Quotes from Utah Football's Alamo Bowl Media Availability
12/8/2019 4:36 PM | Football
On moving past the Pac-12 Championship game loss…
"We are moving on to a new game. We are going to play Texas in the Alamo Bowl and it is a great honor. We are glad to have another chance for the seniors and for the team and it is still a great year. Not many teams get a chance to win 11 games, so we just need to make the best of it and go out on top."
On how important it is to win this bowl game to get the sour taste out of their mouths…
"Every game is important. We try to make sure that we play to the best of our abilities at all times, so I think it is a big thing. We want to send the seniors off the right way. I am a senior, so I want to go out the best way I can. I think we just have to make sure we are practicing the right way, get to San Antonio and win the game."
On if he plans to not play in the bowl game to focus on getting to the NFL…
"No, I love playing for this team. I didn't come here not to play in games. I try to make sure I play in every game barring any injuries or bruises. That thought hasn't even crossed my mind."
On what goes into flushing out the bad play at the championship game…
"It sucks to lose. I hate losing, nobody likes to lose, but I think the biggest thing is that we have to understand that anybody can lose on any given day and that just wasn't our day. We have to make sure that we don't lose again."
On what he knows about Texas…
"I am actually very excited to play them. I grew up watching the Longhorns, so it will be an honor to play against them. They have a great team and a great quarterback, so I am excited to play them."
#77 Darrin Paulo, OL
On his thoughts on playing in the Alamo Bowl against Texas…
"I am excited. It is a really good bowl game. The outcome on Friday wasn't what we wanted, but the Alamo Bowl will be a good game and I am excited."
On if reaching 12 wins will mean a lot to this group…
"I think there aren't a lot of teams that get to win 11 games and we did, but 12 will be even better."
On if he has heard if any of his teammates will skip the bowl…
"Not that I know of. I think everyone wants to play. This is a really good bowl game, so I think everyone is excited to play."
Mark Harlan, Utah Athletics Director
On if there is any frustration getting left out of a New Year's Six bowl…
"Any frustration was washed away pretty quick when you get a call from the Alamo Bowl director and you hear his excitement and his group's excitement, and then you hear that our opponent is Texas. It was washed away pretty quick. It is a great opportunity for us to go out and win our 12th game with an incredible group of seniors and an incredible team. Our plan is to just get out there and get after it."
On being one spot away from a New Year's Six bowl and if he was surprised to not get in one…
"I don't know if I was really surprised or not. All year I've just let the process work. I have great respect for the folks on that committee, some are personal friends of mine. I know how hard they work. I noticed that we were one spot away and that just shows you how close we are as a program. We won the South Division two years in a row, we were living in the Top 10 for the last three or four weeks, so we know that we are this close to reaching all of our goals. But again, a chance to go out and win a 12th game, coming off a nine-win season last year, and our ninth season in the Pac-12 – I just think there is a lot to be excited about."
On if he was confident that the Alamo Bowl would pick Utah…
"I was. Derrick Fox, their director, and his team have been to about six of our games this year. We've never played there and I think for them, to have a chance to get the 11th-ranked team is a special thing. I am sure they are happy to have Texas, which someone just told me is 90 minutes away from San Antonio, which of course leads me into my call for action to Ute fans. If we've ever needed you, we need you now. This group deserves it. It has been a special season. We hadn't lost a game before the other night since mid-September. So, we are going to need folks to fight off that burnt orange and bring a lot of red to the game. We are so thankful for our fans, but we are going to need them one more time."
QUOTES FROM KYLE WHITTINGHAM AND TOM HERMAN | ALAMO BOWL TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT COACH CALL-IN:
Q: Opening Statement
Tom Herman: "Well we were a young team I appreciate you having me. We are thrilled to be represented at the Alamo Bowl. We're a young team that had some injuries and we didn't exactly meet our expectations, but I think our kids play really hard. We've got some good young talent, and we're excited to be there.
Q: What leadership does Sam Ehlinger bring to the team?
Tom Herman: "I call him a 'marry your daughter' kind of kid. He makes great grades he's an unbelievable young man, he's a great leader he was our only non-senior that was a captain. He leads by example and by his voice and his production on the field. He's a heck of a player, a heck of a competitor and really, really represents our way of doing things the right way."
Q: What do you think about the stingy defense you're going to face in Utah?
Tom Herman: "I don't know a whole lot other than what the stats say but I do know, Coach Whittingham and his reputation. I know both of us worked for Coach Urban Meyer and coach Whittingham has had some unbelievable defenses in the past and this year is not much different. The stats that you read in terms of rushing yards, yards per play all that stuff. We know that that our offense is going to be in for a big-time challenge. Our defense as well. I know their quarterback, as you said, is second in the country in completion percentage, he's a very efficient guy that has led them to the Pac-12 Championship game. Without yet studying either side on video I do know that coach Whittingham is going to hang his hat on defense and this year is no exception."
Q: Opening Statement
Kyle Whittingham: "First of all, we're excited for our first trip to the Alamo Bowl. Quite a few players on the roster are from the state of Texas so that'll be a good experience for those guys to be able to get back home and play in front of some of their family. We've got a lot of respect to this Texas team. They have some really good players and then obviously the quarterback with over 4,000 yards total offense and we've seen him throw to a receiver with 100 catches for over 1,200 yards. Texas itself is steeped in tradition and there are a lot of positives there, so we're excited about that. We feel like our team played good football this year. We came up a little bit short on the last game but with an elite quarterback, running back and defense we've got some things going for us. Texas, when you're watching them play against LSU and Oklahoma, those were both-one score games. They have a lot of talent, and it should be a great matchup."
Q: Who are some of the seniors that are the foundation of your team?
Kyle Whittingham: "This senior group is special with back-to-back Pac-12 South champs. We're senior-laden on defense, but not on offense. We have very few seniors on offense but defensively we do have a bunch of seniors particularly in the front. We have three guys we think are as good as any defenders we've ever had here. We feel like we have our best defense at the University of Utah, at least since I've been here and that's a while. I've been here 25 years and statistically it bears that out. Offensively we've got some emerging stars like Brant Kuithe our true sophomore tight end from the state of Texas, ironically, but he has had a tremendous year and is really turning into a star for us."
Q: What does it mean for you and your team to play in San Antonio, especially for potential recruits?
Kyle Whittingham: "We have three main footprints: Southern California, in-state here in Utah and in Texas. The majority of our team is comprised of players from those three areas. It's going to be great exposure for our team and our program to come to San Antonio and be able to play in that state and have recruits take note of that. And, of course, playing Texas adds to that as well. That gives even more Texas flair to the game."
