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CAPITAL ONE ORANGE BOWL: FLORIDA STATE VS MICHIGAN

December 27, 2016

Marquez White

Miami Gardens, Florida

Q. Marquez, what about Michigan's Wilton Speight, the continuity with the wide receivers, that stands out most for you guys?
MARQUEZ WHITE: Just how physical they are up front. They like to throw the first punch. They like to be ready -- everything they do is kind of downhill and they try to beat you over the top. As far as the quarterback, I think he's a really good player. He's a great game manager. He can make some big-time throws, but I don't think he likes pressure as much, but that's any quarterback. I don't think any quarterback really just prefers that pressure in their face. But I think he's a good player. He does a lot of good things on offense.

Q. The past couple years primarily they developed the passing game, but still a very much kind of relying on the run. How do you guys approach that balance?
MARQUEZ WHITE: Yeah, you know we've got to stop the run first. That's the biggest thing, and then being able to match up with their receivers out wide and guard them and make the plays on the ball when they come to us. The biggest thing for us is not giving up big plays. If we don't give up big plays, we'll put ourselves in position to win the game.

Q. That's something that they've thrived on this year has been passing.
MARQUEZ WHITE: And I feel like that's what we've limited more so towards the last five, six games of the season is I feel like we didn't give up big plays. In the beginning of the season we probably would have been undefeated minus the Louisville game. The Louisville game was kind of crazy. So yeah, just knowing our soundness and putting our eyes in the right spot.

Q. There's probably several areas that can be taken control, but two very capable secondaries. Is that something you think about as far as the secondaries?
MARQUEZ WHITE: Yeah, I actually played AAU basketball with Stripling, with Channing, growing up for three years, so we've got a pretty good relationship. I talked to him a little bit before we came down here. But yeah, they've got a great secondary, we've got a great secondary. Just can't wait to get out there and just compete.

Q. You said you played basketball with Channing?
MARQUEZ WHITE: With Channing, yeah, for three years.

Q. High school ball?
MARQUEZ WHITE: AAU. He's originally from Alabama, and I'm from Alabama, too, so that's how we met. I think neither one of us thought we'd be playing college football at this level. We both wanted to go to the NBA, but God kind of had a different plan for us, and just being here, being in a game as big as this with two great teams with a lot of history, just being able to play the same position, competing against each other now in the draft, it means a lot, and I know -- I expect him to play his best game, and I know he expects me to play my best game.

Q. Who was the better basketball player?
MARQUEZ WHITE: I think I was the better basketball player. He was good. We both played guard. We made a lot of plays with each other.

Q. One of those where you travel around the whole country?
MARQUEZ WHITE: Yeah, one of those, we played with a team out of Georgia.

Q. You mentioned both of you guys thought maybe basketball was in your future. Have you had any communication since you guys have been down here?
MARQUEZ WHITE: Oh, I haven't talked to him, just I think we would say we -- we would link up after the game and we were going to hang out and do something after the game, but right now it's all business. It's kind of no friends on the football field. It's not in a negative way, but that's just how both of us approach the game.

Q. You said you're from the same town in Alabama?
MARQUEZ WHITE: No, we're both from the same state. He's in Opelika, like two hours away.

Q. What change did you see in Tarvarus that made him more consistent?
MARQUEZ WHITE: Yeah, I'm always in his ear. That's like my little brother, just see how the first game was a rough game for him. The first couple games was a rough game for him, but we all -- the plays that he was getting beat on, he was this close from making a game-changing play. I think it was more so comfortableness for him, just trusting that he could believe in himself that he could make those plays, and now he's -- I think he's the best corner in the nation just being able to play the ball at his size, 6'3", 200, he can run, play the run, play the pass. He's a huge part of our defense, just being able to trust him on the other side and put him on an island just like Coach put me on an island and just seeing how he's matured mentally, being able to play corner, you've got to have confidence. I feel like that's the biggest thing. A lot of corners you don't see the confidence and their season kind of goes downhill. We stuck with it, and I feel like he grew up a lot this season, and he's become a leader on this defense.

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