Coach Clarence McKinney post-game comments after losing to Prairie View A&M at the 38th Labor Day Classic. The game was played at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, TX on September 2, 2023.
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00:00 [MUSIC]
00:07 All right, can you all hear me?
00:09 So great game, especially if you're a fan of football,
00:14 PV fan that was back and forth.
00:17 We took the lead, they came storm back, it's just a great atmosphere, great game.
00:24 We came out on the short end of the stick,
00:27 and just looking at the stat sheets,
00:31 the tale of the game for us was we turned the ball over more than they turned the ball over.
00:38 So, our guys know that you can't win the game turning the ball over.
00:43 So that's something that we got to get corrected.
00:48 Defensively, I think we got to do a better job of getting off the field,
00:53 especially late in the game.
00:54 I think our defense played really great for about 85% of the game.
01:01 I think we got tired and when we needed to make a stop, we couldn't get it.
01:08 Questions?
01:10 Coach, do you think it's more the turnovers you kind of, you know,
01:16 they throw in a lot of big plays,
01:18 it kind of took it away from you more than you gave it away?
01:21 I think we gave it away with the turnovers.
01:23 With the turnovers.
01:24 If you don't turn the ball over, you score when you get opportunities.
01:30 I mean, we'd score on open and drive.
01:31 We missed the field goal.
01:33 We win the game at regulation.
01:35 So, I don't think they took it from us.
01:39 I think we gifted it.
01:41 I think – I tell my guys all the time, more games are lost than won.
01:46 And we lost this game.
01:49 Coach, as you mentioned in the beginning,
01:52 you've been playing very solid the entire game.
01:55 And at one point you got up 34-17 and then you scored 29
02:00 as a point for them to come back and win the game.
02:03 Do you think that's attributed to the offense being stagnated
02:06 or more of a miscommunication on the defense?
02:08 I think it's a combination of both.
02:11 We got to have each other's back.
02:13 But offensively, we lost our rhythm.
02:17 We turned the ball over when we had –
02:20 when we were in position for us to score.
02:23 We turned the ball over.
02:25 And we lost our rhythm.
02:27 And when we lost our rhythm, it was hard for us to get it back.
02:30 But I think, you know, when you get opportunities to score points,
02:34 you got to score points.
02:36 And when the defense gets on the field, they got to get off the field.
02:40 I mean, when you look at the stats, we out – we out-gained them.
02:46 We're on 20-something less plays.
02:51 So we have a really good team.
02:54 Okay?
02:55 This is just an unfortunate situation.
02:58 Our hat's off to Prairie View.
02:59 I told everybody that would listen this week
03:02 that this is two evenly matched teams.
03:06 They're a good team.
03:08 We're a good team.
03:10 And as a fan of the sport, the people that were here
03:14 and the people that watched it on TV,
03:16 got a chance to watch two really good teams play a really good game
03:22 to start the season off.
03:24 And it's not the end of the world for us.
03:27 We were in this position before, a year ago.
03:31 Some things has to happen.
03:32 And our side of the league is an extremely balanced league.
03:37 And so, week in and week out, you got to bring your A game.
03:42 What was the message you gave to your team now?
03:46 What I just told you guys.
03:48 We're a good team.
03:50 And, you know, it's all about how we respond for the next one.
03:56 Are we going to lay down or are we going to stand up?
03:59 And the guys that I know that's in that room, they're going to stand up.
04:05 So if Mike Washington's got the ability to have that next week,
04:08 he's going to make it 10-6 away from the coaches.
04:10 You look at the mix of pass play, it was 48-28 on the pass part
04:16 and you got that phenomenal game as you said.
04:19 As you're leaving here, do you look to tweak that balance
04:22 or look at making changes in the play mix going to your next opponent?
04:28 And how do you prepare the guys for the next one?
04:30 We are who we are.
04:31 And our motto offensively is to take what the defense has given us.
04:36 And so if they're shutting down the ring and giving us the pass,
04:39 we're going to do that and vice versa.
04:41 So I've been a part of offenses for a long time
04:45 and that's always been our motto
04:47 and we've always been some of the top offenses in the country.
04:49 So that won't change.
04:52 Dr. Covell.
04:54 Kanye, I'm Covell, Dr. Mills, inside the AQC Sports Lab.
04:57 In terms of offense and the defensive coordinators,
05:00 I'm going to go back and actually break down the field.
05:03 But just coming off the game,
05:04 how do you feel the game was called from either perspective?
05:08 I thought it was called like it should have been called.
05:11 You know, I think our coordinators did a really good job
05:14 of preparing our team for this game.
05:19 We just had some unfortunate situations.
05:21 You don't prepare – you don't coach a guy to throw an interception.
05:26 And he's beating himself up about it
05:28 because there were some times he threw the ball away
05:32 that he probably shouldn't have.
05:34 So, no one's harder on Andrew than himself and we'll bounce back.
05:40 I have a question, particularly in regards to last season.
05:43 I know it's last season, but all the way through and literally the last game
05:47 was a difference in playing for a championship.
05:50 How much that goes into no matter what took place here
05:53 and security guys from the next season?
05:56 Yeah, we don't really talk about – we've never talked about last season
06:00 because there are a lot of guys that we're counting on this season
06:03 that weren't here last season.
06:05 But the guys that were here know that anything's possible.
06:10 And so we just got to keep fighting.
06:12 We got to show up week in and week out and get better.
06:16 And at the end of the day, you know, if we take care of our business
06:21 we'll put ourselves in position to represent the Swagwest again.
06:26 Thank you.
06:29 After Prairie View's final touchdown for the end of the regulation,
06:33 what was the conversation about whether you were going to be going to overtime
06:37 or maybe try to drive down the field for a score at the end of the quarter?
06:40 Yeah, that's a long way to go in about 35 seconds.
06:44 So, why not go to overtime and make it a short field?
06:48 Give yourselves an opportunity to put points on the board
06:52 as opposed to risking the turnover down in deep in your territory
06:55 and not – and having them score points and not even get to overtime.
07:00 Yeah, we wanted to get to overtime.
07:04 Speaking about Andrew Byron's picks,
07:06 would you say it's more a tribute to Russ or miscommunication?
07:09 Because on the second pick, I noticed a little wobbly seam
07:12 on the outside as opposed to a rather skinny post.
07:14 But then he kind of came up short and then Andrew overthrew it.
07:17 So what did you say?
07:18 It was probably miscommunication.
07:21 Yeah, I don't know, I'd have to ask those guys.
07:23 I'm not asking them what you were thinking in the moment of the game.
07:27 I'm trying to get on to the next play.
07:29 So, we'll get back to the office and watch the video and see what happened.
07:36 Last question, what did you feel about the performance of the offensive line?
07:41 I thought the offensive line was great.
07:43 It gave up no sacks and we rushed for 286 yards.
07:48 That's pretty dang good.
07:50 You know, we can continue to build on that.
07:54 I think this offensive line has a chance to be one of the best around.
08:00 That's it.
08:01 Thank you.
08:02 Thank you.
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