The San Antonio Brahmas are winless at 0-2 to start the season, but they still have time to turn things around.
KSAT 12 Sports conducted a Zoom interview with Brahmas head coach Wade Phillips, who started off by discussing the positives from this season.
“We hadn’t turned the ball over,” Phillips said. “You know, normally when you get beat like we have, it’s a lot of turnovers offensively, but we haven’t turned the ball over. I think our guys play extremely hard, but we have to clean up some things offensively and defensively to get better, and we’re trying to do that.”
Offensively, San Antonio has only scored a total of 18 points in two games combined, the lowest in the UFL this season.
However, they’re averaging 5.6 yards per rush, but the Brahmas need more from the offense.
“We’ve actually run the ball pretty well offensively,” Phillips said. “I think we’re third in the league in rushing, but our passing game could add a few things, and I think we can have an even better running game than we have.”
For the season, starting quarterback Kellen Mond is 30 for 58 in the air for 288 yards, one interception and no touchdowns.
“I think his presence in the pocket is outstanding,” Phillips said. “He got sacked too many times this last game, and that was a negative. But he has a really good presence in the pocket. We need to get him out of the pocket a little bit more because he can run with the ball so well, get him on the edges where he can pass or run, and I think that would help us also.”
The Brahmas have allowed a league-high 59 points, and to improve on that side of the ball, they have to play better against the run.
“Defensively, we hadn’t played well against the run, and that’s been a key,” Phillips said.
KSAT 12 Sports learned after the interview that offensive coordinator A.J. Smith resigned from his role today, leaving the Brahmas without an OC. Phillips confirmed this during his afternoon media availability.
“He (Smith) just did it this morning,” Phillips told the media. “He wrote me an email and said he was resigning. He wants to move on for personal reasons, basically. But we’ve got to go forward. We’ve got a game to play.”
Payton Pardee, wide receivers/special teams coach, will take over as the OC. Jesse Thompson, running backs coach, will take over the special teams job for Pardee.
The Brahmas (0-2) will play at the Michigan Panthers (1-1) Sunday at 11 a.m. on KSAT 12.
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