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SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: LSU v GEORGIANovember 28, 2011Morris ClaiborneATLANTA, GEORGIA THE MODERATOR: Mo Claiborne is here. Mo, good afternoon. While we wait on questions from the media, can you talk about the LSU season and your berth in the championship game on Saturday. MORRIS CLAIBORNE: The season's been great. We've put in a lot of work, and it's paid off. Q. What do you think about the Georgia wideouts and the overall Georgia offense you'll be facing this week? MORRIS CLAIBORNE: I really haven't watched any film yet. We'll start on that today. But from what I've seen, previous games I watched on TV, they're pretty good with their scheme, and O‑lines are pretty balanced with the run and the pass. Q. Hey, Mo, I know you have guys from Alabama, Florida, some guys from Georgia, but when you talk about a state school and the possibility of a National Championship staying in, you have such a large group of guys from Louisiana. Have you guys ever kind of talked about that idea, that this many guys from that state have this opportunity now laid out in front of you? MORRIS CLAIBORNE: No, we really haven't discussed that, but now that you mention it, it's pretty interesting to me. No, we haven't really like actually discussed that really. Q. The idea of the pressure being on from first game on a neutral site, obviously a nationally ranked opponent, you guys have handled your business really well. Can I ask, some of the other guys were talking about Les Miles' role in all that? He said he didn't coach very well in '08 and '09. He said that last night. You've been around this team for several years. Have you seen any differences where you thought, wow, this was working for everybody, including the coaching staff? MORRIS CLAIBORNE: Coach Miles has put a lot into this program. He's been with us from day one from on the field issues to off the field issues. He's been on it, and he's been a great coach. Not only a great coach on the field but off the field also. He helped us through a lot, and he's just been loose this year. He's just letting us go out and play. We feed off that energy that he brings to the table, and we go out and perform at our best. Q. Little looser than the last two years? MORRIS CLAIBORNE: Yes, I would say so. Yes, sir. Q. What you've seen and you know about Aaron Murray, does he compare to any guys that you've played? MORRIS CLAIBORNE: Like I said, I really haven't watched too much film on it. We get started with that today. Q. What do you know about him? Do you know anything about him? MORRIS CLAIBORNE: Not really. Q. Mo, Brandon was just on here saying‑‑ I asked him about the secondary, and he said sometimes you all add up big tackles after the game. I'm just curious, who's winning the battle this season? Who do you say has made the most big plays back there for you guys? MORRIS CLAIBORNE: Our secondary as a whole, we've made a lot of plays. You just can't point just anyone out because the whole secondary as a whole, we've made a ton of plays. Q. Do you have a favorite one that you've made? You had that 89, 90‑yard pick against Tennessee that got you going, and you also had the huge one in Tuscaloosa that was such a big game. Or am I missing one? Do you have a favorite play you've made to this point? MORRIS CLAIBORNE: My favorite one is the interception I got against Alabama. Q. All you guys are play makers. How do you keep the egos in check that you all have back there? All you guys are getting a lot of national attention. How do you kind of stay so grounded and focused each week? MORRIS CLAIBORNE: It's easy. We just stay humble, and we keep working. We know that we want to be the best. We just can't stop‑‑ we can't be satisfied to where we're at. We got to keep putting the work into it and be better the next week. Q. Mo, staying on the same lines of the secondary, how much fun have you guys had this season working together compared to maybe last year or any other seasons you've been there? MORRIS CLAIBORNE: We have had so much fun. We do a lot of things on and off the field. Not saying that we didn't do that previous years, but we do much, much more as a unit on and off the field. We go out, and that's what we try to do. We try to go out and play hard, but most of all have fun doing it. Q. Obviously, you guys aren't going to think that you're going to struggle during the season, but to play at the level that you have in the secondary this season, does that even surprise you guys at all? MORRIS CLAIBORNE: No, not at all. We knew coming into the summer when we were doing seven on sevens, we were going to have a good year. We just have to put the work into it and go out and prove it. Q. Hey, Mo, wanted to ask you about your teammate Tyrann Mathieu. What makes him such a vicious hitter? He's forced a lot of fumbles. He's not really the biggest guy in the world. MORRIS CLAIBORNE: Just having that heart and just having that mindset that I'm going to do it. He's going to get the ball out. You don't just see that in the games, but you see it in practice. The way he practices, he practices always trying to get the ball out. The coach stresses that, and he does a good job at it. Q. Have you talked to Pat Peterson once this year? MORRIS CLAIBORNE: Yes, after every game. As a matter of fact, he just texted me a minute ago. Q. What's been his take on your team and the way you've played this year? MORRIS CLAIBORNE: He's loving it. Before he left, he told us that we just keep working, and we're going to be good. He said he knew we were going to be at where we're at right now. He's excited for us. Q. I wonder‑‑ there's not many teams out there that could lose a player of his stature‑‑ really when you look at not only him but Calhoun and Drake up front‑‑ and actually be better next year. What do you think that says about your depth and the talent you all have been able to stockpile the last year or two? MORRIS CLAIBORNE: It's amazing when you can not only replace those type of guys and just with the guys we have now, but like I said earlier, we have a young team and some guys who have seen those guys do it previously. They want to do it better, and they're just going out and putting the work into it. Q. Mo, have you seen over the course of the season your defensive line is so active, so much in the backfield. Do quarterbacks sometimes‑‑ I don't want to say it becomes easier, but is it a little bit easier when you see guys maybe throw it a little quicker, and you guys jump routes so they can't wait as long as for guys to get in? Can you talk about your work and the DB world? MORRIS CLAIBORNE: It's amazing. We try to work together. We get those guys to get in and put pressure on the quarterback and make him do things he don't want to do with the ball. And we try to cover our guys as long as we can. As long as it takes those guys to get to them, we try to handle our business as well. This year they did a tremendous job getting in the backfield, making the quarterback do some things they didn't want to do. When he makes a mistake with the ball on the secondary, we try to jump on it. Q. Have you seen at times during the game itself where a guy might be looking to get rid of it a little bit too quickly and you guys have the advantage? MORRIS CLAIBORNE: Yeah, I've seen it plenty of times when guys are trying to hit routes or whatever. But the defensive line is in his face, and he can't get to it. THE MODERATOR: That's going to wrap it up. Thank you for your time today. We'll see you at the Dome on Friday. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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