RUSTON, La. - Louisiana Tech head coach Skip Holtz, senior running back Israel Tucker and senior linebacker Trey Baldwin spoke with the media Tuesday in advance of LA Tech's (3-3, 2-2 C-USA) home game against UAB (4-2, 2-0 C-USA) on Saturday, Oct. 31, at 2:30 p.m. (CT) at Joe Aillet Stadium.
 
Head Coach Skip Holtz
On the UTSA game:
"It was certainly a disappointing loss at UTSA last week in the Alamodome. We felt like we went out and probably played in the first half our most complete game of football: offense, defense, special teams. We've been talking a lot about how we really haven't put anything together. Early in the season, the offense was playing really well. Later, with the way the season's progressed, our defense has gotten better and better. It was time everybody showed up on offense, defense and special teams. The first half, outside of the red zone execution with the offense, it was our most complete game to date for a half. We came out in the second half and they started with a 16 play drive and then we threw a completion for about 15 yards and had a fumble. Defense had to go back out. Then the defense had a pick-six and then the defense had to go back out. We only had about five plays in the third quarter as an offense. When we came back out in the fourth quarter, I did not feel like offensively we responded to the pressure. They made some adjustments at halftime. We were efficiently running the football and throwing it, and they came out and said we're going to take away the running game and we're going to make them beat us in the passing game. We had a hard time moving the football at that point as an offense. Our defense was on the field an awfully long time. We gave up two big plays. We did the three things in the second half we said we couldn't do to lose a football game and that was turn the ball over, put our defense in poor field position and give up big plays. We gave up a big play pass and a big play run for a touchdown. Those are things you can't do and win. Some of the things as a football team we still have to get straight. There's a lot of positive things to build on. Defensively, Milton Williams continues to get better and better. The play of our three linebackers right now is as good as any three linebackers that we've had since I've been here. You've got Tyler Grubbs who is leading the country right now in tackles as a true freshman, and then Trey Baldwin is fifth in the country in tackles and he's missed a game and a half. When you look at it, there's positive things to build on, but we're not there yet. We are not a complete team. We are still a work in progress. We have to get better at the corner position. We have to get more production out of our offensive line, our running game and our passing game. We have a lot of areas where we really need to improve. We're close in some areas, but we have to get better without a doubt. It was just a very frustrating loss. Coming off that loss, there was a lot of pain in the locker room and a lot of hurt, obviously, losing a one-point game on the road when you had a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter. Both sides of the ball had an opportunity to preserve and we weren't able to get it done."
 
On UAB:
"We come back this week and it doesn't get any easier as we play UAB who has two losses, both to teams outside of the conference. They have one of the best defenses not only in our conference but in the country. When you look, I believe there are six categories that they're ranked in the top-25 in the country in. They have eight returning starters on both sides of the ball. They fit with what they do. They play a very aggressive, physical style of play on both sides of the ball. The strength to their defense is their defensive line. Their strength on offense is their offensive line and their running game. They have two running backs. They're very, very talented. They control the ball and they've won a lot of low-scoring games with what they do. It's going to be a great challenge for us. It doesn't get any easier. This football team right now it's like where do you fit in the conference? Right now, our biggest concern is we have to keep improving. This is a crazy time. We probably are, right now, as healthy as we've been from a COVID standpoint in that we haven't had a player test positive in two week which means we're going to have everybody back. The unfortunate part is some of them have been out for three weeks, so it's a little hard to get back into the mix. But, we've got to worry about us. We just have to keep getting better as a football team. If we can continue to do that, then we can see how good we can be by the end of the year. But, right now, we're a long way away from being the quality football team that we want to be."
 
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