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PLAYSTATION FIESTA BOWL: PENN STATE VS WASHINGTON

December 26, 2017

Myles Gaskin

Glendale, Arizona

Q. ... pretty productive as you guys have been but also (inaudible) wanting to put pressure together; what's that relationship been like and personality-wise pretty similar? (Inaudible)?
MYLES GASKIN: No, Jake's the head man when we're out there. So everybody listens to him. I love Jake. That dude, like I said, he loves to compete and he looks like a regular dude. He doesn't -- it still shocks me sometimes, like, how are you playing college football looking like that?

But he plays so hard. And, I mean, like he's always in the film room. And I admire the way he goes about how he plays football.

It's just a lot of fun having him back there. It's not ever like Jake says something and I'll question it because I know you've watched it probably 20, 30 times already, ran through it in your mind at least a hundred, so he's always been the leader on this offense and just got nothing but love for him.

He's always been a good dude. When I first came in he had been in for two or three quarters because he came in early, and kind of walked me through the offense and his quarterback route because, I guess, different positions but he knows everything.

It was impressive that he could tell me, hey, due to the lineup here, and you've got this and you've got that. And as a freshman you needed that when you're on the field because you have no idea where you're going.

Q. How weird is that having a freshman quarterback like that that seems to know --
MYLES GASKIN: Seems rare to me. I don't know how the whole quarterback thing goes. I'm sure that every quarterback watches a lot of film, but I think he's on a much different level than most. So I appreciate it. I couldn't have made it through freshman year without him and still sometimes I ask him what to do. But, yeah, he's always on top of it.

Q. Do you remember the last time or any time where you guys had any disagreement?
MYLES GASKIN: Disagreement? Nope. But I can remember the last time I asked him what do I have on this play. The last game we played I asked him what do I have. He's always got my back and pointing me in the right direction, so that's all good.

Q. Was that your initial impression going all the way back to like you said, like physically, probably heard about all the numbers and records that he's put up, and stand up next to him and he's not a whole lot bigger than you?
MYLES GASKIN: It's just surprising how much he's a regular dude. You laugh and joke with him and just realize like he's all-world or whatever you want to call it. He's a really good player. But he's just like me or you, just laugh and joke with him. So never takes himself too seriously. That's why you've got to love him. So that's cool.

Q. That's kind of his reputation from day one -- does take his football seriously, studies more than anyone and like you said (inaudible). Is that kind of maintained or has he kind of -- as he's grown confident, more comfortable, has he loosened up a little bit?
MYLES GASKIN: He's kind of the same dude. He's like 100 percent full on. When he's off the field, he's 100 percent off the field. I don't think he takes himself too seriously. He just loves to play football like everybody else in this room, everybody else on this team. It's just a good group of guys that just play ball.

Q. How fun has the last two years been?
MYLES GASKIN: It's been amazing. It's been amazing since the first time since I stepped in that locker room until now it's crazy. I was thinking about it the other day, about my dad and just I never watched the Huskies growing up. I'll tell you that right now. They just weren't that interesting to me. Maybe some people don't watch anymore, I don't know.

But it's different. It's very much a different culture. And forget all the wins and all that stuff, it's just a different type -- I feel like we have a different outlook on it. Maybe it's because I'm here, like in the sense I'm in these people's seats, but I just think it's a lot different.

Q. What do you think, again, you're not in the other program's shoes, but what do you think?
MYLES GASKIN: I thought it's just much more -- Coach Pete has this build for life, I'm sure not everybody knows that. But he's always trying to make sure we're a better man, better person, better person in society, whatever you want to call it.

And just the family aspect of this team, it means a lot to myself coming from an all-guys school O'Dea, that whole brotherhood stuff. It's like another step into it. And I just appreciate it a lot, just a lot more than I ever would.

It's always like, hey, we play ball, but like I'm still cool with you off the field. Like I'll hit you up like just like one of the dudes I grew up with, like what are you doing today, like yesterday: Tell your family I said Merry Christmas, all types of stuff like that. The guys, relationships I'll carry on for the rest of my life.

Q. You mentioned you didn't watch much Washington football growing up. (Indiscernible). Have you got much relationship with him? Has he reached out to you at all?
MYLES GASKIN: Not much. I think I've talked to him a few times but here and there. But, yeah, he was good. I've watched his highlights, I'll tell you that, I've watched highlights a good amount of times. He's really good, to say the least. But, yeah, he was a baller.

Q. Did you realize you were within striking distance of the record?
MYLES GASKIN: A few people told me about it. It is what it is. We're just trying to win.

Q. But, Huskies, something you can look back on or whatever?
MYLES GASKIN: Yeah, something like that. It would be cool. It would be a blessing, like I always say. Records are great, but I think team record's most important.

Q. Jake was saying you guys were in the playoffs last year. You saw what it was like, Alabama, and a stage like this. That helped this year kind of maybe a little more comfortable, I don't know if you feel that with the team now, with most of the guys back, obviously, kind of going through that help this time around?
MYLES GASKIN: Absolutely. The preparation is pretty much the same in the sense of like how we went about it. But I will say like these are two very different teams. Our team from last year is a very different team and Alabama and Penn State are two very different teams.

Q. A little delayed getting here, but can you talk about getting down here and getting to play in this game, what it means to you, what it means to your program?
MYLES GASKIN: It means a lot. I've never been to Arizona personally, but I think it should be a lot of fun. Just really excited to get it going again one last time for this year and ready to have some fun.

Q. You've had two bumps, kind of like Penn State, otherwise a real good season. What would it mean to finish off culminating in putting something on top of your cherry for the holiday season?
MYLES GASKIN: It always means a lot to win. So just not let this game get too big in our heads or anything like that. Just come out here, play like any other game. Obviously it's a bowl game, so it should be a lot of fun, a little hype behind it but just another game, just football.

Q. When you guys are clicking on offense, what are you guys doing right?
MYLES GASKIN: Doing everything right. Just O line's hitting on all cylinders, receivers are doing their thing, Jake's doing his thing, running backs are doing their thing. It's just one of those type of things where everybody's clicking and getting it, moving the ball forward. That's all it's about.

Q. One part of your team that's important is special teams punt return. How important is he to the program?
MYLES GASKIN: Very important. He does all things -- punt returns, catches the ball very well. He blocks. He does everything. So Dante is a great player. He's amazing. But you just never notice how much he really does because everybody's, like, wowed by the punts and everything, but blocking -- he'll set up other routes by everybody having all their eyes on him and just throwing underneath (inaudible).

Q. We cover Penn State, we covered their game when they lost in Columbus. What do you see from their defense? Obviously that's what you've got to go against. What do you see from the defense? They don't put too much pressure on the quarterback but seems like the back end is pretty (indiscernible).
MYLES GASKIN: Those guys don't have any weak spots. Most teams kind of have like kind of a drop-off point, maybe their linebackers or DBs or something like that. But everybody is really solid on that team, it's only good guys on those sides. So it's just one of those things where it's going to come down to details and just making a play. So you're not going to get a break. You're not getting get one of those guys receiver running wide open or huge or something like that. You've got to play them straight up.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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