The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Quotes: Football in Allstate Sugar Bowl
12.02.2018 | Football
Quotes from Tom Herman’s Sunday teleconference as well as from captains Andrew Beck and Chris Nelson.
Head Coach Tom Herman from the Sugar Bowl teleconference
Opening statement: Extremely excited to be one of the very few select teams to participate in a New Year's Six Bowl Game. To have it be the prestigious Sugar Bowl is just icing on the cake. Really proud of our team for what they've accomplished, although certainly disappointed with the outcome in our championship game yesterday. This is a definite reward for them and the season that they've had. Having been to the Sugar Bowl as a coach myself, I know what a fantastic operation it is. I told our team that they're going to have a wonderful time, they'll be treated as first-class as possible of any bowl game out there. Again, it's a tremendous honor to be a part of that. I know Coach Smart and his program. I've had a chance to speak with him many times over the years and we've shared ideas. I watched their championship game and I know what a formidable opponent Georgia will be. I know how he coaches and the level of play we will be competing against. I look forward to seeing him in New Orleans and excited to be a part of it.
On playing a bowl game outside of Texas for the first time since 2011: All bowl games are good bowl games because it means you had a successful season. But there is an added benefit to getting outside the state of Texas and seeing things that aren't as readily available for you to see as a student-athlete. We do have quite a few players on our roster from the state of Louisiana so it'll be a nice homecoming for them. The bowl experience for the student-athlete is supposed to be one where they can go and enjoy the fruits of their labor and enjoy something that may not be available to them had they not reached that bowl game. To get to do it at one of, if not the most prestigious and certainly most historic bowl games in college football history is a real treat, especially for our seniors.
On the excitement from guys who are playing on New Year's Day: Considering I'm in Waterloo, Iowa watching a junior college football game, the only communication I've had with our team right now is through text. I'll be in the office tomorrow and probably able to answer that. I certainly don't want to put words in their mouth but considering what this senior class has gone through as a group, to know that they're the class that led Texas back to a New Year's Six Bowl Game, I'm sure there's a lot of pride and excitement with that senior class.
On the recruiting benefits of playing in Louisiana: I think sometimes that gets a bit overblown. Although, if your practices are open to the public recruits can come, you can't talk to them if it's in a dead period. Is it nice that the kids from New Orleans and Baton Rouge get to see burnt orange driving down I-10, and banners and posters around the city of New Orleans, I do think that has a subliminal effect a bit, but being able to personally communicate with these recruits it makes it difficult because your practices are during a dead period and they have the same access as the general public would.
On playing against Kirby Smart in the 2015 Allstate Sugar Bowl: I didn't even think twice about it, but that is an interesting factoid that we competed against each other as coordinators in the Sugar Bowl just four years ago. I don't know a whole lot about Georgia, but we'll spend some time certainly diving into the X's and O's. I've seen the statistics and they're in the Top 20 in nearly every offensive and defensive statistic. From statistics alone it looks like a very balanced team. I watched a little bit of the game from a recruit's living room last night. We know what they've been able to do. They played in the National Championship Game last year. They were on the verge of getting to the playoffs this year. Kirby has that thing rolling and we are going to need our A-game to have the chance to beat them.
On the change of defending the run against Georgia: I think that's a bit of a misnomer. We played a team in Oklahoma yesterday that had gone six straight games of rushing for at least 290 yards. The week prior was against a Kansas team that had a freshman running back named Pooka Williams that had rushed for 200-and-something yards against Oklahoma the week prior to that. There are some teams that like to throw it in our conference but the last three games we've played - Iowa State, Kansas and then Oklahoma - are all in the conversation for very difficult teams to defend in running the football. I don't think transitionally it'll be anything too formidable for us. We pride ourselves in our run defense and we certainly understand the way Georgia is built and that we will need our best on January 1 against the run.
Senior Captain TE Andrew Beck
On playing his last game at the Sugar Bowl: It's going to be a ton of fun. Our senior class has made it our mission to get this program back to where it needs to be, and this is a reward and justification for all of the hard work. To play my last game in the burnt orange and white in the Sugar Bowl against a great program like Georgia is going to be special.
On the bowl preparation: It's really huge for our younger players, especially those in my room like Cade (Brewer) and Reese (Leitao) to get those extra practices for the future. We know that we will need to prepare really well to go up against a great SEC program like Georgia. Every day that I get a chance to be with my teammates preparing is something that I don't take for granted - it's an exciting and special time of the year.
On playing Georgia: Playing Georgia is going to be a great challenge for us. They are a really good program and were discussed as one of the final teams with a chance to make the College Football Playoffs, so we know they are good. It's a game that should excite you as a player. They have a lot of guys who will end up playing in the NFL one day, and they're the type of opponent you should want to play in a bowl game when you come to Texas.
Senior Captain DT Chris Nelson
On finding out that you were selected to play in the Sugar Bowl: It's exciting to be selected for one of the biggest bowl games there is in the Sugar Bowl against a great opponent in Georgia.
On what it means to him: It's really big for our team and us seniors. To have a chance to leave a legacy on the program and get it back to the level that Texas needs to be at is special. To end our careers playing in the Big 12 Championship Game and the Sugar Bowl is something we will never forget. We are excited to start preparing.
On ending his career at the Sugar Bowl: All bowl games are great, but this one is exciting because we will have the chance to play out of state and in a great city like New Orleans. All of the hard work from the season is rewarded. We get our bowl gear at practices before we leave, so that makes you extra excited to go out to practice each day. And then to get ready to play a great team like Georgia will keep us focused and excited as we get ready also.
