Transcript provided by ASAPSports:
MARCUS FREEMAN: “It’s a great honor to obviously be a part of what’s to come, and I don’t want to downplay that, but tonight is about tonight and about what this team did to achieve the outcome that we all desired. I want them to celebrate that. I want them not to look past tonight. Celebrate tonight. Celebrate this victory that they worked tremendously hard to achieve and obtain. Then I told them they'll have tomorrow off. They can take one day off and we'll get them back on Sunday. Then we'll start thinking about the Sugar Bowl and the opportunity we have at hand.
“You don't get enough time in life and enough time in situations like this not to enjoy it. I was reminded of that by a couple people I talked to but also just talking to the team.
“Enjoy this. Enjoy this. Don't look ahead. Enjoy this, and then we'll move forward.
“Proud of the way they played. I told Coach Cignetti after the game, I think that's a heck of a football team we faced that obviously showed wouldn't quit until the end. Some good teaching opportunities for us. We're going to use that fourth quarter defensively. Special teams-wise we've got to learn from some of those situations that happened in this game because we have to be better because of it.”
“I'm actually kind of glad it did happen because it's going to be a chance for us to humble ourselves and get back to work and work on ways to improve as we get ready for this next opportunity.
Q. How big is a run like the one that Jeremiyah had as a tone setter right out of the gates?
MARCUS FREEMAN: “Huge. Backed-up situation. We just threw an interception the drive before, and it was 0-0 at that time. Just threw an interception, we get an interception on defense, and that first play to go 98 yards was huge just for everybody. Yes, the offense, but the overall confidence of our team. To go up 7-0 with that type of touchdown.
“We know he's not 100 percent. We're just going to keep getting him healthy. But he showed on that play whatever percent he is, once he breaks through that third level, it's hard to catch Jeremiyah Love.”
Q. You mentioned the interception, Xavier Watts. How good was he tonight in setting the tone for the defense?
MARCUS FREEMAN: “Yeah, he was major. He made some big-time tackles, tracked the ball carrier well, was close to getting a couple balls out, had the interception.
“He's a leader out there. He gets everybody lined up. He communicates. He plays the game the way you need him to play. He is a huge part of what we're trying to do and a very important piece.”
Q. Marcus, along those similar lines, you've talked often about complementary football and that first sequence was about as complementary as it gets. How do you assess the way this team has absorbed all the challenges to have the identity that you want from them?
MARCUS FREEMAN: “Yeah, you had a lot of good from all three phases tonight, and you've seen that throughout the season. No one phase was perfect, and that's what we strive for is perfection. No one phase was perfect. But what happens is when one's phase isn't getting the job done, another phase picks it up, and we'll need that as we continue to move throughout these playoffs.
“That's what it's going to take to achieve the goals that we aspire to have. It's not going to be offensive, defense or special teams, it's going to be all three phases playing complementary football.”
Q. You started the season in the tunnel at Texas A&M sort of getting the attention off your team and getting it to -- taking the pressure off them and being emotional in that moment and then your team adopted your personality over the course of the season. The way they played so physically tonight, how much does that reinforce the way that you guys are coaching and preparing them?
MARCUS FREEMAN: “Yeah, I believe in playing this game with a physicality that hopefully is unmatched. That's just what I believe in as a head coach, and we demand it. We practice that way. These guys at the end of the day, these guys are pleasers. You ask them to do something, they're going to give you everything they've got to try to please you as a coach and do what you ask.
“In order to achieve the things we want, you're going to have to play a physical brand of football, and that's our mentality. That's our culture. That's what they display on that field.”
Q. Marcus, you've talked about having confidence in Mitch Jeter for a while now. To see those kicks go through, obviously the one later was blocked, but what did that do for you guys to see him make those field goals tonight?
MARCUS FREEMAN: “It was huge, especially the one I think was 49 yards before half. That was huge because not only was it an important field goal, but the length of that. He's been doing it in practice, but to go out and do it in a game in cold weather, we needed that confidence in him and he needed that confidence in himself. It was pleasing. It was really good to see him make those big field goals today. We've got to fix the one that was blocked. I watched it on the sideline, looked a little low. I think that's what ended up being the issue. But we've got to attack that and fix that because that can't happen as we move forward.”
Q. Jordan Faison made big plays on offense and special teams. What allowed him to impact the game the way he did tonight?
MARCUS FREEMAN: “He's a playmaker, man. I often tell you that stats sometimes do not tell you the impact somebody makes on a game. The wide receiver position is one that is so important to understand. He can grade out 100 percent and have one catch, and perception is he maybe had one catch, but the reality is he did exactly what he was supposed to do on every single play.
“Today obviously he was rewarded and targeted intentionally in certain situations, and he made some big-time contested catches. He is a weapon for us. We obviously used him on the kickoff return reverse, and we had a little bit of doubt saying, okay, there might be a guy that can see it. Well, the guy saw it, but we had a lot of faith that Faison can make him miss, and that's what he ended up doing.
Q. After struggling defensively at USC, what were the biggest keys for that unit to snap back to form tonight, and how much was Howard Cross a part of it?
MARCUS FREEMAN: “Yeah, Howard is a huge piece. I've said this before, I believe you have to be strong up the middle. To have Howard and Riley in there really being disruptive up the middle was huge for us.
“We knew going into the game we were going to have to control the perimeter. They were a perimeter running team with so much stretch plays, some screens, and our mindset controlling the perimeter was attacking and having all three levels defeat blocks in the perimeter, and then we wanted to be aggressive.
“We have an aggressive mindset. We called the game aggressively. They played aggressively. It was good to see our guys on defense play well today for the majority of the game.”
(more)
MARCUS FREEMAN: “It’s a great honor to obviously be a part of what’s to come, and I don’t want to downplay that, but tonight is about tonight and about what this team did to achieve the outcome that we all desired. I want them to celebrate that. I want them not to look past tonight. Celebrate tonight. Celebrate this victory that they worked tremendously hard to achieve and obtain. Then I told them they'll have tomorrow off. They can take one day off and we'll get them back on Sunday. Then we'll start thinking about the Sugar Bowl and the opportunity we have at hand.
“You don't get enough time in life and enough time in situations like this not to enjoy it. I was reminded of that by a couple people I talked to but also just talking to the team.
“Enjoy this. Enjoy this. Don't look ahead. Enjoy this, and then we'll move forward.
“Proud of the way they played. I told Coach Cignetti after the game, I think that's a heck of a football team we faced that obviously showed wouldn't quit until the end. Some good teaching opportunities for us. We're going to use that fourth quarter defensively. Special teams-wise we've got to learn from some of those situations that happened in this game because we have to be better because of it.”
“I'm actually kind of glad it did happen because it's going to be a chance for us to humble ourselves and get back to work and work on ways to improve as we get ready for this next opportunity.
Q. How big is a run like the one that Jeremiyah had as a tone setter right out of the gates?
MARCUS FREEMAN: “Huge. Backed-up situation. We just threw an interception the drive before, and it was 0-0 at that time. Just threw an interception, we get an interception on defense, and that first play to go 98 yards was huge just for everybody. Yes, the offense, but the overall confidence of our team. To go up 7-0 with that type of touchdown.
“We know he's not 100 percent. We're just going to keep getting him healthy. But he showed on that play whatever percent he is, once he breaks through that third level, it's hard to catch Jeremiyah Love.”
Q. You mentioned the interception, Xavier Watts. How good was he tonight in setting the tone for the defense?
MARCUS FREEMAN: “Yeah, he was major. He made some big-time tackles, tracked the ball carrier well, was close to getting a couple balls out, had the interception.
“He's a leader out there. He gets everybody lined up. He communicates. He plays the game the way you need him to play. He is a huge part of what we're trying to do and a very important piece.”
Q. Marcus, along those similar lines, you've talked often about complementary football and that first sequence was about as complementary as it gets. How do you assess the way this team has absorbed all the challenges to have the identity that you want from them?
MARCUS FREEMAN: “Yeah, you had a lot of good from all three phases tonight, and you've seen that throughout the season. No one phase was perfect, and that's what we strive for is perfection. No one phase was perfect. But what happens is when one's phase isn't getting the job done, another phase picks it up, and we'll need that as we continue to move throughout these playoffs.
“That's what it's going to take to achieve the goals that we aspire to have. It's not going to be offensive, defense or special teams, it's going to be all three phases playing complementary football.”
Q. You started the season in the tunnel at Texas A&M sort of getting the attention off your team and getting it to -- taking the pressure off them and being emotional in that moment and then your team adopted your personality over the course of the season. The way they played so physically tonight, how much does that reinforce the way that you guys are coaching and preparing them?
MARCUS FREEMAN: “Yeah, I believe in playing this game with a physicality that hopefully is unmatched. That's just what I believe in as a head coach, and we demand it. We practice that way. These guys at the end of the day, these guys are pleasers. You ask them to do something, they're going to give you everything they've got to try to please you as a coach and do what you ask.
“In order to achieve the things we want, you're going to have to play a physical brand of football, and that's our mentality. That's our culture. That's what they display on that field.”
Q. Marcus, you've talked about having confidence in Mitch Jeter for a while now. To see those kicks go through, obviously the one later was blocked, but what did that do for you guys to see him make those field goals tonight?
MARCUS FREEMAN: “It was huge, especially the one I think was 49 yards before half. That was huge because not only was it an important field goal, but the length of that. He's been doing it in practice, but to go out and do it in a game in cold weather, we needed that confidence in him and he needed that confidence in himself. It was pleasing. It was really good to see him make those big field goals today. We've got to fix the one that was blocked. I watched it on the sideline, looked a little low. I think that's what ended up being the issue. But we've got to attack that and fix that because that can't happen as we move forward.”
Q. Jordan Faison made big plays on offense and special teams. What allowed him to impact the game the way he did tonight?
MARCUS FREEMAN: “He's a playmaker, man. I often tell you that stats sometimes do not tell you the impact somebody makes on a game. The wide receiver position is one that is so important to understand. He can grade out 100 percent and have one catch, and perception is he maybe had one catch, but the reality is he did exactly what he was supposed to do on every single play.
“Today obviously he was rewarded and targeted intentionally in certain situations, and he made some big-time contested catches. He is a weapon for us. We obviously used him on the kickoff return reverse, and we had a little bit of doubt saying, okay, there might be a guy that can see it. Well, the guy saw it, but we had a lot of faith that Faison can make him miss, and that's what he ended up doing.
Q. After struggling defensively at USC, what were the biggest keys for that unit to snap back to form tonight, and how much was Howard Cross a part of it?
MARCUS FREEMAN: “Yeah, Howard is a huge piece. I've said this before, I believe you have to be strong up the middle. To have Howard and Riley in there really being disruptive up the middle was huge for us.
“We knew going into the game we were going to have to control the perimeter. They were a perimeter running team with so much stretch plays, some screens, and our mindset controlling the perimeter was attacking and having all three levels defeat blocks in the perimeter, and then we wanted to be aggressive.
“We have an aggressive mindset. We called the game aggressively. They played aggressively. It was good to see our guys on defense play well today for the majority of the game.”
(more)
