CHEEZ-IT CITRUS BOWL: LSU VS PURDUE

January 1, 2023

Brian Brohm

Brian Kelly

Camping World Stadium

Press Conference

BRIAN BROHM: The Citrus Bowl experience has been magnificent for our team. We worked really hard to get to this point. It's a big-time Bowl game, big-time atmosphere. Just all the events, all the excitement leading up to this game, to be able to go against a big-time opponent in LSU, a team that got to the SEC Championship Game. It's going to be a big-time challenge for us, but we are looking forward to that challenge and that opportunity.

Our guys are super excited to be in this game and thankful to be here. We are looking forward to tomorrow. They are chomping at the bit to get out there.

BRIAN KELLY: Well, Happy New Year, and 2023 starts off with I think a great matchup between Purdue and LSU. I want to thank Florida Citrus Sports, certainly Cheez-It Citrus Bowl and congratulate Purdue and Brian Brohm. They have done a great job to get here, played in the Big 10 Championship game, and I think we have all seen how good the Big Ten is watching games over the last 24 hours.

It will would be a great challenge for our team as well. Look, these games really show what your program is about. They are definitely in a sense that you are preparing with sometimes your roster does not have all your players. These guys want to play, and that's the great part about it. The guys that are going to be out on that field want to be there and want to represent their universities and want to play the game in the right way.

As coaches, that is all we want. We want guys that love to play, love to compete. I think you are going to see two teams that want to be there and want to play to their very best, so it should be an exciting matchup. As coach mentioned, we are excited about being in this game as well.

Q. Coach Brohm, start with you. You guys are both obviously division champions in your own right, but what are you most proud of in the season that you've accomplished so far?

BRIAN BROHM: Yeah, it was a very good year for us here at Purdue. Our team is resilient. We had some ebb and flow to the season, but our quarterback play was phenomenal. Aidan O'Connell was a big reason that we get here. He did a great job. Obviously, he is not playing in this game tomorrow, but he was very good all season long.

Our defense did a really good job all year. Coach [Ron] English and Coach [Mark] Hagen has taken over for the bowl game, but they played well all season long. [They] had some big victories throughout the season that really all parts of our team had to -- defense stepped up in the Minnesota game. Defense stepped up in the Minnesota game, gets that big victory. Offense steps up in some other games and makes the team come to victory.

There were a lot of games this year that could have went either way, right, a lot of them, pretty much all of them could have went either way this season. Our team did a good job of digging down deep, finding ways to win and to get to the position to be in the Big 10 Championship game. We, obviously, needed a little help there at the end. It was a fun last week of the season to get to that Big 10 Championship game, and to finish off beating our rival, beating IU, and to seal that thing up and then to get into that game was special.

It was a big moment in the program to get to the Big 10 Championship game. Obviously, we wanted to win that thing and give it our best effort. I thought we fought hard against Michigan and played fairly well. They were the better team that day. Our guys now. We had some of our top players opt out, so now you are going to get to see some guys that were behind waiting in the wings that are good football players that are ready to play. They are ready to get on the field and show what they can do.

Q. Welcome back to the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, coaching for a team that you beat in the past in your previous stop there, but put some shine on your first season at LSU and what helped you get here?

BRIAN KELLY: I would start with my first meeting with our team, and that was that we wanted to restore the pride in our program. Certainly finishing last the year before, and then playing for the SEC Championship and finishing first in the West. Going from last to first, would probably encapsulate the success that we had during the year.

We bounced back. As Brian talked about, we had a team that was resilient. We lost our opener in a very difficult fashion, but came back and played really good football for most of the season. Then, maybe ran out of gas at the end.

I think the team itself found ways to win. I think fought for four quarters, and that is what you are looking for. You are looking for a team that is going to compete for four quarters, keep playing, and in our first year, making sure that you have the foundational principles down in terms of what you want to do.

That is how I would encapsulate it.

Q. For both coaches, there's so much focus these days placed on the playoff, playing for a National Championship. And especially as that playoff expands in a couple years and brings in more teams, what value do you see in a Bowl game such as this that isn't part of the Playoff?

BRIAN BROHM: The bowl experience is very big for the development of your program in my opinion. You get those extra practices, you get them in a big-time atmosphere, and they get a reward at the end of the year.

I know now we are moving towards the playoff expanding, which I think is great. I think the more teams that you can get in there and get that type of experience and get rewarded for their season and have a chance to win the national title after a great season. Even if you had maybe one hiccup early on or you had a couple tough losses.

There are some really good teams playing in these bowl games that are outside of the playoff right now, the four-team playoff, that could easily go through the thing and win it at the end of the year. You talk about liking to watch the NFL playoffs, right. Teams go through the season in different ways. Teams that are really strong in the beginning, you might have some attrition, some injury. Some teams are a little bit different at the end of the year. I think a bigger playoff will reward those teams that are able to develop, keep it together and to peak at the end.

It is a little bit different set up when you have a bigger field for sure. These bowl games are great for the development of the program, great for the development of the young guys and getting that extra work and giving them a reward at the end of the year, if you fail to make the playoff, but you have a great season.

BRIAN KELLY: Yeah, I agree. It is program development, so when people look at it from 35,000 feet, they go, whoa, what are these Bowl games about? It is your program. It is developing the players within your program. It is building morale. It is building camaraderie. It is relationships with coaches and players. All those things matter, because you are with them more time than you are at any point during the season because there are no academics. They are not in class.

Building those relationships is invaluable. So that matters, and a lot of people don't see that. This game matters to -- those that choose not to play in the game, that is their choice, but there is another side to this.

Those that are making decisions on who goes on to the next level and where they are drafted, this game is watched, okay. This game matters.

So if you are putting film out there, if you are developing and you are getting a chance to practice, that is a whole lot more important than trying to work on your 40 time. A lot of guys don't see that, because they just hear, hey, you have to run a good time at the Combine. What they need to do is put good film out there. This gives them another opportunity to put film out there, to develop their craft in practices over a three-week period of time.

It is program development. It is individual development that make these bowl games so, so important. And that doesn't even take into consideration how these incredible bowls put together a fun week of activities for these guys, as well. They are really, really important.

Q. What has Drew Brees brought to your program, both tangible or inspirational, or both?

BRIAN BROHM: Drew has been fantastic. He has come in with a lot of energy. He has been working with the offense, with the quarterback room. He has been in with those guys every single day. He has been with us, breaking down film, having suggestions on plays on the offense, on ways about doing things.

Really the best thing I think that he's brought is his mindset -- the way that he attacks the game each and every week, the way that he goes out and tries to get greatness. To be able to be by Austin Burton, to be by Mike Alaimo, to be by our quarterbacks, to feed them that information, those little tips of the trade, has been phenomenal. It has been really good.

I know I have been taking notes every single day on his thoughts and his process. I have had my guys writing down every single drill that he has come up with that could help us all get better, because, obviously, he is a Hall of Fame quarterback. He has done it at a high level. He has a lot of great input.

The team in general, just having a guy that loves Purdue. It is a little bit different time, obviously, with my brother leaving and some of the coaches leaving. Trying to keep it all together, keep these guys focused on one goal, it has been good to have someone that they know is all about Purdue in there with them, bringing that energy, bringing that fight.

So he has been exceptional and been great to have around.

Q. Who are some guys that took that step forward, getting to move into bigger roles in practice, not just for Monday but maybe moving into their off-season?

BRIAN KELLY: I would probably say when you are looking at our defense. A guy like Sai'vion Jones, a guy, who played well for us. but now gets an opportunity to start. You see during the year flashes, but now you see him consistently and know what kind of player you have there. It has been fun to watch him compete every single day.

I think on the offensive side, a guy like Anthony Bradford who didn't play a lot last year and has continued to develop every single day. As I mentioned earlier, these practices are important for their development as well. We had a lot of guys that needed time.

John Emery, another guy, a heralded player that didn't play a lot of football, that is probably hitting his peak, if you will, in terms of how he's playing right now in these bowl preparations.

These are guys that are well-known in a sense, but have been given this opportunity now to really get the reps necessary. They have been outstanding.

And I would say a guy like Brian Anderson, who now with the opportunity he has, has taken reps with the first team every day, you see the skill set he has.

As Brian mentioned, you have some outstanding players that are not playing, but with that comes an opportunity for the others that maybe they had smaller roles. Now, they have significant roles and you're watching them on a day-to-day, and it is kind of fun to see them grow, too.

Q. Obviously, one of the things that came out before the game and everything is that Kayshon Boutte declared for the Draft. When did you guys know about that he was either going back and forth about the decision or that he had made it, and what was your initial advice to him and of course your reaction?

BRIAN KELLY: I think he has been going back and forth pretty much all year. We felt like he just needed to get some clarity in terms of -- remember now, all this stuff happens with trying to get draft grades. We are preparing for the Bowl. We are on the road recruiting. There is a lot of balls in the air at once, and you want to give your guys the best counsel as well, as to where they may go in the NFL Draft.

We are trying to compile all that information for him while he is trying to make the best decision, and I just think for him, he needed to get all that information. Once he did, he made the best decision for him, and we support him 100 percent. We are excited for him. You know, he is ready. He will have a great career.

Q. Roster management, obviously, has been a big key issue over the last couple years, but how challenging was it this month with the transfer portal, recruiting, Bowl preparation, and all that in a short window for you guys to prepare for this game?

BRIAN BROHM: Ours has been obviously very unique with Jeff [Brohm] taking the Louisville job and a number of coaches going right away with him. Then you have the whole time period of, there's not a head coach, a next head coach hired, so that the rest of the coaches on staff are concerned about where they are going or if they have a job after the bowl game.

A very interesting set of circumstances. Then players, obviously, trying to figure out who the new coach is going to be. Are they going to stay at Purdue? do they want to go put their name in the portal and see where they can get to and see where they can go? On top of just the normal transfer portal drama that every team is going through that guys might want to just get in there and see where they can go.

Definitely, been a very influx time. Obviously, we had the opt-outs, the guys, the senior guys going to take their talents to the next level and opting out of the game. A lot of fluctuations, but I think we have done a good job of holding it together, putting together, elevating some guys on staff that are going to take some bigger roles. We are kind of on a skeleton crew, basically all the QCs [Qualiy Control assistants] are basically elevated up to full-time coaches.

I think we have done a pretty good job of keeping that together. Once we figured out, who all was opting out and who is playing, put a great game plan ready and get these guys ready to go.

The guys that are playing in this game. They are excited to play and they are ready to go and want to show what they can do. Definitely, guys that have not had as much action throughout the year. Even guys that have elevated roles. Charlie Jones opts out, the No. 1 receiver, so that receiver room actually had a little jump in their step, a little bounce in their step. Like we are going to get some more footballs spread around a little bit.

There is some excitement. It is definitely different than the team that played the entire season. You have some different aspects, but these guys are excited to play. It is an unique opportunity. It is a great opportunity for a lot of these guys to showcase what they can do.

The coaching staff, myself included, everyone elevated up and had an opportunity to showcase what they are all about, as well. I feel good about where our team is at, our preparation. There is a lot of excitement about this game.

Q. Coach Kelly, you had mentioned the difference between normal football and a playoff game like this or like a Bowl game like this, there's a lot more focus, no academics or anything that the players have to worry about. Do you notice a rise in their level of enthusiasm when they are training for a Bowl game versus a regular season game?

BRIAN KELLY: Yes and no. Part of the training happens during exams, so there is a little fatigue, so you are kind of managing that a bit on the front end. As you give them that break to go home for the holidays and as you come back to the bowl site, there is definitely a renewed energy, because they know it is just football and then I get to go theme park or I get to hang out at the pool or whatever.

There is an energy that you see when you get to the bowl site that is kind of different, but there are three weeks here that you have to manage it, too. If you come out of the blocks and just try to go back to camp, it is too much practice. In our situation, our depth is an issue, so you have to be careful in the way that you prepare or you are going to have guys injured. We couldn't afford to lose anybody to a bowl prep injury.

I think my answer would be there is a balancing act that you have to do in these preparations for Bowl games. But when you get to the site, it better be business.

Q. I want to ask you about NIL. I'm hearing a lot of it's the wild west and no one is policing it. What are your thoughts on that? We haven't heard of the NCAA stepping up to discipline anyone on that yet, so when will that happen and who is watching out for this stuff?

BRIAN KELLY: Well, I don't expect it to happen. Look, there's no uniformity, right. I think we all know that. Each state has a different law relative to enacting NIL.

Look, we love the concept as coaches. Everybody loves the concept of players being able to benefit from their name, image and likeness. It is the unintended consequences of it, and that is inducements prior to being on campus through recruiting; unfulfilled promises.

I think we have to be in it a little longer in this cycle for it to kind of take a better shape, because I think there is a lot of misinformation out there. I think players are led to believe that they are going to get X and it is really not X. They have to perform services for X. You are hearing in the recruiting wars that guys are getting X for -- this is not pay-for-play, and you are hearing stories like that.

We are going to have to see how this works itself out, but we are not looking that the NCAA is going to step in at any time here. We are going to have to continue to manage this, and I think what you will see is the conferences beginning to take more action on NIL as well.

Q. You coached against Purdue I think six times while you were in South Bend, last year included. Give us your impressions of Purdue Football and what do you think about Purdue Football?

BRIAN KELLY: Physical. Well-coached. Innovative offensively. Kind of that sense that, you know, always playing with a chip on their shoulder. They are going to play hard. They are going to play physical for four quarters. They have always been, like I said, innovative, creative on offense, and a difficult opponent.

Every time I have played them, it has been a tough game, and expect the same again.

Q. In what ways have you seen Harold Perkins grow as an athlete, mentally and physically, during his freshman year?

BRIAN KELLY: Just learning the game itself. There is a discipline to the way he plays. Everyone has seen him play that follows us. There is no doubting his physical ability, but with that comes responsibility, as well. I think he understands the responsibility of harnessing that incredible athleticism and that being, in particular, structure, within the defensive structure.

Part of it is on us to not handcuff him, if you will, right, let him play. On the other side of it, on him, the growth has to be: I am learning this position and I know the discipline that is required within the 11 guys on the field.

I think that is the growth that we have seen. He is understanding that as we have gone along through the year.

Q. Obviously last year, covering the Bowl game last year, the focus was how many players you had available. I assume you have a few more year, but can you tell us how many scholarship players do you have for this game?

BRIAN KELLY: 65. So we are chuck-full of players. I don't know what we are going to do with all of them (Laughter).

Yeah, we are certainly in a better position than last year -- somewhere within the 39 range. I think they had 39 scholarship players in the bowl game last year.

Look, we are not where we need to be, certainly, but there are there are some units that are at critical. We are going to have to be very fortunate and manage it. I want to be in this game next year, whether it is a bowl game or a playoff game, with a better roster situation. Let us leave it at that.

Q. Coach Kelly, I just blanked on my question -- excuse me, I'm sorry. The roster status Purdue is dealing with and the opt-outs, are you expecting a heavy dose of the run game, and what do you see in their run game?

BRIAN KELLY: Look, it is our job to prepare for everything. They have got a talented quarterback. Obviously, we got a chance to watch a little bit of film on him. He is got talent. He is got arm talent. He has got tools around him. They have lost some, obviously, really good ones. We have to be prepared for run game, pass game. We can't say, well, they are not going to run the football. The running back is big and physical.

I think when we go into it. We don't say, listen, they are not going to throw the football or they are going to run the football. We have to be balanced defensively, and be prepared.

In the game, if it turns to be this looks like the way they are going to attack us, we can make adjustments within the game itself. But I expect a very similar Purdue offense that's going to be creative that's going to look to be balanced, take shots down the field and kind of run their offense the way they have been running it.

Q. With all the opt-outs on the offensive side of the ball, who are players that are going to be having a larger role?

BRIAN BROHM: You obviously start with the quarterback. Aidan O'Connell has opted out, after a tremendous career, but Austin Burton is stepping up. He has a six-year senior, a guy who decided to come back for that sixth year knowing that he would be the backup, just waiting for this type of opportunity. It was a what if -- a what if opportunity, right. So he came back, knowing I will be the backup and I might not play, but I am going to be here if something happens to O'Connell, and then I'll get my shot.

This is a guy that has been waiting on his opportunity and waiting on that shot. He started out at UCLA, came to us after three seasons to compete for the starting job and has been a model teammate. Great leader for our team. He has some ability.

I am excited to have him out on the field and let him showcase what he can do.

Obviously, Payne Durham opted out at tight end, so Paul Piferi is going to have to step up and play a bigger role. He has played quite a bit for us this year. That second tight end spot will be Drew Biber, who has not played much yet, but he has some athletic ability. He has some talent, so he is going to have to play a little bit for us and show us what he can do.

Obviously, with Charlie Jones opting out at receiver, that just bumps the receiver room up one notch. TJ Sheffield is the guy that had the most targets after him, so, obviously, he is going to step up and roll. The guys behind him got to step it up a notch as well.

Like I said, those guys are excited for that opportunity. They have been working for it for their whole lives, right, to be in that spot. So it's an exciting time for them to be in this game.

Q. Is John Emery coming back, then, next season?

BRIAN KELLY: We haven't made that -- he hasn't made that decision yet.

Q. And why specifically would Kayshon have been unavailable for this game even before he declared for the Draft?

BRIAN KELLY: Unavailable, as you know, means I can't speak to some of the reasons behind it or I would have been more specific. When we issue a statement using the word ‘Unavailable,’ we didn't get into some of the specifics.

Q. How is Garrett Nussmeier enjoying the Cheez-It Bowl room?

BRIAN KELLY: I think he has had his best week of practice as a Cheez-It, I would say, dweller (Laughter).

Listen, I mean, I think it is a great thing that the bowl does and allows them to profit off of NIL, and they have taken full advantage of it through social media. It has been really fun. The guys have enjoyed it.

BRIAN BROHM: Tyrone's [Tracy] loved it, man. He was in there taking pictures the whole first day. I don't know. I am sure he has had some people in there to check it out, because it is a pretty cool deal to have that whole room decked out. He hasn't invited me to come look at it yet, though.

BRIAN KELLY: No, I didn't get an invite either.

BRIAN BROHM: I need to get an invite. I need to go check it out.