	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 22, 2006

THE MODERATOR: We have Tom Zbikowski here. We'll take questions.

Q. Could you put in your own words how big, how important this game is to you.
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: It's very big. Last game of the season. Stakes are high. College football in November - every game is pretty much big. When it's USC week, you definitely feel it earlier in the week and are ready to go earlier.

Q. How bitter a taste would it be for you if you were not able to beat USC during your tenure here?
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: It would be pretty bitter. Still got a little bitter taste in my mouth from last year. You know, when you watch film, you watch a little bit of the game from last year, you replay that ending a thousand different ways. Definitely gets to you a little bit.
You know, you practice hard, you get ready for the game.

Q. How much impact does that game have on this year just in terms of the belief that you guys can go out there and hang with these guys?
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: We don't have the belief that we can hang with them. We want to play to be beating them.
But definitely I think that gave our team a lot of confidence last year to play such a powerhouse. All the guys they put out in the NFL right now, the two Heisman Trophy winners that played with them. You got to play for 60 minutes, not play with a team for 59. We got to make sure we do that this time.

Q. Could you revisit what Coach Weis said to refocus you guys, get you into the workweek, with all the USC stuff?
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: Playing the fight song and stuff like that?

Q. Yes.
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: Usually you're a little tired and sore when you walk in Sunday. When you have the opposing team's fight song blaring when you walk in, you start laughing. Saw coach with a USC hat on. It was pretty funny when you walk in.

Q. How did that hat look on him?
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: It looked all right. I don't think he looks that good in whatever colors those are.

Q. Did he show you clips of last year's game, national media talking about it?
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: He showed some clips about media, talking about different things, how their offense is powerful, our defense has no chance. Good stuff like that.

Q. Homecoming for Lambert this week. Can you talk about the season he's had, how you've seen him mature into a guy that is able to let things roll off his back.
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: Yeah, I mean, we always saw -- at least I always saw talent in him from the moment he got here. A lot of people knew it was just a matter of time before where the guy on the field was going to be making plays. Had a tough start, just started making play after play. I think he's grown into a very good corner. He's going to be making plays for years to come.

Q. How would you describe him off the field? Are you friends, hang out?
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: Yeah, a little bit. He's a great kid. He's always got a new joke once a week and stuff. He always likes telling them. He's laid back, like the rest the guys on the team.

Q. Any good ones?
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: Yeah. But none that can really be shared.

Q. Can you talk about the speed of USC. Anyone you faced this year have the kind of overall team speed that they have?
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: Michigan, Michigan State, receivers at Georgia Tech. A lot of teams we played this year had a lot of speed. I mean, these guys have speed and can make the big plays. Makes it tougher. And you got two guys that are 6'5" and another guy 6' that can run.
We've seen the speed before. There's a reason why they're one of the top receiving corps in the country.

Q. How do you adjust to it? After playing a couple teams that don't have that speed, does it take a while to get used to that speed again?
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: Yeah, probably. We'll see Saturday. We're getting some good looks from our guys with the scout team. Obviously, it's nowhere near what USC brings to the table. Try and be physical, slow them down.

Q. Obviously losing some of the components they had, are they more likely to have to be a little more methodical as opposed to the quick strike they presented last year?
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: You know, just looking at stats-wise, when you got that much firepower like they did last year, they were averaging like 50 points a game. They got a lot of talent right now. It wasn't as seasoned as Leinart was, Reggie Bush, LenDale White, even Dominique Byrd at tight end. They're winning games and putting up points. It's not like they don't have a good offense.
It's tough to compare any offense to USC's last year.

Q. How do they do it? How do they find ways to always pull up?
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: Just seems they get everyone involved. Obviously you got the two top receivers, but they got a lot of other weapons. You can't just key in on one person, two-wide receivers. They get everyone involved.

Q. They did lose one close game. But do you feel they're a bit more vulnerable than they were last year when you played them?
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: I don't think so, just because they find ways to win. Obviously they had that one loss. That's what makes good teams, is finding ways to win when games are close. I mean, they're playing PAC-10 teams, conference games. It's not like they're playing anyone that's not worthy of playing them.
They got the bullseye on their chest, too. Every game people are trying to -- you're going to get their best. Other teams are going to give their best against SC. They hang in there, find ways to win. They're used to winning. That's why they pull out those games.

Q. When Coach Weis came in, he talked about developing a nasty attitude on the team. To what degree has that been developed to this stage?
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: I think it just shows pretty much any time we go on the road, we're winning. We go on the road, it's kind of the attitude: Everyone versus us. We have to go into someone else's stadium and take what we want, be physical in the game and break the other team down till we win.

Q. To say nothing of what a victory could do for your team, wouldn't it at some level be great to know what a loss would do to them as far as a spoiler role? Has that crossed your mind?
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: A little bit. We want to win, bottom line. I don't really care what happens to them. That crossed the mind a little bit, but we just want to win. Most of the guys on the team - actually everyone on the team - has never beat USC. I think that's more important than ruining their season.

Q. Wouldn't there be something to that at some level, just knowing that the loser of this game has no shot at making it to Glendale?
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: That's what makes the stakes higher. That's why we want to win. Sure, it would be great for them not to get a chance, but it's better for us to win.

Q. What would you say the stakes are in this game?
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: USC/Notre Dame in late November, winner may have a chance, loser's got no chance, it all comes down to this game. For us, it's the last game. They got one more. For Notre Dame, it's our last chance to get on the field, last opportunity to try to get a win against USC, last opportunity to maybe have a shot at the national championship. I don't think it gets much bigger than that.

Q. What is it that Jarrett does that makes him so special?
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: I think just the combination of his size and his speed. He's got some strength, too. I mean, I remember watching the national championship game last year when he caught the ball over the middle. I think there was like two or three Texas guys that had a chance to hit him. They hit him, and he powered his way into the end zone. He's got pretty much all the strengths for a wide receiver.

Q. What about his quarterback, how have you seen him improve over the course of this year?
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: He's very talented. Got a strong arm. He seems to -- he can put the ball between a few defenders. You obviously see the strength of his arm watching film. He's a calm and composed, kid, too. Like we were talking before, there's a lot of close games they came away with a win, and he's had a lot to do with that.

Q. Does he remind you of any other quarterback you faced?
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: Not really. He's got his own element. Obviously he's got a lot of weapons around him. He's still a young quarterback with really his first year starting. I think he's going to grow into a lot more than what he is right now.

Q. You were talking about implications. Do you think about the implications for yourselves?
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: I think for ourselves, just beating Southern Cal finally, finally getting a win. But it's also -- we played in a big game last year and lost. Playing in a high-stakes game like this, coming away with a win, I think it would bode well for our team.

Q. What for you is the first moment or play that comes to mind from last season's USC game?
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: I think just the opening play because I'm pretty sure we started off on defense, just going head up with Reggie on the first play after about a seven- or eight-yard gain.

Q. What were your thoughts right before the first play?
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: Just worrying about the checks and what was going into it. It was quite some time ago. I remember more the collision than anything.

Q. Booty's success, how much of his success can be contributed to the protection he's gotten from his offensive line?
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: The few chances we get to watch, we're not trying to catch our breath, it does seem like he's got the proper time to get the plays off. Obviously your offense can't go anywhere without a good offensive line. I think they've done a great job of giving him protection and opening up holes for Darius also.

Q. Back to the Navy game, a question on their quarterback. That was his first ever start. What did you think of his play against you last month?
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: That system, everyone that's getting recruited, everyone that has been in that system has to be able to run that option. Just seems like they keep reloading it, quarterback, wing backs, such like that. They're used to that type of system. They run it well in practice. He performed pretty well that first start.

Q. How does he take a hit?
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: The quarterback?

Q. Yes. Did you hit him?
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: I had more of the (indiscernible) game. I saw him take a couple good hits where he got up, shook it off like most football players.

Q. Have you and Steve Smith faced each other before at the All-American game in high school and stuff like that?
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: Who is that?

Q. Steve Smith.
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: I remember getting a chance to play with him, against him, the All-American game. Just heard a little bit about him. I saw his speed once we got a chance to play a little bit out there.
Seeing the speed, seeing him catch balls, you know he's going to be a good receiver.

Q. How much different is he from back then?
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: Just seeing the way he runs routs now, almost seems like every single play he's open. Corners have a tough time covering him for how well he runs routs.

Q. What did Coach Weis do yesterday?
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: It was Sunday when we walked in after the Army game. He had the USC fight song playing and he had a USC hat on, tried to get us going a little bit.

Q. Did you say the hat didn't fit him?
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: He didn't look good in those colors. Hat fit him fine. He didn't really look good in those colors.

Q. What does Brady Quinn mean to your team, what kind of guy he is on and off the field?
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: I don't think he really brings too much to the team from week to week (laughter).
No, any time you got a great quarterback like that, obviously most teams only go as far as their quarterback. We got a great one who always seems that two-minute drills come easy to him where he can just drive down the field and score touchdowns.
You just have the confidence, especially being on defense, that when third down comes up, you're going to be almost completing that all the time. Gives you more rest. Just helps out the team overall, not just the offense.

Q. What kind of guy is he like? Quiet leader? Vocal? Different on and off the field?
TOM ZBIKOWSKI: I think he's gotten more vocal as the year has progressed, just him getting more mature, feeling comfortable as a leader. He's definitely vocal.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Tom. We have Brady Quinn at the table. We'll take questions for Brady.

Q. Can you go back to Sunday and describe your reaction to what Charlie Weis had waiting for you in the locker room.
BRADY QUINN: I mean, if you know Coach Weis, you know he's always up to something. I think when we first came in, kind of heard the song playing and everything, as we walked in the team meeting, everyone understood he had something planned. He showed a couple clips of some things that were said on TV and everything.
I think more than everything else, he wanted to get us in the right mindset of where we need to be this week.

Q. Describe the atmosphere.
BRADY QUINN: It's funny because it reminded me of actually being back in the stadium, hearing that music over and over again. It's kind of the same song. It just kind of puts you back there and prepares you what it really sounds like to be there.

Q. How did he look in the USC colors?
BRADY QUINN: He didn't look very good. I told him he needed to take that hat off as quickly as he can.

Q. What is the mindset? Us versus the world?
BRADY QUINN: Any time this team goes on the road, we view it in a couple different ways. One, it's a business trip. We don't want to allow any distractions that surround this game to affect us in any way. Also we kind of view it as us versus the world. We know we're going into a hostile environment. We're going to be playing a tough team. This game means a lot.
Right now it's pretty much us against the world is really how we want to kind of look at it. That's really how we have played best on the road.

Q. Talk about USC's speed. Is Michigan similar, other teams similar?
BRADY QUINN: Yeah, I think so. Michigan is a good example of some of the speed you see definitely with the front seven and also with the secondary. We've played with some similar teams with some speed like that in the secondary. I think Georgia Tech was also a good comparison, and a few other teams.
Really they're a solid team all around. You can't just look at one particular position and point it out as overwhelming compared to the rest.

Q. The teams you mentioned having speed were all a month or two ago. The past couple teams you haven't had that. Do you worry maybe it will take a series or two to get used to that speed again?
BRADY QUINN: I don't think so. This team does a great job of adapting to whatever environment it's in. I think that's been the case all season.
Our biggest thing is just being able to get rid of all the distractions around it, really just executing our game plan, going in there and taking care of our part of the deal.

Q. All season long you said the Heisman is not a thought on your mind. When you see everybody saying it's pretty much locked up, any thoughts on that?
BRADY QUINN: Again, I said all season, that's something that can really wait for after the season. It's something that you can't really play a whole big part in what people say. All you can do is go out and play your best, that kind of stuff will take care of itself.

Q. Are you thinking, maybe if I do this? Totally out of your mind?
BRADY QUINN: It's totally out of my mind. My goal right now is beating USC. Nothing else really other than that.

Q. Where has this team separated itself from the Michigan game in your eyes?
BRADY QUINN: We've improved in a lot of ways. But I think the biggest change that's come is really how we kind of approach each game now, going in knowing we're going to win no matter what. We faced some pretty tough odds, I think especially Michigan State, being down by that much on the road like that, then coming back. That just gave us a lot of confidence in our ability to really come back from being down, being able to play in adverse conditions.
This team has a lot of confidence. We've improved so much over the past couple months where we feel we're at a pretty good spot right now.

Q. I know you're still trying to work your way into that national championship game. What would you think about a Michigan/Ohio State rematch? Do you think that would be good or fair for college football?
BRADY QUINN: I don't know. That's not for me to decide. You obviously want in the end the best two teams playing when it comes down to it. After all the games are played, you can go back and assess that situation.
Right now there's still some games to be played. It's really not for me to go out and speak my piece on it.

Q. Coach has told us one of the things he's really admired about you is how you've handled the praise and also the criticism. What has this year been like for you, where it's been different from last year in terms of expectations, what you've had to handle?
BRADY QUINN: Hasn't been a whole lot different really. Again, I'm more the type to kind of keep my ear out of the media. I'm not one to read magazines or newspapers, whatnot. I don't really concern myself with that because I know my job just comes down to winning games. Doesn't matter what the stats are from week to week. That kind of stuff doesn't matter. You just want to put yourself in the best position to win a game for your team. That's what I've really tried to focus on this season.

Q. What for you is the first moment or play that comes to mind from last year's USC game?
BRADY QUINN: Probably Travis' touchdown, the first touchdown we had, because I remember him with the ball as I was kind of carrying on my fake after. He made a great cut that actually affected kind of everyone, not only the linebackers, but the secondary, too, which really created the seam for him to run through and score the touchdown. That was the one thing I remember most just 'cause it was such a great cut.

Q. Did you feel maybe after your year last year, when people anointed you as the Heisman Trophy winner before a game had even been played, might have been a little unfair?
BRADY QUINN: Yeah, any time someone is trying to give someone an award before the season starts, even through the whole pre-season, All-American teams, all that kind of stuff, it's so premature. You really can't buy a whole lot into that. You never know how a team is going to end up doing throughout the season, what may happen as far as injuries, the health concerns that come into that. You can't buy a whole lot into that really. You just got to go out and, like I said before, take care of business with winning games. In the end, the individual accolades will come I think if you do that.

Q. Where does never beating USC come into play for your motivation here this week or is it a bigger picture than that?
BRADY QUINN: That's pretty big as far as where it comes in to motivate me. I think since I've been here, there's a lot of things I wanted to accomplish. When I first got here, that was something I never thought would really come to my mind at this point in my career.
Going into this game, that's definitely one of the things that's on my mind, that's been helping me kind of stay motivated and focused really what we have in front of us.

Q. The clips that you said coach showed you from the media, what was said in those?
BRADY QUINN: Basically it was just game day. Mark May is a huge Notre Dame fan, not sure if you knew that (laughter). He was apparently trying to get Coach Holtz to jump on the bandwagon, offered him a ticket. Lou understanding Notre Dame, the mystique, the tradition, I think may have some sort of intuition about what may happen.

Q. Coach Weis, when he took the job at Notre Dame, talked about developing a nasty attitude. I don't know that that necessarily applied to his quarterback. How does that resonate with you? How does that impact you in terms of a nasty approach to playing football?
BRADY QUINN: The best way you can really use that with a quarterback I think is the mindset that quarterback has to have with this offense. Really just trying to go after defenses and not allowing yourself to get complacent, keep striving for more and more and more, more points, more yards, everything, really going after them, not just settling for a field goal, those types of things. Just getting yourself in the mindset that every drive you get the ball, you should be scoring a touchdown. You just want to pile them on one after another. That kind of nasty attitude is really I think how you can affect the quarterback most. That's something that he's more or less instilled in me, is just the desire to really be out there and just pile on one touchdown after another after another, keep things flowing out there.

Q. The last few years, USC has been an assembly line of quarterbacks to the NFL to the point their backups are on rosters. Five years from now, 10 years from now, is that going to be Notre Dame as well?
BRADY QUINN: I'm not going to make any future predictions about that kind of stuff. With my experience, I'd say yeah. There's no doubt in my mind that Coach Weis will always have a solid quarterback here. Not only will he go out and get the best, but he'll teach them to be the best. That's something that I think is a very valuable tool for any young recruit. If they don't know it, they'll realize it soon. He's the best quarterback coach out there. He's hands-on. He's a great teacher. He'll understand how to utilize your talents and help you really take advantage of defenses.

Q. Is it tough or has it been tough throughout your career, when you look at the NFL now, I don't think there's any Notre Dame quarterback there, never had someone to look to, something you ever noticed where other guys can look?
BRADY QUINN: Not really. It's not really bothered me that much. I realize a lot of the greats, the tradition of Notre Dame, are a little outdated at this point. There definitely were some guys that were there. That time is passed. I think, again, if you go back and look at it schematically, Notre Dame used to be an option team for a little while. Not too many teams in the NFL last time I checked ran the option. You're not going to see those quarterbacks going on and excelling in the NFL. That will be something that hopefully we'll kind of get a tradition started soon.

Q. Philosophical question about college football. Is it important to the game that the gravity of the quarterback position at Notre Dame has been restored? Should it be a prestigious position?
BRADY QUINN: I'd be biased if I said yes. That's what I'm going to say. I think, again, Notre Dame is one of those schools that is either loved or hated. We're really right up there as far as the Yankees, Major League Baseball, so forth. Any time you have the quarterback at Notre Dame playing well, I think it's going to be good for college football. It's good for the university. It's good for everything really that the place stands for.

Q. Will it be good for Notre Dame if you continue to succeed at the next level? Will you still be representing Notre Dame?
BRADY QUINN: I always will. This place has had such a big impact on me as a person. Really with my experience here, I would want to carry that along with me. I feel very -- I'd be pretty upset if I ever wasn't included as being a part of Notre Dame or a part of history here.

Q. You and Rhema jumping into the stands on Saturday, leading the fans, what was that like for you?
BRADY QUINN: Felt like a kid again kind of running up there, doing something you've always dreamed of. Really your last senior game at home, feeling all the love from the fans. It's just a special moment where you want to kind of not necessarily play everything up, but just kind of live in that moment.
I think that's what Rhema and I were doing, trying to take advantage of our last time being in front of our home crowd, our student section, getting them excited about this game and everything we have in front of us.

Q. You rarely come out of your shell like you did there. Did that speak to how much this game means to you, not having a win against USC?
BRADY QUINN: That definitely would be a pretty big piece of everything that's motivating us right now. Those emotions, I think any time you finish your last home game, you're a senior, you realize you're never going to be back here again, I think you want to make the most of it. Right now that plays another part of everything going into this weekend. It's making the most of our last chance to beat SC.

Q. To say what a win could do for your team, cement your legacy further, is there some level to beat USC, playing the spoiler role? The loser of this game has no shot at going to Glendale.
BRADY QUINN: We don't want to look at it that way. We're not going to play -- we're not going to look at it playing as a spoiler. We're going to look at it as an individual game. The way Coach Weis has talked about it, it's a playoff series. This is really our third game of a playoff. In order to advance, you got to get a win. That's the only thing we're worried about right now, is just getting a win. We'll handle whatever happens after that after.
THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Brady.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297