CFP FIRST ROUND: PENN STATE VS SMU

December 21, 2024

Kobe Wilson

Matthew Hibner

Beaver Stadium

SMU Mustangs

Postgame Press Conference

Penn State 38, SMU 10

MODERATOR: All right, everyone. Welcome back to the Beaver Stadium media room. We are joined by number 24, Kobe Wilson, and number 88, Matthew Hibner. Please do raise your hand if you have any questions. A microphone will be brought to you, remember to state your name and the outlet you represent before asking your question. Start in the front row.

Q. Steven Landsdale, Pony Fans. As transfers from Temple and Michigan, you guys at least had played in weather like this before. Did you talk to any of your teammates about how to block out the conditions or handle them and deal with what you're facing today?

MATTHEW HIBNER: Yeah, I mean, for the most part, it's really just the mentality. I mean, there's little things you can do as far as latex gloves under the gloves, things like that, but it wasn't raining. It wasn't snowing. It wasn't anything crazy. It was partly cloudy most of the day. Once you get out on the field and you start playing, it just feels like every other game. For me, at least, the weather's never really been a factor and I think most of the team felt pretty much the same way.

Q. Kobe, just what are your thoughts on your career just coming from kind of a late addition from Temple and coming into this program and emerging as not only a leader, but one of the best players on the defense and just how do you kind of bounce between that and just the ride coming to an end?

KOBE WILSON: Um, I just think that growth has been a big portion of my career, so me growing as a player as well as a man, every year has been progression for me and the coaching staff has played a big part in that by developing me as a player and a man and I felt like that shows a lot about SMU and the culture they set because I wasn't -- like I wasn't starting at Temple. When I got to SMU, I got the starting role and then I started producing and that's not because of me, but because they put me through that developmental stage and they got me better to where I am today, so I just felt like growth has been tremendous throughout these years.

Q. Matt, Chris from The Athletic. The first couple of drives, the fourth down play, the pick sixes, how frustrating was that as an offense that you guys are kind of moving the ball and not finishing drives and getting it down and actually giving up points.

MATTHEW HIBNER: Yeah, definitely frustrating. We know who we are as an offense and we didn't display who we were as an offense today and we all know that. Everybody made mistakes, everybody could have played better. It'll be fun to go back and watch the film and learn from it all, but, you know, it is disheartening that we came out and started a little bit slow. Did the same thing against Clemson. It'll be something to reflect on and really evaluate how we can be really intentional about fixing that issue in the future.

Q. Jacob Richman, Lone Star Live. For both of you, what do you hope that people will remember about this team for years to come when they look back on what you guys did this year?

KOBE WILSON: I just hope they remember how hard we played on that field and, like, we never gave up. That first half was like 28-0, but then they only ended up scoring ten points and we scored ten points so just how hard we played on that field from game one to this game and how much we love each other and how great this coaching staff has done with us. I hope they just remember that and the culture that we brought back to SMU. I felt like we brought that swagger back here and now more people are going to want to come here rather than the Baylors, the TCUs, the whatever, so we just hope that people take that into account and they just keep supporting us and keep loving on us.

Q. You mentioned the 28-point margin at halftime, but like Coach Lashlee was saying, a lot of what happened in the first half was self-inflicted. I wonder if you could share at all anything about the conversations in the locker room as you guys tried to regroup and gather yourselves for the second eh half.

MATTHEW HIBNER: Yeah, I mean, even at half, it wasn't necessarily about making adjustments. I mean, Penn State's obviously a great defense, and they were able to make things harder for us and, you know, sort of putting us in situations where turning the ball over was more likely to happen, but at the end of the day, we just needed to get back to, you know, just the fundamentals of football, running through our plays, doing it, executing better. I felt like we did that to an extent. It just should have came out and did it in the first half.

MODERATOR: Anymore questions for our student-athletes? Kobe and Matthew, thank you for our time. Members of the media, thank you for your attendance today. Please travel home safely.