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CAPITAL ONE ORANGE BOWL: FLORIDA VS VIRGINIA

December 27, 2019

Nick Buchanan

Miami Gardens, Florida

Q. You leave these offensive linemen behind. Have you seen this progression with them that they've gotten better?
NICK BUCHANAN: Yeah. I mean, kudos to them. I feel as though from when we first got the group all together to now, it's just leaps and bounds different. They've learned how to like come together as a group. We've all learned how to play in that spotlight, in the big games, and just going from one game to another, being able to improve on your technique and fundamentals, and really just get it done, really come together as a group, and I'm truly proud of the offensive line that we've had this year.

Q. What have you seen from Virginia?
NICK BUCHANAN: Big, fast, physical, aggressive. Going to come and hit you in the mouth. They play extremely hard, so we've got to come out there ready because they're going to come out here ready.

Q. They seem to blitz a lot, I think sixth in the country in sacks. How much of an emphasis is trying to pick up different things they do to get pressure on the quarterback?
NICK BUCHANAN: I mean, you know, every week our game plan is kind of take it to the defense. So we put emphasis on whatever they do to make sure that we know what they're doing. They blitz, I think 90 percent of the time or something like that, so yeah, we've definitely been doing a lot of blitz pickup drills and stuff like that.

Q. How have these freshmen taken advantage of the extra practices, guys like Ethan and maybe Josh Braun?
NICK BUCHANAN: Well, Josh and Richie are like humongous. Like those are some of the biggest -- I thought Ethan was big last year. Those are some pretty big guys. They're going to be people movers here real soon, especially the guys who are here at the bowl game. The extra practices, it's just more reps, another opportunity to get better at your craft, getting more technique, more fundamentals in, more reps, more reps, more reps. That's how you become a great player, so they're going to take advantage of that.

Q. Have you had an opportunity to kind of reflect on your five years?
NICK BUCHANAN: Not yet. You know, really just been focused on the Orange Bowl, trying to come down here and go out with one last win because it's not over yet.

Q. What about when you guys were recruited, it was kind of a down period in the program, and you were probably told during your recruitment, hey, come turn this around. Do you feel like you're leaving Florida better than when you got here?
NICK BUCHANAN: I mean, I think I got here --

Q. You came right after the 10-win --
NICK BUCHANAN: No, I came in -- well, '15 was my first season because I think '13 is when we won four games.

Q. And then Muschamp got fired --
NICK BUCHANAN: Yeah, I came in that first year, we went to the SEC Championship, and then the next year we went to the SEC Championship. So I was thinking, this is what we do, we go to the SEC Championship.

Q. So it was McElwain was your first coach?
NICK BUCHANAN: Yeah, so I came in here thinking the SEC Championship was what we do, and the next year it didn't really go our way, so it's really great that we had the opportunity as like seniors to show the young guys what it takes to win 10 games, to compete for championships, you know, because it's a lot of work because everybody felt like we worked so much harder this year than last year, and we improved one game. So the margin of victory once you get into nine, 10, 11, 12-win seasons is just so small. It just shows that you have to work that much harder in the off-season.

Q. Dan said in the off-season it's easier to go from four wins to 10 than it is from 10 to 11. Do you feel like that played out this year?
NICK BUCHANAN: That's definitely true, yeah.

Q. You did go to an SEC Championship the first two years. You haven't the past two years. Why does it feel more sustainable?
NICK BUCHANAN: It's just the amount -- it's just the work ethic that was passed down. I feel as though us as seniors have done a pretty good job, the seniors last year obviously did a great job of passing down what it takes to work to get to the SEC Championship or to get to a 10-win season. Coach Mullen, he also knows that that's what he brought back was the Gator standard. So as long as you do it to the Gator standard, then you're going to be in a favorable position at the end of the year. You know, versus when we first went, it was not a surprise, but like I didn't know what was going on basically. I wasn't playing. I was just like, ooh, we're here, we're in Atlanta, like especially your freshman year. The season goes by so fast your freshman year, but now we put such an emphasis on the young guys, teaching them what it takes to be successful.

Q. I thought you talked about this, I couldn't find it looking back through quotes, but how far you and Kyle came together. You guys used to be scout team guys.
NICK BUCHANAN: I mean, I remember Kyle coming in. I'm kind of like the old dude on the team now. Been here longer than most of these seniors. I think one of the first times I saw him, I was at one of the dorms coming in, it's like midnight, I see Kyle, I'm like, what you doing, bro. He's like, I just went on like a two-mile jog. I'm like, what? This kid is crazy. It's amazing to see that work ethic. All he does is come to work. It's amazing to see him come and leading us to victory week after week.

Q. Has it been fun to share it with him knowing where you guys were together?
NICK BUCHANAN: I mean, you know, it's what it is, it's how it happens. Especially for guys like him and I guess guys like me, as well. You come in, you work hard every day, you're not really worried about how much am I playing, this and that. I just want to improve the team, however I can do that in practice or whatever. You keep working, keep working, and then opportunities present themselves, and when opportunities come you've got to take them. I'm so proud of him because I feel like we've came so far at quarterback. It's a great relationship.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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