Trent Dilfer meets with media during uab’s bye week
By Steve Irvine
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - September 17, 2024
UAB head coach Trent Dilfer didn’t hold his weekly Coffee with the Coach meeting with the media on Monday because his team is enjoying the first bye week of the season. But we still got a chance to talk to Dilfer about Saturday’s loss at Arkansas and what is ahead for his team.
What was your feeling about your team’s response at Arkansas after the tough loss to Monroe? “Respond is one of our core values and I thought they did that very well. They got into flushing the last one and moving forward and learning from it. I think that's what we did. I think each person just challenged themselves to look at the man in the mirror and be like, ‘How can we fix this and be better?’ It started with me. I mean, I told them that. So, yeah, I was really proud them. I had an old coach, who has been a head coach a bunch of places, text me and said, ‘I watched the game and your guys' football characters stood out.’ And I thought that was a true statement. I think we showed great football character. Now, we didn’t win the game, but did show great football character, and that's something to build off.”
While watching the film, how many little things did you see that could have changed the outcome of the game? “A lot. I think it's encouraging and disappointing at the same time. That’s what I told the team yesterday, it’s encouraging that we had opportunities. The discouraging thing is that we didn't capitalize on them. And you only have so many opportunities in life and in football. It’s a great life lesson. Let’s be better prepared to take care of these opportunities that are presented to us, both in life and football. That’s just details. It's one of the things I started as program models, attention to detail. The way you do small things is the way you will do all things. We still haven't completely figured that thing out, how to do all the small things well.”
What did you think about Jacob Zeno’s ability to bounce back? “He had a really good week of prep. We tried to help him as he helped himself, too. We tried to do some things that isolate some things he does great and focus on those. We worked on improving some things that he is still mastering. And I thought people around him played better as well. I mean, again, that's what I tried to explain the thing at Monroe was. I don't know, I don’t really believe in trying to explain everything to the media, but I did try to explain that because it was all 11, you know what I mean? It was truly all 11 that took turns with protection issues, with loud issues, with throw-catch issues, with run-game issues, with read issues. We do a lot and it takes everybody to be on the same page, Monroe we weren’t. We were closer this week in our prep and, obviously, in the game against Arkansas.”
Stopping the run has been a problem the past two weeks. How do you improve that area? “That's been the crux of our existence, right. We gotta find a way to stop the run, consistently. There are times when we look like one better run defenses out there, but there's just not a consistent assignment detail, destroying a box and find a way mentality to stop the run. It just hasn't been there consistently.”
Did you feel like you took the passing game away a little or was it a matter of Arkansas simply committing to the run? “I do (think we took it away) and it worked to our disadvantage. This is where I'll take some burden for the loss. I preached that Bobby (Petrino) would not stick with the run. You know, I preached to our defense, make them throw, make them throw, make them throw. We played chess and Bobby got me. You know, Bobby went out of character and stuck with the run. We were short at times because we had pass defense calls, in place, anticipating pass, and they ran the ball a handful of times. The quarterback (Taylen Green) flat beat us on some things too. We had opportunities to get off the field that we did a lot of things well. And their quarterback, just his ability to create, you know, be a special player, extended the drives for them.”
Was Taylen Green getting to the edge just him being an athlete or were there times you field like your defense did set the edge well enough? “We didn't set the edge well enough, but that was as much Bobby Petrino, (with formations), and creating some unique looks to get him to the edge. You know, playing 11-on -11 football. You know, we're trying to play 10-on -11 in some instances, and Bobby made it 11-on-11, was able to get him to the edge. It was brilliant play calling by him. I will give him that. Hats off to him. Again, we were trying to play chess, and he got us, got me. And then some of the scrambling plays, we had the edge set, we had great contain, we had good rushes, like he just made plays. I’ll just pull a Belichick on you, he made more plays than we did.”
How is Brandon Buckhaulter doing? “He’s doing well, The spinal issues are not a concern. He's in concussion protocol. I spent some time with him yesterday and our medical team spent time with him yesterday. He was in good spirits. We just want to be very careful with his concussion protocol.”
For a coach, how helpless of a feeling is it during a situation like Brandon Buckhaulter faced on Saturday? “It’s horrible. I've been through it a couple times. I was in tears. I was balling my eyes out, praying for him on the field, and the game just doesn't matter. at that point. It truly did not matter for a handful of minutes. It was a young man who I love dearly, his health. Really it was both sides. I was next to some Arkansas guys there and they kind of had the same perspective. Whether it’s your player or their player, meaning the opponent, you don't ever want to see that. I think there's no competitive thing in you that surpasses the feeling of just fear of a young person's health. Like, the whole competitive thing just goes out the window and you're just completely invested in helping that the young player, the young person, whether it's your player or somebody else. It’s different than, like, when they break a leg or an extremity issue. It’s like, this sucks. You still feel terrible, but you’re like, ‘I’ve lived that, he’ll be fine.’ These, especially what’s happened in the last few years, you’re like I hope this isn’t one of those. Thank God it wasn't.”
What do you need to get out of the bye week? “Well, again, I think it's man in the mirror, right. The challenge this week for everybody is look at yourself and what is your best and how can you find a better best. From a team standpoint, we're banged up, so we got your healthy. And then there'll be your technique/tactic focus. The few times we practice will be very tactics and technique oriented. We're not gonna get you caught up in hard X and O component. We’re going to focus more on us and making sure we're a better football team when we stand on the field the next time.”
How much does the record – whether you are 3-0 or 1-2 – factor in to the evaluation and work toward getting better during a bye week? “Listen, I mean this and maybe I don't communicate this well enough, but in my history in football, looking at the schedule has never been a healthy thing. Looking backward or forward at the schedule. It's really hard to win at any level, at any time. You gotta be completely invested in what's gonna take to win your next one. I will say that one thing I did say to our team was 3-0 right now or 0-3 and anything in between would not change a thing. Literally if you just go get up to 30 ,000 feet and look down on it, 0-3. 3-0, 2-1, 1-2, any of the scenarios, would not change the perspective right now because conference play starts with an opponent that absolutely destroyed us last year. You know, really probably as humiliating (a loss) as we’ve had. You know, the three hardest losses, they’re all hard, but Monroe, Navy and I’d probably put North Texas there because you know it's the last one (of 2023) and we wanted to finish the season on the high and it’s a game we had won. This one, it would not change a thing. It's the 1-0 mentality. We got to find a way to go 1-0 against a team that just gutted us last year.”
Does it help to have an extra week to prepare for Navy’s option offense? “I think it helps. It would be coach speak to say it doesn’t help. If you’re going to get a bye week before any type of opponent, I would put this type of opponent as the one you're hoping for. Doesn't mean it's going to matter, but like, it's a nice luxury to have. You got to handle it.”
Are there areas in the first three games that you’re either ahead or behind where you thought you would be? “It's a good question. I say we're probably a little bit behind in most areas. We're just, you know, I'm maniacal about my expectations, I don't know if it's good or bad, I really don't. But I'm obnoxiously critical and bullish on how good my teams can be. You know, because in my mind I see this Picasso. So when it's just a watercolor, it's not to my expectations. So, I do think I show that. I think this is the fault of those of us that, you know, me, Prime, some others, that have a different upbringing, is that we’ve seen winning football at the highest of high levels and that’s what we push for. I think sometimes it's an unrealistic expectation, but I'm okay with that. I just won't settle for any (less), I'm never satisfied. Like, I was so disappointed after Alcorn State. I was so disappointed last year after USF, which some would say was our best win of the year. But all I see is the things that we can be better at. I still affirm the things that are done well. I think I'm good with that. But all I see, when I close my eyes, all I see is the flaws, I see the warts.
I think one of the better lessons I learned is you always gotta be the better version of who you already are. But you can't try to be an okay version of somebody you’re not. I mean, people don’t know, they tried to fire me at Lipscomb. Everybody thinks that was all (happy times) there. That was not all (happy times) the first two years. They were actively looking for a way to get me out, because my expectations, they just felt were too much for the school, for the kids, for the program. Like, you can't expect them to do that. You can't expect them to do this. Like, the pushing, the relentless pursuit of maximizing everything you are is heavy. You know, it really is. I think it's just a very heavy expectation. I recognize it, but I don't expect a change. And for everybody, it's like, and that's the thing, it's not just coaches and players. It’s admin, it's university, it's everybody. I expect everybody that touches football to give their best. And when it's not their best, I'm disappointed and I'm looking for their best. And I expect my very best, every single moment, every single day.”
With the injury situation, do you expect Ricky Lee, Chris Bracy and some others back in the lineup soon? “Ricky will be back for Navy for sure. He could have played against Arkansas. I'm specifically careful with players. I don't rush players back for the sake of one game. You know I just don't think that's (is right). That’s what we did in the NFL and I'm a cripple because of it. I don't want our players, college football players, to be cripples one day. So Chris will be doubtful. He is getting better. He is getting better faster than we thought. These kids heal so fast. If there's no risk of further damage, and uses this week well (it’s possible). Doubtful in the NFL, I think is 25 percent chance of playing. That’s kind of where I'd put him. (Zaire) Flournoy would be questionable and Armoni (Goodwin) would be questionable. I think that is 50-50. A lot would depend on this week. I’d say we’re battered and bruised (overall) but not beaten.”