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TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL: KANSAS STATE v OREGONDecember 30, 2012Michael ClayGLENDALE, ARIZONA THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. You had to face adversity this year. How proud are you of the way this team has stuck together? MICHAEL CLAY: I think "Next man up," was said at the Cal game where we have three true defensive linemen playing. Avery goes down in the first quarter. We lose our two safeties. It's so impressive how the coaches have us all mentally and physically prepared to play through adversity like that. Kudos to the coach and players. We're ready. We have full confidence in each other by the way we practice and everything. I think that Cal game showed the true heart and dedication we have on this defense. Q. How close were you with Chris Harper? MICHAEL CLAY: I never got to meet him. He was the summer before me. Never really got to meet me. Q. Dion was your friend. Has he talked about him the last couple weeks? MICHAEL CLAY: Nobody really talks about Chris. I know Kenjon texts him daily. I know they're good friends. Nobody really talks about him. Q. How impressed are you watching him on film? MICHAEL CLAY: Big receiver, good possession receiver. Can run, too. Definitely have to game tackle him. Definitely want to contain him early in the game. We definitely got to be on our Ps and Qs all aspects of the game, whether it be the run or pass game. Q. Some issues two years ago with the footing. Is that something you have prepared for potentially again? MICHAEL CLAY: Yeah. We definitely want to break in our cleats, long enough where they get some stability in the ground. We got put into perspective there's a game played before us, so maybe the ground will be different. They put new turf in. So I don't think turf will be an issue this year. Q. Coach and Dion were saying you're like having another coach on the field. Do you feel that's your best attribute as a player? MICHAEL CLAY: I mean, it helps a lot having my mindset out there, getting everyone lined up, different techniques. I think that's one of my great are attributes, getting everyone lined up, seeing different things out there. Q. How much harder is it? You play a team like USC. When it's a spread, does it make your job harder getting guys lined up? MICHAEL CLAY: I think so 'cause they're so spread out, you want to make sure everyone is accounted for. I think we've seen it since the start of August with our team, prolific spread offenses we've seen. You just get used to it. We've had a month to prepare for it, so we should be fine getting everyone lined up, compared to everyone being compact in the box. Q. Is one stop more fun to play against, defend against? MICHAEL CLAY: I think you have to change your mindset that week. Stanford, you have to put on your big‑boy pads, playing against linemen that will come downhill on you. This week a little more spread out. At linebacker, we run really well. We have Dicko and Dion. Those guys run like gazelles out there. Show off our wheels a little bit more. Q. You have competed against running quarterbacks in the past. What is the biggest challenge when you're facing a guy like Collin Klein? MICHAEL CLAY: You can't just pin your ears back on third down. You have to be fundamentally sound, go down your rush lanes. Could pull it down and get a first down on third‑and‑nine. Q. Much like two years ago, everybody in that game expected a lot of points scored. A lot of people are saying the same thing this year. Does that get to you guys? MICHAEL CLAY: No. You let everyone talk about what they're going to talk about. Everyone wants to see a high‑scoring game. A 9‑6 game is not that exciting. If you're a defensive fan, you're having the time of your life. We know how good we are, how good we can be. We'll go out there and play our game. We're not going to change anything for anyone. Q. How much free time do you have? MICHAEL CLAY: We have actually quite an amount. After practice you get a couple hours just to relax, take a quick nap or something. Then you have meetings. From 6 to 10, it's your time. Just stay with family or go to the mall, hang with buddies, get in the hot tub. There's free time for us. It's good free time, not too much, not too little. Q. Two, three days away... MICHAEL CLAY: Come Tuesday, Wednesday, you spend a lot more time with the team getting ready, getting mentally focused for the game. Q. Really haven't thought much yet that this is it? MICHAEL CLAY: Not really. You talk about it with the fellow seniors. For the most part you're so in tune with the game plan, you don't really think about it. It will probably come after Coach Kelly is talking after the game, everyone is getting undressed. Last time I'll be taking off this jersey. Q. What is it like to play for your coach? Unique individual. MICHAEL CLAY: You get him right there. Fiery Italian. He's always like that, whether it's 6 in the morning, 7 at night. You're going to get him just like he is right now. Always energetic, fiery. Yells, screams. He'll yell out there screaming, run out there if someone isn't playing position. Q. What? MICHAEL CLAY: He'll come out there, Run the play, I'll play defense. More like a three‑yard space he'll move. He recruited me out of high school. Great guy. Smart, intellectual person. It's been an honor to play him for the past four years. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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