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ROSE BOWL GAME PRESENTED BY VIZIO: TCU v WISCONSINDecember 30, 2010Tank CarderPASADENA, CALIFORNIA Q. Sometimes I talk to linebackers, scheme to scheme, some defensive linemen are called to block linebackers and as a result they're left a little cleaner to make plays and tackles. Where do you guys fit into that scheme? Do you have to fend off guards and stuff? TANK CARDER: You're always going to have to shuck tacklers, especially as linebackers. That's right in-your-face football. That's what we like to do too though. But mostly we're a gap control defense. That is the way we like to run our defense. It is mostly gap control. That's hopefully what our game plan's been around and what will hopefully work for us. Q. Who else do you play with? TANK CARDER: Tanner Brock. He's my other linebacker that I play with. Q. Do you want to strike a blow for the other non-automatic qualifying conferences? Are you getting that a lot this week? Obviously you're just doing your job. TANK CARDER: I really don't think about stuff like that, you know what I'm saying? But it definitely when you show up for the smaller schools that are non-AQ conferences and you're trying to make a statement in the nation, it does kind of give all the smaller schools, I guess you could say that are in the non-qualifying conferences, I guess, a little bit of a kind of you could say a little bit more want to kind of get where we're at. If they can do it, we can do it. Q. Did you keep rack? TANK CARDER: No, we didn't keep track, but we did eat a lot of that prime rib. It was good. Q. Talk a little bit about their quarterback? TANK CARDER: He's definitely helped me out by kind of getting that chemistry. Starting with him last year and this year. It's good to have him back there knowing he's going to make the right calls to get the right defense called. He's been doing this since he was a freshman. He came in as a true freshman and started and felt like he was the back bone of the defense. Q. What makes Coach Bumpas unique as a defensive coordinator? How does he help you develop as a player? TANK CARDER: Coach Bumpas I guess what makes him unique is his toughness. He just wants everybody to get out there and hit everything they see. That is his mentality. It's rough and tough. That's what I like about him. That's what makes him a good defensive coordinator. He always wants to instill good tackling, running to the ball. Find the point of attack before they do. That is one of the unique things about him. I feel he's helped me with that as to getting ready for game day. Especially when I was first season, my first season to start, it was kind of new to me to be out there a lot. He just would kind of help me out there with that. Q. What specific advice has he given you in terms of game planning? TANK CARDER: Oh, just running the ball. He always talks about getting to the point of attack before the other player. I mean, that is definitely part of the game. It is whoever can get to the point of attack where they're going to break the line of scrimmage, whoever get there's first is going to win the game. And I feel like he's really instilled that in us and especially in our players. Q. (Inaudible) so far do you have a preference of which city you like better, which state you like better? You've spent a lot of time in California? TANK CARDER: They're kind of both so close. They're kind of the same. But they're both really nice. The people that I used to race with, I got really close to them and I always lived out here. They live in Arizona now, in Phoenix. So I've been to both, and I like them both. There is not really a preference. They're both nice. I think as far as downtown Los Angeles goes, I think Phoenix is a little cleaner, but that is just how cities go. I feel like Phoenix is a little more spread out and L.A.'s more compact as far as downtown goes. But it's nice. Q. You're not taking on Boise State this year. Is this the opportunity to maybe prove that the non-AQ teams belong in this system and make a statement come Saturday? TANK CARDER: It definitely gives us a little bit of motivation, and it definitely would mach a statement for the non-AQ teams if we did go up against the Big 10 and win. But that's out of our hands right now. All we've got to do is prepare, and hopefully come Saturday we'll be ready. Q. What have you been ahearing about the whole getting a chance in the Rose Bowl? It's not the most traditional bowl game that you would think TCU would play in? TANK CARDER: It was definitely an honor when the Rose Bowl invited us to come play in their bowl game. It feels good to be a part of something like that because it's been going around so long. It's TCU's first, and it feels great to be a part of that. Q. You're kind of the underdogs, even though it's hard to say that when you're ranked third in the nation. But do you look at being underdogs in this game? Do you think you are the favorites? TANK CARDER: I definitely feel like we're the underdogs in this game. That's just how you have to feel about every game. You have to go into the game with the burn and hunger that you definitely could get beaten by that other opponent, no matter who it is. Definitely Wisconsin's going to cull in here and want to beat us just as we want to beat them. But it's going to be a dog fight the whole game but it will be fun. Q. Does that underdog mentality come with the territory in playing down in TCU? TANK CARDER: It does. When I got there, we were 25th in the nation and barely in the top 25. Gradually working our way up into the BCS talk and the National championship talk. It feels great to be a part of that. Q. It's like the weirdest mascot, have you ever seen a horned frog? TANK CARDER: I've seen a couple horned frogs. They're actually a bearded dragon, but it's a horned frog. Q. It's a bearded dragon? TANK CARDER: That is technically the animal it looks like is the bearded dragon, but it's a horned frog. Q. Where have you seen them? TANK CARDER: They're at pet smart and pet coup there. Q. Are you serious? TANK CARDER: Yeah, back at home. Q. You haven't seen one in the wild or anything? TANK CARDER: No. Q. So do you think it's a weird mascot for a team to have? TANK CARDER: I won't say it's a weird mascot, but it's definitely a mascot. They've got some weird ones out there, but I can say horned frogs are up there at thep top of the list. Q. Do you have any horned frog memorabilia at home now? TANK CARDER: Oh, yeah, definitely. They've got all kinds of stuff. Blankets. Q. With the picture of the horned frog? TANK CARDER: Yeah. Q. It's like wow, when you first went to school there, did you think about it? TANK CARDER: Not really. I knew it was our mascot. I've learned to love him. I've learned to love the super frog. Q. What is the super frog? What is that? TANK CARDER: That's the horned frog, our mascot. That's him. Q. Talk a little bit about guys that maybe get overlooked coming out of high school some? TANK CARDER: Really, Iowa was talking to me, and Kansas State. But I mean there were no offers. It was just letters. I had talked maybe to the coach one time, not the head coach, but one of the assistant coaches. But really they didn't show no interest in me. The only Division 1 team that showed a lot of interest was TCU, and they offered me two weeks before signing day. Q. How big were you then? TANK CARDER: 6'2.5, 198. Q. It's not like you're 5'11? TANK CARDER: No, I had the height. I just needed to put on a little weight. Q. (Inaudible)? TANK CARDER: Probably because of my size, my weight. That was probably the most reason why I got overlooked was because of my weight. Q. (Inaudible)? TANK CARDER: Yeah, I went to actually SMU camp and got defensive MVP of that, and then went to the LSU camp and got one of the top aWards there too. Q. Did they make you any offers? TANK CARDER: No. Q. Were you surprised? TANK CARDER: A little bit, but I was pretty much ready for it. I knew I wasn't big enough for SEC teams and things like that. Q. In terms of meeting the coach, is it like a job interview? TANK CARDER: I really just wanted to be myself to show them really how I was, because I would want them to do the same. I would want them to be the way that they really are and don't put on a front, you know what I'm saying? So I wanted to be real with the coaches when I would meet with them, just as I wanted them to be real with me. Q. How much did people know about your background and what you had done? TANK CARDER: As far as when I was in high school? Q. No, no. What was the reaction at TCU? TANK CARDER: They didn't know nothing about my background until after I got there. Couple weeks after I got there they would -- a couple weeks after I got there, they started -- what was the question? Q. What was the reaction? TANK CARDER: After a couple weeks after I got there that's when they started looking online and see that I used to race bikes and things like that. Q. What is the craziest thing you've ever done? TANK CARDER: Probably jump off a train bridge. Q. How high was it? TANK CARDER: Probably about 45 foot, 45, 50 foot. Q. When did you do that? TANK CARDER: I did that a couple times in high school. That was just a train bridge on the river we used to go boating on. And we'd always climb up that train bridge. Q. Which lake was that? TANK CARDER: Lake Jackson. Q. Why did you do that? TANK CARDER: Just something to do, something fun. Q. When was the last time you were scared? TANK CARDER: Oh, man, probably when I was a little kid. Scared of the dark. Q. Were you always an adrenaline guy? TANK CARDER: Definitely you could say I'm an adrenaline junky. Q. (Inaudible) do you see a lot of parallels playing in that game to what you did as a younger kid? TANK CARDER: There are definitely a lot of parallels. There is a lot of intensity that goes into playing when I used to race bikes and do that and all the stuff I used to do. It's definitely an adrenaline rush. I feel that's how it is every play. Whenever the ball snaps, it's 7 seconds of hell. You've got to go get the ball. Q. Do you still do the bikes? TANK CARDER: Not the racing part, but I still wakeboard every summer. Q. First time to California? TANK CARDER: No, I came to California a lot when I was younger. Q. Where you from? TANK CARDER: South of Houston, Sweeney, Texas. Q. What year are you? TANK CARDER: I'm a senior in the class, and junior on the field. I've still got one more year left, but I'll graduate in the spring hopefully. Q. What are you studying? TANK CARDER: Communications. They always say when they ask your study don't say communication, because it's not. I study communications. Q. What are you going to do after that? TANK CARDER: I don't know. Hopefully maybe get a sports broadcaster or something like that. That would be nice. That would be fun. Q. What do you think is at stake in this game for both of these teams? TANK CARDER: Everything's at stake. The BCS talk of TCU not good enough to play in a National Championship. Non-AQ team going and playing against a great Big 10 team. There's just all kinds of bragging rights and all inkinds of talk. The National talk about TCU not being good enough to be in the top of the polls. There are just a lot of things at stake for this game. Q. Short of a National title, is this the best match-up you could expect from a team? TANK CARDER: Definitely one of the hottest teams in the Big 10. You could say that. They're a great football team. They run the ball real well. It's definitely I'd have to say the next best thing I guess you could say than the National Championship. The Rose Bowl is a great honor to be here. It's great to be a part of such a good legacy you could say. Q. (Inaudible) does it bother you that you're not in the National Championship? TANK CARDER: No, be not at all. We knew that Auburn and Oregon were great teams and they deserved to be in the National title game. But as far as for us, we were thrilled to come to the Rose Bowl and play here. We figured it was a great honor. Q. Is there more to the game (Inaudible)? TANK CARDER: Maybe after the game we might see something else coming into it such as the National talk and all of that. But right now it's just a game. We want to go on out there and just win by one point. Q. What is the players perspective going into the game? TANK CARDER: Oh, we're thrilled. We can't wait. I feel like if Coach Patterson goes to the Big East and carries his program there like he's done in the Mountain West, we could have multiple National titles. Q. Are you trying to make a statement before you get there? TANK CARDER: I mean, that's in two years, so we've still got another year in the Mountain West. We know what we have to do. We know we're going there, and whenever that year comes we'll prepare for it just the way we have. But as of right now we're glad we're still a part of the Mountain West, and just want to keep playing a Game 1 at a time. Q. This is the biggest stage you guys have been on? TANK CARDER: This is definitely the biggest stage we've been on. Like I said, it's at the Rose Bowl. There is nothing you can want more than playing at the Rose Bowl against a Big 10 team like Wisconsin. Q. Whenever Wisconsin plays a team from the south, do you see it that way based on what you know? TANK CARDER: It is definitely speed versus power. Wisconsin prides themselves on their big O-linemen, and running the ball and smash mouth. Lining up head up and going at you. We pride ourselves in running to the ball, making plays, running to the ball, everybody swarming to the ball. So it's definitely going to be a lot of fun, and it will be a great match-up because they're showing really the brawn against speed. Q. This is I would have to say probably the most athletic offensive line. Some other ones in recent years, the guys can move as I'm sure you've seen? TANK CARDER: They definitely can move. That's what makes they will unique. They're big, 330 pound guys and they can move 270 pound linemen. That's what makes them great at what they do. Q. (Inaudible)? TANK CARDER: It definitely puts a lot more factors in the the game. You've got to change up the way you run your defense around it too because if it's just slow offensive linemen, you're just going to run your defense. But they have a lot of speed, so they can get to other places and block points and we've got to create leverage. That is going to come with the play that gets called. Whenever the game time comes, whatever they run, we'll have to prepare for it and get ready for it. Q. When they change running backs, it's a real change of pace. How hard is that to deal with when you go from this guy and that weight? TANK CARDER: It definitely plays a lot into our game plan. They could have John Clay in there and running the power right at you and all downhill, then they can take another running back and put maybe 28 or 20 in and run a play action and run him on a wheel. You've just got to prepare differently for each back, and that comes with any formation you get. Whatever the formation is, you've got to line your defense up to effectively beat that offense. Q. For a defense, when you look at the Wisconsin schedule and the scores, they've had some big scores. What is the first thing that jumps to your mind? TANK CARDER: Whenever you see all those scores the first thing you think about is you don't want that to be you on the board with all those points scored against them. That is the worst thing. Just getting run out of the stadium, I guess you could say. We feel like we're going to go in there and do what we do. That is what we're going to do. That is what their coach is probably telling then. Just do what you do. Don't do more than you've done all season. Q. What is the toughest part of their run game? TANK CARDER: I would probably say the toughest part is stopping it. They can get going on a 10 to 15-play drives and pounding the ball, pounding the ball, and then oops you faked it. Now they're running the play action boot and throwing it for a touchdown. The toughest challenge is going to be effectively playing the pass and the run at the same time throughout the whole game. Q. Sounds like you've been asked and every year there is that one non-automatic qualifier that puts alled other ones on their back and goes and plays against the big boys in a bowl game. Do you feel that? TANK CARDER: I guess you could say we've been used to it. These past few years such as last year and this year, kind of that role of the non-AQ, because we've been there, the non-AQ has been diminished a little bit. But there is still that burn that you get whenever you go into a big game like this that you want to have something to prove to the nation that we do deserve up here at the top. That's out of our hands right now. We just want to win by one point when it comes time to play the game. ? Q. First and foremost, you're up against a team that your team has a really short history with one game way back when. What's it like going up against a team that you have no grudge, no rivalry here. It's just you and them. Do you know what to expect at this point? I imagine you've watch a lot of tape? TANK CARDER: You definitely watch a lot of tape. Both teams have been preparing for each other since the end of the season. You find out in whatever bowl game we're going to play in. You're just ready to play the game. You want to go into the game prepared just as you want to go into every game. That is just the main thing we've got to do is stay focused. We've only got two more days left. Q. Everybody in the media has been making a big deal on the size of Wisconsin versus the speed of TCU. You're obviously one of the speed guys there. How do you change your game plan and view some of those big sons of guns? TANK CARDER: I mean, you definitely really don't change your game plan. You want to keep doing what you've been doing. You prepare for every team differently, for sure. You definitely prepare for every team differently. For the most part you want to keep doing what you've been doing all year that's been effective. I'm sure that's what both teams are going with right now. Q. Do you have any concerns going you up against guys that size? For a guy named Tank I wouldn't think that would be as much of a concern? TANK CARDER: It's definitely a concern. Whenever you've got a team like Wisconsin with the great offensive line they have and the speed and the size and the effectiveness of how they run their football game, it's definitely going to be -- it definitely rises a challenge and I have a lot of respect for the team because of that. Q. Scott Tolzien's often called a game manager. He keeps things coordinated and keeps things together back there. Are you expecting to get some pressure on him, maybe throw him off his game? TANK CARDER: Right now we just want to stop the run and win by one point. That is the game plan right now. We know they're going to try to run that at us. They've been running the ball in every game this year. So right now we just need to stop the run and create leverage and win by one point. Q. (Inaudible) when they first found out about the Rose Bowl game. He asked what is a horned frog? TANK CARDER: The technical name is a bearded dragon, but we dubbed it the horned frog, and it can shoot blood out of its eyes and things like that. Q. Seriously? TANK CARDER: Yeah. Q. That does sound pretty scary? TANK CARDER: Yeah, it's pretty cool. Q. How hard has it been -- you know there are three running backs at Wisconsin that are all pretty different. How hard is it to know what's coming at you some? TANK CARDER: It definitely creates a challenge. Like I said earlier, they can put the big back in, John Clay and pound it, pound it, pound it, then put a little back in and put him on a play action run on the wheel and put him down field. That is really the most challenge that it creates is having those many backs that you can rotate in and out is knowing which one is in the game and preparing for what they do out of that formation. Q. Wisconsin which is's (Inaudible) what are you expecting from them? TANK CARDER: We're expecting them to play with whatever back is going to be effective for them to run the ball. Q. Does it matter as far as your strengths which one you guys would like? TANK CARDER: As far as how we prepare for them, it really doesn't matter. We know what we're going to do for whatever they can throw at us. What comes with that is the urgency to get the job done. So whenever we go into the game, we just want to win by one point. Q. What would be more challenging, if you had one guy that gets into a rhythm, that can be hard. But they have three people. What do you think will be harder? TANK CARDER: It's just running the plays, I guess. Whenever they put the guy in, you have to know which one is in the game. They really don't create a challenge for whichever back is in. What creates the challenge is them changing their backs out and rotating them in and out, and like you said, keeping fresh legs in there. That's what we have to do too is keep fresh legs in the game. Q. You look like you're ready to run on the field and get it going. Are you at that point where you want the game day to be here and get it going? TANK CARDER: Oh, yeah. We've been out here since last Friday. I mean, we've been waiting. It feels like we've been waiting for a decade for this game to start because we've been out here so long. But it's all in good time, and we only have two days left. Q. What is the best piece of advice that you've gotten from a coach or friend about dealing with this week and dealing with gale day? TANK CARDER: You definitely can't get too excited too early. Whenever you try to start preparing way too early, you can lose focus, you can say. You kind of use up all your energy, I guess you could say. You've just got to maintain yourself throughout the week and get ready for the game gradually. Then come game day be totally focused on what's going down. Q. A number of your senior players actually wanted an earlier curfew. What did you think about that? TANK CARDER: I felt like it was a better thing. Obviously last year the the things that we did weren't effective in winning the football game, so I didn't have a problem with it at all because I knew if it was going to help us win the game, that I was down for whatever was going to do that. Q. What time has your Kur /TAOU been this week? TANK CARDER: 12:00. Q. What was it a year ago? TANK CARDER: I think it was 12:30 or 1:00 some of the nights. Q. (Inaudible)? TANK CARDER: Definitely you can see it in the guys. You get a little more sleep at night. That is good whenever the next day we have to get up and focus on practice and things like that. It's been really good for us just as far as us approaching the game time. Q. Were you guys looking for redemption given last year? TANK CARDER: I don't see it as redemption because it's a totally different team, it's a totally different bowl game. There are a lot more different things at stake. It's a totally different game. You can't compare it to last year as far as the team goes. But as far as the BCS talk, it is kind of a redemption game I guess you could say. But we just want to go in there and try to beat Wisconsin. Q. They teach you the 4-2-5 defense in the next few days? TANK CARDER: Definitely the first, whenever guys come in at first at two-a-days and some guys come in in the spring, I guess you could say the first week is really a learning day. The first day or two it's kind of just helmets, no pads or anything. Kind of running around and getting back into it. And they install the whole defense in four days. Q. I understand there are two calls that come in. Does that create confusion at any time or do you always know which call? TANK CARDER: You pretty much have an idea what you're going to. Do you know they hold up personnel cards. You know whenever the coach gives you the plays that you need to call you know what you need to do on the next play. Q. How do you think that matches up against Wisconsin? TANK CARDER: What scheme? Q. As far as your defense. TANK CARDER: It definitely matches up with like all the talk has been speed against power. We base our defense around speed and creating leverage, and that's what we've got to do to beat Wisconsin. Q. Everybody in this room probably has a different thing they consider to be the key to the game on sar. What do you consider to be the key and how important is the first ten minutes of staying in the game sort of thing? TANK CARDER: I feel like the key to the games would be we've got to tackle. We've got to tackle. You can't miss any tackles. You've got to create leverage. Creating leverage gets you to the ball faster. Lastly, meeting the runner at the point of attack. Whenever they run the ball because that's what they're going to want to do. Meeting them at the point of attack and not giving up yards. Q. Is that on a big stage and big game like this so everybody's not going to be caught running around or staying within what they need to be doing? TANK CARDER: You talking about the first ten minutes of the game? Q. Yes. TANK CARDER: In the first ten minutes of the game that will definitely be the time of the game when everybody gets their jitters out. That is that ten minutes where you get into the game and you start losing that, I guess, the light at the end of the tunnel look. The starry look. The we've arrived. You lose that and you start getting into the feel of the game and getting used to it. It's just another football game or we're back in the game. Q. You guys won this game, you have a legitimate claim to National championship. TANK CARDER: I'm sure there are a lot of people and critics out there that feel we shouldn't be in the game. And I'm sure there are a lot of critics out there that feel we shouldn't be part of the BCS talks. But that's just personal preference. I don't have any control over any of that stuff. I just want to play Wisconsin and hopefully win by one point. Q. (Inaudible)? TANK CARDER: We're definitely prepared for them to run the ball a lot. I'm sure they're going to play action along with that and rye to catch us off guard and get us out of position. But we've prepared for them to run the ball the majority of the game. Q. (Inaudible)? TANK CARDER: Oh, yeah, it's always fun when you have a challenge like this. They're so big and fast, they create such a challenge for linebackers and D-line men. It will definitely be a lot of fun. Q. Lot of people talk about how well Wisconsin's run. Back in Madison where we came from, they have to expect it's a big advantage. What do you expect, do you think either team will have an advantage when it comes to crowd noise? TANK CARDER: I think they have a little more of an a lotment of tickets. But our crowd will be there and hopefully as loud as theirs and show up ready to cheer the horned frogs on. Q. What do you think playing this game means for TCU? TANK CARDER: It means a whole lot for the program and the conference. It means a whole lot because this is the first time we've ever been to the Rose Bowl. There is a lot of history in this game. It was a great honor to be a part of this. It definitely means a lot for the school and the program. End of FastScripts |
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