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CAPITAL ONE ORANGE BOWL: MIAMI VS WISCONSIN

December 27, 2017

Jaquan Johnson

Miami Gardens, Florida

JAQUAN JOHNSON: Just coming back, I know it's a better opportunity for me to put myself on a higher platform when I do come out next year.

Q. Did you have people telling you, go get it, go get paid, what are you waiting for? Did you have anybody in your ear saying that, or did you just sort of decide on your own, I'm going to be better next year, the money is going to be there whenever I go?
JAQUAN JOHNSON: I could sort of sense it in people's voice that they wanted me to just leave, but you know, I make my own decisions. My dad taught me that. My mom taught me that. And they tell me, make my decisions and live with it. I knew I would do four years, assuming I came to Miami, and that was the plan. I want to get my degree and play for a National Championship.

Q. How close are you to the degree?
JAQUAN JOHNSON: I'll be -- next spring I'll be getting it.

Q. People who make comparisons to Wisconsin's offense, Notre Dame, Midwest team, good O-line, do they really compare to anybody you've played? It seems like maybe they might have some weird Georgia Tech similarities in some respects. Not the option, of course, but do they look like anybody you guys have seen?
JAQUAN JOHNSON: No, not to me. Wisconsin is a team that was supposed to be in the playoffs. They lost one game, so unfortunately they're out of it. But it's a team that can run the ball. You back them up on 3rd down, but 50 percent completed on 3rd down, and that's 3rd and long. So this is a good team that we're playing. For the most part, I don't see any team that we've played this year anything like them.

Q. Manny just gave us some big breaking news that the whole world wanted to hear. He said the chain is coming back. He said the chain is not being retired. I know it kind of got out of hand with some of the hate for it nationally, but what did that thing mean to you guys?
JAQUAN JOHNSON: The chains just excited us. It made everybody happy when it came out. We just made a play, so it's sort of like a party on the sideline as soon as the chain comes out. It gets the team going, gets the fire going.

Q. Was that part of the deal, that you're only coming back if the chain is coming back?
JAQUAN JOHNSON: No, that wasn't part of the deal. I didn't even know if it was coming back. I was just thinking about what was next. I guess it's coming back.

Q. Obviously they're a very good team, they've won a lot in a lot of big buildings. But it's a home game for you guys. They'll call it neutral, but it's a home game for you guys. What sort of a lift can that be on Saturday?
JAQUAN JOHNSON: Just having our crowd with us and everybody coming out. Hopefully the turnover chain comes out and that gets us going, as well, gets the crowd more into it. But it's just being at home. We don't have to travel anywhere. It's just like a normal deal for us.

Q. You guys did a lot of great things this year with some guys hurt and some guys in new roles. Playing 11 weeks in a row, it seemed like you guys were sort of running out of gas a little bit at the end, the way you wear down over a football season. Having this month off, even though school went all the way to the 21st or whatever it was, how different do you feel physically just having a little bit of time to catch your breath and heal a little bit?
JAQUAN JOHNSON: We definitely feel way better. Coach Gus got us in shape, the strength and conditioning coach, during the time we've been off, so we feel that we're stronger. We feel like we're back like at the beginning of the season with the break we had. We're just looking forward to going out there on Saturday and just flying around because we haven't done it in so long.

Q. Is this the start of next season in some respects? Do you think this is a way to sort of announce to the world what this team is going to be like next year?
JAQUAN JOHNSON: I definitely think it's a way -- this is a playoff team. This essentially is a playoff game. That's how we're approaching it. This should give us the blueprint how we should look coming in next year.

Q. Wisconsin is out there with their two top receivers. What have you seen from the guys who have had to step in and fill those roles over the last four or five games?
JAQUAN JOHNSON: Those guys haven't missed a beat. I see Wisconsin still completing passes, running the ball, receivers blocking in the perimeter. Wisconsin still looks like a great team.

Q. Is this different from maybe a Wisconsin where if they lost two receivers like that -- they've had years where they were towards the bottom in passing offense, but they lose two receivers and they're still -- is this something you expected from this team?
JAQUAN JOHNSON: Well, sure. Why not? They work in the off-season just like those guys. Those guys are on scholarship. They feel like they're up next, the next guy up mentality. So I'm pretty sure that's the approach they've taken when people go down.

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