	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

PLAYSTATION FIESTA BOWL: PENN STATE VS WASHINGTON

December 27, 2017

Curtis Cothran

Glendale, Arizona

Q. He's a presence?
CURTIS COTHRAN: He definitely has a presence.

Q. Young guy like Jason?
CURTIS COTHRAN: Yeah, somewhat like Jason. He's definitely out there. Even though a lot of times we're doing those scrimmages, especially once it starts to get to 3s and 4s, a lot of those guys might not know what they're doing all the way through and through, but he's definitely vocal about what he wants to do, flying around, making plays. Nice to see.

Q. I heard you had some good food?
CURTIS COTHRAN: Yeah, Fogo de Chao.

Q. What's the best part of that?
CURTIS COTHRAN: I'd probably say the best part was the flow thing -- I thought it was cool how they -- what do you call it? Where you put your glass on -- they have like the paper coasters. One side is green, one side is red. You have it green the whole time. They just keep coming around giving you meat.

And after a while, then if you get hungry, you flip it over. They just stop serving you. It's crazy how all on flow it was.

I never had a restaurant where you're literally finishing one thing, then they're bringing you another. Finishing one thing, they're bringing you another. It was pretty cool.

Q. What was your favorite cut?
CURTIS COTHRAN: My favorite cut. I think it was steak wrapped in bacon or something like that. I'm pretty sure steak wrapped in bacon. It was really good.

Q. (Inaudible)?
CURTIS COTHRAN: I didn't know that. It sounded, to be honest with you, it sounded familiar. But I wasn't really too sure what it was.

Q. What about like some of the stuff that's not out here, you also had In-N-Out?
CURTIS COTHRAN: We had In-N-Out. It was pretty good. I had a good time. In-N-Out was really good. In-N-Out was really good. It's like obviously people have a whole new atmosphere. But it was really good for sure, for sure.

Q. Did you get a chance to try Whataburger?
CURTIS COTHRAN: Never tried Whataburger.

Q. So what have you seen in Myles Gaskin? Does he have a comparison in the Big Ten maybe?
CURTIS COTHRAN: Myles Gaskin, I said that I think he runs a lot like almost like guys from Ohio State where he's able to make a lot of elusive plays.

And also those guys, also remind me guys from Maryland, same thing, very shifty and very shifty. And he's able to improvise a lot of plays and able to make a lot of moves and be able to make things happen when they're not there sort of in a sense. He's really good at that. Their O line is great.

Q. Wanted to ask about the holiday, Christmas holiday, spending it with your teammates away from home in a state -- like how different was that?
CURTIS COTHRAN: I mean, it's definitely different. There's been other bowl games we haven't got to go home. It's not my first time around. But also at the same time I'm used to northeast; it's cold. That type of thing. It might be snowing.

But I like it out here. I like how warm it is and it's not cold, get to have a good time and be with your brothers and hang out. It was a good Christmas.

Q. 70 degrees, how nice has that been at practice?
CURTIS COTHRAN: Nice to go to practice not see your own breath. A lot of times we'd be practicing inside our like indoor facilities, but it's nice just getting a change of scenery, change of weather, going to places I've never been to before. I've never been to Arizona. So it's the first time I've been here, it's been a pleasant surprise.

Q. The food, the topography. Does that add to this experience? You look at the Rose Bowl last year or the year before, take stock of that, been able to see a bunch of stuff?
CURTIS COTHRAN: I definitely have. It's definitely been exciting, like you said, just going out and seeing other areas and certain things.

Like I've never been to the West Coast until obviously the Rose Bowl last year, and it's nice to route towards this way again. Definitely been a different experience.

A lot of places I never grew up thinking I'd see. So it's cool.

Q. When you look at Washington offensively, what jumps off the page, main challenge?
CURTIS COTHRAN: Main challenge, I would say their running backs are very elusive. They have a two tailback, he's able to do a whole lot of things. He can hit the hole where he needs to hit it or bounce it outside, make his own plays happen. And the same with the backup as well.

Definitely going to be a great challenge just corralling them and being able to do our best job against them. A lot of things as far as like the Rose Bowl last year, we feel like as a defense we didn't play our best game so we want to be able to come out here and kick it up a notch.

Q. Obviously New Year's is a new year. How much has that been in the back of your mind last year (indiscernible)?
CURTIS COTHRAN: It's been gnawing away at me. It's never the way you want to be able to leave out and obviously seeing how hurt those seniors were last year, the way that that ended. Me being a senior this year, I mean, I definitely want to go out on a positive note. This is something I've definitely been looking forward to for a long time.

Q. Who are some of the young players that impressed you as the season has gone on, especially in bowl practice sessions?
CURTIS COTHRAN: I'd probably say the two guys that really stepped up to me as far as making plays and those type of things have definitely been Yetur and Shane Simmons. Both of those guys, they come to work every day.

I mean, just keep pressing away. Sure, they're trying, especially toward the beginning of the season you're learning a lot of things on the fly, you never had full game reps and those type of things.

But, as you said, as the season got on and they got more reps and those type of things, they seem more comfortable, make a lot more plays. Pretty proud of those guys being able to step up and embrace their role.

Q. What about young guys that impressed you?
CURTIS COTHRAN: Young guys? I'd probably say a lot of times as far as, a lot of times we're versus the scout team, I'd definitely say Journey Brown. Journey is going to be a great back once he gets his opportunity and his chance.

He definitely comes out, and he gives us the best look of any running back that we need, whether we need a guy that's just going to hammer between the A gaps or you need a guy that's more elusive be able to do those things.

He's definitely impressed me in the fact he's been able to simulate those backs, being able to do a good job for us. When we get to Saturdays, it's like we're playing the same exact guy we're playing in practice.

Q. I'm asking some of the veteran players what their first encounter was with Coach Franklin. Do you remember the first time you met him and what were your first impressions of him?
CURTIS COTHRAN: First thing -- trying to remember the first time I met -- that was a long time ago.

Q. I'm trying to figure out --
CURTIS COTHRAN: No, I remember he showed up to the team meeting. We had a team meeting. We were going to meet him. Because obviously I had been with O'Brien before.

So it was a lot of us older guys, we showed up at the team meeting. He comes in with a suit on, talking to us, we're like this guy is going to be awesome, this is going to be a good time.

Q. What was it that made you think this guy is going to be awesome?
CURTIS COTHRAN: He was just confident. He was confident in his plan and confident in what he wants to get done and what he wants to be able to accomplish.

And we saw over time, as you start to trust in him, start to believe in him, because obviously at first you're used to doing things one way with a certain coach, you've already bought in with him.

Then coaches change and you have to buy in with a new concept, things like that. But definitely just buying into that new mold and getting things the way that he would want them done. And obviously it's paying off for us now: Rose Bowl last year, Fiesta Bowl this year.

Q. The question is, is he really like that? Is he like -- we always see him in press conferences. So I ask you: Is that who James Franklin is, this outgoing, always, always positive guy?
CURTIS COTHRAN: Yeah, I would say so. I would say so for sure. That's definitely the way he leads his team and what his mantra is and what his foundation is on.

A lot of things, core values: A positive attitude, good work ethic, compete in everything you do and must be willing to sacrifice.

But positive attitude is I feel in my head, as far as I go, positive attitude affects the other three. Because if I don't have a positive attitude in the first place, then it's not going to work out.

But that's definitely something he's implemented with us and always staying positive and being able to work and have fun at the same time. And that's definitely something that's proved positive for us.

Q. How long did it take you to memorize or get to know those four core values? Last year at Media Day, I was asking some players and they were having trouble remembering. James actually said ask any of the guys what the core values are and they'll tell you. Did it take you a while to...
CURTIS COTHRAN: It didn't take too long. Probably after the first year I was pretty good. Team meeting room now, it's literally everywhere you look. You can't run from it. But I think that's part of -- about the first year. Second year guys with him definitely were able to get it.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297