Prairie View Panthers head coach Bubba McDowell comments on his team's comeback victory over the Texas Southern Tigers at the 38th Labor Day Classic in Houston, TX.
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00:00 [MUSIC]
00:06 >> What's up everybody?
00:07 >> Hey, how's it going?
00:07 >> All right, let's start firing away.
00:09 I feel really good, man.
00:10 I mean, gosh, as I said earlier in the week, all year long,
00:13 I mean, we knew it was gonna be a tight, close game.
00:16 Again, when these two teams play each other, man,
00:19 you can throw a lot of talent out there when the managers come down to
00:23 who wants to win at the baddest.
00:25 And again, I said it, the ones that play the four quarter football,
00:30 this team that's gonna win.
00:32 And good thing we did that for five quarters anyway, four and a half.
00:37 >> Well, talk about that comeback.
00:39 How special was that for not only the program, but you as a coach?
00:44 >> Big time, again, now I haven't been in that position before, but
00:48 like I told the guys at halftime, I was like, look, we gave them 17 points.
00:52 And I say gave because we blew a lot of assignments that first half,
00:56 first quarter, second quarter that I thought we left out there.
01:00 We should have been at least 28 points in that first half.
01:04 But again, we misread a lot of plays offensively and defensively.
01:10 We kind of fell short a little bit just assignment-wise.
01:13 But again, once we got in halftime and told them that, yeah,
01:15 you guys gotta be able to correct those mistakes.
01:18 And then if we correct those mistakes, we're gonna play perfect football.
01:21 And again, I told them all week long, guys, it's four quarters of football.
01:25 You gotta hang in there.
01:26 And they did just that.
01:27 And they've been playing together all summer long, man.
01:29 And that's what I'm so proud about them,
01:31 them coming together when the time was needed to help us get a victory.
01:36 >> Question.
01:38 >> Hey, Coach, Mike Washington inside HBCU Sports Lab, Dr.
01:41 Bill and AK 76 Sports and Culture.
01:46 Your run, you came to the game, obviously, you wanted to run.
01:49 >> Yes. >> I believe it was 53-0.
01:51 That was kind of the race to a running path.
01:54 They seemed able to stop the run at times.
01:57 At any time, did you say, let's take a step back, we wanna change this philosophy?
02:02 Or did you decide to keep with the run and
02:05 will you continue that on into the next game?
02:07 >> No, yeah, you can ask some of my coaches, my coach, I got a little teed off
02:12 on that headset, asking them, hey, let's throw the ball, these guys are playing off.
02:16 And we did that.
02:17 But again, it came down to our quarterback not reading the keys that he was taught
02:23 to read, and the good thing about it, he decided he wants to listen and
02:29 start throwing where he's supposed to throw and everything was coming wide open.
02:32 He was just being a little too anxious and
02:35 not being patient and waiting until it comes open.
02:38 But again, we know what kind of running backs we have and we came into game plan.
02:41 We was gonna go 50-50 no matter what, and we was just gonna take what they give us.
02:45 >> Coach, let's talk about the dynamic of both quarterbacks.
02:53 Everybody's talking to us and that's what they were looking forward to.
02:57 They pretty much showed themselves when it needed to,
03:00 except for some of the other three or something by Bobby.
03:05 But other than that, it was game to be stated, so it was game to be stated.
03:08 >> Big time, again, we know what Bobby was about.
03:11 Again, I told everybody all week long, look,
03:13 we ain't gonna be able to stop this dude, we didn't have to contain him.
03:17 We did a horrible job doing that in the first half, and
03:20 a lot of that is just him being an athlete.
03:23 We missed some tackles.
03:24 Anytime you get a quarterback of that caliber that can get back there, read it,
03:30 scan it, and then take off and run, and make something happen,
03:34 you're gonna have a successful season.
03:36 Again, it didn't play out for them just tonight, and I'm glad, again,
03:41 but he's one of them quarterback to be reckoned with, and I said that from day one.
03:46 Trazon, same way, but again,
03:48 you just gotta be able to reach your keys and make plays happen.
03:52 >> Coach, you talked in the spring about really preaching and
03:58 about finishing, finishing was a problem last year.
04:01 Tonight, two minutes to go, what did you see from them that was kind of
04:05 the culmination of what you'd been preaching all spring?
04:08 >> Again, it was just them coming together,
04:10 believing what the coaches was telling them.
04:13 And we've been doing this all summer long, against each other.
04:17 We go up and down, offense one day, defense the other day.
04:20 And that's how we've been going all summer long, 50/50.
04:23 And I told them that we, again,
04:25 we're not gonna be able to play 50/50 ball with this team.
04:28 They're too good to do that.
04:30 Fortunately, it played out in our favor.
04:33 We made the plays at the right time when we need to make plays, and
04:37 that's what I told them to have to.
04:38 I said, look, again, give them 17 points.
04:41 We gotta go out and execute the way we know how.
04:44 If we do that, we'll win this game.
04:46 But again, you got a good team across the way there in Texas Southern.
04:51 And again, we knew they were gonna come in and just let us win.
04:54 We knew they were gonna come out.
04:56 It got a little scary.
04:58 Everybody said, were you worried?
04:59 Absolutely, I was worried.
05:00 [LAUGH] Absolutely, I was worried.
05:03 But I also had confidence in our guys.
05:06 Cuz again, on the sideline, I brought them up together and said, hey man,
05:10 somebody has to make a play.
05:12 Went to defense, hey, somebody has to make a play.
05:14 And they bought in and we did it at the right time.
05:18 >> Jeremy Williams, Jr., C5 Sports Report.
05:20 Coach, talk about the dynamic of getting to two overtime,
05:27 that last two minutes of the game, and attempt to score, or
05:31 at least run the clock out and get an opportunity to make a decision.
05:36 Get to overtime, and then you find your feet, and then you take the shot.
05:40 >> Yeah, again, overtime, we knew we was going defense first.
05:43 Again, that corner bounce our way, we was gonna go defense first, and
05:46 then we stop them.
05:47 And that was our goal, going into the overtime, we did just that.
05:52 And again, we was actually trying to score, but
05:56 again, we had two misplays at that particular time in overtime.
06:00 So again, it kept us in field goal range, and
06:03 we had to go ahead and kick that field goal and got that victory.
06:07 >> Question, coach, you're gonna go against a slew of defenses in SWAT,
06:12 they're just as strong.
06:13 How do you get the men past this emotional win, and
06:17 get them ready for that onslaught of talent that you have in the rest of the SWAT?
06:24 >> Yeah, we go back, we look at the film, see what we need to correct, and
06:27 also see what we did right.
06:30 And then we capitalize on the things that we did good,
06:34 and things that we did wrong, we gotta get better.
06:38 And I guarantee you, we will get better,
06:40 cuz one thing I do know about these guys, they're resilient.
06:43 When you ask them to do something, they come out and they perform it, and
06:48 they're gonna do it to the best of their ability.
06:50 >> One follow up, any two or three takeaways you have, I know it's after
06:53 the game, but any two or three takeaways that stick in your mind right now?
06:57 >> Yeah, I mean, the one definitely coming in the second half,
07:00 that interception Travis Pierce made,
07:04 I think that gave us the momentum going down in that second half.
07:07 Because again, if they had got that,
07:10 I mean, I think it's probably been close to being over.
07:12 It would have made it really tougher for us to come back on a good team like this.
07:16 >> Mr. Deacon.
07:18 >> Coach, you've been involved in this, played great classic for a while,
07:24 you've been on both sides of the bar, what does this rank for
07:28 exciting games?
07:30 >> At the top, absolutely at the top.
07:31 >> And you're saying that cuz you won?
07:33 >> Yes, sir.
07:33 >> [LAUGH] >> Absolutely, no, it was exciting.
07:38 Again, as a coach, you're hoping not to play games this close.
07:42 But again, I have to give my hats off to Coach McKinney and his crew,
07:47 meaning his coaching staff and the players.
07:49 They came out and played a great ball game.
07:52 And again, we knew it was gonna be like that.
07:54 But again, as a head coach anyway, I knew we had the players and
07:59 the capability of winning this game.
08:02 Now, did I think we was gonna win by more than what we won?
08:05 But absolutely, because I thought we had better players than them.
08:08 But it didn't happen, again, to go in overtime like that.
08:12 Once we win it overtime, I'm gonna be honest with you,
08:13 I knew we had it at that point.
08:15 Cuz like I said, we was going defense first and then stop these guys and
08:19 at least kick that field goal, kinda what we did.
08:23 >> Question here.
08:24 >> [LAUGH] >> Coach,
08:27 can y'all come here and talk about inside the HBCU sports lab?
08:31 [INAUDIBLE]
08:34 >> Colin, Trayvon does what he does.
08:36 >> Yeah.
08:36 >> Ahmad as well.
08:38 But you had some newcomers that stood up, Caleb Johnson, Brian Jenkins Jr.
08:43 Talk a little bit about what they had.
08:46 Coming in, you gave them some framework of what they could bring to the table.
08:51 But after this game, what did you say?
08:53 >> I mean, we knew what these two young men could do,
08:55 that's why we went out and got them.
08:57 I got told, Brian, at the end of the game, this is why we went out and
09:01 got you, because we knew what you could do.
09:04 Again, unfortunately, we didn't get the ball to him as much as we want, but
09:08 the plays that he made was big time.
09:10 Again, a little guy going across the middle and catching the ball and
09:13 not being afraid, that's the kind of aspect you want.
09:16 Of course, it ain't a whole lot to say about Caleb, again, this dude can run.
09:20 We knew what he was all about.
09:22 He did it to us at the CIP twice in one year.
09:26 So get him aboard with us was just a big plus.
09:30 And again, we already had two good ones back there anyway.
09:34 Then losing Stewart, number one, to I think SFA, to bring Caleb in,
09:40 it was a blessing.
09:45 >> One follow up is your special teams in terms of kickoff,
09:48 number 21 yard, remade field goal, big field goal.
09:52 What are your thoughts on that?
09:53 >> Yeah, Carlos, man, he's stepping up.
09:56 He did a great job coming in.
09:58 We had to take him off of kickoff because he was hurting,
10:01 the groin was hurting a little bit.
10:02 But he came in, he's been practicing all off season and
10:08 getting with a trainer and he's stepping up to be that big kicker that he wants to be.
10:13 Now special teams, we still got a lot of work to do.
10:16 We was without our actual special team coach, Coach Marlon Watson, he had a baby.
10:21 So we know him to get on back here next Monday, should I say,
10:27 and get the special team going like we know he can.
10:32 >> Coach, I noticed the last, well, it's your first win of the season.
10:37 And you said to me at the press conference that
10:42 we are a better team than guys predicted.
10:45 >> Yeah.
10:45 >> What do you have to say?
10:47 >> We are a better team than guys predicted.
10:50 [LAUGH]
10:52 We are, we are.
10:53 And again, I say that because again, to come up last year where they rated us,
11:00 then to bring it back to this year where they rated us where we finished,
11:03 I think it was a little bit too much.
11:07 But again, like I told the guys, they just gotta be ready to go.
11:12 Start in the first game, be ready to go for TSU, cuz again,
11:15 we gotta get TSU first and then we gotta get on to the next game, ACU.
11:19 But they know that they're pretty good and
11:23 that's what they've been harping on all summer long.
11:26 And again, they have stayed the course.
11:29 Again, preparing, making each other better.
11:33 So again, that we can go out and be a good team like TSU today, tonight.
11:37 >> That's, that's the other offense came out from halftime a little hot, but
11:41 in the fourth quarter you kept them scoreless.
11:44 What adjustments did you make defensively to really stifle that offense?
11:48 >> Again, we didn't make a whole lot of adjustment guys.
11:51 It was just getting those guys to do their responsibilities.
11:55 Guys were doing things that they were taught not to do.
11:59 They were just doing their own things.
12:01 And that's where, anytime guys do that, you guys know that.
12:05 Breakdowns happen, especially against good teams like that.
12:08 So we just told them, again, I called them to the sideline a couple times,
12:11 like, hey man, everybody need to do their job.
12:14 Do their 100.
12:15 If they do that, we're gonna be okay.
12:17 And now, it was just offense, absolute exact same thing.
12:21 Let's go out and make plays.
12:22 And I challenged those guys, somebody has to make plays.
12:25 And sure enough, that's what happened.
12:26 [BLANK_AUDIO]