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ROSE BOWL GAME: OREGON v FLORIDA STATEDecember 29, 2014Byron MarshallPASADENA, CALIFORNIA Q. Do you think probably one of the best matchups in this game is you going up against Ronald Darby‑‑ can you talk to me about what you've seen on film and where you think you might gain an advantage? BYRON MARSHALL: I mean, he's a great player, you know what I mean, extremely fast, extremely athletic. We just have to make sure we stay on him. I think sometimes he doesn't cover as well as he could which is no fault of him, he's just still learning and everything like that. We're really just trying to take advantage of our routes, making sure we run good, detailed routes and just try to get open. Q. As somebody who has made that transition from running back to the slot, how have you seen your game evolve throughout the season? BYRON MARSHALL: Completely honestly, route running, catching the ball, defenses, everything I could have improved on I think I did. I still have a lot more work left but especially trying to transition from last year, I'm trying to learn a completely new position so definitely learned a lot. Q. Do you think one route you made a huge growth on? BYRON MARSHALL: One route? I like running digs, I would say that. Q. Talk about having Mario as your leader and what that means to you, particularly since that loss against Arizona. BYRON MARSHALL: I mean, just a great team leader, you know what I mean. Marcus is always in control of the team and the offense, so to have someone like that back there is always a plus, having the best player in the country, too, it helps, so we just take advantage of that. He can do so much with our offense and we know that, so we just try to keep the play alive. Q. What does it mean to a team trying to get to the promised land? BYRON MARSHALL: It's good, the Heisman winner on the back foot is always a plus. He's always in control of the offense, knows what he's doing and keeps us calm and keeps us on track, no matter how many mistakes he may have during the game, he's always trying to get after it. No matter how good we are playing we just need to do better. Q. Talking about Charles Nelson, 5‑9, is that an X‑factor for this game? Tell me something about him a lot of people may not know. BYRON MARSHALL: He's a baller. Always has been from the first day he stepped on campus. He might be one of the smallest guys on the field but he's got the most heart for sure. Always tries to go down and make the biggest play. It's the heart of the line and so we really respect that we know that, and just try to get him as many reps as possible early. So later on in his career he's going to be real nice. Q. Florida State, are you confident that you can come out on top? BYRON MARSHALL: I just think there's no stopping our offense. I think we just put in so much work this year, we have so many factors on offense, so much talent that when we go out there and start playing like how we know we can, there's no stopping us. Q. What about the Arizona game, can you reflect back, just as a turning point for your team? BYRON MARSHALL: We were just pissed, everybody. So Coach took the blame and that's his job, you know what I mean. But we as players felt like we should have dominated Arizona, which we did eventually do that. We were just pissed. We knew we didn't play well. We knew that team wasn't better than us and we weren't in control of our own destiny towards the end of the season. We just tried to shape up, practice a lot harder and get on each other more to make better plays and to make big plays, you know what I mean, so that we can get here. Q. Did you have any idea what your role would be coming into the season? BYRON MARSHALL: I definitely didn't think I was going to be this. I knew with Brandon going down in spring ball it was going to be kind of different. They were probably going to use me in the slot a little bit more but I didn't know to what extent and I just kept taking more and more reps, and we kind of figured it was going there. The coaches talked to me afterwards. You know, we really think you can strive here so, just get ready to start at this position. Q. Have you ever played receiver before? BYRON MARSHALL: No, like a couple plays here and there but never like this. Q. Was it one of those things, were you uncomfortable or hesitant to change at first or something you've embraced early on? BYRON MARSHALL: I was a little hesitant at first. Took me a while to get into the rhythm, to get used to it. Didn't know how to play receiver. But afterwards I definitely embraced it and I think it's gone up from there. Q. Is it weird to look down, wide receiver? BYRON MARSHALL: Yeah, it's definitely weird and getting used to but I'm not really tripping. You can put me anywhere on the field. I'm just trying to make plays. Q. How does it feel to be in this setting? BYRON MARSHALL: It's exciting. We're not really trying to look towards the National Championship right now. We do that, and Florida State going to whoop us. We just trying to stay here, enjoy the time at the Rose Bowl and focus on Florida State. Q. After that Arizona game, this team looked like maybe it was going to lose a couple games. What changed after the loss to Arizona, because you guys haven't been touched since? BYRON MARSHALL: Our whole deem over. We knew we were a much better team than when we came into that game. We don't think we should have lost that game and we just had so many mistakes. We felt like we beat ourselves and we were just trying to not have that at all this season. Just more reps, better reps, faster reps, getting after it in the weight room and really trying to change our whole mind‑set about the season just so we can control our own destiny. Q. Compare Florida State to someone you've seen this year? BYRON MARSHALL: I can't really. Florida State is their own team. The defense is similar to UCLA but there's so many differences about it. They are ballers you know what I mean. They have not lost for two years and we understand that and we have to make sure we stay after it. Q. Is it weird, West Coast, Florida State, tradition there. Is it one of those things you look across the field it's going to be odd to see them standing on the other sideline? BYRON MARSHALL:  Not at all. We have plenty of tradition here at Oregon that's been going on for a long time. Looking across the field it's just another opponent. I couldn't care less who. Q. Give me the dream scenario for you? BYRON MARSHALL: The dream scenario, we score 146. They score zero. Q. Not a prediction? BYRON MARSHALL: No, not a prediction. Just a dream scenario. Q. Practice this week? BYRON MARSHALL: It's been going well. Guys are excited to play. You can see that. Gets a little tripe out there definitely when the offense goes against the defense but that's what you expect. We are just really excited to come on and play and we are just really excited to make sure we get everything right and get everything perfect for the game. Q.  Inaudible. BYRON MARSHALL: Yeah, the experience has been great. The Rose Bowl has been treating us well, you know what I mean. We are just really excited to be here. The young guys are loving it, take advantage of everything, just going out and seeing L.A. for what it is. But as far as the game, you know, we have got to make sure everybody is staying focused and I think everyone's doing a pretty good job of that. When we are at practice, everyone can tell we are at practice and we are really trying to get after it and then after that we relax and let our hair down. When it's time to get to work, we definitely get to work. Q. You also want to enjoy the experience. BYRON MARSHALL: I think especially as a veteran it's easy to differ between the two. You just have to know when you have fun and got to know when it's serious. Any time on the bus or on the way to practice it's getting your mind ready for practice for what you have to do running through the plays in your head and as it gets closer to practice time, you've got to treat it like a game. We don't want to be overwhelmed by the game speed or overwhelmed by the physicality or anything like that. We want to have the game be a let‑up and have practice be harder. Q. Any advantage‑‑ BYRON MARSHALL: Probably not. It's a grass field. They maintain it well. It's not like us having played on it before will give us any kind of advantage. I think it's just another stadium. Q. How much success you anticipate‑‑ BYRON MARSHALL: I think the sky is the limit with our offense. I think we have so many weapons that are just all just really trying to make plays. So with that said, you know, we have really been clicking these last couple weeks. Has not been any letdown in practice or anything like that and I think it will continue throughout the game. They have a great defense and we know that. We just have to make sure we stay on our P's and Q's, and if we do that, then we'll be fine. Q. Talk about how you refocused after the Arizona loss. BYRON MARSHALL: Everyone was just pissed about the loss. We hate losing. We don't like it at all and we just knew that we were a better team than what we played that night. So we just really decided to come back to practice, get after everything that much more, practice that much harder, study that much more film so we never have that feeling. We wanted to get to where we wanted to get to where we wanted at the end of the season; control our own destiny, and losing, we can't do that. So we just tried to get after it and make sure that didn't happen again. Q. ‑‑ said you told him to run free after that game. BYRON MARSHALL: Yeah, sometimes with the young guys, you kind of feel like, oh, I need to make this play here or I need to do this or I need to do that. If you do that, you're not going to play well, you just have to let the game come to you and relax and formulate, you're a great player. It's easy to tell that so just allow that to shine and flow and just run smooth, don't try to make too many plays, but when that comes, you going to take advantage of them, already know that and just run like you know how. Q. Florida State is kind of the bad guys and you're the good guys; do you feel that? BYRON MARSHALL: Not really. It's just a football team against a football team. I don't think that anything I do makes them bad guys and anything we do makes us too much of good guys, you know what I mean. We have as many dogs as them on the field just trying to get after it. Q. When you were recruited, did Oregon do things differently than other schools? BYRON MARSHALL: As far as recruitment? Yeah, just the whole atmosphere here was different. I think here was more of a team camaraderie, a lot of other places, there's just a lot of different clicks and stuff like that on the team. Here everyone sees them as one and that was easy to tell. Q. Where are you from? BYRON MARSHALL: San Jose, California. Q. Oregon recruits a lot out of state. What is the attraction? BYRON MARSHALL: I think they look for just different guys that can all kind of click and mesh together. I think they have a certain checkpoint on their list of what kind of guys they want, so they go out anywhere really just trying to find us. Q. Can you talk about Coach and playing for him, he's kind of‑‑ everybody knows about Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher. What would you say about Mark and how he compares? BYRON MARSHALL: You know, he's right up there with them, a great coach. Definitely a players' coach. He cares about us a lot. And he has fun when we need to have fun you know what I mean. But when it's time to get down to business he won't hesitate to put on that coaching hat and get serious. He has no problem getting into guys. I think the media takes him as a light‑hearted guy who is kind of nice or too nice who won't get after players. But it's just the complete opposite of that. When it's time to get down to business or get after guys, he definitely gets into us. Q. Did he get after you? BYRON MARSHALL: A couple times. A couple times I deserved it but that's the way it is. The players aren't always trite and the coaches aren't always right but definitely he's gone after they. Q. How do you sum up the season‑‑ BYRON MARSHALL: Excellent. I don't really think he's had a bad game yet. Every game he's progressing, every game he's doing something different, doing something new. Just making different plays, so he's just really been on point all season. Q. Who you would you describe his leadership style? Seems more laid back. BYRON MARSHALL: Yeah but that's fine, it fits with our team. We don't like to get too riled up and stuff like that and neither did Marcus, so he stays calm, just kind of levels it off, handles everything and we can follow that. We can see that and we can see the intensity on his face when we need to get after it and pick things up a little bit. Q. Anything in common? BYRON MARSHALL: They are both leaders, both Heisman winners, they both don't lose, you know what I mean. Q. How would you describing the relationship between Johnny and Charles? Good buddies? BYRON MARSHALL: Definitely, sit next to each other in meetings, I think they room together. They are definitely real close. Both first year on the team but j still has a veteran feel just because he's been‑‑ and hooped, but no real good friends. Q. Do you know what they have in common, why are they so tight? BYRON MARSHALL: Not sure really. I guess you have to ask them that. Q. I have. I just figured I would get your perspective. BYRON MARSHALL: I just see that they are close. Q. As an older players on this team during Bowl week‑‑ BYRON MARSHALL: Just make sure the guys stay on track and not do anything stupid but we don't really‑‑ that's not really people's mind‑sets here. We want them to have fun when it's time to have fun but when it's serious, get serious. So just try to make sure for the young guys they can flip the switch like that, have fun and get serious when we are at practice. Q. How would you best describe your role on the team right now? BYRON MARSHALL: Just as a guy that's versatile, especially as a veteran, got to make sure everyone else stays in check. So somewhat of a leader, somewhat of a playmaker. Q. When you guys are on offense, what challenges do you see? BYRON MARSHALL: Fast, physical defense, a relentless defense, really relentless team, so we really have to make sure that we just stay on our toes, stay on our P's and Q's and make sure we know what we're doing. Q. Inaudible. BYRON MARSHALL: No, I think Florida State has a bunch of finesse and we have a bunch of physicality, granted, it's supposed to be vice versa, we are the finesse team and they are physical but I don't think our team has a lack of physicality whatsoever. We just come in here ready to play. Q. Inaudible. BYRON MARSHALL: I don't think too many new challenges but defense is definitely physical. A lot of athletes on the field, a lot of fast players that like to get to the ball and like to bat the ball down, so we definitely have to make sure that we stay on what we know how to do in order to get what we want to do. Q. Have they prepared‑‑ BYRON MARSHALL: Not really. I think their defense is somewhat similar to UCLA but there are a lot of unique things they do that separate themselves, just the coverages, they are disguise their coverages really well and a lot of time it's hard to read those. The players are a lot bigger than what the players are in the Pac 12 so we have to make sure we can match up well against that. Q. Your name cap says wides receiver. Is that weird to you? BYRON MARSHALL: I had not noticed it until you just said it. A little bit. I normally see the RB right by the name but RB, WR, it really doesn't matter. Q. Do you still miss it‑‑ BYRON MARSHALL: Yeah, of course, that's what I came in to play you know what I mean. So I think the offense does a good job of having me kind of go everywhere, so do I miss it? A little bit. But I really do like the role that I'm playing right now. Q. Do you ever do drills in practice‑‑ BYRON MARSHALL: Yeah, all the time. We say something to them every day honestly. So I'm still close to the whole group you know what I mean. I'm over there from time to time, but yeah, I look over there a couple times. Q. Did you expect to have that kind of impact? BYRON MARSHALL: I don't know what to expect to be honest coming into this role. I just wanted to come in, embrace it, really try to get after it. I think I can make plays wherever I am on the field, so having it be a receiver, every time I get the ball I'm just looking to score. Q. What does that do for you next year? Do you want to move back to running back? BYRON MARSHALL: I don't care where I play next year honestly. Just have me out there on the field and I'm happy. Q. Are you confident that they have the tools and the ability to contain another explosive offense based on how they play‑‑ BYRON MARSHALL: Yeah, we have a lot of talent on the defense, even with the loss to‑‑ I feel like the next guys are going to step right up. That's our mentality: One guy down, the next guy right up. So I have all the confidence in the world with our defense. A lot of good athletes, everyone is on the same page. They are communicating all the time in practice. They hang out together off the field so the chemistry is there, and the playmakers are there and now we just have to go out there and make the plays. Q. The experience‑‑ BYRON MARSHALL: He's smart. He watches a lot of film. He studies. He's physical and he loves the game. He really does love it. He's going to give his heart after every play no matter how his body is feeling, how his mind is, he just really wants to go out there and just make it, and he's the leader of the defense. He is just really trying to keep everyone on track, keep everyone in pace, you know what I mean and really just get after things. Q. So he's kind of like Marcus on the offense‑‑ everyone follows his lead? BYRON MARSHALL: Definitely, Coach is always asking him his input in practice how defense went, and he's always trying to give more feedback to players and he's going to let you know when you are not playing well and he's going to let you know when you are playing well and that you still need to play better, so I think he's one of the main leaders on the defense. Q. Can he help you as a receiver with certain things? BYRON MARSHALL: Yeah, funny enough he was my roommate last year outside the field, so a lot of time I would ask him‑‑ or this year, I would ask him how DB's think, and I would kind of tell him how a wide receiver thinks just so he can get into our mind and so I can get into the mind of a DB, and I think that's helped. Q. Where did you grow up? BYRON MARSHALL: San Jose. Q. A lot of California guys and tradition with Florida, does that make the Rose Bowl more meaningful‑‑ BYRON MARSHALL: Well, I'm from northern so it's not like I was a part of the Rose Bowl from my childhood but I definitely know the significance of it. We know it's a big game. We know it's a great Bowl to be at, so we just try to take advantage of that. Q. Take off your player has, as a fan of college football, two Heisman Trophy winners, how exciting is that? BYRON MARSHALL: I think that's great, for a Bowl game as big as this to have two Heisman winners on the same field, that's a lot of talent on the field. I know that's great for the game and great for the fans to come out and watch. Q. What is it about the defense that you think is most challenging? BYRON MARSHALL: They have got a lot of athletes on the field, athletes everywhere, a lot of speed, and a lot of heart. You can just tell that the defense is relentless; they have got a lot of playmakers and they are dogs, you know what I mean. Every play they are doing to bring it, so we have to make sure we are going to do the same. Q. Can you compare this defense‑‑ BYRON MARSHALL: Not really. It's similar to UCLA's I feel like in some points, but Florida State does a great job of disguising their coverages, disguising their defenses, disguising their blitzes. They do a really good job with everything they do so we just have to make sure we stay on our toes. Q. Are you surprised how they are able to constantly pull out wins? BYRON MARSHALL: No, I'm not surprised at all. They are the defending National Champion, so they are not going to go down easy to any team. They know how to win. They have won for two straight years and doesn't surprise me one bit. We just have to make sure we stay on everything so that don't happen to us. Q. What's it like, this playoff process? BYRON MARSHALL: It's been great. I haven't played in a Rose Bowl yet. This is going to be my first one coming up. They are treating us well here and showing us a lot of love. It feels good to be down here in Pasadena, so I'm happy just enjoying it and embracing it all. Q. What makes Marcus so good? BYRON MARSHALL: Just a great leader overall on the field and off. Doesn't accept nothing less but perfect and we get that, so we put in a lot of work during practice, a lot of work after practice, a lot of work in the film room. He's smart and knows what the defense is going to do before they do it and he's just a leader. He's going to make sure we come out there and just do everything we can to win. Q. So he doesn't have that obvious leadership in terms of that in‑your‑face emotion or intensity; is that underrated? BYRON MARSHALL: Not really. I think people are just looking for a guy that yells and screams and gets in your face and makes a lot of noise and that's not how he is. There's definitely different ways to lead a team and I think the way he's doing it is just fine. He'll stay calm and tell you what you need to do, but just because he's not yelling or in your face doesn't mean he doesn't mean it. Doesn't mean he's not serious or anything like that. So we know how he is and we can respond to the way that he leads. Q. How do you think his game translates‑‑ BYRON MARSHALL: Just fine. He's really smart, you know what I mean. He'll do all he can just to study so that's definitely an advantage, just getting out there and studying more and more film. He's athletic as anyone else on the field. He can run just as fast and I think he has great arm strength. The sky is the limit for him. Whatever system he gets in, I think he'll thrive in. Q. Inaudible. BYRON MARSHALL: Definitely. I'm excited for him you know what I mean. I hope everything works out well for him after the season but yeah, wherever he goes or however he goes I'm excited to see that. Q. Your role in the offense is such an interesting one, what's it like doing all these different things? BYRON MARSHALL: It's fun. It's interesting to be able to be in the receiver slot the one time and then back for the next play and then the widest guy out the next play just to be all over the field is really interesting. But I learned to love it and I really like the role. I think it's a disadvantage for the defense to have me out there, so yeah, it's fun. Q. What's the challenge‑‑ BYRON MARSHALL: Probably a little bit. I think our offense has a lot of weapons, a lot of X‑factors and a lot of playmakers. I'm not sure how they are going to respond. I guess we'll find out. Q. How has this season been‑‑ he says it's frustrating because he gets into stuff you can't control. BYRON MARSHALL: It's definitely frustrating getting hurt. Definitely frustrating getting hurt and it sucks that you can't control that so we just really tried to stay in his ear. We know he's a great player and he has a whole bunch of talent and a lot of potential. But he just has to stay healthy and once he stays healthy I think he plays just fine. It's not even about Royce or anything like that. It's just really his confidence is making sure that it stays up there. He has all the talent in the world and he can do anything he wants, you know what I mean as far as being on the field. So I'm just really just trying to stay‑‑ allow him to stay after that, especially when he's healthy. Q. Does he need that person in his ear? Does he get up and down on himself? BYRON MARSHALL: At times but I think anyone get injured flew out the season is going to be really frustrated and not always looking toward the bright side. We just have to remind him that you're good, we're in a good spot, you're just as good if not better than he was last season, so don't worry about none of this stuff. All the media, all the extracurricular and just focus on your game. Q. Do you think it bothers him‑‑ does he want to be‑‑ BYRON MARSHALL: I'm sure everyone wants to be a No.1 guy deep down so I can imagine, but I don't think it's going to make him play any worse. He's not jealous or selfish or anything like that. We all get what it is and we just try to ball out for the betterment of the team. If that's what it takes that's what it takes. He definitely understands it and embraces his role and he just tries to ball every time he goes out there. Q. Inaudible. BYRON MARSHALL: Yeah, exactly. So things change, you know what I mean. Everything can't always stay the same. Sometimes it works out and sometimes is it doesn't and I think in this case, it's really working out. When he's healthy, it's a deadly one, two combination out there in the back foot and having me out there on the field. So I don't think he's worried about it at all. I think he knows what he can do, he knows what he's going to do and he's getting ready to play. Q. What are your thoughts and expectations once you step out there on that field? BYRON MARSHALL: My thoughts, I'm excited, the team is excited to go out there and play. It's been a minute since we touched the field so we are just real anxious to get out there. The preparation has been real good. I think we're getting a lot of work done in practice. We are looking good out there. But yeah once we step out there in the Rose Bowl, we just can't wait to play. There's so much built up emotions and energy inside that we are just trying to let out. Q. Inaudible. BYRON MARSHALL: You let it out in practice a little bit, you go out there and you practice as hard as you can and really just try to put on‑‑ make sure you just keep your mind right, your body right and ready for the game. Q. What has been the biggest fun fact‑‑ BYRON MARSHALL: We was at Disneyland the other day and that was fun. I'd never been to Disneyland before. So it was my first time there going and I enjoyed it. Q. One ride, what was your favorite? BYRON MARSHALL: That Tower of Terror got me, yeah, had my stomach in knots. Q. What about last night? BYRON MARSHALL: That was fun. That was definitely a great experience. The food there was phenomenal, huge cut of prime rib we just all loved and great atmosphere. We really appreciated everything they did for us. Q. How did you have the meat prepared? BYRON MARSHALL: Medium. Q. What's it going to take for you guys to come out victorious? BYRON MARSHALL: Just playing like we know how, sticking to what we've done all season, not letting the moment get too big for us or trying to be overwhelmed because we are at the Rose Bowl or anything like that, coming out, staying calm and playing like we know how. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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