Bowl Bites: A Conversation With Greg Taplin
12/24/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 24, 2003
How are you enjoying your stay in San Antonio?
"It's great. The weather's nice. It's good to get out of the cold for a little bit by coming down here with the guys and playing a little football."
The team is about to go to a Knibbe Ranch for the rest of the day. Have you ever been on a horse before?
"No, I'm from a city in south Florida, so I've never really been around horses or anything that resembled a ranch. I'm not sure what to expect at the ranch, but I think it will be a fun experience."
Are you looking forward to getting on a horse or are you a little scared?
"I'm looking forward to it. Our head coach is a cowboy and the team has been taking on his personality, so I guess we're all cowboys."
During the preseason, it sounded as though you and Coach Smith butted heads a few times. How is your relationship now?
"We have a father-son relationship. We're very close and meet almost every day and talk about a lot more issues than just football. Everything's cool and I appreciate everything that coach has done for me. I've matured a lot this year."
Michigan State's high-risk defense presents you with opportunities to make a lot of big plays. What's it like playing in this type of defense?
"I love it. Personally, I feel I've capitalized on it, with 10 sacks. We do give up a few big plays, but we also create more opportunities for our offense by forcing turnovers.
"In the Alamo Bowl, Nebraska runs an offense that is mostly one-dimensional. We know that Nebraska is going to lineup and run the football behind that big, physical offensive line. We know that we must stay home and contain the option. If we can slow down Nebraska's running game and get third-down stops, we feel like we'll have a great opportunity to win the game."
Are you having more fun this year than you've had in the past?
"Yeah, this is the best year of my life. It's been perfect timing - senior year with a new coach. Everything is good. We're down here in San Antonio, trying to win our ninth ballgame of the year."
How important is it for you to win the last game of your collegiate career?
"It's very important. It's something that I want to do and it's something that all the coaches want to happen for the seniors. We're just excited about it and we think we can do it against Nebraska."
What has been your favorite memory from your time in a Spartan uniform?
"The 2001 season when we beat Michigan, 26-24, that was my favorite moment as a Spartan. That really meant a lot to me."
