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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 23, 2019

Justin Wilcox

Stanford, California

(Cal interview)

Cal - 24, Stanford - 20

Q. Can you just talk about what this means to you and your players and the community and the whole thing?
COACH WILCOX: I'm not sure I can do it justice. The emotion on the field, with so many people, obviously our team and what it means to them and us and our coaching staff and our support staff. And you go to the university and the students and faculty members. And then you have the alumni.

And it's just unbelievable to feel that energy after the game. There's nothing like it. I can't say that there is. So to be able to put it into words is very difficult. But being able to see everybody, our players, the joy in their faces and our fans and alumni, it's a really special moment.

Q. What did you say in the locker room afterward?
COACH WILCOX: Well, we talked last night in our team meeting about some things, about how hard it's probably going to be to win this game, and the toughness and grit that it's going to take. And I think it's exactly how it went.

And we talked about during the game there's going to be moments where you've got to fight through some pain and some fatigue, and talking about that it's going to be worth it. And so we decided after the game that it absolutely was worth it to fight through it. And I just think everybody on the team and coaching staff and everybody involved had a part in it, which is really special.

Q. You guys are bowl eligible. How important is that or does this mean more when you're able to beat Stanford?
COACH WILCOX: They're both huge. I mean, they really are. Because to be able to get a win and get the Axe back and what that means to the players and our institution, it's a big deal. It is.

And then to get bowl eligible and have a chance to win a bowl game, and now we've got to get ourselves in the best bowl game we possibly can, but it's huge for our program and the development of our program. There's just a lot of -- there's a lot of things that a bowl game means to a team. And so to get them both at the same day, it's special.

Q. There was (indiscernible) on the field with the game Axe floating around and your fans coming on. From your perspective, how do you remember all that chaos that was going on?
COACH WILCOX: The energy and joy in people's faces. That's what I wanted to soak up, just looking at everybody enjoy that moment. That's really what, I guess, appreciate. So seeing that and the people and the fans and old and young and our players and all those people, it just -- that's a really special moment.

Q. Do you have a comparable moment in your career?
COACH WILCOX: Oh, geez, that's hard. I would have a hard time ranking them. It's up there.

Q. Could you talk about Garbers' performance today, particularly on the final drive?
COACH WILCOX: Gutsy, tough. We really, on both sides of the ball today it wasn't always clean. It was kind of gritty and we would kind of stub our toe from time to time. And I thought he and a number of guys, but he -- whether it was extending plays with his feet and getting tough yards scrambling, it wasn't always on schedule.

And to make some of the throws that he made on the last drive and then the scramble for the touchdown, those are huge plays. And I think people are going to be talking about that drive for a while.

Q. When was he cleared, and when did you decide he would start?
COACH WILCOX: Wednesday he was able to practice, and he wasn't officially cleared until he moved through the protocol they had. So, basically Thursday afternoon to Friday we felt like as long as he could stay on schedule that he would start the game. And it really wasn't -- he had participated and most everything, just wasn't full contact.

Q. (Indiscernible).
COACH WILCOX: Yeah, basically Thursday night we had walk through and got to Friday. But they both prepared really well. And Devon Modster was in a tough spot, and Devon has done a nice job for us and he's gotten better and better. And Chase just has a little more experience and has played well when he's been healthy as of late.

Q. The defense in the third quarter had two big takeaways, and the offense wasn't able to move the chains after that. What kind of changed in the fourth quarter, those two big touchdown drives, the difference between the third and fourth quarter?
COACH WILCOX: When we go watch the tape, it's going to be the smallest things. In the third quarter we got some takeaways. We had some chances for some other big plays, kind of missed a sack, missed another opportunity for an interception and made a nice one. And Jayhawk made an unbelievable play down there.

On offense, we couldn't quite get it going and there was -- penalties set us back or a negative play. And then maybe we missed on something. And that's the way this game is going to go. And we kind of knew that going in, that the margins were going to be slim. But the guys just stayed with it.

There's moments where it is a little frustrating. You want to get some more things going, but you've got to keep fighting and scratching and clawing and that's what they did.

Q. (Indiscernible)?
COACH WILCOX: Awesome, again, just tough. He's playing through some things right now health-wise, like a lot of guys. But I thought he just competed and made huge catches. By far his most productive game since he's been here.

Some of the coverages they were running, it kind of lent itself to getting him the ball in certain routes. So he did a great job. And also on some of the broken plays, getting himself open and Chase locating him and getting them.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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