UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 13, 2025

Jeff Traylor

Press Conference

UTSA - 48, Incarnate Word - 20

Q. Jeff, you guys pick up the first win of the season. What was your message to the guys in the locker room?

JEFF TRAYLOR: The video is still the video, and it doesn't matter what the score is. It just feels a whole lot better when you've got more than the other team does.

The things we went to work on defensively, we really stressed turnovers this week, and we really thought we had some real opportunities, and our guys were really flying to the ball today. That showed up. We really stressed our defensive backs in the backfield, just that magic moment being able to high point the thing, showed up. We still had two busts again, which gave up two easy touchdowns.

Offensively, just our pad level. We didn't like the way we strained last week. We didn't think we did a great job at times. Our receivers had great strain on the perimeter. Our tight ends had great strain. Our O-line had great strain. I think that's five game in a row for Robert over 100 yards. We didn't allow a sack again, no turnovers.

I really talked to Owen McCown about getting through his progressions. Quick picking something and staying on it. He did a great job getting through his reads. Played almost as efficient as I've seen him play.

And our special teams, we were really disappointed. Our night started with our kickoff team, and we really worked hard this week at that. That showed up, and we worked very hard on our punt return team. We didn't really get a chance to, but our fundamentals were so much better.

We always talk about, when you've got great culture, your teams always give you what you emphasize, and those were what we emphasized this week, and that showed up.

Happy that we got that stink off of us. It's just a long time. When you're a basketball coach, you get to play in two or three more days. Baseball, football, you listen to the firing squad for seven straight days.

Q. What did you see from your defense? I think three turnovers in the first four possessions of the game.

JEFF TRAYLOR: I thought our plan was good, and our guys were just aggressive in going to the ball and flying to the football. We had identified some opportunities we thought we might have, and those opportunities showed up. Our guys took advantage of it.

We were on a short field most of the night. So we were really efficient. Our stats don't look like they're crazily overwhelming, but we were playing on a short field the entire night. So I'll take that all the time.

Q. With how you guys were feeling a week ago, how important was it to put together a game like this? How much different are the emotions in the locker room right now?

JEFF TRAYLOR: They're better. We don't ever get into all that nonsense, honestly. I told you a million times, we just try to ignore the noise, man. You got to protect your mind, protect your soul. When you're in the game that we're in, that's what we spend most of our time doing, protecting our mind and protecting our souls.

That means getting off that telephone and keeping that garbage out of your life and listening to the people that love you and want what's best for you and not maybe so much a media person that's trying to write a good story.

Q. What is it about Robert Henry and these big plays to start second halves?

JEFF TRAYLOR: I've told you all, for the first drive of the second half, I wouldn't ignore his first carry, I'd be looking. It's pretty amazing now. I think it's five games in a row the kid's got over 100 yards.

Had a rough week too. Had a rough week. He had some things personally that were a huge distraction for him, and he did a really good job of refocusing. I was proud of him. We gave him some good perspective. I told him to look at that phone of his, and if Dante's healthy, it's all good. All that other stuff, we can replace.

I'm really proud of his mental toughness and how he showed up for the team. I talked to his mom and his sisters about it last night, how proud I was of Robert.

Q. You mentioned a little bit ago all the different areas you feel like you guys focused on and were able to clean up this week. What does that do for your feelings going forward on the trajectory of this team?

JEFF TRAYLOR: It's not just this team, it's all of our teams. We've always taken that to heart, man. They're good kids. They don't want to disappoint us, and we don't want to disappoint them.

We got a lot of stuff this week. I know it feels better, and you all are going to say some things are better. I don't know, y'all are so spoiled, you might still be upset, I don't know. Whatever it is, we're not going to listen to. We've got to look at that video, and what that video tells us, we've got to go to work on it.

Right off the top of my head, I don't have my list yet, but after I watch the game tonight, me and Care Bear going to go out and do some recruiting tonight and see if we can get this corner to stay committed to us. After that, I'm going to listen to her tell me about all the things I didn't do very well tonight, and then I won't be able to sleep. So I'll get my laptop and watch the game.

I'll let you know next week what the points of emphasis are, brother Greg. I'm sure you and J.J. on your nice little podcast will have it all broken down. I'll get my coaches to watch it, and we don't have to grade the video.

Q. AJ Wilson had a nice game. Is that something you wanted to do going into this game or just natural with Amador not playing tonight?

JEFF TRAYLOR: No, that's just AJ working his tail off. He just keeps doing it. We've been down Jamel Hardy all year. That's a guy who was going to be a starter. We went without David tonight, who's obviously a starter.

They didn't have 6 either. I told my guys before the game we're trading Amador and Hardy for 6. That's kind of a wash because 6 is a really good player for Clint as well. That's just for AJ's work, had nothing to do with David. Had David been there or not, been there or not, AJ would still go out there and run that post route tonight. David didn't run any post routes.

Q. I wanted to ask you about the second half. It looked like that backup quarterback had a little juice today.

JEFF TRAYLOR: He's good. He's a good football player. I wish Clint would have let us know he was going to play both of them so we could have prepared for both of them. That's two different kinds of players.

Man, he played his tail off, with his feet, with his arm. I told my guys all week, I thought he was -- and Richard too. Richard is a good football player. UIW has done a fantastic job. They've been good for a while now. They're a very good opponent and much respect for Clint and the job they've done.

And the president and the AD, that's three straight coaches now. Started with Eric, gone to GJ and Clint, that's impressive when a university can roll off that consistency with the turnovers those guys have had. A lot of respect to the president, AD, and the university as well.

Q. Shad Banks had another big game, an interception, a fumble recovery. He keeps delivering week after week. What have you seen out of him?

JEFF TRAYLOR: There's a reason I put him in the 4 spot on the hands team. Whenever you're the guy catching the ball for Coach Traylor on the hands team, that usually means that's Izzy, the White House, that's everything I'm putting that kid on. When you put somebody in that 4 spot, the one who has to decide whether to go block or make a catch, guess who that was? Shad Banks.

This game, the hands team, it all sounds fun because we got the return. If we don't make the play, things get a little crazy. He also -- to your point, interception, fumble, and recovery on an onsides kick for the hands team. What a joy that kid is. You see why he got voted in that zero. He's an absolute blast to coach every day, and he dropped one of the easiest interceptions of his whole life tonight.

Q. You had three sacks in this game, and we saw Nnanna get some slaps for the first time in a while. How do you feel about the pass rush on this one?

JEFF TRAYLOR: We're getting better. You might have hit a point of emphasis for this week. That's one of the ones we have for this week. We got after him. We did. Whenever I have time, we have three sacks. He got away from us too. He made some heck of a plays with his feet in the second half. Yeah, Vic and Nnanna and Don out there on that wheel, they'll get better. We're working.

We changed all 11 of those guys, so there's all new heads over there, new faces over there, and they're getting better.

My first great athlete ever is here, Natalie, state champion tennis player. You need to talk to her about what a great tennis coach I was back in the day. She never beat me. She never has beaten me. That's a true story. If you don't believe me, just ask me. God bless. Birds up.