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ROSE BOWL GAME: GEORGIA VS OKLAHOMADecember 28, 2017Jeb BlazevichPasadena, California Q. What did you think of that video? JEB BLAZEVICH: Yeah, that looked hilarious. That was such a cool experience going on those rides. But apparently Nick and a few other teammates were a little scared of a little movement. Q. Did you go on that one? JEB BLAZEVICH: No, I didn't make it to that one. We did Space Mountain, Grizzly River Run where Jackson Harris got soaked, and then we did one more. It was like Soaring Through the World or something. It was just so cool. It was awesome. I was so giddy, I felt like a little kid again. Q. Did you have a good time? JEB BLAZEVICH: Yeah, LA is awesome. They're doing this first class. Everything we do it seems like the best, and we're living it up. We're loving it, and just having a great time. Q. (Indiscernible). JEB BLAZEVICH: I think that's tomorrow, yeah. Yeah, exactly. Q. How would you describe this culture? JEB BLAZEVICH: Just from what I know, it's a run-heavy, physical, downhill kind of conference, this kind of league. We take great pride in it. Obviously I came to Georgia to play in the SEC, just for the atmosphere, the stadiums, the different opponents. That being said, once you get up to this level, it doesn't matter what conference you're from, everybody can play some ball. It's a great honor to be here, and we're looking forward to it. Q. Just watching Oklahoma, does it almost seem like a different sport in some ways? JEB BLAZEVICH: It wouldn't be that much of a contrast because some games we have like that, obviously, where we have to rely more on passing. Those guys can run it, too. You've seen the kind of running backs they've had and all that kind of stuff. I think it's just the nature of the beast of what they go against, their strengths and stuff, and it's who they game plan against. We could -- we hope to be the team that can become anybody that we need to be to win, but we also hope to be the team that we can do exactly what we've always done to win. It's just kind of the nature of playing who you play against. Q. Is there an awareness, you've watched a lot of SEC tape, four national titles over the last (indiscernible). JEB BLAZEVICH: I mean, that's been our plan and goal ever since I walked in the doors. Nobody goes into the season trying to do anything less than National Championship, and now we're knocking on the door. It puts everything in perspective, just all the hard work that we've put in to get here but understanding that we can't be satisfied with the past, we have to understand this is where we're at now, it's what can I do today in practice to get us ready to give us a chance to play for that game. Q. The onus is on you guys as conference champions, do you feel that way? JEB BLAZEVICH: Honestly I don't think anybody -- once again, we take great pride in the SEC but I don't think anybody really cares about what's been done because it doesn't matter and it shouldn't affect me and how I prepare for any game, and it doesn't the effect the team. We're our own team, it doesn't matter what conference we're from. We're out here for these guys and for our university, and we're ready to get out here and try to win a game. Q. There's an awareness it has been a while (indiscernible) is there something special about bringing another one? JEB BLAZEVICH: Yeah, exactly. We're sick of hearing the glory days in the '80s with the Dawgs. We're ready to make our own mark, try to leave our own legacy, but like I said, it all comes down to what do I do today. Q. As a tight end you can kind of be the mismatch guy; how do you (indiscernible)? JEB BLAZEVICH: I feel like this year, in terms of comparing to years past, it's been a lot more. We've been used more heavily in the run game, and I feel like we've been running the ball extremely well, and I think that's a big staple in our offense, so we take great pride in that. But obviously we'd love to catch some passes here and there and I think we've done a great job all year of going out and doing what's been asked, but really we're out here to win a game. Whatever we need to do, however we need to do it, wherever the opportunity presents itself, we're just ready to go out here and practice what they tell us to practice, perform what they tell us to perform the best we can. Q. (Indiscernible). JEB BLAZEVICH: It was obviously just worried about him. I think that was the first thing. Just what's going to happen to Jake, like is he okay, what's this going to be, a few weeks, a few months. It was scary, and I just really felt for him at that moment regardless of obviously concerned about the team's future but all these guys practice each and every day to be the next guy up. That's kind of the mantra we have, be the next guy up. But just worried about him as a person. Q. What was that transition period like? JEB BLAZEVICH: I feel like that kind of came along in camp, just how he performed. Yeah, prior to the season it was something where even in preparation for App State he just came on in and did everything a starter would do and he just kept with it, and I remember thinking, gosh, I wonder if he's going to be able to stick with it. He kept working hard all spring, and I remember thinking, gosh, is this who he is or is he just selling out his first year, and it turns out that's just who he is and that's why he's doing such a great job and that's why he's such a great player. Q. (Indiscernible)? JEB BLAZEVICH: Yeah, I mean, he's a natural leader, him and Jacob obviously led that, being the quarterbacks. But yeah, he wouldn't be satisfied with some guys at times, and he'd let them know. He'd challenge guys, he'd step up, and he's the same guy you see now as soon as he came in the door. Q. How did that work? JEB BLAZEVICH: It's a little dicey sometimes. Sometimes you're like, dude, we don't even know if you're good yet, know what I'm saying? But the culture we have, if somebody challenges you, you appreciate it. If somebody catches you not necessarily slacking off, I don't know if our guys ever really slacked off, but not doing what's expected, we appreciate the accountability, regardless of who it comes from. It's not something where young guys can't tell old guys what to do, it's something like get me better, call me out if I need to be called out. Q. When did the turn happen for the offensive line? JEB BLAZEVICH: Yeah, honestly, I really can't say it's a moment. Probably externally it would be easier, but being with these guys each and every day, if everybody gets a little better every single day, you don't really notice until you look back and you say, wow, like, I used to play like that or used to make these mistakes or I use to only be able to lift X or all that kind of stuff. So I think being with it, it's harder to pinpoint, hey, this is when the change happened. But I think the guys, they worked super hard all off-season, all spring, and talk about accountability, they've held each other extremely accountable. Q. Why was last year such a struggle? JEB BLAZEVICH: I have -- Q. Different blocking schemes? JEB BLAZEVICH: I honestly have no clue. Last year we had a completely different team. Everything was new. We had to bus like five hours to practice every day. We didn't have the indoor where you could get away for some weather. A billion little things will add up. But like I said, I don't know. Q. It's been a billion little things adding up to get you to LA today? JEB BLAZEVICH: That's definitely how it works. I think you have to look at the whole body of work and understand, well, if we didn't attack the off-season like we did, if we didn't attack spring ball like we did, just a few little practices in there where guys weren't feeling it, it's one of those hard days, I feel like those little days are where you decide what your team is made of. Are guys going to say, we're all hurting, we all want to go home and see our families, whatever it may be. But throughout the entire course of this year, guys have made the right choice to say, regardless of how I feel, I'm going to decide to do what I need to do, and they've been doing that all year, and I think those are the little things that have been adding up. Q. How much do you guys respect the role that he has taken with this team? JEB BLAZEVICH: Yeah, I think he's handled everything extremely well, especially that position. It's just tough because there's only one guy. We rotate a lot, receivers rotate a lot. Quarterback, it's only one guy, and I think he's just showed -- I think he's shown a lot of just fortitude. I think he's showed a lot of humility. I think he's been an amazing teammate, an amazing guy, and he's just going out there and competing and getting his work done. Q. (Indiscernible). JEB BLAZEVICH: Oh, I'm sure, because he could have done one of two things. He could have done the right thing, which is be a great teammate, be who he is, continue to develop and push everyone else around him, or he could have been selfish and started to pout, well, this isn't fair, I got injured, this isn't cool, and I felt like if he did that, I think we would have a different team this season. I think it would have just caused all the drama and everything. But he did the right thing, he did the unselfish thing, and he's still going out there and competing every day, and it's leadership. Q. Isaiah isn't your prototypical left tackle height wise and sizewise, but how has he had such a good season? JEB BLAZEVICH: He's just a stud. He has great technique. He's a great leader. He gets his guys going. He pushes them and then they push him, and I think just every day he goes out there with the mindset that he's got to work. Q. Has his athleticism been able to compensate for not being 6'5", 330 at that position? JEB BLAZEVICH: Yeah, I mean, regardless of his measurables he plays like a giant, and that's athleticism, hard work, preparation, all of the above. Q. Getting back to Jake for just a second, was there any moment where you sort of had to remind him, hey, you're a freshman, maybe in a good way or maybe in a serious way, like dude, understand where you are? JEB BLAZEVICH: No, I think he's handled everything extremely well. I think he has a lot of humility. It's just funny because sometimes he'll ask a question like, hey, what's it like playing in this stadium, like oh, you've never been to Jacksonville or you've never played in this stadium or all those different things. Those are those times where it's like, oh, yeah, you are a freshman. Besides that, I mean, shoot, besides what they say on the grade sheet in terms of academic report, nobody is a freshman now. We have a whole season under our belt of regular season games. There's no such thing as freshmen anymore. Q. What was your first contact with him when he came? Do you remember meeting him and having any impression made? JEB BLAZEVICH: No, I don't remember the first impression. Obviously it wasn't a bad one. He's rooming with my good buddy. I didn't know him then. I didn't know Fromm but I knew Charlie really well. He's one of my really good friends. He's like, he's cool, so I'm like, all right, he's cool. That's all you need. Q. What kind of relationship do you have with Nick (indiscernible)? JEB BLAZEVICH: I think they push each other both on and off the field. I think they hold each other accountable. I think they work hard, and I think they have just similar goals. I mean, they're out here doing the same thing. They're trying to get to the same place. We've made it here, but this isn't good enough. They're going to be out there today at practice pushing one another really hard, and I think that's just who they are. Q. (Indiscernible) how unique is that? JEB BLAZEVICH: Yeah, it's -- once again, I think it just speaks to the competitive nature and I guess just the humility these guys have to understand like, hey, I could be the man somewhere else, but I'm here to -- like iron sharpens iron, they wouldn't be the player they are without each other, and I don't think I would be the player I am without the competition around me and so on and so forth, and once again, there's two ways you can go with it. You can either get upset and go like, well I'm used to being in high school where I'm the guy, but that's not realistic, and I think the right way to look at it is competition is healthy. I think it promotes the best and gets the best out of you as well as gives you an opportunity to love your teammates and demand the best from them. Q. What do you recall about Jake in terms of (indiscernible) scrimmages and practices. Did it ever occur to you at that point that you say, this guy could actually be out here, that he seems to have something? Did that occur to you? JEB BLAZEVICH: I feel like it was -- once again, it's so tough because I always used the analogy of like guys are putting on muscle. You work out with them every single day and then you look back at a picture of them from a year ago, like wow, you were skinny, now you're all rocked up. It's the same way going through all spring and all summer and all camp, there wasn't ever a moment, it was just something where you look back like look how far you've come, look what you can do. In terms of if I ever thought he could beat Jake, that's never up to me so I don't focus on it. Especially during camp we're so busy looking at our own film and trying to get an ounce of sleep and get better and get ready for the next day at in own position that we never look at film, so I've never thought anything like that. Q. What are things that have occurred to you throughout the season? JEB BLAZEVICH: I think that's the cool thing. He is who he is. I think he approaches the game the same way he did day one. I think he's the same guy that he is day one, and I think that's the special thing about him, just in his DNA. He is who he is, just a great quarterback. Q. (Indiscernible). JEB BLAZEVICH: All time. I feel like you can't get to where you're going without vision, but I think in the same sense, you can't only talk about where you're going instead of how to get there. So it's always that give and take. Here are our goals but what do I do today to get that goal, and I think that's how you need to approach things. Q. What's it like practicing against Roquan? JEB BLAZEVICH: He's a heck of a player. He's definitely a stud. Obviously best linebacker in the nation. It's really a huge blessing for us because not many people get to see that look every day in practice. So any time we get to go -- good-on-good we call it, it's really great because it makes us better. Once again, it all comes back to competition and how we push ourselves every day. Q. In what way (indiscernible)? JEB BLAZEVICH: He plays ball. He plays like he plays. He's a great player, so going against him you're going to have to be a great player or you're going to get your butt whooped every play. It's just the nature of it. Q. Will you try to talk to Roquan about coming back? JEB BLAZEVICH: I'm not even going to mess with all of that. That's up to him. Obviously Georgia, everybody wants him back, but he's his own man, so I'm just leaving that be. I'm not even going to ask about that. Q. Talk about the defense in the Big 12, the yards they get. JEB BLAZEVICH: When I look at their defense, I just see a bunch of athletes. You look at their secondary, those guys can tackle. I think they've shown that. They fly to the ball. Their defensive line is flying around everywhere, too. That's something where I've been a part of games where people have said the defense was going to be amazing and they stunk, and I've been part of games where they said the defense was going to stink and they whooped our butts, so I try to block out all that stuff, having experienced the good and the bad of it, and just focused on how can I beat my man in a one-on-one match-up. Q. (Indiscernible). JEB BLAZEVICH: Yeah, honestly I couldn't say. I feel like the nature of their league and all that stuff, I'm just worried about the guys I'm playing against and trying to figure out how they're going to play against me. Q. I know this is not a position thing, but do you deal with Coach (indiscernible) at all? JEB BLAZEVICH: Yeah, we deal with him a good bit. Q. Tell me about him. JEB BLAZEVICH: He's awesome. He definitely knows his stuff. I think he's an amazing coach. I think he really connects with guys in terms of what I see in his room. He knows how to challenge his guys. He knows how to get the best out of them. I mean, me personally, and I feel like a lot of other of my teammates, we want to play well for him. Those are the great coaches where it's like, hey, I want to go out here and play well for Coach, and he's definitely one of those great coaches. Q. What's his personality like? JEB BLAZEVICH: He's goofy. Which is what I like because I'm pretty goofy, too. Q. Practical jokes or -- JEB BLAZEVICH: He just has some weird sayings. He always does the yizzer and he's shaking his pompons and stuff. He just has little things like that. I think he knows how to have fun but knows when to get serious, and a lot of us do the same. Q. (Indiscernible). JEB BLAZEVICH: It can mean anything and everything under the sun from my understanding. Q. It doesn't mean you screwed up? What would he say if you screwed up? What's the reaction? JEB BLAZEVICH: I think it's depending on the situation. Thankfully he doesn't rip me because Coach Beamer is usually and Coach Chaney are there for that. But I couldn't really tell you. I feel like Wynn would know that better. But he's funny. Q. You changed offensive coordinators and play calling. Jim Chaney suddenly looked like (indiscernible) in your opinion what has been different from last year to this year? JEB BLAZEVICH: Yeah, I feel like he works his butt off. I feel like he watches more film than anybody, which obviously has paid off tremendously. I think the biggest wrinkle that we've thrown in is just if you want to get some RPOs in there and get in different formations where you really can't tell because I feel like just in years prior we'd be in a formation and we'd only run one play out of that. But regardless of what happened last year, I mean, that's on us. He should be able to play -- I mean, he should be able to call the worst play in the world, but every play is designed to score, so it's up to us to be able to make sure it scores. But yeah, I think the biggest thing he's done is being able to throw in those little wrinkles here and there or the RPOs and demand that of us because once again, it's up to us. We have to go practice it and stuff and we're responsible for what happens on the field. Q. To be clear y'all did more RPOs this year than you did last year? JEB BLAZEVICH: Yeah. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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