All anyone has to do is read their poster or billboard to knowthat the Memphis Tigers are "Relentless."
Well, maybe not so much in the first half of the game said headcoach Tommy West Tuesday.
At his weekly press conference West hunched over the presspodium with a displeasured look on his face as he chose the rightwords to give an explanation for the game, the team, and ofhimself.
"That's all part of his job though," West said. "It was a gameof errors."
The game of errors West was referring to was the 24-10 loss hisheavily favored Tigers suffered at the hands of UAB for the fourthyear in a row.
"They made less errors than we did," West said. "In the firsthalf they didn't really make mistakes-- we did."
The third-year coach said the numerous personal foul penaltieshis team incurred attributed to field position and the outcome ofthe game.
"We made enough errors in just the second half," West said. "The penalties took us away from the field position. (UAB) made lessmistakes than we did, and thus, they won the ball game."
With Memphis driving late in the game the Tigers were stoppedwhen officials ruled a Memphis receiver had fumbled the ball afterlanding on the ground.
West did say, however, that the dicey call still had nothing todo with the Tigers loss.
"My problem is it has got to be the obvious," West said. "Rightor wrong they kind of took over the game there, and had an effecton the game. That certainly didn't cost us the game, though. Wewere down 17-nothing and that is what cost us the game."
Following the game many media and fans questioned the lack ofdownfield passing and big play calls.
"Do we have to be more aggressive offensively? Yes," said West,not waiting for the most obvious questions to be pitched to him. "Ithink we have to be more aggressive from the start. We need to finda way to be more aggressive from the start."
The difference in execution and immediacy was evident to thecoach.
"Watching the game, our pace in the third quarter was muchdifferent from our pace at the start of the game," he said. "Itjust looked like we were quicker and faster in the thirdquarter."
As Memphis takes to the road for their next three games againstMississippi State, Houston and Tulane as the admitted underdogs,West said he is more concerned about getting Memphis's best gameout there on the field.
"I don't worry as much about an opponent as I do us," he said."If we don't play as well as we should play then so be it, whateverhappens happens. If they're better, there is nothing we can doabout that."
