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ROSE BOWL GAME: TEXAS v SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

January 2, 2006

Matt Leinart

PASADENA, CALIFORNIA

MATT LEINART: I mean, college is more throws, it's playing another year against great competition, seeing different defenses, maybe developing more as a thrower, maybe defenses. I don't know what they do at Texas, but maybe another year to help them do that. Another year helps with everything. You get more physical, bigger, faster, all that stuff.
Q. What's Texas thinking right now because you guys are getting all the love? Is that a negative for you guys?
MATT LEINART: Well, that's not our fault. No, I don't think it's a negative. I think that's how people are treating us or whatever.
But I know they don't care and I know we really don't care. We know they're going to be ready to play and they know we're going to be ready to play. That's the bottom line. Anyone can say everything, but the bottom line is we're going to play Wednesday night, and they're not going to -- I don't think they're going to have any extra incentive to go out and play harder because of this. They know how good we are and we know how good they are and that's all there is.
Q. Describe your emotions after the UCLA game.
MATT LEINART: It was just the last home game, kind of senior day, family was there. That week of practice, really the last week of the regular season, it was just tough. It was just one of those things where it was coming to an end and officially done almost. That was hard. This game is probably no different, but it is my last college game. I'm at the Rose Bowl, my home away from home. I'm just going to be ready to play. I'm going to enjoy it and soak it up, but I'm going to handle myself better.
Q. What do you think about some of your celebrity friends that the BCS won't allow on the field for this game that they probably want to see you in?
MATT LEINART: I haven't talked to any of them. I text messaged a few of them and said sorry you guys aren't going to be on the field, but that's how it is. I'm going to be doing my thing, they'll be doing their thing.
I don't know what it is. I don't know if I agree with all that, but I think people on both sidelines, it doesn't matter. It's a big game and people want to come watch it. It's in LA, but what are you going to do.
Q. Have you and Reggie talked about what yesterday transpired, that now that the NFL season is complete being drafted? Did you spend any time yesterday looking at it?
MATT LEINART: I watched the Texans-Niners, but I wasn't really following all that. Obviously once the game is over, I'll look at that and stuff and whatever he decides to do, I'll look at it. In all honesty we're really focusing on this game. We're not trying to think about the NFL and all that stuff.
Q. Do you speak Spanish?
MATT LEINART: Sí.
Q. Can you say, "Hola, soy Matt Leinart, welcome to the Rose Bowl?"
MATT LEINART: I can't do any of that stuff.
Q. (Inaudible).
MATT LEINART: Yeah, I represent SC, but at the same time, that small group of guys, we all represent each other and we represent the team and all that kind of stuff. But it's kind of cool when there's that small group of guys, 70, 71 guys and seven of them are as close as we are. I've talked to every one of those guys and not have really good relationships with all of them, but have had a chance to talk to all of them and are good friends with some of them and know all of them. We have a close group.
Q. (Inaudible).
MATT LEINART: No, not anymore, maybe a little bit. Maybe the Orange Bowl last year. I'm just going to go out there and play, and these types of games they'll come after me and try to pressure me, and they'll come after Reggie. But that football -- what's what Texas does. They're a great football team and they have a great defense.
Q. How do you expect this weather to affect playing conditions?
MATT LEINART: Hopefully it clears up by game time, but at the same time, we've been practicing the last two days and practicing really well. I mean, this is pretty bad, but it's supposed to clear up and be a nice day on Wednesday night.
We'll see what happens, but at the same time we played in stuff last year that was hail, 30 degrees, fog. We played in a lot of stuff and handled those situations pretty well. This will be no different for rain. So whatever it is, we'll be ready to go.
Q. Can you describe the feeling that this team has? Obviously the winning streak, but the way you've won the games, like against Notre Dame, you've overcome so much. What feeling does that give you?
MATT LEINART: This year battling back from Oregon and Arizona State and Notre Dame and finishing a great game like that, never giving up and staying true to our mottos that you can't win a game in the 1st, 2nd or 3rd quarter, it's all about how you finish. That's all we want to do. Fresno State, that game was one of the toughest games of the year, back and forth. We just found a way to finish that game, and that's all we have to do.
Q. How does Coach Carroll interact with the players he's recruiting? Does he walk in the door and --
MATT LEINART: Obviously winning is a big issue. But at the same time, his personality and the way he communicates with guys, we do have a great relationship with Coach and stuff.
And then the players, you know, we're honest with them. We can see what type of guys fit with us, and if they don't fit with us -- we're really honest. I think there's a lot of teams out there -- SC from what I've seen, they're pretty honest with you. We tell you straight up if we're going to play. We play freshmen. I think that's one reason is that guys can come in and play right away and make an impact. Just the fact that it all builds up and people want to go to the best team.
Q. Matt Huff was the Thorpe Award winner. Just your impressions of their secondary?
MATT LEINART: They're good. They're big and those guys play a lot of football. Michael Huff is a great secondary. You see him all over the field make making tackles in the backfield and covering receivers. They're a very talented group back there. Both their corners are very good. They've gotten a lot of hype pre-season and they deserve it. It's a great secondary, and they've got great guys up front, too.
Q. Can they match your speed and do you expect a shootout?
MATT LEINART: I don't know what the score is going to be. They do have a lot of speed, and their offense has a lot of speed, too, like we have. They see that every day just like we go up against it every day. I think the match-up is there on both sides of the ball.

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