CFP NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP: GEORGIA VS TCU

January 7, 2023

Todd Monken

SoFi Stadium

Georgia Bulldogs

Press Conference

Q. (No microphone.)

TODD MONKEN: So this year kind of the same way, like trying to get the ball to the guys that gives us the best chance to win and he's one of those, just like Darnell and Kenny McIntosh and Ladd are. So it probably just works itself out that way.

And then this year AD Mitchell got hurt. Sometimes injuries force yourself in that direction and obviously trust in a given player.

Q. Is Darnell ready to go?

TODD MONKEN: I anticipate he'll play.

Q. This is really, this is part of a larger trend. Offensively more tight ends are catching passes across college football. Why do you think the game is evolving that way?

TODD MONKEN: I think the game started to evolve, I'll give it just a random 10 years ago when the Air Raid. It was probably earlier than that. Give it 15 years. But it started more when you had Air Raid Ys. So you had bigger wide outs that learn how to route run.

It's one thing to have size. It's another to have ball skills and route-running ability. So I think as you see more athletic-size players that have skill, I think that becomes an advantage in terms of certain matchups.

And when it comes to being able to run the ball and throw the ball and play action, I think that's where your tight ends come in more to play. Teams that are still spread, that's not so much, but teams that utilize the tight ends and condensed sets like us, I mean, they become an integral part of what you do.

Q. How would you compare and contrast evaluating quarterbacks at this level versus and at the college level?

TODD MONKEN: Some of the things are the same, some of the intangibles that you're looking for. The difference in the NFL -- well, first of all, in evaluating any player, including quarterbacks, they haven't done it at your level, unless you're talking about the portal or a free agent, which is kind of what we're talking.

If they're a young player out of high school, they haven't played at your level. And if they're a college player going to the NFL, they haven't played yet at that level. So what you're looking for are a lot of the same things, accuracy, toughness, athleticism, intelligence, arm talent, all of those things that give yourself a chance to win.

So a lot of the same characteristics are important. More importantly, having good players around 'em. That's an important piece.

Q. (No microphone.)

TODD MONKEN: Sure. There's variances of that. The NFL has to deal with the same thing, when you're talking about spread offenses compared to not, and what they're going to ask guys to do, like potentially being under center, and they've never been under center, or being involved in protections and understanding every aspect of the game plan and run game and those kind of things. So that's a part of it.

But I think you continue to see just an evolution of the game. There's more of the high school game that got to college and the college game that's in the NFL in terms of spread. I mean, all you got to do is watch the Chiefs and the Dolphins, and you're seeing spread offense, motion shifts, RPOs. So you're seeing a lot of that that carries over because that's what quarterbacks are comfortable with, at least what they've done.

Q. (No microphone.)

TODD MONKEN: I think I've said this the last few weeks. I think any relationship builds over time or it fractures and breaks forever. I mean, either you go your separate ways or you make it work. And we've both done a good job this year of I think working towards the same end goal in a lot of ways. I think it's different this year because we went into the year with him being our starter where last year we didn't.

Then when JT came back, there was, it was just different, different times. This year was knowing through the whole off-season once he's coming back, that he was the guy and building that trust over time. I think that's a big part of it. I think in any relationship there's a certain amount of trust that you have to have with each other. I think that's big, especially from his end.

Q. Someone like Brock Bowers, do you remember what your first interaction was with him and meeting him as a recruit?

TODD MONKEN: No. I remember watching him on film when I first got here. He was different than what I just talked about. He wasn't really an Air Raid Y. He was more of a running back F novelty, get the ball to him. That's where you can see some of his special qualities, which is run after catch, and you can get him the ball in a lot of ways. He's a developmental route runner, so that is still where he's working. You knew he was a hard worker from what you could see, how he played the game, and all the information we got.

Q. (No microphone.)

TODD MONKEN: There's certain things we didn't expect. We didn't expect him to be as mature as he was a year ago, to come in as a true freshman and to play like he did and be as squared away as he is. I think that's probably the biggest thing is there's a lot of really good players that aren't really ready as freshmen. They're just not. It's just everything's different.

So when you get a young player like Brock Bowers, who is mature beyond his years in a lot of ways, it allows him to play earlier and at a high level.

Q. (No microphone.)

TODD MONKEN: I think you learn in this profession to not look too far ahead. I think when you're younger and you first start off, I think everybody has aspirations of ending up somewhere. All my family's in high school coaching, so I wanted to do it at the college level. You have aspirations, but a lot of things have to go your way. You have to be around a lot of really good coaches to learn from, a lot of really good players to help you get to where you're at, and get lucky. And I've been fortunate in a lot of ways.

But I've learned over the years to not really think about what's next because you don't know that. You don't know someone, decides they don't want you, you decide you're somewhere else, this profession will humble you. So all you do is the best job you can where you're at, and that's what's expected of you from your boss, I mean, is to do the best job you can at the time.

I wouldn't, if you would have asked me would I have thought 10 years previous to then that I would have been calling plays with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, I would have said no, or you say, Would you anticipate being here and playing for a National Championship? Well, no, because you just, there's certain things that you're hopeful for, but all you do is the best job you can, and then you play it out where it ends up.

Q. (No microphone.)

TODD MONKEN: Well, first off, I'm always humble when someone thinks enough of me -- I'm humbled that someone thinks enough of me to interview me for any job. All I've done is what I've ever wanted to do and that's be involved with football. From a little kid, I've been part of a team since I've been five. I've been part of a team for 51 years. So that's all you ever want to do is be part of a team and do the best you can.

So you're humbled -- I grew up a Packer fan as a little kid because I grew up in Chicago and all my family's Bears fans and I liked to argue, so it worked out perfect. They're all Cub fans and I'm a Cardinals fan, so it's just perfect.

So to be interviewed by them for any potential possibility was, it was an unbelievable experience. They hired the right guy. Matt LaFleur's done a great job, as did the Bengals, as did -- you know, so this is where I was meant to be. I always look at it that way. So like I said, be where your feet are and embrace where you're at at that moment.

Q. Your assessment of 3, 3, 5 defense?

TODD MONKEN: Yeah, it's interesting. When you talk different leagues, we don't see a ton of it in our league and you see a ton of it in the Big-12. When you get film there of that style that Iowa State, I think, I don't know where it kind of started there. They kind of -- and everybody's kind of made it their own. A lot like when someone says Air Raid, I'm sure there's a foundation, and then people have to make it their own in terms of concepts and how you approach practice and do that, and they have done a fantastic job with it.

You can see teams throughout their league have some success with it and have some struggles with it. And like any defense, it starts with their scheme, and then it starts with their personnel. And they both, they do both extremely well. They're very well coached, they play awfully hard, and they have talented players. You don't get to this point without having that.

There comes a point where I think all of a sudden there's a belief in what they're doing, a belief in the head coach, a belief in each other, and they play like that. They play with a chip on their shoulder.

Q. What do you have to be to be successful against them?

TODD MONKEN: Well, I think everybody says, oh, yeah, we got to be able to run the football and they're this three down, but I think one coach told me it's like a vacuum. You think it's there and then they just swarm on you. Sure, there's times you can get some attrition runs. You can run it up in there if you get the right look.

But I said it last week, like every week, I mean, one, you can never control the game if you can't run the football. I think TCU would believe that as well. As much spread as they are, they run the football. And then how can you be explosive? This isn't any different against a 3, 3, 5 or against what we do. It's exactly what Darren's going to try to do and we're going to try and do, be able to run the ball and be able to get explosive plays because it's hard to score if you're not explosive.

You'll probably look at the games, TCU, yeah, when they were explosive, they scored. When they weren't, it was harder to score. It's the same with us. It's really no different. They got really good coaches. They do a great job what they do. I'm a big fan of that style of what they do. I'm a big fan of the Big-12. I've coached there before. I think what Sonny's done with them is incredible.

We're excited to get to play them. I think it's awesome. I'm going to go back and I'm getting ahold of Randy, and I think it's awesome that the playoff committee decided to reward them for winning their league when they very easily could have gone the other way and TCU deserved to be here and I'm excited to play them.

Q. (No microphone.)

TODD MONKEN: Well, he's a big reason why we are here. I mean, there's no bones about it. He's played exceptionally well. He's got a great feel for what we want to do. He's gotten a lot better. We've gotten better at how we do it and how we prepare and prepare him. Sure, like any quarterback, they have their moments, but that's -- same with me as play caller. There's moments where you wish you had a play back, a play call back or someone says they would rather run it than throw it, and that's the same play quarterback, because when you're a decisionmaker, you're going to be in that position. It doesn't matter. Kirby making certain decisions as a parent, right? You make decisions as a business owner, as a play caller, as a quarterback. You're never going to be perfect. And we've grown to trust him a lot more and he's earned that. So I think that's a big part of it. He's a big reason we're where we're at.

Q. (No microphone.)

TODD MONKEN: Well, I think the hardest part is, I hate it when I call 70 plays and all of 'em don't work, okay? So it's frustrating. The third quarter was frustrating last week to me in our execution and my play calling. I think we all strive to have a player play perfect and do things within the system. When it doesn't go that way, you're frustrated with yourself. Did I not do a good enough job of explaining certain things that we expect from every player? There are moments in the game like that, including myself.

So I think there's, I think Stetson's been around us to know that we can say things and yet him still believe that we have his back, or maybe, you know, a younger player, someone that just got here, that might fracture their confidence. And I don't believe that's the case with Stetson.

Q. What's been your favorite moment on field, off the field, with Stetson?

TODD MONKEN: Favorite moment? Well, that is a great question. Probably my favorite moment, if you just said football-wise, is the series we had against Alabama last year after he fumbled. We unloaded on the shots and specials and he handled it and we went right down the field and scored. That says who he is. Not everybody's capable of making a mistake and then, a little bit like last week, you know, the interception led to 21-7 and, okay, we battle our way back and get ourselves to where we're actually leading and then score before half.

I think he has that about him. But that's probably, if you said a moment in a game, that would be it.

Q. This is the highest stakes and you have less time to prepare for it. How does that affect your preparation with everything that's at stake?

TODD MONKEN: I guess we'll know in about two days because it's hard to know. They have the same issue. They had to travel back from a site like we did. We had probably a little bit longer flight, but it's all the same how we handle the trip and the practices that we have. Like both teams, are you satisfied? Is this it, you're satisfied to just get here?

I kind of look at it a little bit from a competitive standpoint. There's times probably in college that I, when it was finals, I looked at it and said, well, no matter what, it's over, or you try to compete to get the best grade possible. I mean, are you here just for the trip or are you here to finish this and do something special, something that that team last year did not do, they did not go undefeated, they didn't win the league, and do something that, frankly, which is hard with the guys we lost last year, and it's a different team.

That's one thing to just always keep reminding yourself is every team's different, and the personnel's different, and trust in your recruiting and the talent that you have.

So I think both teams have to deal with, like you said, the schedule. We went a month without playing. Then you go a quick turnaround and then you're playing again. But they have the same issue we have.

Q. You guys ran more plays than any team in the power 5 this year. Is that something you track?

TODD MONKEN: It's the first time I've heard it. I'm trying to think of -- more plays in the middle 8? Maybe because we defer a lot. So that means you're going to get the ball again to start the middle 8. Probably if you looked at it and that's the case, we probably ran less plays in the first quarter than most, if you end up deferring. I don't know that, per se. It's not like we're trying to go faster. It's not like we're trying to think about that, per se. I don't know, sometimes it just works out that way.

Q. What does it mean to represent the SEC at this national level?

TODD MONKEN: I'm going to say, first of all, I think, from a players' standpoint, start off representing themselves and their family and the hard work they have put in. And all of our players got to where they're at because they had family that cared about them and raised them the right way and got them on a course, not only athletically, but academically to have success. That's probably the most awesome thing we get to deal with when you're in college is seeing young people come from all different backgrounds and as a team work together to strive for one goal.

We also strive to create the best version of our players from an academic standpoint, from a father, from a husband, all of those things are super important. I think, first of all, I would hope our players would embrace how far they have come in a lot of ways. Some maybe would have expected to get to this point and sometimes maybe not.

Then I would hope, representing University of Georgia. I would hope that that's what they would next.

And then obviously we feel like we play in a tremendous football league. That's been proven in terms of a number of teams that have had the chance to play for a National Championship from our league. I do believe good football is good football. I don't believe that's just one league that has a monopoly on it. But I do believe that our best teams have always had a chance to play for a National Championship. I think that's probably the best way to put it.

Good teams are good teams. Bad teams are bad teams. We've had a variety of teams that have had a chance to be able to play for it and I think that's a credit to the coaching. It's a credit to the area where we're at in terms of football being important. But good football is good football and TCU's a good football team, irrespective of league.

Q. (No microphone.)

TODD MONKEN: I don't know if evolving's probably it. I think the game has changed in a lots of ways. So I think you get to a certain point and you realize that -- I think the rules of the game are changing, which is advantage to the offense in some ways. Space players.

But when I said that I didn't mean it, per se, that it's what Kirby wants to do. What I meant is he's the head coach at Georgia. Wherever I've been it's been their offense. When I was at Oklahoma State it was Mike Gundy's offense. Wherever I've been it's, you represent the University of Georgia and Kirby Smart. And what we do is a byproduct of philosophically what I like to do and then our players that enable us to do what we want to do and Kirby signing off on it and understanding that we believe this is the best way for us to have success by the way we attack people.

Q. (No microphone.)

TODD MONKEN: I think what I said probably the most about Stetson is I think he has a rare ability to forget and get up off the mat and continue to compete. I think that's probably his greatest quality. Which is not easy. It's not easy for me. It's not easy for most people. When things don't go your way and when you got a lot on your shoulders, throw an interception, fumble the football, make a mistake. Because he's always touching the football. I think he has a rare ability to keep battling. And I think that's, it's been impressive.

Q. (No microphone.)

TODD MONKEN: Not likely.

Q. (No microphone.)

TODD MONKEN: I talked about it before. You got to apologize. Last year against Alabama he fumbles, they get the ball, we hold em to a field goal, thank God. And then we go right down the field, we were explosive, he made a bunch of plays.

And then last week he threw a pick and it got 21-7 and we came, we ended up scoring 17 straight points to take a 24-21 point lead. That just says who he is. That just says how he's wired. He's wired to forget. He believes in himself. He believed in himself even when we didn't. And that's impressive.

Q. (No microphone.)

TODD MONKEN: No.

Q. Do you remember the first time you saw Stetson on film or in person?

TODD MONKEN: Well when I got here he had come back, Justin Fields had left and Stetson was there and, you know, we are -- we're not any different than most. There's preconceived notions of whatever we see. The way a person looks, the way they carry themselves, a star rating. What someone else says about somebody we take it as gold. We do it all the time.

I won't speak for you guys, I do it all the time. And I'm wrong. And you look to others at times because of those perceptions and at times you're not always as astute to just look at what the product looks like. I think that there's a lot of times in life you get taught a valuable lesson and that's one of them.

Q. (No microphone.)

TODD MONKEN: We're blessed. Those guys are all -- we're blessed. Those guys are great football players. I'm just fired up they're all going to be here in the spring, because we're in a time and place where that doesn't happen. And those guys are really, really talented players and I'm excited to have 'em all this spring.

Obviously I'm not worried about that now, but you asked me a direct question as to those players. They have been very, very supportive of what we do, how we do it, how we coach 'em and Stetson.

Q. When you're looking at TCU on film, does Johnny Hodges stand out? Just as an academy guy that you can see qualities like that?

TODD MONKEN: Well what you find out is, like our two MVPs last week, Stetson Bennett and Bullard, neither one of those guys were, you know, you weren't on everybody's five-star list. There's good football players everywhere. He's a good football player. He's tough, he's physical, he's faster than you think, he's got great instincts. He plays in their system well. I mean anybody that plays for a team that's in the National Championship has talent.

Q. (No microphone.)

TODD MONKEN: That's crazy.

Q. (No microphone.)

TODD MONKEN: We all have perceptions. Had he been the same player and been playing for Alabama? I don't know. He might have had, I don't know. We all have it. It's not -- whatever you want to call it, different perceptions. So how someone looks or what place they're at or what ranking they have. And obviously they were right, right? Obviously they made an astute evaluation and said this guy's good enough.

Q. (No microphone.)

TODD MONKEN: Just looking at Stetson. Stetson was at the Heisman, for God sakes. He was at Jones Junior College eight years ago. So all you have to do is look at that and say, there is no direct route.

So congratulations to him and for TCU. They have got a number of guys like that. You got to do a great job evaluating, you got to do a great job of coaching 'em, a great job of putting them in positions where they can be successful. Where do they fit this position, this role. And that's the art of it.

Q. What do you think Stetson's legacy is going to be?

TODD MONKEN: Well you'll be hard pressed to find someone that loves the University of Georgia more than Stetson Bennett. I think growing up -- first of all, we all have dreams, all right. We all have, I want to be the head coach here or I want to be a movie star, I want to fly to the moon, I want to be a fireman. Whatever the hell you want to be when you're a kid. And Stetson Bennett wanted to be the quarterback at Georgia.

And that is rare that you get to where, whatever that dream might have been, whatever that would have been. And I'm too old to remember what that dream would have been, but I know what his was and I think that's awesome.

Q. You mentioned the three other quarterbacks. What do you think they do really well right now? What's things they need to work on?

TODD MONKEN: I think first of all to start with Carson, he's been there since I've been there. Then Brock's been there for a year and a half. I think the longer they're with you, have an understanding of expectations, concepts, willing to learn new things, embracing their role.

So they have done a great job. It's never easy. Everybody wants to play. It's hard to see down the road, all of us. And you try to tell 'em, Lou Holtz said this to me when I was a GA, and I'm not going to do it in his voice, but I would say that everybody wants to be a chief before they're a really good brave. There's a lot to that. Everybody wants to be the chief before they have done everything else to be a brave. And he's right.

And those guys have done a great job of learning how to be great braves and putting themselves in a position to be the chief.

Q. Talk about the defenses at Michigan, Ohio State. The talent level of those two. Compare their schemes at that level to the best in the SEC.

TODD MONKEN: Well, I mean good defense is good defense. Good programs are good programs. Ohio State has tremendous talent and they're very well coached. I always say this: Sometimes plays just work. Sometimes they don't.

I think you end up with coming up with your scheme and then fighting your rear end off during the week to get the best looks you can, compete the best you can, hold em to a high standard.

And you hope that on Saturday, Sunday, whenever that is that you play, or Monday, that it looks like you want it to look like. That's probably the biggest thing.

Michigan we played last year was a really good defense and they were even better this year.

Ohio State, really good on defense.

TCU, really good and defense.

Most of the time, I would say all the time you get here -- just like we played Ohio State, we always put up the teams statistical categories. Well that's not always the case. Like they're really good on offense, really good on defense. That's why you're here. TCU's really good on offense they're really good on defense. That's why they're here. And then we get to go play and figure it out.