CHEEZ-IT BOWL: OKLAHOMA VS FLORIDA STATE

December 26, 2022

Tatum Bethune

Camping World Stadium

Florida State Seminoles

Press Conference

Q. How did practice look today? You arrived yesterday. How did practice look this morning for you guys?

TATUM BETHUNE: Coming out in practice, I didn't think the weather was going to be like this, so I always think about how practice going to go before it happens. I thought we was going to be complaining about the weather, but we actually didn't.

Everybody came out and did what we had to do. Just felt like we needed to focus and lock down on the details now.

Q. Two-part question, how does it feel to be back in Orlando? You played here for a while. And you played with Dillon Gabriel. What kind of insight can you bring to the team of what he likes to do and what he brings to the table for Oklahoma?

TATUM BETHUNE: Feel great to be back in Orlando, knowing my family is able to come here without any struggle or whether to buy a plane ticket or not. I got some family here in Orlando that I am going to see. That is just a good feeling to see them. I haven't seen them all year.

Then Dillon Gabriel on the scouting report, I give my honest opinion, a guy that makes plays and a guy that we need to stop on their offense. That is just something that we need to get done.

Q. Coach Jeff Lebby's system, he mentioned how confident he sees you guys playing as a defense. Is it an individual thing, or are each of you guys confident what's going on, or is it a whole team and confident in the coaches and vice versa?

TATUM BETHUNE: For the defense to work, it always has to be the whole defensive unit and the whole team. It is never about any individual thoughts. I feel like that is what got us going, because I feel like that is how it was in the beginning, but now we all together, and we click as one. That is what keep us going.

Q. How does it feel, finals, different things going on, knowing you are playing a game on Thursday? How exciting is that feeling right now?

TATUM BETHUNE: It is a good feeling. Just the fact that I know we are playing in a Bowl game. The guys I have been around. They only played in one, and that is something we have been talking about before the season even started. We are reaching a goal that we are here now, so we just got to get it done. We talked about it, but we here.

Q. What would a tenth win mean?

TATUM BETHUNE: That's one of our goals when we first found out where we were going to play at, that was the biggest goal. We got that -- how many teams that have ten wins in front of our locker room, and we just want to be able to change the wall. That would be huge for us.

Q. With having a Bowl game, you get extra practices, and it helps some of the younger players. What have you seen from Omar Graham when he makes plays? Seems like a pretty smart player.

TATUM BETHUNE: When I see Omar [Graham] now, I think of me when I first came into college and when I came in early, but I feel like Omar is way better than how I was when I was a freshman. So I just feel like next year, Omar is going to be -- I'm pretty sure he's going to see the field, and Omar is going to be dominant.

Q. Have you seen the Cheez-It Room, and did they make the right choice with Mycah?

TATUM BETHUNE: I have not seen it yet. But, no, they did not make the right choice. They should have gave it to me (laughter).

Q. What makes you the cheesiest candidate for the room?

TATUM BETHUNE: (Laughter.)

Q. Coach mentioned when he brings people in from the transfer portal it's important that they fit into the locker room. How refreshing was it to come into a new locker room and see like-minded people that were on the same page?

TATUM BETHUNE: When I first hit the portal, Coach Norvell, he promised me everything that you would think a coach wouldn't promise. He promised me that I was going to be put in hard positions and put through adversity on purpose, so I could be able to thrive through that and know how to deal with it and stuff like that.

Sometimes you don't hear it from coaches. Coaches will try to tell you what you want to hear. So I feel like if you play at Florida State, it is only a select few that is able to come here. I feel like this program is not for everybody. I feel like that's what he do, is just elimination factor.