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ROSE BOWL GAME: OREGON VS WISCONSIN

December 29, 2019

Faion Hicks

Pasadena, California

Q. Is there a receiver or an element to their pass game you're most excited to go against, battle in this Rose Bowl?
FAION HICKS: Yeah, their receiver, No. 3, he's a good playmaker. He shows up every game. It's going to be fun going against him.

Q. Just kind of piggybacking off that, you mentioned Shea and Justin Fields, another solid quarterback you've played all year. Is there anything specific that Justin brings every year, not that worried about it, you're not worried, but to pinpoint that you know it's going to come?
FAION HICKS: It's hard with him. They do a lot of things that's good. Like I say, he doesn't make a lot of mistakes. He does a good job going through his progressions. That's really what sticks out the most to me. Like I say, he's a good quarterback, and I look forward to playing against him.

Q. You're used to the run game against Utah, in the championship. How does that sort of change the math for you guys defending the run when the quarterback's actually part of the --
FAION HICKS: When they have a really good run game, you want to focus on stopping the run. That leaves the DBs in a lot of one-to-one matchups. Going into the game, it's going to be the job of winning the one-on-one matchup.

Q. Does that change the way you have to play, maybe cutting back on the man, go more to zone so you have eyes (inaudible)?
FAION HICKS: We don't change much what we do. We have a good game plan against them. We will focus on stopping the run, eliminating big plays.

Q. Did you watch the Ohio State/Clemson game last night?
FAION HICKS: Yes, sir.

Q. What was your reaction?
FAION HICKS: Two good teams. I wanted Ohio State to win. But they were two great teams. It's fun to watch those two teams play, especially a team you got a chance to play against twice. But it was a really good game.

Q. Do you know what a catch (inaudible)?
FAION HICKS: I mean with the rush, nowadays it can be either way. But that's just the game and you've got to keep playing.

Q. Throughout the season, they've had their ups and downs. How do you feel about yourselves through 13 games and a chance in this Rose Bowl to (inaudible)?
FAION HICKS: We feel confident. We've been through a lot. We fought through it, and we are here now. We've got a great opportunity in front of us. We want to attack. Not a lot of teams get to play in the Rose Bowl. We want to attack.

Q. How do you battle through some of those things? Seems like every week one of your guys is banged up or can't play. You've had your injuries, all these types of things. How have you been able to handle all those things?
FAION HICKS: It's football. In the season you're not really 100 percent healthy, football healthy, that's what we like to call it. Gotta keep playing. It's the game of football. Injuries are going to happen.

Q. All the stuff last night, are you enjoying all this stuff?
FAION HICKS: It's a fun experience. It was my first time at Disney. So just to have that experience I feel like a little kid again. But that's the one thing you look forward to the most in bowl games, especially the Rose Bowl, is the activities that leads up to it. Going to the Beef Bowl. Knowing the history of that. And just everything goes into it, but it's been fun and we've been enjoying it.

Q. If it wasn't three days before a big game, how many of those steaks would you eat?
FAION HICKS: For me, I would say about two. I know some guys on the team who could probably eat, like, four of them.

Q. You go in there and you hear about the Rose Bowl (inaudible) has it lived up to what you expected and heard about?
FAION HICKS: Oh, most definitely. Just being in LA, period, is fun. I'm a kid from Miami. You dream of going to places like LA and Cali, being able to go see Hollywood and being in Beverly Hills. It's the type of stuff you see on TV. So to actually be here and experience everything goes, the Rose Bowl definitely lived up to the hype.

Q. What about the actual stadium, you guys get to stop in there and get a sneak peek. (Inaudible) but walking in there, what does that mean?
FAION HICKS: I definitely got chills. This is a game I watched since I was a young kid. And never in my life did I imagine I would be playing in that game. I tell myself, dang, I'm playing in this game that I watched when I was a young kid. To actually go to the stadium, see the stadium in person, a lot of memories of me watching the game as a young kid back home. So it's very fun.

It feels a lot smaller -- but I'm sure once the stadium is packed it will be crazy.

Q. Talking about watching as a kid, but (inaudible)?
FAION HICKS: We definitely do. We work really hard. We have some ups and downs, but as a team we really fought to get here. And I think that November football kind of like determined it all. We came together as a team and we had to decide at heart what we wanted to do.

Q. Justin Herbert, what is the scouting report, what are your thoughts, obviously as a defensive back?
FAION HICKS: He has a strong arm. He makes good decisions. He's a really good quarterback. So as a group, games like this, you look forward to playing against and going out there, making a name for yourself.

Q. Is that probably one of the first things that came in your mind when you found out you're matched up with Oregon?
FAION HICKS: It was definitely playing against him. All last year you heard about him, and like I said anytime you're playing against a good team, good offense, you kind of get excited, see how you match up.

Q. Is there anyone you would probably compare him to throughout your playing career at all?
FAION HICKS: No, really just his own person. Like I say he's a good quarterback. That's pretty much it.

Q. And you in the secondary, how have you guys fared this season and what are your overall thoughts of how you performed this season?
FAION HICKS: We did a really good job. This game, really didn't want to go into, try to make more plays than we usually do, try to create turnovers in our group. By the end of the day we've done good all year, don't really want to change what we've been doing, just going out there making plays.

Q. Knowing that you guys have opportunities to get the ball back into the hands of your guys' offense, especially with someone like Jonathan Taylor, what's he meant to you guys this season?
FAION HICKS: He's been awesome, just to be around him, such a great player like that who is going to go down in history as one of the best running backs ever. Just to see him work, see him play, it's been fun. And every game we want to get the ball back in his hands as quick as possible, let him go to work.

Q. How much fun is it going up against him in practice?
FAION HICKS: I mean, it's not that fun. But we try to stay away from him in practice and make sure he's healthy. But it's been fun to see him go -- we came in together. We took our (indiscernible) together and it's been awesome.

Q. You have one game left this year. Next year there's going to be some guys leaving. When you sit down in the offseason, what do you think this team -- even though you guys lose guys like Chris and Zach, do you think you'll have enough pieces back?
FAION HICKS: Yes, like you say, our secondary, we're still young. We've got everybody coming back. Just having another actual lived game experience, it's going to be fun to see how we progress next year. I know we're losing guys like Chris and Zach. But we believe in the guys behind them. We always do a good job replacing guys. It's going to be hard to replace those type of guys, especially the leadership those guys have been to this team. It's going to be fun to see who will step into that role. It's going to be fun.

Q. All the D linemen are back?
FAION HICKS: Yes, sir. You've got a guy like Keanu. He's really young as a freshman. He's going to be awesome for us.

Q. You looked at Oregon on tape, you played some good quarterbacks who can throw the ball, good wide receivers, what's going to be the challenge against these guys?
FAION HICKS: Like I say, they do a lot of things that you can't really like just pinpoint, but he's a good quarterback. He doesn't make a lot of bad decisions. He has a really strong arm. He makes great throws. Just really gotta do your job winning one-on-ones; it's going to be fun playing against him.

Q. First time in LA?
FAION HICKS: Yes.

Q. How is it?
FAION HICKS: It's just like Miami with taller trees and mountains.

Q. What have you all been doing, went to Disneyland?
FAION HICKS: Went to Disneyland and after that we went to --

Q. Last night you had the big dinner.
FAION HICKS: They're keeping us busy. We can't do much.

Q. Is this your first time out in LA?
FAION HICKS: Definitely my first time. It's been fun. I'm a kid from Miami. But it's definitely different here. This is the type of stuff you see on TV to actually be here see it in person is cool.

Q. First the palm trees, there's always that. How have you addressed the schedule? Obviously have this going on and the meetings and practices. How have you adjusted to the media schedule plus the other events going on?
FAION HICKS: It hasn't been crazy. We've been used to it all year and with me in school. But we actually have a lot more free time here than we would back at school. So it's been fun just to have that time to go experience LA and do all the events and stuff. So we're having a good time.

Q. What do you see from Justin Herbert, the passing game, the O linemen, the linebacker, the run game, the passing attack, how they try to eat you up?
FAION HICKS: They have playmakers. No. 3 for them shows up every game. They have really fast guys. Justin Herbert has a really strong arm, doesn't make a lot of bad decisions, does a good job going through progressions. It's going to be fun playing against him.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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