Grid Insider: Champs Sports Bowl Media Roundtable
12/10/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 10, 2007
2007 Champs Sports Bowl: Media Tour Photo Gallery
Listen to Spartan Sports Podcasts:
Justin Kershaw Interview
Deon Curry Interview
John Masters Interview
Greg Jones Interview
Junior quarterback Brian Hoyer
On putting points on the scoreboard:
"From watching the film, you can see that they are a very good defense. They play tough and they play hard, but that's nothing that we aren't accustomed to. You can see some similarities in the things they do and some of the defenses we've played this year. With a few more weeks of preparation, we should come up with a good game plan against those guys."
On team's feeling to have opportunity to play in this bowl game:
"I think everybody is excited. For the most of us, we haven't had the chance to go to a bowl game, let alone play in one. We've been having brief practices here and there to stay in shape and keep our timing down. I think this Wednesday we will get more geared up towards practices that focus on Boston College."
On Coach Dantonio's approach to bowl practices:
"So far, the practices have been designed to keep us in game shape. It's going to be a month and a half between this game and our last. It's different for us, so we are trying to get our bodies acclimated to the physical condition it takes to play in this game and trying to keep our tempo. I think the closer it gets, the more it will be geared toward Boston College."
On practices becoming monotonous:
"Yeah, you can get that feeling, but people are just getting excited to get going again. This Wednesday, we will start implementing our game plan, so we're getting excited for that.
"Our coaches have things set up now, so we can kind of take some days off and rest and go over some film. It's a great time for preparation and this is the time to do it."
On what he has learned about Boston College's defense so far:
"In just reading over their statistics, I see that Jamie Silva, one of their safeties, has six interceptions. I think BC leads the ACC in interceptions, and I know they lead the NCAA in run defense. So they are a tough team, and they've got some good playmakers on defense."
On going up against Boston College's quarterback Matt Ryan:
"I think it's a great opportunity. Matt Ryan is a great quarterback, and he was up there in the Heisman Trophy race for awhile. He's a fun quarterback to watch, and he'll probably go in the first round of the draft next year, so it's a good opportunity to play against a quarterback like that. It makes you want to step up your game more. He's proven what he needs to prove, and I feel like I have some things left to prove. To go up against a guy of his caliber, you want to step your game up because you know everyone will be watching him, so you have a chance to prove something too."
On being able to finish games helping confidence:
"Yeah, it helps, especially the Penn State game when I started off with two interceptions. To be able to come back and finish out with four touchdowns especially in a close ballgame, it really helps my confidence. It also helped me get over the edge, in terms of finishing in the fourth quarter. The biggest thing was being able to bounce back and put ourselves in a position to win and that really helps build confidence."
On going back in games and critiquing himself:
"Yeah, I do it a little bit. With the amount of free time we have had, I have gone back and watched some of the games. I'm sure when the season is done, I'll sit down and watch every game and see what I can take from those."
On the importance of this winning this game to make it a successful season:
"I think it will tell a lot from where I've come to this point in my career. Going against a quality team like Boston College, it will show just how far I've come and how far I can go."
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Fifth-year senior center John Masters
On the importance of having a balanced offense against Boston College:
"It presents a huge challenge in order to see how we've progressed throughout the season. It will be interesting to see the kind of talent that we have and see if they can handle what we bring."
On coming back after the tough losses and being in this position:
"You take something from those games. You just build through the season and it was really a testament to what kind of leadership we have on this team and what kind of program that Coach Dantonio has brought here."
On feeling the team knows how to close out games:
"Absolutely, it gives you confidence every time you battle in a close game. We've learned from our mistakes. We've learned that if you keep grinding it out, then eventually good things happen."
On having any regrets about his playing career:
"No, no regrets at all. You come in as a freshman and really don't know what to expect, but you just tackle anything that comes at you and keep working hard. That's what I've done since I got here, and I can walk away saying I gave it my all."
On feeling the seniors have laid a solid foundation for this program:
"I wouldn't say it's necessarily narrowed down to the senior class. Just this first year, everybody has done their part and worked hard. The guys coach brought in have a lot of talent and promise in their future. It's been a combined effort, with all the messages they've stressed. We played well when it counted at the end of the regular season, so it's nice to go somewhere warm to play in a bowl game."
On how his long MSU career is ending with a bowl game:
"It's been an up-and-down ride, and it seems like it's paying off. We had some close games earlier in the season, and it seems like it's all been worth it. During this late-season stretch, everything has fallen into place."
On whether this year's success on the offensive line has been a surprise:
"I don't think so. We have always been a close unit. Even under the last staff and now under coaches (Dan) Roushar and (Mark) Staten, we've been close. We had a lot of injuries that made guys play different positions, but at the end of the day, it's just about getting the job done. I think that's what we've done and why we've been successful at it."
On what has made this season stand out:
"This has been by far our best season. I don't know if it's because it is my senior year, but I felt really close with all the guys in the locker room. It's been so much fun. It's just like guys have said in the past, you'll have memories to last a lifetime. I think back to the first days when I got here until now, and it's all just one good memory after another."
On what this season has meant to MSU as a team:
"I've been impressed with how this has been a statement (season). This is just the beginning. To get to a bowl game in Coach D's first year is a big statement. I think that the possibilities are limitless with this staff. I told my teammates that under this staff's guidance, they brought the best out of us with the talent that we have, and they've done awesome things with this team."
On how having two offensive line coaches work with the linemen:
"It just brings a different dynamic. You get two different points from a defense, and you get two different coaching styles. It gives you an edge to the way you look at things. They work well together and we have a good time in there, laughing and joking. We work really hard, and that's the coaches' biggest thing. We work hard when we're supposed to, and have fun when you can. That mindset has helped us with our progression throughout the year."
On playing more closely with the tight ends this season:
"I noticed last year that the tight ends weren't as close with us as they are this year. Now, it's just another addition to the family. They're not true offensive linemen - they may look better than us - but in the end, we're all doing the same thing. We grind it out together, so you really have a respect for them."
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Junior defensive tackle Justin Kershaw
On the time off between games:
"We've been pretty much the same besides the Thanksgiving break. We didn't get the whole time off. But of course, we're a little rusty because we aren't practicing back-to-back, but we're going at it. I think it's giving the guys who have played all year some time to rest. It's going to benefit us in the long run."
On the team's mentality since knowing it was going to a bowl:
"Really, we haven't had any hangover at all because Coach Dantonio did a great job bringing us back to reality. He's gotten us to focus on what we need to do. This is the first time we've been to a bowl game, but we know this is not a vacation. We have to go down there and try to win."
On the defensive line's growth and development:
"The most impressive thing is that at the beginning of the year, (Jonal) Saint-Dic wasn't even starting, and now he's a second-team All-American. With him, Ervin (Baldwin) and O.G. (Ogemdi Nwagbuo), we've become more mature as players. All of us have become more mature as leaders, and we've really grown and meshed together since the beginning of this year and the end of last year."
On the improvement of the defensive line:
"Last year, we were put in situations where we were given opportunities to come back and we didn't always respond well. This year, we were in a tight situation every game, and we pulled together. We really grew up. During the Penn State game, there was no doubt in my mind that those three guys - Saint-Dic, O.G. and Ervin - and the other guys on the defense that we were going to get the job done. We have matured as a group in that respect."
On the team's overall maturity:
"You learn that it's not over until the clock has four zeros on it. I know that sounds cliché, but that's the honest truth. That's the biggest difference between this year's team and last year's team. We never give up. We were down a few times, but we never gave up."
On Boston College:
"They have a really good quarterback, in Matt Ryan. He's a good player. They have a solid offensive line that is going to come after you, and they have good receivers. They're well-coached and they've won seven straight bowl games, so they're going to come to win. I've never played an ACC opponent, so it's going to be fun."
Junior wide receiver Deon Curry
On the reality of playing in a bowl game:
"It's definitely sinking in. The approach we're taking to this game is not to go down there for a vacation. We've been in preparation for the last couple weeks, so it's definitely sinking in."
On how it's hard not to treat the game like a holiday:
"It's kind of hard because it's something we haven't experienced before. Going to Orlando and going to a bowl game is definitely something that we need to take advantage of and get a win. Coach D is taking the right steps to get us prepared for that. They keep drilling it in our head that we need to get a win."
On the coaches making the indoor facility warmer to simulate Florida:
"They've been cranking the heat up on us. The temperature is up to the low-80s for practice, so we can get acclimated to the heat. It's 20 degrees outside, so obviously, we couldn't get ready for a game in Orlando. It's nice to be practicing in December. It's something we haven't done before, but it's something that we would definitely like to be doing right now."
On his progress in the offense this season:
"Coming into this season, I knew I had a role on this team, but I didn't know what it was going to be. As the season went on, I saw my playing time was definitely going to increase. The role I took was to make a play when one needed to be made and help with downfield blocking and running the football. We don't have a problem with other people getting the spotlight. We're a team, and whatever my role is on the team, I'm more than happy to provide that."
On his blocking:
"I definitely needed to improve coming from the high school level, but it's definitely an asset I felt I had. It helped me to have my high school coach focus on that, so I could apply that to our offense here."
On his biggest improvement:
"I guess reading defenses and being where I need to be. If I have to block a safety on a certain play or something, I just need to make sure I'm in the right place at the right time, so my assignment is correct. I think that the more you get out there and play, you get better at certain things. I hadn't had many opportunities until this season, so being out there and getting experience has helped me improve."
On whether he will play basketball this winter:
"I wasn't going to make that decision until after football season. I still have to talk to Coach D, and I'll wait until after the bowl game to do that."
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Freshman linebacker Greg Jones
On the team's excitement to play in the bowl:
"We are very hyped up. Everybody has high expectations for this team, so it's been really good."
On Boston College:
"They have a great quarterback in Matt Ryan, and they're going to come out and play hard. They'll give it their best shot, and we'll give it our best shot."
On whether the game could be high scoring:
"We'll do our best to keep it a low-scoring game. They're going to come out and take shots at the end zone and we'll try to stop them. We just have to limit Boston College's big plays."
On the team's expectations:
"We're just trying to cover all the bases. We don't want to overlook anything and make sure that we key in on our reads and stay true to our basics."
On the temperature simulation in the indoor practice facility:
"At practice, we've been turning up the heat, so we can get used to it. I think we'll be well-conditioned to go down and play."
On what he thinks will be a key to the game:
"It's going to come down to who makes the fewest mistakes. The team that makes the most mistakes will lose. It will be that kind of game. We're trying to force mistakes but we can't have any mental breakdowns or any defensive errors at all."
