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ROSE BOWL GAME: OREGON v FLORIDA STATEDecember 30, 2014Tyler HunterPASADENA, CALIFORNIA Q. Tyler, what are your first thoughts on the Oregon wide receiver group? TYLER HUNTER: They got a lot of speed, they make big plays down the field. Marcus Mariota can scramble and make plays with his legs and find those guys. They make plays. Q. They have been labeled as a soft, finesse team. Is that something you see any indication of on film? TYLER HUNTER: No, I mean, they move people up front and they can run the ball between the tackles just as good as anybody in the country. They can spread out, run it out wide, so you have to have good edges on the defense. So you have to just play everything. Q. Have you seen anyone like Marcus Mariota on film or in real game action? TYLER HUNTER: Um‑‑ Q. Is he the best you've seen? TYLER HUNTER: He's definitely the best we've seen but I think the closest was the quarterback for NC State, being able to make plays with his legs and being able to throw the ball down field. That's probably the closest. Q. You guys have won 29 straight, you must have a crazy ton of confidence but this offense hasn't been slowed since he's been there. What gives you the confidence that you can do the job and throw him down in? TYLER HUNTER: We have the speed like them, we will be able to match up and just create turnovers and just do things like that. Just make plays. Get the ball back to our offense and take the momentum. Q. What is it like for you to be here, just because you were here last year, but you were unable to play. TYLER HUNTER: It's huge just being able to play in the Rose Bowl. Just knowing that it's the granddaddy of all bowls, it's huge for me to be able to come back and play this time. Q. How tough was it‑‑ I'm sure it was great seeing your friends and teammates win the title but how tough was it having to watch and not be a part of it? TYLER HUNTER: It was definitely hard just having to sit and watch but I knew at the end I would be able to‑‑ we would have the opportunity to be able to be back here and I would be able to play. Q. Before this match‑up came about, what did you think of Oregon and after watching them on film and learning more about them, what do you think now? TYLER HUNTER: Pretty much the same thing, they can do everything, they can spread you out and run it, they can throw it down the field, throw quick passes so pretty much the same thing. Q. What do you think about their receivers? TYLER HUNTER: They got a lot of speed, create big plays down the field, they can block so they throw the quick screens and try and create plays like that so they can do everything. Q. Do you know if you're capable of stopping their big plays that they seem to get? TYLER HUNTER: Definitely, I feel like we can limit the big plays and create turnovers and get after them. Q. What's the level of respect like for Oregon in the south? TYLER HUNTER: Down south? People don't really talk about 'em as much. The only thing they really talk about is just their uniforms. Out here I know people love 'em. But we feel like we can go in and get after 'em. Q. When you suffered the injury last year, I mean, I think I had seen that there were doctors that said they weren't sure you were going to be able to play again. Is that something that crossed your mind? TYLER HUNTER: Definitely, it was a time when I didn't know if I was going to be able to play again, so I was just thinking about that and just thinking like what I was going to do. I definitely had to think about it. Q. Did you think, like, what am I going to do? Did you have ideas about what you were going to do if you weren't able to play anymore? TYLER HUNTER: Yeah, I pretty much knew what I was going to be able to do if I wasn't able to play but it came out I'm playin'. Q. What were you going to do? TYLER HUNTER: Coach or going back to playin' baseball, because I got drafted in baseball. Q. What did you do in baseball? TYLER HUNTER: Center field. Q. Okay, was there any nervousness coming back, coming back the initial first hit, real physical play? Did that take time to sort through or were you comfortable right away? TYLER HUNTER: I feel like I was comfortable because in the spring I had played and I wasn't supposed to hit anybody but playing football you're going to hit, so I was out there hittin' and then when the fall came it was back to playin' again. Q. Was there a new appreciation for being back out there when you have to go through something like you did? TYLER HUNTER: Definitely. I definitely appreciated the game a lot more because at any time it can be taken way so that definitely made me appreciate it more. Q. What is the biggest difference in the personality or the way they coach between Coach Prewitt and Coach Kelly? TYLER HUNTER: I don't know. I feel like‑‑ it's close to the same. It's not really way off. They coach pretty much the same. Both of them pretty much hands on and just want to make sure everybody know what they doin' and try and get guys in the right position to make plays. Q. Their personalities‑‑ Mario said Coach Prewitt was more businesslike and Coach Kelly listens to oldies and is more fun. TYLER HUNTER: Definitely Coach Prewitt is more business and coach Kelly has fun with us, so that's pretty much the biggest difference. Q. Is there a personality you prefer playing for? TYLER HUNTER: Whatever gets the job done, it don't even matter. Q. What do you think is the biggest difference between your defense this year compared to last year? TYLER HUNTER: Biggest difference? Last year we had some guys that was just a lot more vocal than we do this year so that's really the biggest thing. We don't have that guy that stands before the game and just puts his foot down and let everybody know what's goin' down. But we still get the job done. Q. Tyler, have players amongst yourself talked about the new system, two games, as far as the expense it is for the families to get here? TYLER HUNTER: What? Q. Have you talked about the expense it takes for families to get to these games and if you win to get to Dallas and you've played in Dallas and Charlotte and Miami, how tough is it for the families who want to come and see their kids play? TYLER HUNTER: It's definitely tough because most of our families are all the way in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, places like that so it's definitely hard for them to get all the way over here to California and then for the next game going to Dallas, so it's definitely hard for 'em. Q. Coach Saban and Coach Fisher have both suggested with the increase in money that's being made off these games that the NCAA ought to have a program for players to help with the cost of travel for their families, and I would assume that would be a good idea. TYLER HUNTER: Oh, yeah, I feel like that would be a great idea so our families could come watch us play wherever we at. That would be huge. Q. Do you think it's unfair that Florida State got sent out here for the second year in a row? California ain't cheap is it? TYLER HUNTER: It definitely ain't cheap but we just happy for the opportunity to be able to play and get to the national championship. Q. Will you have any family here? TYLER HUNTER: Yeah, I have some family here. Q. Your parents here? TYLER HUNTER: No. Q. Do you feel like your parents planned to, like, okay, we're going to see him in Dallas instead? TYLER HUNTER: Yeah, I feel like that's what they wanted to do. Q. Tyler, I know you guys have come back from multiple games this season. Has there been a point where you're like, oh, we're down this much? TYLER HUNTER: No, we don't look at the scoreboard, we go the out and trust that the offense is going to make plays and we just get the ball back to him so they can go out and make plays. Q. Do you think that mentality might put you at a disadvantage with Oregon and this offense and if they came out on the fast peddle? TYLER HUNTER: We just have to start fast and not let 'em go up 21 and we have to play and get 'em off the field. Q. Why have you guys not been starting as fast? TYLER HUNTER: People not being as focused, that's the biggest thing. Q. When that focus recenters and you guys feel that you start to have that momentum, do you feel the shift start to go change during the game? TYLER HUNTER: Definitely. You can look back to all the games where we got down and we came back at the halftime and just basically shut offenses out. Q. What's it like when you have Jameis throwing a touchdown, Nick O'Leary rescoring, Dalvin scoring and they come off the field what's that like? TYLER HUNTER: That's why we don't worry because we know once we get the stop, they can score at any time during the game so we have to get the ball back. Q. Do you think your offense can score at will with as many weapons as it has? TYLER HUNTER: Definitely we got some guys that can bust one for 80 yards at any time of the game. You have to just be worried about that. Q. Tyler, what does‑‑ bring to the practice and that energy? Is it infectious? TYLER HUNTER: Definitely because there are times in practice when guys are like, man, they don't feel like going through it but being around Coach he gives you that energy that's you to go out there and practice so that makes you want to practice so that's huge. Q. When a guy is talking a lot you don't tune him out? TYLER HUNTER: Not me. I listen to him. It's just kind of‑‑ he a funny guy so it makes me want to practice more. Q. You're not supposed to laugh at practice, though, are you? Do you catch yourself when he says something funny? TYLER HUNTER: Definitely, all the time, that's just me. I like to have fun. Q. As a guy‑‑ I know he's not one of the position coaches but the fact that he played in the league, how much wisdom does he provide you guys about preparing? TYLER HUNTER: He helps us a lot with technique and stuff like that. So he huge just where‑‑ leverages and knowing what a receiver can run, are from where they lineup and stuff like that. Q. Coach Kelly was saying coming into this year, knowing about all the guys you lost, even the young guys, a lot of young talent that hadn't played a lot, they would have to be patient. Did you guys have to remember to be patient with these young guys? TYLER HUNTER: Definitely you can't lose a guy like Smith and then expect a young guy to step in and be that same player as he was, you have to be patient with him and accept them for what they do at the time and expect them to grow. Q. Talk about‑‑ I've heard you say and others talk about the focus, losing focus in the early part of the game and getting down, etcetera. What do you attribute to that? You figure after about six or seven games, you know, y'all have figured it out and say, okay, we need to start with focus in the first half and not the second half. Talk about what you're doing in the last three weeks to make sure that you come in from snap one that you're going to be focused? TYLER HUNTER: I think it's practice, just being in practice. You have to be focused, have that focus in practice from the first play to the last play of practice so that was the main thing. Q. Do you think the maturity, because you have had injuries and some young guys as you mentioned earlier, step up and they've now matured, they're freshman or first year but now they've got several games under their belt? Do you think that's going to help? TYLER HUNTER: Definitely. When it's your first year playing in a big game like the Miami game or something like that, you definitely going to be nervous or whatever and just having a couple games under their belt, being more comfortable out there, they definitely can see themselves making plays and it helps us out a lot. Q. Talk about what you guys are doing schemewise without getting into detail to eliminate the wide open receivers that Oregon seems to always be able to find. What are you doing‑‑ I know you're doing things up front to contain, but the defensive backs, what are the adjustments that you all are making? TYLER HUNTER: The first thing is you have to get lined up because they run no huddle and it's fast. You have to get lined up, get the calls, make the adjustments and then focus in on whatever you're doing whether it's zone or man or whatever and lock in for the entire play. Q. One of the things that stuck out to me with Oregon is how they use stacks and things to get switch concepts and rubs and that sort of thing, to get free verticals. You guys obviously, I've seen you use banjo stuff and things like that over the year. How much has that been a focus in practice? TYLER HUNTER: Really you want to be physical with them and not let 'em run because if you let 'em run, they some of the fastest guys in the country so you have to be physical with 'em and knock 'em off their routes and make 'em uncomfortable. Q. Why do you think so many people around the country don't like you guys? TYLER HUNTER: We won 29 in a row. So I mean‑‑ Q. You think it's‑‑ I know there are guys that said that, too, but you think it's that simple, you win all the time and nobody likes you? TYLER HUNTER: Yeah. We know how to win so people want to see us loose. Q. Seems like you might be the most hated great team in history. TYLER HUNTER: If that's how they feel that's how they feel, we just gonna keep winning. Q. I have seen e‑mails saying I hope Oregon wins and these are people that didn't go to school at or are or, never stepped on their campus, but think want you guys to lose. TYLER HUNTER: That's their opinion. They will see January1st what's going to happen. Q. Does it fuel you guys? TYLER HUNTER: It fires us up that people want to see us lose so we just go out and play that much harder. Q. Seems to go beyond the success that you guys have this negative image. How unjustified do you think that is and why do you think something like that got started? TYLER HUNTER: We don't worry about that, we just go out and play. It's just clutter. Q. Seems like you think it's amusing. TYLER HUNTER: It's funny to me. We just go out and play. Q. I live in Atlanta, so I live in that part of the country in the southeast so you know how it gets magnified. TYLER HUNTER: Yeah. Q.  And they're not all Florida fans saying that. TYLER HUNTER: Yeah. Q. I wanted to get your take on Jalen, talked to him yesterday after practice moving around and doing the things he does, the disruptive role and the freedom he has now as the season has gone on. TYLER HUNTER: From the beginning of the season, he definitely came a long way. You can tell he's a lot more comfortable playing that position. At the beginning he really was uncomfortable with the blitzing, but as the season went on the he started making plays everywhere and that just Freed us up to do whatever we wanted to in the back end because we knew that we could send him on blitz and do whatever and he would be able to make plays and create havoc. Q. Talked to Coach Kelly yesterday a lot of times, presnap, he looks confused because he's just kind of freelance to go try to disrupt the offense but there is a trust that he knows what's going on, even though it appears to be that he's doing the wrong thing. TYLER HUNTER: Definitely. He's one of the smartest guys on the defense so, I mean, him being able to disguise the way he does is huge because it helps us, the safeties, me and Nate, this guy is better and he shows two high or one high and as they're snapping the ball, this guy is getting the quarterback and they're‑‑ Q. Have you seen him cranked up this week? TYLER HUNTER: He definitely ready. He definitely ready. Q. Coach Kelly was talk about the ability to not freak out when you guys get down and how that's helped this season. Is it something that gets easier after it happens once or twice, you get in a deficit and you still have the will to win? TYLER HUNTER: Definitely we have that trust in each other that we always going to be able to fight bang and win, no matter what the score is. We just know that we have to get the offense the ball back and they can score at any time in the game. Q. In the beginning of the year when you guys maybe weren't sure defensively if you could do it was there a time when you look back and there was apprehension whether you could finish the game? TYLER HUNTER: No, I don't think so. We got Jameis Winston at quarterback and he knows how to win so we have to get 'em the ball back and let the offense do what they know how to do. Q. A team like Oregon, obviously you don't want to get behind but they have scored 30 points more every game but one. So you know they're going to do that and if they do, how big is it knowing you can overcome that? TYLER HUNTER: It's definitely big knowing we can fight back and we have to eliminate the big plays and create big plays for ourselves and come out with a win. Q. Has that been part of the defensive philosophy, you gamble a little bit, sometimes it goes off, but after a while it seems like it wears down the offense? TYLER HUNTER: Just definitely being aggressive as we are and it's hit or miss and sometimes they make plays but sometimes it's big plays for us, so we just have to be able to trust in whatever we're doing. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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