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CAPITAL ONE ORANGE BOWL: MIAMI VS WISCONSIN

December 27, 2017

Shaq Quarterman

Miami Gardens, Florida

Q. As good a player as you are, you're tough on yourself. You study the game, as you've shared with us. How upset were you after the Clemson game and what did you do in the aftermath in terms of film watching, staying up late at night and seeing what you did wrong, what types of things?
SHAQ QUARTERMAN: I watched the game over at least five times by myself. I watched it, the TV copy, and actually even after we lost like at the game, I waited and watched them all celebrate because I wanted to remember that feeling because it won't happen again. I had to let that burn me, so I stood out there -- my team had went in -- we were getting ready to listen to Coach Richt, but I had to watch them, them celebrate, just to know where I'm trying to get to next year, where we're trying to get to next year.

Q. Have you ever done that before?
SHAQ QUARTERMAN: No, I haven't, I haven't. Everybody was like, come on. We're shaking hands with the Clemson guys, and I just had to watch them celebrate that championship because we were so close, and just for next year, I just had to put that in my thoughts.

Q. What's going on inside of you as you were looking out there seeing that?
SHAQ QUARTERMAN: I'm really feeling that there's just another level we have to get to. We're going from 9-4 to this great season so far, and we've done great things, but there's still another level of the college playoffs. Those top four teams, to be one of those, you have to be a well-oiled machine. The margin for error is so small when it comes to the playoffs that there's just another level we have to get to before we get to where we want to be.

Q. What do you see for the future of this program? If you do win this game, what bearing does it have on the future?
SHAQ QUARTERMAN: The future is looking very bright, especially with a win in this game, it's going to get even brighter. We had the No. 1 recruiting class, great class, got to meet a lot of the guys. We've got a lot of guys coming back. We've got coaches coming back. Everything is lined up for us to be amazing, especially with the experience we have coming back with the regimen if you want to say of the team, I think it's going to be awesome.

Q. What makes you confident that you're going to win this game knowing -- I mean, I think you were confident the last couple games. I know Clemson is a really great team, but even Pittsburgh and stuff, what makes you confident you guys can turn it around after what happened the last two games?
SHAQ QUARTERMAN: Because I believe in my guys to the fullest. I know that I wouldn't have gone and come down here to this nice hotel if I didn't know we could win the game, and I know they feel the same, so it's really just us believing in us. I mean, the track record shows, yeah, we lost the last two games and some people may say, oh, Miami is this and that, but we never fall off. We also lost four games last season in October, all four, and ended up winning four straight. We just believe in each other. We don't have to do nothing special.

Q. You guys haven't played in close to a month; what have you seen from the defensive practice?
SHAQ QUARTERMAN: I seen that they're excited. They missed -- we've all missed it. Playing football with your brothers is a feeling like no other, the tackles, the sacks, just the celebration, the turnover chain especially is just amazing.

Q. Was the layoff needed? You guys lost a bye, you played 11 straight games. Did you think it was needed to take a couple weeks to just take it easy?
SHAQ QUARTERMAN: Definitely. I think so. I mean, playing this game with a bye week is still strenuous, just having one week off, but we played, I think, 11 straight games, and you're playing against some of the top competition in the country. So of course it wears on the body. It wears on everybody on the team, and it got to the point where we had a lot of young guys playing, and that's just how football works. So I think the layoff was definitely needed.

Q. You guys played Notre Dame, they came in with a marquee running back, a good running back. They left with their tails between their legs. I'm just curious if you think you can do the same against Wisconsin.
SHAQ QUARTERMAN: Definitely, definitely. We'll be on fire. We feel the same fire as we did for that game and this game coming up.

Q. What was the key in that game?
SHAQ QUARTERMAN: The key in that game, honestly, I think it was just the disrespect. Miami has always been looked upon however people choose to look upon Miami, but that game we really had just had enough. We heard all the talk about the offensive line, the running back, how much we lacked in comparison, and we really shut everybody out and just told them to line it up. Before the ball was even snapped, I believe we had Notre Dame intimidated because there was no gains.

Q. Is it the same game plan this time?
SHAQ QUARTERMAN: Oh, it's definitely the same game plan.

Q. How much does it help to be at Hard Rock?
SHAQ QUARTERMAN: It feels great playing in your backyard at the Orange Bowl, historical game for Miami in general, so I think it's a great feeling.

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