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SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: MISSOURI v AUBURNDecember 2, 2013Nosa EguaeATLANTA, GEORGIA THE MODERATOR: We're now joined by Auburn defensive tackle, Nosa Eguae. Nosa, if you could talk about your team as you prepare to face Missouri on Saturday? NOSA EGUAE: For us, it's business as usual. We won a big game this past weekend, but we're moving on and we're worrying about us, and worrying about how we can improve every day and how we can get better as a team to take on the challenge of the Missouri team this Saturday and come out victorious. Q. Just on James Franklin, just watching him this year as far as what you guys have seen on film, what stands out about the Missouri quarterback? NOSA EGUAE: He's poised. He's played a lot of football. He's a guy that is a mobile guy. He's a dual‑threat quarterback. He makes plays out of nothing. But for us, it's going to be about stopping their run game and having a good run game. When we get chances to affect them in third‑down situations, we have to get to him and get off the field. He's a great quarterback though. Q. One of the things you guys have done all year is rotate defensive linemen. How much fresher are guys now as opposed to a year ago because of that? NOSA EGUAE: I think it's huge. With Coach Garner, he told us in the spring, he said he's looking for 10 to 12 guys to come in and play a lot of snaps, and we know that. We know, one, we're in the best shape of our lives. And two, that Tuesday and Wednesday will be our days to work, but come Saturday, we'll be fresh and we'll be rotating, and guys will be able to feed off each other and make a lot of plays. We know that every play coming in. So we'll just go out there and give it our all. When we get out of the game, we get to blow. Q. Can you just talk about the turnaround that this team has had this season? Obviously, the play on the field is certainly different. But the attitude change and mentality of this team compared to last year? NOSA EGUAE: Yeah, for us in January we got together and Coach Malzahn got with us and he said it's going to be a new day. It started with our workouts from Coach Russell, and we really prepare getting better every single day and not worrying about or not gloating on last year, but learning from it and just worrying about us, worrying about the moment. We've got a great group of seniors and guys that are leading. For us, we just want to make sure that the young guys are playing for us and we're playing for them. We've just got a bunch of guys that are playing for each other. We're hungry. Just from what happened last year, guys learned a lot from it and they're willing to go out there and fight for one another. That's really showing on Saturdays. Q. From where you guys were at that point to be here now, SEC Championship, possible BCS, depending on what happens. Could you have imagined this? Obviously you thought your team would be good, but did you think you could be this good? NOSA EGUAE: Well, the thing to me is when Coach Malzahn called us into his office before we started two‑a‑days, and he asked us the goals for the season. Across the board we all said that we just wanted to have the biggest turn around in college football history, and that was our biggest thing. We knew that everything else will take care of itself. But if we get better every day, we'll have the biggest turn around in college football. We didn't even put wins and losses on that. We just wanted to worry about having the biggest turn around. I think we've achieved that, and we still have amazing goals to achieve this Saturday and moving forward. Q. I know you might have had limited contact with Gus or Coach Malzahn when he was the offensive coordinator before he came back as head coach, but how is he different as head coach than he was as an assistant in 2010‑2011? NOSA EGUAE: For me, we spoke quite a bit when he was offensive coordinator, but he's still the same Coach Malzahn. He's still very big on the little things. He's still preaching the fact that you've got to take care of the little things and everything else will take care of itself. And now he's telling the whole team. As far as changes, there's not many, because Coach Malzahn is really a guy that crosses Ts and dots the Is. It's a very minute focus on every little thing, and that's what we try to do. We go out there and try to focus and play hard for him. Q. Just you personally being a member of the 2010 team and having to go through last year, how tough were those tough times and how important was it for you to get back to where you started at Auburn, basically? NOSA EGUAE: It was tough. Last year was tough. It was a roller coaster ride. You know, when you go through losing teammates before a season starts and then you go through the losses of last year, it was tough. But we grouped and became so close as a unit, because when you're losing like that, there is nobody else that you can lean on. You've got to lean on each other, and we learned a lot from that. It's really paid off dividends I feel like this year. I feel like we're the closest we've been since I've been here. We've got a bunch of guys that we really do love playing with each other but for each other. That is the big thing. It's this awesome feeling getting the wins with your brothers. Q. Kind of as a follow‑up, the fact that you were on the 2010 team, can you compare the rise of the 2010 and 2013? Which ride has been more fun for you to be on if can you take a step back and kind of debate that? NOSA EGUAE: It's hard to compare them. We're still in a fight right now, so I haven't had time to sit back and reflect. But 2010 was an awesome year. I was a freshman on that team. I was just making the most of the moment. I didn't really know what to expect. I was just kind of coming in bright‑eyed. I was playing hard for those seniors, and that is the same thing we have going on this year. We had a big‑time senior class my freshman year, and I feel like we have a senior class like that this year. Maybe not as many numbers, but definitely an impact. But we've got those guys there playing for us now. It's awesome how things change with us being freshmen playing for seniors and having young guys playing for us now. It's a really nice feeling. It's hard to compare the two, but they're both awesome experiences. Q. I know you talked about your goal being having the biggest turnaround? Was there a moment where, Jay on the call earlier said the way you guys came back against LSU, even though it was a defeat, let you know you were in for something special. Was that the same moment for you, or was there another moment for you where you felt like Auburn could be on to something special? NOSA EGUAE: I think that LSU game, like Jay said, the first quarter was tough. You know the rain, the turnovers. We were down at the half, but we fought. We really did. And we had a chance to win it there, and can he came up short. But you saw the guys and how much they cared, how much that loss really hurt. That Mississippi State game was big. That last drive was huge to win that game. Then to go to College Station and beating a Top 10 team on the road was another validation that just showed what type of team we are. The fact that when it comes down to the game, we're going to find a way to win. Q. Do you think‑‑ obviously, there is a lot of discussion about rankings and the BCS. Do you feel like the winner of the game on Saturday, whether it's you or Missouri, deserves a shot in the National Championship Game? NOSA EGUAE: Definitely, definitely. We're only worrying about Missouri. At the end of the day, all of that stuff is going to take care of itself. People are going to realize how tough the SEC is and what it takes to be a champion in this league. All the rest of that will take care of itself. Our main focus is Missouri and us going out there and getting better every day and focusing on doing that to get a victory on Saturday. Q. Missouri has a pretty balanced offense. You mentioned James Franklin, the big receivers, but does their run game concern you at all? It's been pretty effective between the tackles and the speed backs that can get outside and make big plays. How much of a challenge do you think that run game will be? NOSA EGUAE: I mean, they've got a great run game. They're really balanced, like you said. For us it's about first and second down, and controlling the lineup front. If we can handle it up front, then we'll get in opportune situations on third down, and that's what we're trying to do. We're trying to go out there and play our game on first and second down and have some fun on third down. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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