As the Falcons look back on their loss to Colorado State-Pueblo, head coach Kris McCullough didn’t hold back criticism of the way his team handled adversity.
After a promising start by UTPB in which the Falcons took an early 7-0 lead, the ThunderWolves went on a 29-2 run to take a commanding halftime lead and not look back as the Falcons fell to 1-1 overall, 1-0 in Lone Star Conference.
“I have never in my head coaching career felt a sideline just dissipate,” McCullough said at Monday’s weekly press conference at the D. Kirk Edwards Human Performance Center. “We kind of made a living last year off going down in games and finding a way to claw back and win games. Those guys that have been with me in this program, those guys continued to fight and push each other and be that motivation … Some of the guys that are new to the program, they don’t understand what our culture is about pointing fingers and all that. for us, when adversity hits, which it hit early in that first half, we have to come together. We didn’t do that.”
UTPB managed to cut the deficit to 29-16 in the third quarter after a touchdown reception from wide receiver Jeremiah Cooley.
However, the momentum wouldn’t last as Colorado State-Pueblo responded with a 4-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Taylor Tosches early in the fourth quarter to help make it 37-16.
The Falcons cut it to a two-score game again after a touchdown run by Kory Harris but UTPB didn’t have more left in the tank.
“The sad thing is, we went through that game and you continue to set yourself up two scores behind with both two minutes to go in the third and then fourth quarter comes, we make another two-score deficit,” McCullough said. “Last year, when we played West Texas A&M, we were down two scores with three and a half minutes left and found a way to win. Same thing here except we were just defeated on the sidelines.”
With the win, Colorado State-Pueblo moved to 2-0, 1-0 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and entered the top-25 poll this week.
UTPB fell out of the top-25 with last weekend’s loss.
>> PREPARATION: While the Falcons were playing a tough team on the road, McCullough shouldered some of the blame as far as the preparation for last week’s game.
“I thought the preparation was okay, but it wasn’t good enough to beat a team like Pueblo and it showed,” McCullough said. “I have to be better as a head coach. I have to be a better play-caller and find the motivation, when we get down, to fight back and claw back to win that game.”
>> TAKING THE GOOD WITH THE BAD:Despite the loss, there were some good signs that McCullough saw from his team including defensive back Kendrick Jones who had two tackles and Colley who finished with 89 yards receiving and two touchdowns.
“I thought certain players played really well,” McCullough said. “I thought Kendrick Jones played well. he battled an injury in fall camp and he played his tail off on Saturday. He made a lot of plays and made pueblo know where he was at on the field at all times. Jeremiah Cooley had a good game, statistically. There were certain plays he did well on and certain plays he didn’t do well on. … everybody had their share of good and bad plays and that’s the consistency that we have to fix.”
>> COLORADO STRUGGLES:This is the second consecutive season in which UTPB has suffered a loss against a team from Colorado in the second week of the season.
Last year the Falcons fell to Western Colorado 35-27 on the road to fall to 1-1.
UTPB, of course, would go on to win nine consecutive games and take the Lone Star Conference title and clinch a spot in the NCAA Division II playoffs.
>> ANOTHER CHANCE:Not only does UTPB have a chance to bounce back in this week’s 6 p.m. home contest against Adams State at Astound Broadband Stadium in Midland, but it also provides McCullough another chance to beat a Colorado team as a head coach.
Coming off a 46-36 loss to Western New Mexico, the Grizzlies (0-1) are coached by fourth-year head coach Jarrell Harrison.
“I think they’re well-coached,” McCullough said of Adams State. “I think they’re physical and big up front. They do a lot of stuff scheme-wise that can scare you a bit. I hate saying it but I’ve never beaten a Colorado team. We have to find a way to battle through it. The RMAC has our number and we have to change the narrative on that.”
>> BACK IN THE TALL CITY: UTPB will be back to playing its home games at Astound Broadband Stadium from here on out for the rest of the season.
The Falcons played their only game of the season at Ratliff Stadium two weeks ago in their 41-3 season-opening win against Western New Mexico.
