THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. How do you deal with the negative reaction to a loss like that?
AUSTIN BARBER: I think we put it on the shelf and go back to next week. Can't change the past. Just looking forward. I think the guys know that.
We have the guys in this building that can put that aside and look forward. It was one game. That was not what we wanted, but we keep building off some of the good things we did.
Q. Billy said there was a lot of guys here Sunday. Is that typical? Is this your fourth team?
AUSTIN BARBER: Yeah, fourth team.
Q. Would that have been your reaction to something like that?
AUSTIN BARBER: I know it's definitely gotten better. This is the most guys I've seen in the building wanting to get better. Coming in, watching the film, learn from what we did wrong, look at what we did right, take the things into next week.
I think there's a lot of guys here that care and want to win. I just saw so many guys, the passion. It's not what we wanted, but we have to get better and move forward.
Q. What was the mood like?
AUSTIN BARBER: Obviously it wasn't what we wanted. There's always going to be that sense of it's not what we wanted.
We have guys that think, like, it's just one game, it can't define our season. We have so many games left. Guys watching the film, learning from things we did, moving forward.
Q. Five offensive drives. Billy mentioned execution and some jitters. What was it like in terms of not being able to sustain things?
AUSTIN BARBER: I mean, I guess you could say it was jitters. We just got to perform better and execute. I think that's the main thing.
Q. What do you see from DJ when he came in? He's going to get starting reps as Graham recovers.
AUSTIN BARBER: Yeah, I think DJ did a phenomenal job coming in as a freshman under the lights. I thought he did really well. He prepared like no other, like he was the starting quarterback. I think he went out there and showed what he can do. I'm happy for him.
I know it's hard being a freshman, but he went out there and performed and did well. I'm happy for him.
Q. Anything about his composure, demeanor that stood out to you?
AUSTIN BARBER: Yeah, I think for him obviously he's young, but he went out there like he was the starting quarterback. I think he was so prepared for an opportunity like that. Like Coach Napier said, they prepare these guys like they're going to play, one play away. I thought he did a really good job of that during the week.
I'm just really proud of him.
Q. How does he change the offense?
AUSTIN BARBER: I mean, I think he does a lot of good things. I think he just does some things that help us. He can command in the offense just like Graham did. He's confident in that, stuff like that.
Q. Have you talked to your linemates individually and reassess what happened? Have you had those private conversations?
AUSTIN BARBER: Yeah, of course. I think we're a very connected group. I think we've built a bond that we haven't had in a long time. We just come in and watch the film together, make sure we won't make the same mistakes we did last week, just fix some things that could be better.
We talked about it. We just learned from it.
Q. What are your thoughts about the tackle rotation? Do you like being spelled? Would you rather have more rhythm?
AUSTIN BARBER: I trust what Coach Napier and Coach Sale are doing. I think they're going to put all of us in the best situation. Guys can play, things like that.
I have full confidence in what they're doing.
Q. Billy said you guys are a resilient generation. Is that true? How do you and the guys block this out?
AUSTIN BARBER: I think we just go about it. It's obviously going to be tough seeing all the stuff. We don't think about that. There's another game on Saturday. We got to focus on the game we're going to play. We can't change the past, but we can work better for the next game.
Q. Did you dress for the Samford game?
AUSTIN BARBER: I played in that game. Me and Jay got some snaps with Anthony Richardson.
Q. You played earlier in the season?
AUSTIN BARBER: That was my debut, man.
Q. What do you remember of that game other than your debut?
AUSTIN BARBER: Yeah, I thought the game was going well when we got in. I just tried to take advantage of it, put something on there as a freshman. Obviously it's definitely tough playing the O-line as a freshman.
It was fun, I will say, going out there and getting a few snaps as a freshman, not knowing what it was like to get that sense of this is what it is.
Q. What about the first half?
AUSTIN BARBER: I don't really remember the first half. That was a long while ago.
Q. When you look at going into this week, where Samford is, where you are, individually what is one thing you would say you want to make sure that happens this week?
AUSTIN BARBER: I would say just I think to stand together through everything. No matter what happens, stay together as a team, don't let any distractions or noise take anything away from what we built over the past however many months we've been working towards this.
Q. The offense started fast at the beginning of last season. What will it take for the offense to start faster?
AUSTIN BARBER: I think it just going out there and executing. I think we always have a great game plan. It's going out there and performing and doing it.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports