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Utah Football Player Quotes: Florida
8/31/2022 11:28 AM | Football
Senior Linebacker Mohamoud Diabate
On the anticipation level around Week 1 at Florida…
"We're close. We're feeling good. The nerves are rising, we're getting closer and closer. There's not much more to say. We've been waiting on this for a long time, it's almost here. It's time to put the final touches on [our prep] and get out there."
Â
On bringing a veteran presence in the linebacker room…
"It's been great being able to let everyone know the certain things I've been through and how to deal with those certain situations, whether it be on the field or off the field. Basic student-athlete things, or when you're in 'this' position and the running back does 'this', you need to do 'this'. I take that seriously, you know. It's been something that makes me happy to be able to bring my younger guys in and get them up to speed."
Â
On what he is most confident in about this team…
"I'm confident in our ability to play hard and do our job for the whole game. That's the most important thing, I feel like. Everybody knows we have the talent, what it's going to come down to is the execution and the ability to do that for four quarters. I'm confident in our team's ability to do that."
Â
On playing in The Swamp…
"It's an electric atmosphere. It's one-of-a-kind, I don't think there's any place I could compare it to. I used to love playing there, so I'm excited to go back. It'll be a great environment, [the fans] are going to be out there loud and excited. It's going to be fun."
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Junior Cornerback JaTravis Broughton
On returning to his pre-injury form…
"I'm very confident. I feel like I'm better than my pre-injury form. I've just been working on my technique, everything I need to work on coming in and getting ready for Florida."
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On being confident in the cornerbacks group as a whole…
"As a group, I feel confident in all my corners. I feel that they can come in and make a play or take over, whatever they need to do."
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On the Florida wide receiver group…
"Big, tall, physical. But we're physical over here too. It's going to be a good matchup and I just can't wait to play them."
Â
On what the coaches have stressed this week…
"Just watch out for the deep balls. Protect the run, show up on the edges and just be a play maker."
Junior Offensive Lineman Braeden Daniels
On playing in this environment…
"It's definitely going to bring some adversity…but I think it's something we've been preparing for all Fall camp, and [now] all week. It's something we're going to be ready for and keep working on."
Â
On where the offensive line is heading into the season…
"The offensive line is all about building chemistry. It should be five guys, all on the same page, all thinking the same thing. I think that having an offensive line is like a statue—it's already built and we have that chemistry. We can work together. It's really going to help us."
Â
On what Florida's defensive line brings…
"It's a game that's fought in the trenches and it starts in the trenches. We've been working out here each and every day. [The coaches are] going to make sure we're prepared and going to be physical. When it comes to be game time, all five of us [on O-Block] have to come off the ball ready to go and be physical."
Â
On how stability in the offensive line can help the position group…
"Something that Coach Whittingham preaches is that you can't be the best at something if you don't do it every day. That's what we try to instill within our program and within our position group. I try to work on being the best left tackle I can be each and every day, just help us excel and be the best version of us that we can be."
Â
On how he's seen the program grow during his time at Utah…
"I was here when Lo Falemaka was here and Jackson Barton was here, all those people. I feel like it's changed for sure. We've just gotten better and we're still getting better each and every year, each and every month, each and every week. Coach Harding has taken the time to really care for us, really hone in on all the details to make us better players."
Â
Junior Running Back Tavion Thomas
On how it feels with the season finally being here…
"It feels really good. It's finally here. You can finally go out and hit somebody else other than your teammates. I'm really excited to see how we're going to come out and how we're going to perform."
Â
On the environment of The Swamp…
"I've played in a few loud games. [The crowd] will probably play a factor…I feel like we've just got to stay focused and stay on task, know our assignments."
Â
On what he expects from Florida's defense…
"I expect them to come out hard. They're probably going to be juiced up—first game, new coach. They're probably going to come out hard. But we just have to know our assignments. Once we play our ball, nobody can really stop us. We just need to bring our A-game."
Â
On knowing that his teammates are assignment-sound and in it for the same goal…
"I feel like Cam is going to put us in the right position. I trust him a lot, the play calling, I trust our coaches. Whatever play call that's made, we have to be the ones to make the play."
Â
On the anticipation level around Week 1 at Florida…
"We're close. We're feeling good. The nerves are rising, we're getting closer and closer. There's not much more to say. We've been waiting on this for a long time, it's almost here. It's time to put the final touches on [our prep] and get out there."
Â
On bringing a veteran presence in the linebacker room…
"It's been great being able to let everyone know the certain things I've been through and how to deal with those certain situations, whether it be on the field or off the field. Basic student-athlete things, or when you're in 'this' position and the running back does 'this', you need to do 'this'. I take that seriously, you know. It's been something that makes me happy to be able to bring my younger guys in and get them up to speed."
Â
On what he is most confident in about this team…
"I'm confident in our ability to play hard and do our job for the whole game. That's the most important thing, I feel like. Everybody knows we have the talent, what it's going to come down to is the execution and the ability to do that for four quarters. I'm confident in our team's ability to do that."
Â
On playing in The Swamp…
"It's an electric atmosphere. It's one-of-a-kind, I don't think there's any place I could compare it to. I used to love playing there, so I'm excited to go back. It'll be a great environment, [the fans] are going to be out there loud and excited. It's going to be fun."
Â
Junior Cornerback JaTravis Broughton
On returning to his pre-injury form…
"I'm very confident. I feel like I'm better than my pre-injury form. I've just been working on my technique, everything I need to work on coming in and getting ready for Florida."
Â
On being confident in the cornerbacks group as a whole…
"As a group, I feel confident in all my corners. I feel that they can come in and make a play or take over, whatever they need to do."
Â
On the Florida wide receiver group…
"Big, tall, physical. But we're physical over here too. It's going to be a good matchup and I just can't wait to play them."
Â
On what the coaches have stressed this week…
"Just watch out for the deep balls. Protect the run, show up on the edges and just be a play maker."
Junior Offensive Lineman Braeden Daniels
On playing in this environment…
"It's definitely going to bring some adversity…but I think it's something we've been preparing for all Fall camp, and [now] all week. It's something we're going to be ready for and keep working on."
Â
On where the offensive line is heading into the season…
"The offensive line is all about building chemistry. It should be five guys, all on the same page, all thinking the same thing. I think that having an offensive line is like a statue—it's already built and we have that chemistry. We can work together. It's really going to help us."
Â
On what Florida's defensive line brings…
"It's a game that's fought in the trenches and it starts in the trenches. We've been working out here each and every day. [The coaches are] going to make sure we're prepared and going to be physical. When it comes to be game time, all five of us [on O-Block] have to come off the ball ready to go and be physical."
Â
On how stability in the offensive line can help the position group…
"Something that Coach Whittingham preaches is that you can't be the best at something if you don't do it every day. That's what we try to instill within our program and within our position group. I try to work on being the best left tackle I can be each and every day, just help us excel and be the best version of us that we can be."
Â
On how he's seen the program grow during his time at Utah…
"I was here when Lo Falemaka was here and Jackson Barton was here, all those people. I feel like it's changed for sure. We've just gotten better and we're still getting better each and every year, each and every month, each and every week. Coach Harding has taken the time to really care for us, really hone in on all the details to make us better players."
Â
Junior Running Back Tavion Thomas
On how it feels with the season finally being here…
"It feels really good. It's finally here. You can finally go out and hit somebody else other than your teammates. I'm really excited to see how we're going to come out and how we're going to perform."
Â
On the environment of The Swamp…
"I've played in a few loud games. [The crowd] will probably play a factor…I feel like we've just got to stay focused and stay on task, know our assignments."
Â
On what he expects from Florida's defense…
"I expect them to come out hard. They're probably going to be juiced up—first game, new coach. They're probably going to come out hard. But we just have to know our assignments. Once we play our ball, nobody can really stop us. We just need to bring our A-game."
Â
On knowing that his teammates are assignment-sound and in it for the same goal…
"I feel like Cam is going to put us in the right position. I trust him a lot, the play calling, I trust our coaches. Whatever play call that's made, we have to be the ones to make the play."
Â
Players Mentioned
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