UAB head coach Trent Dilfer didn’t hold back his frustration after a 31–13 loss to Army, taking full responsibility for what he described as a step backward in the program’s progress.
“Incredibly disappointed, obviously,” Dilfer said. “Most disappointed that we went backwards with the things we felt like we were getting better at [just] penalties, discipline, turnovers, not beating ourselves.”
Final from Protective Stadium. pic.twitter.com/1r83jtmGbe
— UAB Football (@UAB_FB) October 4, 2025
UAB’s offense, led by Jalen Kitna, never found rhythm, managing just one touchdown on 12 drives. For Dilfer, the breakdowns weren’t about talent or preparation, they were about his own coaching decisions.
“We were terribly inefficient offensively, and I’ll take the blame for that,” he said. “I obviously didn’t get them ready to play.”
The loss was especially disheartening after a bye week the coach believed would mark a turning point. Instead, familiar mistakes resurfaced, two missed scoring chances on special teams and a string of penalties that stalled drives. “You miss two relatively easy point-scoring opportunities and turn it over on special teams, that’s a massive L,” Dilfer said.
When asked about Kitna’s uneven outing, Dilfer’s tone softened. “I think I asked him to do too much. He made mistakes he hasn’t made before, and that tells me there was a little bit of a system overload. That’s on me.”
For Dilfer, the loss was more than a scoreboard setback, it was a lesson in accountability. “It’s a lot like parenting,” he reflected. “You’re maniacal about teaching them the right things, and they don’t always do it right away. That’s kind of how it felt.”
More College Football News:
- Coach Prime calls for leadership after loss
- Deion sounds alarm on his health
- Kirby Smart credits Georgia’s resilience
- Bill Belichick takes blame for loss
- James Franklin reacts to UCLA loss
- Diego Pavia takes blame for Vanderbilt loss