Nov. 17, 2008

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Coming of a 41-24 win Saturday at Tulane, UAB head football coach Neil Callaway sat down with the media Monday at his weekly press conference.

Callaway recapped the Tulane win and previewed UAB's upcoming Conference USA game against East Carolina. The Blazers return home for the first time in a month when they host to the Pirates on Saturday at Legion Field. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised by Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast (CSS).

"Coming off a win against Tulane is a good thing," Callaway said. "It is a win we needed. It's the first road win since I have been here, and winning was a huge boost for our players and our coaches."

In the victory over Tulane, UAB quarterback Joe Webb totaled 130 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. He also finished 15-of-21 for 154 yards through the air as the Blazers posted 426 total yards. It marked the second game of the season with three rushing touchdowns for Webb, who also scored three times Oct. 2 against Memphis.

The Blazer defense also turned in one of its best performances of the year against the Green Wave. The unit intercepted four passes in the game, including two by cornerback Kevin Sanders. Matt Taylor sealed the win with an interception return for a touchdown, and linebacker Lamanski Ware also added a fourth-quarter interception as the Blazers improved to 3-7 overall (2-4 C-USA).

"We played well in all phases of the game; offense, defense and the kicking game," Callaway said. "I think we all contributed to being successful. We are happy about the win, but we have put it behind us and are focusing on East Carolina."

East Carolina enters Saturday's matchup at 6-4 overall (4-2 C-USA) and on top of the C-USA East Division. The Pirates have won three of their last four games but are coming off a 21-3 loss Saturday at Southern Miss.

UAB owns a 4-3 edge in the all-time series with East Carolina, including a 3-0 advantage in games played in Birmingham. The Pirates won last year's meeting, 41-6, in Greenville, N.C., but the Blazers won the 2006 game, 17-12, at Legion Field.

This year's contest will mark the final home game for UAB's 14 seniors, who will be honored Saturday.

Saturday's game will be carried on the Blazers ISP Sports Network. It can be heard locally on WWMM 100.5 FM radio in Birmingham.

Head Coach Neil Callaway

On the win against Tulane

"Coming off a win against Tulane is a good thing. It is a win we needed. It's the first road win since I have been here, and winning was a huge boost for our players and our coaches, particularly after the Southern Miss game. We played well in all phases of the game; offense, defense and the kicking game. I think we all contributed to being successful. We are happy about the win, but we have put it behind us and are focusing on East Carolina.

"We are happy when we win a football game, but our record is still 3-7. We want to build a program that everyone can be proud of, and we need to win and win consistently. We are going to try and take some steps toward that this week.

"One thing that concerns me about this football team is that in the last two years I have been here, when we have won, we haven't played very well the next week. We need to learn how to win and learn how to prepare after we win to win another one. We have to do a good job this week as coaches and as players to make sure we are prepared and focused to try and win two in a row."

On East Carolina

"East Carolina is leading the East. They got off to a really good start and have struggled as of late, but they are still a mighty fine football team. I think their defense is as good a defense as we will play. Their entire defense is outstanding. They are very strong, physical up front. In the back end, they can run extremely well. They have two outstanding cover corners, and they have a couple safeties that are very physical players. Offensively, they have had some issues but they still have a good balance of running and throwing.

"Their offensive line is big and physical. They have got a good running back. They have two quarterbacks they play. I do not know if they play them 50-50, but one is more of a thrower and is a good athlete like Joe Webb."

On the last home game and Senior Day

"This is the last home game. It will be Senior Day, which is obviously a big deal to our seniors and the football team. We would like to send them out on a good note. It is a game we hope we will be ready to play and can win.

"We always like playing at home. Legion Field is our home stadium, and we like playing there. Hopefully we will have a good turnout for our last home game of the year and to send these seniors out on a good note."

On the preparations for Tulane and East Carolina

"After the Southern Miss game, it was the first time I really felt like our football team was hurting, embarrassed and mad. We had an okay open week. Tuesday and Wednesday were good, but I did not think Thursday was that good. Work last week was good. Tuesday was good, but I did not think Wednesday was good. However, I felt like the guys were focused and wanted to do well. They knew we would have a challenge playing Tulane, and they responded well. We still have unfinished business to take care of. We have two more opportunities to send our seniors out on a good note and make some positive things happen that will give us some momentum into next year.

"Going into the game and looking at the statistics, Tulane had done pretty well on the turnover margin, and we hadn't. I felt like going into the game that turnovers would be a big part of it, getting turnovers and not turning it over on our side of the ball. What was surprising was Kevin Sanders having two interceptions. He really struggled during the last two weeks of practice after hurting his hand. But those two interceptions were big. Matt Taylor picking off his interception at the end of the game and running it in for a touchdown kind of sealed the game for us. Also with Lamanski Ware having his interception, it is always good to see a freshman linebacker have an interception."

LB Lamanski Ware

On getting motivated to beat Tulane
"Our seniors stepped up to the challenge. They motivated us. They helped us get through the week. They encouraged us to not just play for the end of the season but to play for the end of the season with a purpose."

On the defense's four-interception performance at Tulane
"Any time we give our offense more opportunities to score, that's always good. The better our defense plays, the better our team is. That's our motto every week. We want our defense to go in and create turnovers."

On playing at home for the first time in a month
"To me, it's a big deal. My family is very supportive, and they come to every home game. So they haven't been able to watch me play in person for a month. That means a lot to me to know they're in the crowd watching."

TE Zach Lankford

On having two open dates in three weeks before the Tulane game
"I think both bye weeks helped us out a lot. The first bye week, we got our bodies back and rested after a long stretch of games. The second bye week, we worked hard to get our minds right after that defeat at Southern Miss. Now I feel like we're back on track for the rest of the season."

On the relationship between the offense and the defense
"We feed off each other tremendously. When we see the defense get an interception, we know we want to go put it in the end zone for them. And when we score, they get hyped up even more to go out and make a stop."