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ROSE BOWL GAME: OREGON VS WISCONSINDecember 29, 2019Justin HerbertPasadena, California Q. How are things going this morning? JUSTIN HERBERT: Going well. Woke up a little bit ago and we came over here, so excited to be here. Q. There's been a lot of talk about players sitting out bowl games. Obviously you're a guy that's got pretty high stock. What went into your decision to play in this game? JUSTIN HERBERT: This is the Rose Bowl. This is everything we've ever been working for. It never crossed my mind, and I don't think it ever crossed anyone else's mind on our team. We're so excited, and this is such a great opportunity for our team and our program, and we're really excited to play. Q. Wisconsin's front seven creates a lot of pressure, a lot of sacks. What stands out to you about them and why they've been so successful this year? JUSTIN HERBERT: They're really physical. They move really well. They're really athletic, and they're really well-coached. They're a bunch of guys that fly around and play really good defense, and I think all we can do is watch as much film as we can and be as prepared as we can. Q. How important is it to stay out of 3rd and longs and stay on schedule in the offense? JUSTIN HERBERT: I think in general it's good to stay out of 3rd and long, but especially against these guys. They're going to do such a good job on 3rd and long and any down regardless, but it's just best to stay out of that, regardless, of the down. Q. Are there any particular tendencies you see out of Wisconsin's defense when scouting them? JUSTIN HERBERT: Yeah, they're going to stick to what they do, and we've been watching a lot of film and we're doing our best to get a feel for what they do, but they're such an athletic and well-coached team that we'll do everything we can to gain an advantage, but just watching as much film as we can. Q. You obviously ended last season with the decision to come back. Over the last year, you're in the Pac-12, make the Rose Bowl. How different is what's actually happened than what you were hoping? JUSTIN HERBERT: This is everything that I ever hoped for. This is the experience that we wanted when a lot of us decided to come back, and this is the potential that I knew our team had. It's just been so much fun, and it's been such a great year, and it's exactly the reason why I came back. Q. What do you want your legacy be at Oregon? JUSTIN HERBERT: I hope our legacy would be that we've been through some tough times, especially that 4-8 year our freshman year, we've been through some tough times and we've faced a lot of adversity, but we came through on the other side, and for us to stick together and come together like that, it's been a lot of fun. Q. What's stood out about your Rose Bowl experience so far, things that you've done or -- JUSTIN HERBERT: I think just being here with the team is probably the best part, going through Disneyland and hanging out with the guys. It's a pretty special group of guys, so being around them and having fun with them has been a lot of fun. Q. There's been a lot of talk about the idea of you getting to play with your brother. What's that been like this year? JUSTIN HERBERT: It's been a lot of fun. He's a really good guy, and he works hard. He's done a lot of good things, and unfortunately he hasn't had the opportunity to play as much as he would have liked. But he's been tough. He's learned a lot, and he's getting there, and he's going to be really good one day. Q. Do you rag on him in practices or anything like that? JUSTIN HERBERT: No, we're pretty supportive of each other, so it's not too bad like that. But whenever I can help him out in the film room or at home, things like that, I do my best. Q. What has been this whole experience been like? Has the focus stayed the same? It's an exciting moment, a big moment for all you guys. What was that like going from Disneyland and all the media focus and everything that's going on? Are you guys able to stay calm? JUSTIN HERBERT: Yeah, the focus is the win. We're here to win the Rose Bowl, and Wisconsin is here to do the same thing. No one is here on vacation. It's a business trip, and we're doing our best to watch as much film as we can and stay focused in practice and things like that. Q. The Utah game, they used you as a runner. How big a departure was that to previous game plans? JUSTIN HERBERT: Just watching the Utah film, it presented a match-up that we thought we could exploit. There were some plays and some packages that we had that we thought would help us out in the long run, so I did my best to help out like that. We think it worked pretty well. Q. You look at pretty much all the top MVP candidates in the NFL this year, they're all quarterbacks who have that kind of mobility. Do you feel like that's maybe the underrated part of your game as you look ahead to draft season? JUSTIN HERBERT: I'm not too worried about that right now. I think what we're worried about right now is winning the Rose Bowl and doing everything we can to put ourselves in position to win the Rose Bowl, and whatever happens happens later on, and we'll deal with that as it comes. Q. Can you talk about the defense of Wisconsin, what type of challenges they present for your offense? JUSTIN HERBERT: Yeah, they're a really big, physical and athletic team. They're really well-coached and they're about as good as it gets if not the best as it gets. We've been watching a lot of film and seeing what we can do, and hopefully we'll play pretty good football. Q. How is it going through the Pac-12, and what kind of defenses prepared you for going against Wisconsin? JUSTIN HERBERT: They're a whole different breed. They're about as good as it gets, like I said, and their front seven and their secondary, they're special. We've been watching a lot of film and seeing if we can gain an advantage and just getting a feel for their defense. Q. Any thoughts on this being your last game? JUSTIN HERBERT: It's pretty surreal, and the seniors and I, we've done a good job of talking about it and kind of reacted to everything that's happened the past four years and just the experiences we've gained and how much fun we've had over the years. We're really excited to be playing this one. Q. What does it mean to you, this program, being a Eugene kid yourself? JUSTIN HERBERT: Yeah, it's everything. Growing up being a Duck fan, this was the end for me, and it was always to play football for the University of Oregon. Every year has been just exactly what I had hoped for, and this entire experience has been so much fun and so special, and to be able to be around these guys, it's been a lot of fun. Q. As a freshman, considering the disappointment of that year and the coaching changes and all of that, could you have imagined as a senior getting back to this point? JUSTIN HERBERT: No, it's been a crazy ride. To go from that to this, it's quite the opposite. But we've got a really tough group of guys, and a lot of the guys here with me were part of that. Never in doubt that we were going to come back and we were going to stick together and we were going to see things through. Q. I was at a (indiscernible) basketball game, and one of the guys came up to me, and he said, what are the chances that Justin gives a pass to Patrick? How many times has that happened in practice, and how much would that be something you would do? JUSTIN HERBERT: Typically would have been in practice. During one-on-ones and seven-on-sevens and things like that, I get him the ball, but he's done a great job, and he works really hard and he's learned a lot, but unfortunately he hasn't played quite as much as he would have liked, but I know one day he will and he's going to be a special player. Q. What's been the main reason behind the success of the offense this season? JUSTIN HERBERT: We've got a really good offensive line, good receivers, and some really good running backs. That guy sitting right there is special, and I know any time we hand him the ball, throw him the ball, he's going to do something really special about it. Especially having an offensive line like we have blocking for him and leading the way for him, it's been a lot of fun, and it's been an honor to play next to him. Q. What does the Rose Bowl mean for you? You guys haven't been here for a while, but what does it mean to the team and for yourself? JUSTIN HERBERT: It's a huge honor. It's a sign of all our hard work and all the hard work that we've put in over these past four years. We've done a lot, and I think it's a great sign of that, and for us to stick together and see things through like this, it's a huge honor. Q. As a kid from Eugene, how important was that '94 team even considered in this group, 25 years since that team made it? JUSTIN HERBERT: I wasn't even alive for that, but I heard about it, and I knew how important it was. So I think that's a great sign of how important it was. I think any time a team goes to the Rose Bowl, there are multiple other years that Jeremiah Masoli and those guys went there, so growing up I remember it, and I think these are big games, really big games for the program, as well. Q. Is that team still held in high regard? Any special reunions with them or anything this year? JUSTIN HERBERT: I'm not sure. I wasn't included in them, so I don't know. Q. When you look at Wisconsin, what stands out to you about them up front right away? JUSTIN HERBERT: They're really big, athletic, and they fly around. They're really well-coached and they're about as good as it gets, and to see those guys on film, it's special. They really love playing the defense, and they're really talented. Q. The challenge of always playing a team that you've never seen before, different conference, not on your schedule ever, how much of a challenge is that for you guys to prepare for? JUSTIN HERBERT: All you can do is just watch film, watch film and get a feel for what they're doing. I think that's the most important part is just to see if you can get as good a feel as you can get. Q. Do you guys put a lot of pressure on yourselves to be successful or did you put a lot of pressure -- a lot of people expected -- JUSTIN HERBERT: Yeah, I don't think there was too much pressure. I think internally we felt that if we gave our best and we do everything that the coaches asked of us, we'd be successful. There was no need to be successful, and I don't think there was a pressure to force ourselves if we don't succeed then we're in trouble. It was like internally driven, and I think we've worked really hard and put ourselves in a good position to be successful. Q. Do you follow any of the draft talk or draft chatter at the moment? JUSTIN HERBERT: Uh-uh. Q. You haven't seen the mock drafts that have you coming back here in four months? JUSTIN HERBERT: I've done a good job of staying away from that. Q. You think this is the last game since Pac-12, not many people out east see you, so how much of an important game is this for you and the team? JUSTIN HERBERT: It's more important for the team. I would say that I'm not too worried about my individual performance as long as we win. That's always been the goal, just to put our team in a position to win is my job. Q. Where do you think you stack up as far as this draft class of quarterbacks? JUSTIN HERBERT: I don't really know. I've stayed away from that, and all I'm focused on is giving our team a good chance of winning and doing everything I can to put ourselves in a good position. Q. What would it mean for this team and this program and Coach Cristobal to get a Rose Bowl win? JUSTIN HERBERT: It's huge. The Rose Bowl, it's such a great tradition and a huge bowl game, and we're honored to be here, and we're going to do everything we can to win, just like Wisconsin is. But it's a great honor, and we're really excited to be here. Q. Any special activities you guys have done so far? JUSTIN HERBERT: A lot of them have been fun. I think just the best part is being with your teammates, going through Disneyland with them, walking around with them, hanging out with them, and staying focused and just going to practice and being around them has been great. Q. How much prime rib did you eat? JUSTIN HERBERT: Not too much. I didn't have quite the appetite, so not as much as some of the other guys. Q. I want to know at the end of this year that you guys -- has this year felt differently for you guys? JUSTIN HERBERT: Yeah, it's been a lot of fun. It's been an experience that I'll never forget, and to be around the guys and the way we've worked so hard and we've had success like this, it's been really rewarding, and it's been a lot of fun. Q. Has it been good to have your brothers around? Has that been different? JUSTIN HERBERT: It's been great because I go home a lot more. I go see my family, and both my brothers are there. It's time away from football that I get to kind of relax and have fun. Q. How much time would you say you get to spend away from football, with Pat and Mitch? JUSTIN HERBERT: A couple hours a week over there in the hot tub, watch TV, do things like that. Just kind of stay away from football and kind of just let your mind relax. Q. Have you been able to soak in the experiences at all? JUSTIN HERBERT: It's been a lot of fun. It's tough. You want to enjoy the experience as much as you can but you want to stay focused for the game. I think we've done a good job of addressing that and being aware of it, but it's been a lot of fun. Q. Was it a big deal growing up for you, the Rose Bowl? JUSTIN HERBERT: Yeah, it's a huge deal. It's about as big as it gets. One of the reporters asked me if I remember the 1994 team, and I wasn't even alive for that game, but I remember it, and just hearing about the Rose Bowl games, it's huge, so it's a great tradition and honor to be here. Q. Any superstitions? JUSTIN HERBERT: Not too superstitious, unfortunately. Q. Traditions, anything that you do before a game? JUSTIN HERBERT: Just kind of warm up with the team and kind of keep it simple. Q. Are you anxious at all having not played for a few weeks? JUSTIN HERBERT: No, fortunately we've practiced quite a bit and we've kept the contact up. So I think the guys are ready for contact, and we've done a good job of staying focused and prepared. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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