so we'll learn from this and move on forward. It's a new week, and that's how we're going to treat it."
Do you know what happened on the fourth-and-1 touchdown?
"I'm not a hundred percent sure what happened. I'm assuming he slipped from the backfield, and the defense was probably expecting an inside run on fourth-and-1. Our eyes were probably bad. We'll look at it."
You came up with two key stops late in the fourth quarter. How tough is it to keep having to go back out there with the game on the line?
"As a defense we pride ourself on being the toughest group on the field, so we take adversity head on. We're just out there doing our job, so it's not really tough for us. We just keep playing hard all game."
They converted some key third downs in long down and distance situations. How frustrating was that?
"It's definitely a little frustrating. For our defense we just want to stop the run and get off the field on third down and then get them behind the sticks and get those third and long opportunities. Not converting on defense is definitely tough, but we just have to keep fighting and find ways to come up with a win."
JOHNSON
How do you feel like the game slipped away?
"Costly penalties like Cam said. We have to clean those up and do the little things right it. That's what it comes down to. We have to find something here that's going to work. We've got to change things to the right way. I know we've got the right players here that can do it. We just have to believe in ourselves to do it."
What were you saying when you had to go back on the field a third time with the game on the line?
"Do it again. That's what we were thinking. We have guys on the field that make plays. We just have to get the job done and that's how we went out there."
Other than penalties, where do you think you hurt yourself the most?
"We hurt ourselves. They played a cleaner game than us with penalties. That's about it. We have to d our part and play a clean game."
Why are penalties such an issue?
"Just focus. That's all you can really do. You have to know your job and go through with it. The coaches did a good job making the calls. It's on us to do it."
LEGLUE
The running game struggled. What were they doing well against your front?
"They moved here and there a couple of times. We just have to go out there and execute. We practice it during the week. We just didn't do our job."
They also got some pressure on Banks. What were the the issues there?
"As an offensive line we just have to listen to what coach (Alex) Atkins and coach (Doug) Ruse and them teach us and we have to come out and execute each and every phase."
You were up 9 in the fourth quarter. If you win, you're in second place in the AAC West, but instead you lose and fall to 2-5.
"You know, every game is tough, so we just have to keep battling each and every week, flush this and come out Monday with a new mindset."
Do you feel like you're close to not having these kinds of losses?
"For sure. We've had many opportunities and we're right at that point. This week in practice we're going to emphasize finishing. That's a big part of the way coach Fritz teaches everything is finishing in the fourth quarter, and we're going to do that this next week."