UCF 45, Sam Houston 14 - Gus Malzahn Press Conference ⚔️🏈

open up with the statement then we'll open up for questions okay uh real proud of our team uh convincing win uh that's a quality opponent um they got good players uh that's a Hall of Fame coach he's won two national championships uh it was a good measuring stick of where our guys are uh they put the game away early I think offense scored on six to seven drivve something like that in the first half you know take away the penalties we overcame some the penalties early but uh you know five penalties on offense you know that that's that's really we got to correct that there's only one penalty on defense the defense had two interceptions I don't think they got across Midfield I think until late once we put some of our threes in with that but overall dominant performance we talked about improving from game one to game two we did that uh so we're progressing in the right way we still got things we got to clean up there's no doubt about that but when you're able to run the football effectively like we ran the football that really helps we hit a couple explosive passes I think we had the one uh that we caught but it called a face mask on and all that but um you know we threw it down the field some and the defense did a good job of uh controlling you know a pretty solid offense questions you talking about improving from game one to game two did you like what you see from what you saw from KJ Jefferson sh shaking off that Russ from last week and particularly improving in the past yeah there's no doubt you know uh he he he uh he's settling down he's understanding the offense uh you he ran the ball extremely hard been physical uh on a power read early on um you know he threw the ball vertically down the field very good and of course we figured that would happen so yeah we're real pleased with his performance and uh like I said I mean when you can run the football like we've been able to run the football the last U two games you know that opens up everything yes how would you assess RJ Harley's performance again another night where you were able to get him out there yeah Zone Runner I mean he's as good a Zone Runner probably there is in college football with his patience and his vision and everything that goes with it so he had a big time uh night miles uh had a big time night uh you know again and then Penny you know he he's getting used to the offense and got in there late and you can see he can really impose his will downhill too coach mentioned one of the earlier drives with the opening drive the yellow line had the back to- back penalties and you got some of the back and then on 39 KJ Jefferson delivers the pass uh to complete that first down obviously you want to Avo the penalties but how valuable is it to see him connect on those money Downs for long it was good you know and you you want to get off to a good start obviously we took the ball when you take the ball you need to go down and score we had some penalties right there we had to overcome but uh our guys hung in there they handled theirself uh uh well and I mean there's still a lot of stuff we got to improve on okay but we did improve from game one to game two like I said we beat a quality opponent pretty soundly and uh so I'm really pleased coach a couple of turnovers but not only that points off of those turnovers discuss the importance of that yeah we got veteran guys I mean two two transfer veteran guys played a lot of football and they picked the ball off and they ran it after they they they picked it off too so real proud of those guys coach New Hampshire s Houston State those te you guys are supposed to be got big 12 come up next what have you guys learn from these opponents what can you take into playing a higher quality yeah there's no doubt I mean TCU they're they're a really quality opponent I think everybody knows that so we go go on the road the first test that's a big big challenge for our guys we got to raise our level there's no doubt about it but it's good that we know what we do know from these two first two games I mean our guys they're going to know we're going to have to raise our level that's part of conference play and you know going to a place on the road that played for a national championship 2 years ago and um you know in one of those uh you know either rivals or 24/7 they got you know as much talent as anybody in our league you know as far as all that goes their coaches really good too so that'll be a great challenge for us coach you talked earlier this week about finding options in the kickoff game you ended up having Evan Morris out there what was that decision yeah back kicked in the stand he may be our kickoff guy from now on you know he used to do that at Miss at Michigan State and so we tried him out this week and he kicked it out of the back of the end zone so he may be our new kickoff specialist not that Boomer didn't do a good job he did a great job but being able to take some things off his leg you know I know last year you know got a little worn down second part of the year because of that so we'll see what happens that may be the biggest kicker in college football coach you went to uh honor Palmer's children hospital last week and you guys were wearing the new decals on the helmet how important is you know good character on this team yeah that's who we are as a program I'm real proud of our players what a great C cause and uh using their influence a positive way that's what we talk about and you know that's a part of our community and really important to us and I couldn't be more proud of our players uh what defensive players set out to you in terms of uh stopping the quarterback's running ability yeah I think it was a collective effort really we you know we knew their quarterback he ran last week did a lot of quarterback draws and things like that so we knew we had to control him uh you know he was a junior college quarterback I think he won a championship so it really started stopping him running the football and I think for the most part we did a good job with that uh coach it was a complete team effort tonight rushing receiving uh special teams I noticed that you're using Xavier Townson more like a Swiss Army Knight he did a little bit of everything tonight is that something that you see going forward with the there's no doubt you know we got to find ways to get get him touches I mean he's electric I think everybody sees that so uh you know he's a he's a dynamic player and he's a really good return guy too coach you talked about improving from game one and game two what was the difference in K the K you saw last week vers saw I think more than anything it's just comfortable um you know he had a really good week of practice like I said and just understanding kind of the nuances of a new offense you know he's learning his third new offense in college football he's learning his new teammates and everything that goes with it and he's a veteran guy and I thought he had a very quality game tonight coach last season you stated that in the Big 12 you need to bring your lunch every single game what steps are you taking to ensure that you do so well I mean we'll find out where we're at next week um you know we the steps we've taken is train the crud out of our team you know uh in Fall Camp be more physical um you know tackle better and everything that goes with it and just our overall approach and we'll see where we're at now I mean you know we're going to play one of you know probably one of the better teams in our league at third place next week so we'll find out a whole lot what of elements you thinkig to this defensive line as as yeah I think he had a lot of tackles I think he was in on that that fumble right there so he's uh he's a guy that's played and U I think he had a very quality game guess you guys had challenges on the road last year obviously what what will you guys hope to do and learn from the few games that you guys do well I think what I'm hoping that we have a more experienced team than we had last year um you know and then when we went on the road in conference you know we didn't have our starting quarterback either I'm really hoping that those things will help us our experience uh a few more Playmakers on defense I think will help too and so but we're still growing as a team I mean you know anytime you have 50 players new players I mean you're still growing and and that's where we are we're progressing we got to keep trending that's our big Challenge and that's what I told our our guys but I'm real proud of them tonight I mean we're 2 and0 and we took care of business tonight I think for the most part I don't think there was any major injuries or anything like that so we're trending in the right direction like I said we'll figure out exactly where we're at this week coach with Xavier returning the ball the way he has been with Colton hitting 50 yard field goal MCH hunting the ball with inside the 20 with consistency obviously against those opponents but would you say this could be the most confident you that was a big time kick Boomer made that 50 yard field goal right there and you think about the way we ended our season right there and and he is back there's no doubt Mitch flipping the field a couple times and every time x Gets In His Hands he's got a chance we just got to continue build upon that return game back on the penalties what's most frustrating about the number that you had tonight about the penalties yeah what's most yeah I just like that we had them I mean more than anything I mean you know I think we had what we have a hold one time we had uh face mask on a uh on a catch a 40- yard catch you know which is is pretty bizarre but we got to do a better job with that I had a holding penalty um so we got to be more disciplined I mean that was really the takeaway offensively I didn't feel great about with the five penalties we got to clean that up I know you learn learn a lot more next week but what do you think you've learned about this team through the first two games I I I like her team I mean I I like our players I like what I've seen chemistry-wise so far picking each other up um you know but like I said I mean we're just getting started but so far so good because you went with Dylan R KJ what was the decision on that not using well we did but we started out we started out with Dylan then we used him late we're going to play him both if something happens and Dylan's had a great week and half of practice and doing some really good things and so you know that's was our plan going in that if something happened to K Jo or fortunate enough to get him out but play both those guys and Dylan did a good job you know executing then I thought Brown did a good job when he was in there too last the back first uh no there's no explanation he went back in there against the second drive right thanks everybody thank you go