FRB: Louisiana Postgame Quotes

Postgame Quotes

No. 19 Louisiana vs. UTSA

Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020

Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas, Texas

Louisiana Head Coach Billy Napier

“I think we made it entertaining again is what I would say. I’m extremely proud of our team and our staff. We showed unbelievable character and resolve today. This is a very tight-knit group. I’ve been very impressed with the leadership we’ve gotten from the staff and certainly the buy in, the ability to navigate all we’ve been through as a team. Certainly with COVID, but also the other things that have been well documented. Today’s game I think is a direct reflection of what we’ve created over time. I think sometimes when you go through difficult things in life, events, adversity, whatever the case may be, over time if you’ve got the right perspective I think you develop character and a really a perspective about life and I really believe that about our team. We didn’t have any panic. We had great poise. We certainly could have played better in some areas, but this group when it counts they put some things together. We found a way to finish at the end. A lot of good things today.” 

When they scored 17 they didn’t panic. What do you attribute that to?

“The first thing you have to do is give UTSA a ton of credit. Jeff’s done a fantastic job with that team. They inherited a little bit of a mess. He’s really been able to go in there. Just imagine if you’re a first-year coach, no spring practice. He’s done a really good job from a leadership standpoint, getting that team up and running. They’ve got great character, high level beliefs. They’ve got a plan to believe in. A lot of things we believe in they’ve built that program around.  I think it was evident out there today. I’ve got a lot of respect for that. Their kids competed in the game. They’ve got enough pieces out there to create some problems for you and certainly did that today. A lot of credit to UTSA for competing the way they did in that game today. So 17 unanswered I don’ think I ever thought that in my mind. I think that’s a good point.  It’s too late to have a rah rah speech. At that point you’ve either got the ownership and character to regroup, to make adjustments, to compete and play through the ups and downs of the game or you don’t. Today’s game is a reflection of our group and what we’ve developed over time as a result of going through some difficult teams. Sitting here 10-1, we’ve lost one game by a field goal. We came from behind six times and certainly today was much like that. We showed a lot of character. That don’t happen overnight. It’s a product of a lot of hard work and really great relationships. The theme of our game today was we talked a lot about being accountable. The quality of the relationships determines the level of the quality of the accountability. I think that’s one of the things that stands out about this team and this group is we’ve got a bunch of loyal guys. There’s unbelievable trust. They take pride in their role and they want to do their job when it counts for the team.”

How important was pressure on their final drive?

“I thought PT (Patrick Toney) did a terrific job there. We play deny the ball defense. We affect the quarterback. Third down is a game-plan down for us. We work hard at it. Those are critical plays right there and we executed well and certainly played well at every level there. Those were huge plays no question.”

 Plenty of chances to put game away?

“We had opportunities in particular in the third quarter. I felt like we shot ourselves in the foot a little bit. In short yardage situation we got a holding penalty. We had one three and out. We turned the ball over. We had a fourth and one we converted. On that three and out possession we had a penalty for a lineman down field. I think the big thing there is we made some mistakes, execution errors, poor fundamentals, and ultimately we got a touchdown in the quarter. Outside of that we got shutout out the rest of the way. You have to give UTSA a little bit of credit. They chewed the clock up pretty good, moved the ball and hit some plays. We had a couple of pass interferences, a couple of penalties. I thought their quarterback played well in the game, not only as a rusher put as a passer.”

 Penalties?

 “I think the two offensively that stand out to me are the lineman down field, which was really a technical error. It was a running play. We kind of doubleclutched the ball and threw it a little later than we typically would. I can live with that penalty. I think the holding, I didn’t get a great look at it. I think Neal that’s a fundamental error, a technical error. Those are things we certainly, it’s coaching, there’s no question. It’s discipline. It’s using the correct technique in the right situation. I do think the pass interferences, I think two of them were good calls. I think one of them was a bang-bang play. In general, all of the penalties we had today we can clean up. Certainly a lot of them were decision making at the point of attack.”

Wind?

“I do think it was a factor. I do think our specialists handled it well. I don’t think it affected the kicking game maybe like I thought it would. I thought the specialists really executed well given the conditions. I do think it affected the throw game a little bit. They missed a field goal that was into the wind. It was really a right to left wind. I do think it affected that part. There’s no questions we tried to warm up Levi throwing into the wind, against the wind just so he could gauge it a little bit. Overall I didn’t think it was a huge factor in the game. We did expect it to be a factor.”

Fake FG?

“We had kind of decided when we got it on the fringe of the red zone on the left hash. We’ve been practicing that fake all season and kind of decided in the staff meeting this morning if we got it on the left hash, in the fringe of the red zone, we were going to go with it. It was the ideal look. Pierce kind of got picked on the way out. We should have had a second receiver out there. Overall we decided we were going to call it going into the game there. That situation kind of presented itself.”

Added emotion of winning on D.J. Looney’s birthday?

“Cody asked me about that. Word circulated pretty quick this morning that today was coach Looney’s birthday. What an unbelievable friend. He was certainly a coach that worked here, did an unbelievable job if you ask anybody. Just to me, what an unbelievable friend. The guy would have been 32 years old today. I thought it was unique right. I think COVID was a little bit of an issue early for our team but really the first signification event that was really a challenge for this team was coach Looney passing.  To finish the day on his birthday I think is a little bit ironic. But there’s no question our players were aware of that. It means something. How hard he worked to get to know each individual person and he knack for saying the right think at the right time. I think about him all the time. There are things that happened, experiences we’ve had in the past. The guy was a special guy.”

O-line dominant?

“There’s no questions part of the plan we felt like we would have to rush the ball effectively. The matchups were well. Those are things we’re good at, a lot of the concepts we ran today. They played well. We take a lot of pride in trying to get the ball to the second level. We had good practice, good focus. Certainly they played well today. The backs were on point today. They both played with unbelievable effort, competing in the game, eye discipline, really good football and they were both decisive. I thought they did a nice job in the game. The difference in the game was our ability to rush the ball effectively.”

Forcing FG late?

“It’s a big part of our formula to win. We talk about being situation experts. We work all the time on four-point plays. That’s what we call third-down plays inside the kick line. Those are huge plays. I thought one of the big plays of the game there they ran a zone reed. I thought we did a nice job of scraping, got the guy on the ground and created a passing situation. And then got a stop on third down, Good situational football. We executed when it counted. You combine that with the stop we got at the end of the game. I know it wasn’t pretty, but when it counted we got it done.”

Accounting for their QB?

“Their guy played lights out. I think he probably played the best he’s played all year. He proved to be effective as a passer. They used him to create an extra gap. Certainly when you’ve got a guy that can run like that in the read game you’ve got to account for him. I thought they had some unique things to take advantage of that. You’ve got to give the offensive coordinator some credit. They created some issues for us.”

4-0 Sun Belt?

“I think it’s a body of work. Bowl games are part of that body of work, but I do think this league has improved over the last couple of years. I think the quality of the coaching, the personnel has improved. I think the administrations throughout the league are getting to the point where they are more committed from a resource standpoint. It’s only going to get better. At the group of five level that’s lot of talent in the recruiting footprint. As long as these schools are working hard at it, evaluating and recruiting I think each team has got an opportunity to have a very competitive program.  I’m certainly proud of our league and proud of the teams and staffs for what they’ve been able to accomplish this year in particular.”

 Elijah Mitchell?

 “Let’s just say this, regardless of I today was Eli’s last game or not, obviously I’m holding out hope a little bit that he comes back and plays for us another year. I think Eli Mitchell, along with entire running back room if you go back to the very beginning, Raymond Calais obviously was a huge part of that, Trey Ragas, Chris Smith, and we’ve got some other guys in that room. Ashton Johnson was a big part of that. What I respect about Eli Mitchell is the selflessness that he’s had as a player here. We’re a three-back system. We share the load. We keep them fresh. We keep them healthy. We spread the ball out. His work ethic. His practice habits. His attitude toward that approach certainly has been impressive and has had a lot to do with our ability to have a great culture on our team because you’ve got one of your best players who could easily have a bad attitude at times about maybe not getting as many carries as he would if he was the featured guy. Those guys have been terrific. Coach Deluc has done an unbelievable job with them on the field and off the field. Certainly Eli set a great example regardless of today has been his last game or not. Today he competed at a very high level and was well deserving of the MVP award. He’s a special young man who’s from right in our backyard. He represents this program in every way possible. We’re extremely proud of Eli regardless of which direction he and his family go.”

Lorenzo McCaskill, Louisiana LB

On the two stops at the end:

“I think if they would’ve scored, it would’ve changed the game.”

On UTSA’s QB:

“He had a good game and became an extra running back out there. We didn’t expect that.”

The play on the last series:

“When we played Georgia state, they had a similar play. We knew it was coming and we made the stop.”

On the close games this season:

“A lot of our wins this year were come from behind wins. I wish sometimes we can have some separation, but we’ve done this plenty of times before.”

On Elijah Mitchell:

That’s my guy, he makes me better. We go at it and he’s my brother. He’s going to go far in life and he’s really humble.”

Elijah Mitchell, Louisiana Running Back

The beginning of the game winning drive:

“Yeah, I knew as soon as I caught it, I had space. I love to move, and it was exciting for me.”

Reliance on the running game:

“It started off with the offensive line. We go at it during practice and we just try to move it onto the field.”

On Levi Lewis:

“He’s my boy. He means a lot to us. Whenever we’re down he picks us back up. He means the most to us.”

On if you’re coming back for another season:

“No, I haven’t made a decision. Just need to talk to my family. I have until January to figure everything out.”

On your teammates, like Lorenzo McCaskill trying to lobby for you to stay:

“It means a lot. He respects me and I respect him. It means the world to me. Whatever decision I make, I know he’ll be happy with it.”