UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 22, 2025

Shad Banks

Press Conference

UTSA 58, East Carolina 24

Q. Shad, what does it mean to you to have this win under your belt and to be bowl eligible going back for a sixth year as a program?

SHAD BANKS: It means a lot, man, it's just a blessing we get to play one more with this group. This team is just... man. I don't even know. I just feel like I have known them for so long and just feel like childhood friends. It just means a lot to be in one more with them.

Q. You guys came out with a really special level of energy and fire it felt like in this game. Is there something that inspired the group coming into the game today?

SHAD BANKS: No, we just wanted to be bowl eligible. One more for the group so, yeah, our confidence has been through the roof the past few weeks. We just really need to see it and we just needed that confidence and now y'all see it too.

Q. Shad, what led to all the success on the defendant? You guys stopped them pretty regularly to start this game.

SHAD BANKS: It's the same thing every week, man. Just stop the run. Fly around. Be physical. That's just the standard. The standard is the standard so if you do those things, everything else will happen itself.

Q. Tell me about your interception. Run me through that play.

SHAD BANKS: Yeah, I was just in the right place at the right time. But honestly I had that ranking back man so I was there so I was doing my job. So, yeah, doing your job is going to pay off.

Q. Shad, you guys came through some low moment this is year as a team. How does that add to the emotions of being able to have a gape like this and reach the bowl milestone?

SHAD BANKS: Yeah, I wasn't here last year or whatever, but I understand it was like the last year game, they didn't like how it went so I guess that could have been a reason why guys are out here flying around and hitting, but a lot of us weren't here last year so I don't know. We just wanted to go get one for the guy next to us.

Q. I mean even just earlier this season you had some times where the team felt pretty down. Seemed like you took some tough losses and now to have a moment like this, I was wondering if that changes just what the reaction is like from the group.

SHAD BANKS: Yeah, I mean we never gave up. We never put our head down. We never said it was over. So week we always just try to get better. Every day we try to get better and we're still trying to get better even in week... whatever week it is. Like 14? 13? But, yeah, we still try to get better, so that's how it is.

Q. We talked about the physicality on the defense and the focus on tackling. How did you feel like that held up today? How much of a difference do you see from some points earlier in the year?

SHAD BANKS: Yeah, man, the DBs were out there hitting. The safeties were out there hitting. The corners were out there hitting, man. You know when someone goes out there and just is physical and hits, it just brightens else's mood. The next person is like yeah, I want to go do that too. It's contagious. That's just what it is.