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ROSE BOWL GAME PRESENTED BY VIZIO: OREGON v WISCONSINDecember 29, 2011Chris BorlandPASADENA, CALIFORNIA Q. So for you, obviously you came off injuries at the beginning of the season. What was that like having that shoulder surgery? CHRIS BORLAND: It was difficult. I had to get over that mental block that you have a lot of times with injuries. I felt confident‑‑ I did everything I could in the rehab process. But there's always those first hits and tackles, and you get scared if you get a sore shoulder. But I overcame that and it's been smooth sailing since. Q. A lot of people when they get injured it's really almost as much as difficult mentally as it is physically. When you were recovering from that not playing, how was that? How did that go for you? CHRIS BORLAND: I think it's definitely more mentally difficult than it is physically. You just go through the rehab and you progress physically. But mentally sitting out‑‑ especially I had sat out the entire season and then spring ball not having played spring ball my freshman season either. So I was so hungry to get out there, but you can't. And then right when you get back, you get eased into it, too. So you can't unleash it. So you have a lot of pent‑up aggression. You want to play the game but you can't. That was definitely a challenging thing mentally. Q. What's been your relationship like with Mike Taylor? CHRIS BORLAND: Mike and I are really close. We're friends on and off the field. And he's a great guy to play with. He plays the game the right way. He approaches it the right way. And he's just a good teammate. Q. Do you guys help each other a little bit in terms of‑‑ I mean it's as much physically and mentally through your injuries, do you guys help each other that way? CHRIS BORLAND: I think we supported each other. I think also we're two competitive guys. So wanted to get back out there and play was our main motivation. And we kind of went back and forth with each other's injuries, motivating each other and getting each other ready to play. Q. When you look at Oregon's offense, what is it like? What do you think you need to do to stop Oregon? CHRIS BORLAND: I think as the Mike linebacker, with their tempo, I need to get the calls out and recognize offensive formations immediately. There's really no time to be wrong or second‑guess. But then Mike and I, as linebackers in general, have to tackle well, have to be gap‑sound, because those backs will hit the gaps, if they have a sliver of an opening. So be in the right place at the right time and tackle. Because if you miss tackles a five‑yard gain can become 25‑yard gains pretty quickly. Q. After you came back from that injury, you switched from outside linebacker to middle linebacker. What was that switch like, especially because you were probably taking more hits on your shoulders? CHRIS BORLAND: It was a difficult transition for me at first. My freshman year I played off the edge, and we have a 3‑4 scheme at the time. I came off the edge as more a pass rusher and doing it, playing outside, Mike's not that similar. So I had to change a lot of things in my game and get used to the different angles and the tempo of your footwork when you're at Mike versus an outside linebacker or pass rusher. So that took some time. So I think overall with the help of the coaches I was able to make the transition. Q. (Inaudible) CHRIS BORLAND: Yeah. You know, kind of epitomized what it's about. He's been through a lot, and injuries and his life and everything. He's just been a workman his entire time at Wisconsin. He's switched positions, been hurt. But ultimately he's been a captain. He's a leader for our guys on and off the field, very religious. Just a great person to be in the program. Q. (Inaudible) he's such a people person? CHRIS BORLAND: Yeah, that's a good thing to say about him. He gets along with everybody. He's so respectful of everybody. He's just a great guy. Q. What do you think about the tempo? Teams have adjusted this year, quick plays and so forth. So they're not the same team as last year. But you guys probably had to adjust to that? CHRIS BORLAND: Absolutely. That's one of the first things they address when you play Oregon. And it's preparations all the stuff, emulate Oregon's tempo. So our scouts have done a great job two ways and getting plays out every eight to ten seconds. So that's helped a great deal. Q. Patrick, your "D" lineman, said (inaudible) is enough time to adjust to that. Do you concur with that? The Ducks have been doing it for a couple of years? CHRIS BORLAND: That's true, they do it well. I think Patrick's right. A month's a long time and we've done the right things to prepare for that tempo, the way we practice and conditioning. We understand what it is versus sometimes people get confused out there (inaudible). I'm not sure yet, I went to the Lakers game last year. Q. (Inaudible) CHRIS BORLAND: I don't know. Does Bill Murray go to Lakers games? Can I chat with him, ask him about his movie? Probably be annoying to him. Q. (Inaudible) CHRIS BORLAND: Not a big golfer. I just like Bill Murray. Q. What do you think about (inaudible) CHRIS BORLAND: He's a great player. One of the best in the country. (Inaudible) he's also gotten a little tougher. Tougher last year and this year and put on a little bit of weight. (Inaudible). Q. Kind of a challenge for you and your fellow backers, right? CHRIS BORLAND: Yeah, it will be. Every team that's played them this year I think has gotten a taste of how good they really are. And it's evident on film. So we're no different. We're going to have to take care of our business in order to be able to stop those guys. Q. They're not unique. They do have two backs and then sort of a hybrid back in De'Anthony Thomas. What are some of your thoughts on De'Anthony? He's got some pretty good moves open field? CHRIS BORLAND: You can cut him a dime. And he's got great acceleration. I had a class with some of our track athletes and they were talking about him as a track star. So I understand he's a great player. And they use him really effectively, put him in positions to be successful. So with our scheme and then our fundamentals as players, we're going to have to be able to account for him and then stop him. Q. Just one more thing. Is there anything‑‑ is there a team that you've played in the last couple of years that even resembles their kind of speed? CHRIS BORLAND: As far as players' speed, I'd point to Miami, when we played in the Champs Bowl 2009, first play when Sam Shields returned it for a touchdown, on kickoff. That type of speed at the skilled positions and their tempo would be similar to Arizona State, who we played last year. They're in a no‑huddle. As many plays as you can get in type thing. Different offense, but their tempo's similar. Q. You've not played an offense like this, though, right? CHRIS BORLAND: I don't know‑‑ well, a little bit out of the pistol. Teams like Indiana and UNLV. But with all respect due to those teams, Oregon's a different animal. They do it better than anybody. So it will be a challenge. Q. Can you talk about missing last year's game. Did you guys room together? CHRIS BORLAND: Yeah. Q. He said you were pretty miserable? CHRIS BORLAND: Yeah. I had surgery on the 23rd and flew out on Christmas. So‑‑ Q. Merry Christmas? CHRIS BORLAND: Yeah, Merry Christmas and my birthday's right after. So happy birthday. Happy New Year. I don't want to be too pitiful, because it was a great experience to come out here. I enjoyed it for what it's worth. I tried my best to respect where I was. But it was hard. It was hard to be out. And not even didn't want to or anything, I really couldn't do a lot of things. I couldn't walk around a lot. Couldn't go to Disneyland and stuff. And then the game, most obviously. So last year wasn't very much fun. But with our hard work we put in we got back this year. Q. Mike equated it to the year before where you were playing against Miami in the Bowl game and he was the walking wounded. CHRIS BORLAND: I can remember that. I remember Mike sitting in his room asking guys to pick him up some food. It's not very fun to have a surgery and especially it's salt in the wounds to get a trip like this or Miami and not be able to take advantage of it. Q. Looking at the injuries that happened to both of you, how much does coming back from that and playing in the Rose Bowl, and trying to win it, obviously, how much does that mean to you? CHRIS BORLAND: I think being hurt and missing time makes you grow more mature. I think you respect things more. I think sometimes guys don't really appreciate what they have. And to have it taken away from you really makes you respect the game and then a trip like this and a successful year. Q. (Inaudible) CHRIS BORLAND: Yeah, just off the crutch. That was a big hotel down there in Orlando. So you'd have to crutch for a quarter of mile to get a PB and J. Q. What's the challenge playing nickel against them? Obviously they run it so well. Can you get away with playing nickel against them? CHRIS BORLAND: You can if you've got a good nickel. I think we have that in Sheldon. But it was a challenge because they have so much speed. But they can go and run a power play up the middle and your nickel's going to be asked‑‑ obviously plays in space but he'll be asked to stop the run inside. So that's very difficult. I believe in Sheldon, and I think we can do it with him. Q. Do you have faith in your running defense in nickel? CHRIS BORLAND: Yes, like I said, it's just one guy and that guy's Sheldon. And he's physical. He's smart and he's fast. He can defend the run as well as some of our Sam linebackers. Q. Is it tough for Claxton, not being involved as much? CHRIS BORLAND: Yeah, it's part of the game. It's tough for our Sam linebackers when you play teams that like to spread it out because we're in nickel a lot. But Claxton's done a great job this year with dealing with that. He's got a lot of character and he's taken it well. Q. Do you guys feel like heavy underdogs? CHRIS BORLAND: We hear it a lot. I don't know how we've given it too much thought but we understand we're not picked to win this game by many people. Q. Anybody talk about you guys? CHRIS BORLAND: It's a little different here at media day. But I know out there, I don't know that there's really been too much respect. Q. Last year it was like a known situation, you guys knew how good TCU was, but all your fans expected you to win the game, yet you were still underdogs. A tough situation? CHRIS BORLAND: It was. They were a good team. I can't remember if we were picked to win that game. Q. You were actually the underdog. CHRIS BORLAND: Our fans expected‑‑ Q. How good they were. CHRIS BORLAND: Yeah. That kind of shows the last few years like Boise State and Utah years back and TCU, I don't think they got the respect they deserved. They were very good teams. The casual fan may look at the non‑BCS and not think they're good teams, but all it takes is a turn on the film. They were very good. Q. But you beat Oregon, that's a lot of credibility, is it not? CHRIS BORLAND: Yea, it would be a great win for our program. Not just for this year, but the guys who have come before, for the fans, and for recruiting, too. Q. How did you injure your shoulder? CHRIS BORLAND: The left shoulder was just on a reach‑out tackle. I was out of position. Q. Against who? CHRIS BORLAND: Originally it was against UNLV last year, the first game of the season. It was more of a fluke thing. Just wasn't out of position or anything, just on a hit, broke a bone in my shoulder. And then tried to come back for Arizona State two weeks later, and at that time it was a poor decision by me. I reached one arm out and got extended and that was the end of it. Q. So those were the first and second times? CHRIS BORLAND: Well, that was the one injury. I injured it in UNLV, took my left shoulder and tried to come back and couldn't. So that was the one injury. And I had surgery on my other shoulder just a tune‑up. Q. Okay. So that was just because you had time off? CHRIS BORLAND: Yeah, on my other shoulder. Q. Their offense, is it just the speed? CHRIS BORLAND: I think it's the combination of their tempo and their speed at the skilled positions. When you combine those two things, it's a dangerous combination. The way they like to high tempo and then they get their athletes in space. So you gotta account for where their players are very quickly. Q. When they're in that supersonic tempo, how do you guys get a play call? Or is it just kind of, you just gotta recognize what there is? CHRIS BORLAND: Yeah. It's more or less getting lined up, and we have some simple things that we can do defensively, check two right away, where everyone's on the same page. And that's what we'll have to do when they go into that supersonic. Q. Now getting back to this game, any extra motivation this year? After what happened last year? CHRIS BORLAND: Yeah, I don't know how much last year's loss factors into it. Basically the only thing we want to do is win this game for what it's worth, want to win this game because it's our next game because it's the Bowl game, because it's the Rose Bowl. And that's enough motivation for us. Q. Can you talk about‑‑ everyone's saying‑‑ and I guess they said almost the last four Bowl games you guys have been in, guys' size, the other team when it was Florida State, Miami, their speed, do you get tired of that? CHRIS BORLAND: Well, we understand it. Kind of comes with the territory. But we have speed, too. I think we get a lot of guys out there that don't give enough credit for how athletic they are. And we've shown that we can play against those guys. And we beat Miami my freshman year, and we're excited to show it again this year. Q. Having fun or nose to the grindstone? CHRIS BORLAND: Both. We work when it's practice time. But we enjoy ourselves outside. Great trip so far. Comedy Club last night was pretty great. They roasted a guy that typically does the roasting on our team. So it's pretty fitting. Q. Have you selected a major? CHRIS BORLAND: I'm a history major. Q. Would you like to, other than play football after college, a teacher? CHRIS BORLAND: I'm a fifth year, get my teacher's certificate and teach or go to law school. Two of my brothers are attorneys. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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