CHEEZ-IT CITRUS BOWL: LSU VS PURDUE

January 2, 2023

Brian Kelly

Malik Nabers

Jarrick Bernard-Converse

Camping World Stadium

LSU Tigers

Press Conference

LSU 63, Purdue 7

BRIAN KELLY: First of all, want to thank Florida Citrus Sports, certainly the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. What a great week and a great venue. We appreciate this bowl, and our players really enjoy being part of the community here.

You know, look, you get these opportunities and you want to be able to celebrate your season, enjoy the Bowls and the atmosphere, and then you want to go play well. We did that today. We did that today. Our guys executed at a high level. They competed at a high level. We were not at full strength, but that did not stop our guys from putting in the time and the effort.

Jarrick is here with me, because he is a senior, who could have easily not played in this game, but took virtually every snap out there. He was our MVP on defense today, and what it means to have somebody like him come into our program, really steady things for us in our program, show what true commitment is and doing it the right way every single day.

Obviously, Malik was electric today. You know, made big plays all over the field, and that is kind of the mantle of LSU wide receivers. It is his opportunity now, and you could see that he wanted to make sure that he made a statement out there today.

Congratulations to Purdue. They were in a very difficult situation as well. Our guys handled it well today and played at a high level.

Q. Congratulations on getting the Player of the Game award, 163 with nine catches and getting to throw one. What does it feel like to deliver on a stage like that?

MALIK NABERS: It is a big stage to come out in Orlando in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl and come out at a high level and win the MVP award. Three drops that I could have easily caught could have changed that. I am very happy with the outcome of this game and hoping to carry on into next year.

Q. You said yesterday it was a plan to stop their passing attack. Had four sacks, three interceptions, what can you say about the defense's performance?

BRIAN KELLY: Amazing, right. We drew it up on a napkin, and the guys just -- for me, it was fun to watch them play today, because they played with great effort, great desire. The will to win these games is obviously important. You have to have that. They executed a defense that we had only put in for about two and a half weeks, and really proud of their execution and the way they played today.

Q. What have you seen from Malik's development since he got here and what can he be next year as the main guy?

BRIAN KELLY: I think he is maturing. I think we have gone through understanding how to be in the right zone emotionally to his preparation in practice, where he is preparing harder than anybody else, to flipping the switch to performance.

Look, he mentioned one of the drops. He drops the ball, but he comes back the very next play and made a spectacular play. His ability to focus and refocus, that is the maturity that you see from Malik in terms of how he has grown in this past year, and I am really proud of him.

Q. Jarrick, a lot has been made about what Purdue is missing, but those of us that cover you know what you're missing as well. Can you talk about the job the secondary did and the defensive front to fill in those holes, whether it's Mekhi, Jacobian, whomever, Jay stepping up big again.

JARRICK BERNARD-CONVERSE: We wanted to go out there and attack the game plan and execute on every phase, starting with the front or all the way to the back end, we wanted to go out there and just do our job and get this tenth win.

Q. Malik, for you, what does a performance like this allow you to be able to do in taking this type of momentum into your junior season?

MALIK NABERS: This performance, it shows that I am able to come out here and perform at a high level with anybody in any conference. It us something that I can build on to next year, keep my confidence up.

Q. You've had quite the past year. When you look at ten wins, a Citrus Bowl win and everything you've gone through, what will stand out from your first year at LSU?

BRIAN KELLY: Probably the relationships with the players and developing new relationships with 115 players and getting to know them. That, to me, in year one, the first time here, you don't know any of the players and they don't know you.

I think our first press conference -- I keep saying press conference -- our first meeting, said, hey, we are going to build trust, but it is going to take time for both sides. I think that that is what happened. I will remember that in year one -- that process of building trust.

Q. Obviously, you can't have fun if you don't win, but seemed like you got here a week early, did some things, the team had a good time, and you called some plays today that seemed kind of fun. Were you okay with them celebrating the way they did?

BRIAN KELLY: I was, actually. Obviously, I probably crossed the line a little bit and got a penalty. That is out of character for me. I didn't apologize for the team, but they will hold me accountable for it with SWAT points probably.

You know, look, if they were to do something that was demeaning to the other team or not in good sportsmanship, we would have taken action, but they were having fun with each other. If a bunch of old men can't get out of the way of that, we are in a bad spot, so let them have fun and enjoy it. At least that is the way I saw it.

Q. With Garrett, was the plan always for him to get some reps into this game, and how would you sort of evaluate his performance from today?

BRIAN KELLY: I thought did he well. We made it clear he was going to go in in the third series, and I didn't know what was going to happen after that. Just made it clear to him, go in, do your job. You have a job to do, get it done, and then we will roll after that and see how it goes.

Obviously, played a lot more. The way the game was kind of trending, he got even more playing time. there's no quarterback controversy. Jayden is the No. 1 quarterback. Garrett will get an opportunity to compete, though.

Look, the most important thing is when you have two really good quarterbacks, you have to have an open mind. You can't be close-minded when you are looking at two elite quarterbacks.

What we have committed to is an open mind and an open process where you can go in and we are going to give you an opportunity to continue to grow. Then that is going to allow both of our quarterbacks and Walker to continue to grow as quarterbacks at LSU.

Q. There's been some rumors floating on social media about something potential (violations) with your program. Are all of your coaches in good standing heading into the offseason with you and the university?

BRIAN KELLY: Absolutely. 100 percent. Yes. Look, I hold our players to high standards, and they know that. We have a high standard. I have been in it for three decades. We have high standards for everybody that is in our program, and that includes coaches and support staff and anybody that is affiliated with this program.

They are held to that highest of standard as well. There are no coaches or support staff that are currently with me that have done anything that would require me to feel as they haven't met the highest of standards that are required within our program.

Q. Do you think you can carry all three quarterbacks through the spring? And just how big of a foundation is this? You talked about a tenth win and momentum and the things needed to get that today. Well, now you've done it. How does it pay off for you next year?

BRIAN KELLY: This one was really big. It obviously was a convincing win. It showed more about how our guys handle distractions, but when it's time to get back to preparation, how they can prepare and not be distracted by doing things like being at the bowl game.

That carries on into next year, where they understand that if they stick with their process and preparation, they are going to be a really good football team. We got that accomplished today.

I absolutely 100 percent believe that all three quarterbacks are going to be with us, and all of them we have had conversations with and feel that that is the direction we are going.

Q. You're known for your dance moves. Did you bust any out in the locker room after this one?

BRIAN KELLY: My players would disagree with that (laughter), that I am known for anything else but being less than a dancer.

I was excited for them to be quite honest with you. When you play this well in a bowl game to finish strong, it really was more about celebrating them and what they accomplished.

I held back a little bit today on the dance moves and probably did a little too much on the sideline.

Q. So 63 points in this Bowl game is a record. What can you say about contributing to that record?

MALIK NABERS: It is a team effort. We were gritty. We came out a week early. We could have had any reason to not come out here and play fast. We had some time off, had some fun, but we were locked into understanding what our main goal was, to come out here and win and get our tenth win.

We had fun, but when it was practice time, we practiced executing. When it was game time, we came out, as you can see, and executed at a high level, so that was key.

Q. Also for Malik, obviously you've had some disappointment this season, but to look at the whole season from start to finish and to finish with this MVP trophy, how do you look back on the entire season that you've had?

MALIK NABERS: I think it made who I wanted to become. At the beginning of the season wasn't how I wanted to come out in my sophomore season. We all don't wish to come out and be emotional like I was.

To come back and see all my teammates lifting me up through week-after-week, it made me strong and it made me want to perform at a high level with them. So this is like my -- I believe my second MVP of my whole, you know, life, and I am really going to be appreciative of this one.

Q. As you go away for a while, what has Maason Smith shown you since the injury and what does he continue to show you? He's here all week, helping guys warm up and participating in every single thing that you do, and eight months from now, being on the field right here?

BRIAN KELLY: Yeah, that is a great question. I would be remiss to not name him in particular for the way he has hung in there with our team and matured. He has recognized the value of his education. He is doing well in the classroom. He was at the pep rally with us. He was at Fun Spot. That is a big man to put on some of those rides, but he was great with the kids.

For me and the field that I am in, everybody sees me in my office on the sideline, but I get up every morning watching development of young men, and to see his growth and development has been amazing. He needs to take credit for that.

Q. Coach talked about it but the play calls they called today, rotating the quarterbacks, having fun is what it looked like you guys were doing. How important was it to go out there and have fun as this team one last time before you push on this next year?

MALIK NABERS: My coaches, you know, Coach Kelly, Coach Hankton, they always talk about having fun, don't be so stuck up and to try to get all the highlights. If it is destined for you, it is going to come. Today was destined for me to have this amazing game. My coaches put me in different positions. I switched from Z to W in the Auburn week and switched back to Z this week and didn't have a lot of time to know all the new plays. I digged and I focused on what I had to do for the team and I came out very successful, and I appreciate my coaches.

Q. Jarrick, the final moment of the season is Quad Wilson, a walk-on, returning a Pick-6 for a touchdown and the entire, pretty much, team rushing the field. What was it about him doing that in that moment that was maybe so exciting for y'all?

JARRICK BERNARD-CONVERSE: That is what you look for, guys like getting into the game, guys that don't usually see the field, younger guys making plays. To see a play like that, it is unreal. We just had to have fun, and we just really enjoyed that moment and to see him go out there and make a play like that.

MALIK NABERS: I want to answer this, too.

To see Quad, Quad is on scout team every week, pushing us to go harder, running fast around, keeping everybody up. To see him come in this game, probably not thinking that he was going to play in this game and make an impact on this game, I am very proud of how he handled it. That is why we were so proud of him doing that, because we understand what he came in here and did for the scout team, for the offense, and very proud of him.

BRIAN KELLY: For the record, Frank Wilson got the penalty for that one, because he ran onto the field as well, so that's not on me. That's on Coach Wilson, and he's happy to take that 15-yard penalty by the way. I said, ‘You are good with me.’