BAD BOY MOWERS PINSTRIPE BOWL: MINNESOTA VS. SYRACUSE

December 22, 2022

Marlowe Wax

Yankee Stadium

Syracuse Orange

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Marlowe Wax and start with questions.

Q. What was your reaction to the news that Coach White was leaving, and what have been your early impressions of Rocky Long coming in?

MARLOWE WAX: Coach White, him leaving, was definitely a little hard, sad, because he's been with me my whole three years. We came in together. He's done really good here.

We all know there's going to be great things ahead for him and us also. Rocky Long coming in, he's a great guy. He coached Coach White for a moment and he taught him a lot of things. I know Rocky Long is going to be another great guy with the defense.

Q. With Coach Babers saying with Rocky Long coming in, he said after he heard him speak, some of the guys came to his office, he said to you guys to hold on, wait. What can you say about your thoughts from Rocky's speech? Dino said it made him want to go out there and play.

MARLOWE WAX: 100%. Coach Babers definitely told us just wait, be patient. Me and him definitely had talked because when a coach like Coach White leaves, a lot of people, it feels different, people get scared, they don't know how next year is going to look.

With Coach Long coming in, the speech he gave us, it did make you want to go on the field the next day. He knows a lot. He's a great defensive mind. We know he's going to have us prepared every Saturday.

Q. What's your impressions of the Gophers' running back Mohamed Ibrahim?

MARLOWE WAX: I played against him in high school. He's from Baltimore also, so that's my guy. I know what he's going to bring. He's tough. His vision is top. He has a different type of vision. He sees different holes, cutbacks. I know everybody is going to get to the ball, all 11, because we know he can break one any time. It's going to be a great challenge.

Q. How have you been adjusting with losing some guys into the portal? Who have you seen step up the most in practice so far?

MARLOWE WAX: It's really next man up. Y'all have been hearing me say that all year because of a lot of injuries.

I trust everybody beside me. I know coaches are going to put those guys in great positions to make plays, people like Quan Peterson. He's in the corner room, been making big strides this year. I know a lot of different people on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. Kadin Bailey, you are going to see him play a lot come this bowl game. See what those guys are going to bring.

Q. Your defense has been much improved over the three years that Coach White was here. Coach Monroe said Rocky Long coming in is going to give you an opportunity to tighten up. What are some things you think this defense can tighten up with him coming in?

MARLOWE WAX: Really just like Coach White did a lot of great things. Coach Long, with those great things on top of that, like Coach Monroe was saying, fix those little small holes and things. I don't know, just the physicality, the different alignments we got to be in just to put us in great positions.

That's what those guys upstairs are going to be doing. They're the smart ones. They know it all, built this defense. I can't wait to see how it's going to be.

Q. How happy are you that you are still going to be sticking with the 3-3-5 defense for another season?

MARLOWE WAX: I love the defense. I didn't know anything about it coming out of high school, but being in it, just knowing the play-making ability you can have. It's just fun. Just being able to fly around, definitely I'm big on that.

Q. Looking at 2023, knowing what Rocky Long brings to the table, all the positives you said, what the future of this defense looks like and your excitement for 2023 at Syracuse?

MARLOWE WAX: Just the more experience we going to have. Injuries are bad things, but a lot of people were forced to play, a lot of people were forced to have a lot of snaps. It's just going to help them in the future when they're going to be on the field.

Also with the people coming back from injuries, there's going to be a lot of competition in those rooms where people are just going to keep getting better each and every day.

Q. What is the background on the 3-3-5? And pitching to you on being a linebacker...

MARLOWE WAX: They didn't really pitch it. I would say all the coaches in the building, they wanted me to play running back. I was telling them that linebacker was going to be the best thing for me. Just being thrown into it, they didn't know what I was going to bring. There was some film from high school, but they didn't know what Marlowe was going to bring to the table with linebacker. Just being able to prove to them I could do it.

I felt like I made the better decision with it because we also got Tuck out of that class also, me and him doing great things.

I'm just happy. I'm happy it was the 3-3-5 defense, me being able to make plays and fly around like I can do, so yeah.