Player Quotes: Last On-Campus Holiday Bowl Practice
12/18/2017 12:00:00 AM | Football
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EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Several Michigan State players met with the media Monday afternoon after the Spartans' last on-campus bowl practice as the No. 16 Spartans continue preparations to face No. 18 Washington State (9-3) in the 40th annual San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl on Thursday, Dec. 28 at 9 p.m. EST.
Monday was MSU's last on-campus bowl practice, as the Spartans will now have a couple days off to be with their families, before the team leaves for San Diego on Friday.
The Spartans finished the regular season with a 9-3 overall record (7-2 Big Ten) and are in position to record their sixth double-digit win season in the last eight years with a victory in the Holiday Bowl. It marks the 10th bowl bid in 11 seasons under Mark Dantonio, who owns a 99-45 record at the helm of the Spartans and will be looking for his 100th win as head coach at Michigan State. Dantonio already owns school records for most bowl wins (four) and bowl appearances (10), including a school-record four-game bowl winning streak with victories in the 2011 Outback Bowl vs. No. 18 Georgia, 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl over TCU, 2014 Rose Bowl against No. 5 Stanford, and 2015 Cotton Bowl vs. No. 4 Baylor.
The Holiday Bowl marks the eighth meeting between Michigan State and Washington State. MSU leads the all-time series, 5-2, with the last meeting arriving in 1977. It will be the first meeting between the two teams in a bowl game.
The Spartans will be making their 27th all-time bowl appearance (11-15 record).
Tickets for the San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl are available at msuspartans.com.
Below are quotes from the players that spoke to the media on Monday:
Senior offensive lineman Brian Allen:
On playing in the Holiday Bowl in his senior season…
It's pretty special to be on this team, especially with everything that we went through last year, just to be able to get back to a point where nobody really thought we could. Just to get this place back on track is pretty cool. To have the opportunity to get a 10-win season, coming up next week is exciting. I'm really just grateful to be on this team and be a part of that and helping the guys get back to now. I'm really excited for what they have in the future coming back.
Sophomore linebacker Joe Bachie:
On heading to California for the bowl game…
Yeah, I'm excited. I've never seen anything like it so going out there â€" it's going to be a five hour trip so I'm not looking forward to that (laughter) â€" but when we get out there we'll just take it in and enjoy the moment. It'll be something that I'll remember for the rest of my life. We're going out there to win a game, too.
On if today is a tough day knowing it's the last time the team will practice in East Lansing with the senior class…
I'm not trying to think about it right now. I'll talk to them after this game and hopefully we win 10. We'll talk about it and we'll celebrate it and we'll move on, but those guys are special to this program.
On preparing for Washington State…
Yeah, you know, against zone defenses, man defenses, they run the same stuff, but on different areas on the field they will find their way through and we're going to throw different looks at them. We're trying to prepare as well as we can for them. It's a lot different than an Iowa game or a Michigan game, so I'm excited for the challenge.
Sophomore quarterback Brian Lewerke:
On the excitement of getting back onto the field…
I feel like it's been forever since we've played. I feel like it's been forever since the Notre Dame game (in September) â€" I feel like that was a year ago. I'm excited to get out there and play again.
On being more of a creator…
I am. I like making plays out of nothing and just trying to scheme the defense and try to get their eyes away from where the ball is. That's a big part of our offense and I think that's good for us.
On visiting the Naval ship while in San Diego…
Coach Dantonio was talking about that â€" how they're all younger than us or the same age, which is unbelievable that there are guys doing, serving our country and risking their lives that are my age. I can't wait to meet them and experience that.
Junior wide receiver Felton Davis III:
On visiting the Naval ship in San Diego…
Two of my closest friends are both in the Army. I thank them all the time. Those guys, I couldn't do it, I'm not even going to lie. Being able to know that you're out there and at any moment if you're not on your toes you could die, but you're out here protecting people that you don't even know. It's amazing.
On Washington State's defense and Brian Lewerke having the ability to create plays…
Oh yeah, it turns into what we call ‘razzle dazzle'. Once he (Brian Lewerke) runs out of the pocket it's razzle dazzle and you've got to find a way to get open. With them being an aggressive team it's like, ‘okay I can make a play.' When B (Lewerke) breaks out of the pocket if they collapse too far inside he'll get out and he'll find you.
