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ROSE BOWL GAME: MICHIGAN STATE v STANFORDDecember 27, 2013Tyler GaffneyPASADENA, CALIFORNIA Q. I wanted to ask you just your impressions of MSU's defense from all you've seen on film. TYLER GAFFNEY: They believe in team defense. You know, they trust in each other that they're going to cover their spot for that scheme. They don't shy away from that. They're not going to leave their spot, leave a gash open to make a play, to risk that. They're all just going to be‑‑ you know, every hole is going to be covered and they're going to‑‑ they're not going to shy away from that, like I said. They play‑‑ they trust each other and that's a big thing with defense is not to‑‑ if you have a guy that gets ready to contain or loses his contain, then you have an opening there, where they believe‑‑ the linebackers know exactly where to fit in. And that's a big part of their defense. Q. The personality of your offense, the personality of their defense, is this sort of a fun matchup from a standpoint for you style wise because it is sort of‑‑ can you simply move the team in front of you? TYLER GAFFNEY: Yeah, you know, they're physical. They're strong. That's what they pride themselves on as a defense, but we pride ourselves on the same exact thing of being physical and strong, moving guys against their will. So I think this is going to be quite the matchup of a test of will, a test of toughness, a test of who's going to execute. Q. What's happened at Stanford over the last maybe six years? You know, years ago, I've known coaches who were there. Scott Shafer was there briefly, Jim Harbaugh, Bill was the offensive coordinator a long time before that, but the perception of coaches you win at Stanford every four years and you have a great senior group. But it wasn't necessarily‑‑ TYLER GAFFNEY: Couldn't necessarily. Q. Couldn't do it consistently. What has changed within the program which has allowed for that to happen? TYLER GAFFNEY: Attitude. I think we have a great group of Stanford individuals that the leaders, the seniors they lead by example, and instill in the younger guys of what it takes to be successful in the Stanford program. You know, not to forget where we came from with the guys such as Dave De Coster, Jonathan Martin, Andrew Luck, the guys before them, Chris Marinelli and such. They paved the way on, you know, this is the style how we have to play to be successful and it worked. And there's no reason to shy away from it at this point because you know, the last four years we've gone to a bowl game and that's unheard of from a Stanford perspective. Q. Are there challenges because of the school and other things in building a program there that other places just don't‑‑ can get around? TYLER GAFFNEY: Yeah, I'd say there's challenges, but it's nothing that we don't teach the younger guys. You come to Stanford and you expect that. You didn't come to Stanford expecting a breeze in school, a breeze, you know, everything else just to get to football. It takes a certain individual to be at Stanford, and I think Coach does a good job of recruiting those type of individuals. Q. How long does it that I to change attitude? When you got there, was it already kind of in place of what you see now? How has it morphed even in your time? TYLER GAFFNEY: You know, I think it takes a whole, you know, four‑year class. It takes the young guys‑‑ it takes all four years for a young guy's class to really buy in, freshmen, sophomore to buy in to the program, because as a senior it's easier, a little more mature, you understand. But I think it takes the young guys to actually buy in to, you know, to build that program, and that showed up right‑‑ I'd say I was right in the middle of the reformation of Stanford and since I was a sophomore I think we've been relatively successful. Q. What was your perception growing up of Stanford football? TYLER GAFFNEY: My perception of Stanford football was, to be honest, I didn't even realize they were in the Pac‑10 until I was maybe a junior. I was touring the campus, and I saw all the flags up, and I saw USC, UCLA, and I started putting it together, man, do these guys play each other all the time? And that's when I really started becoming interested, because I thought Stanford was just an Ivy league school of the west, in a small conference that happened to play a USC, or a feeder game almost. And I think once I saw that and saw the‑‑ how successful we could be, Coach Harbaugh, his enthusiasm kind of led me in that direction. Q. Sometimes you have a coaching change and somebody comes in and they're kind of a burst of light. How has it sustained and what has Coach Shaw and his staff done that have allowed it to sustain and how are they different in some ways in terms of how the program is now? TYLER GAFFNEY: Different, Coach Harbaugh. Q. Yeah, obviously the personalities are different, but how does that reflect? Is the program even a little different than it was? TYLER GAFFNEY: Yeah. I'd say the program is a little different. But it's in the same‑‑ it's pointing in the same direction. We know how Stanford, we're going to win being physical, having more heart, being tougher, being smarter and more prepared than the other team. And I think, you know, Coach Shaw does that in a different manner than Coach Harbaugh did, but it's all pointed in the same direction of being together as a unit. Q. How would you describe Shannon Turley's relationship with the players? What is it like to deal with this guy? TYLER GAFFNEY: He's‑‑ this guy knows exactly what he's doing. When you're a freshmen to when you're a senior, you know, he's teaching you in a different way, because you know, 17, 18‑year‑old freshman doesn't need to be taught in the same way as a 22, 23‑year‑old senior who's been in the program for five years. He's incredible. He makes everybody better. I think he's an unsung hero of our program that, you know, behind the scenes is making everybody buy in. He's great with enthusiasm. He's great with building a player's I want to say person, as a person. Q. Do you have any good stories about him? Has he yelled at you? Is I mean what is it like? TYLER GAFFNEY: So he‑‑ when you're a little younger, a little more immature, you guys are probably butting heads. Yeah, you guys are butting heads with each other. I'd say most freshmen, sophomores that go through the program, he may not be your favorite guy, because he's on, non stop. You know, he's relentless. And relentless is something we teach, and he's showing it, that you know, you've gotta be on your A game all the time in front of him. He'll get at you, you know, if you don't put the weight all the way on to the bar, he's, you know, grilling you. And it's the little things that you come to realize are so easy to do, so easy to prepare, even just in the weight room that, you know, why mess that up when you're preparing. And he makes sure that the little things are fine tuned. Q. Let me jump around real quick. Michigan State's defense, when you see them on tape, what do you see from this incredible team? What makes them so strong? TYLER GAFFNEY: I see physically a big, strong defense that knows how to play team defense. They trust in each other. They make‑‑ they know where each other fit in to every scheme. And so they're not going to go away from losing contain. They're not going to go out of their job to make the play. They all just trust each other. They trust each other are going to be on their right and their left. And you know, somebody's going to make the play because they have every spot covered. Q. Do they remind you of anybody in the PAC‑12 at all? TYLER GAFFNEY: I wouldn't even say the PAC‑12. I'd say they remind me of maybe Notre Dame, just big, strong defense that believes in each other and are going to take it to you. Q. And lastly, what's the hardest he's ever hit you in practice? TYLER GAFFNEY: I've been lucky enough to‑‑ Q. Avoid him? TYLER GAFFNEY: Yeah, to avoid Shane during practice. He's tackled me here and there, but you know, I've never been‑‑ I guess he likes to say molliwopped. Q. Molliwopped. That's what he does to people? TYLER GAFFNEY: Yeah. That's what he does to people, he molliwops them. And he self‑proclaims that. It's his word I guess. Q. And you've seen him do it to others in your practices? TYLER GAFFNEY: Yeah. I've seen him do it to plenty of people. It's nothing out of the ordinary anymore. Q. When you see the game this year, does any molliwop jump out at you? TYLER GAFFNEY: You know, I don't say molliwop, but when he's jumping over the pile, you know, jumping the cadence and making the tackle as soon as the QB has the ball, I think that's pretty special and you don't see a lot of players doing that. Q. Is there one guy on Michigan State's defense that you have to account for, or is it just from a team standpoint? TYLER GAFFNEY: You have to account for their D ends. Number 89 is strong. He's strong. He's long. He's a great player. But you can't individualize any of them. They have their corner back who's probably the No. 1 corner in the nation. The other corner doesn't get as much recognition but is pretty damn good as well. Their linebacker crew, I think they play better than any linebacker crew together, or as a unit than we've ever seen. I think it's going to take, you know, just a lot of tough blocks, a lot of tough runs to establish against them. Q. Talk a little about what this Rose Bowl game means to you. You know, last year you were kind of from afar almost. Now going through all the media stuff and then obviously the game. TYLER GAFFNEY: You know, as a fan last year, this was an incredible, incredible environment to be in. I've never seen so many Stanford fans in one area. They were coming out of the woodwork. And to be a part of the fan's perspective, I know‑‑ you know, this is obviously a more touted game than usual, but I know what it's like to be in a game. So to see the external of how much emotion goes into the family section, all the fans, you know, the student section, it's incredible to see, you know, how emotional they get over the game, almost as if they're playing. Q. You have a decision to make, I guess. TYLER GAFFNEY: I haven't figured that out. I would love the opportunity to play in the NFL, but that's not until‑‑ I won't figure that out until after the game. Q. When you're studying their defense, you obviously thought the middle linebacker was going to be in the game. How does that change things? I mean is that like if you lost Shane? Is that kind of the equivalent of it? TYLER GAFFNEY: Yeah. We obviously know that he was the heart and soul of their defense. He was the captain, the leader, kind of the guy that led them in the right direction. But you know, that doesn't change anything. We have to assume that they're going to have a guy that replaces him. You know, they have to have 11 guys on the field and we have to assume that he's going to do exactly the same thing that the other linebacker did. Q. A couple of years ago you were running behind Castro and Jonathan, and that really dominant offensive line. This year's group seems to be even better. How would you assess this year's compared to the previous bunch you ran behind? TYLER GAFFNEY: Oh, I mean they're very similar in how they play, who they are, their identity of being a physical line. They're smart. You know, they're athletic. You can't really ask for much more in an offensive line. You know, I'm going to be very pleased to see how their careers go because they're all off to a very successful start. Q. When David pulls on the power play, is that like God's gift to a running back? TYLER GAFFNEY: Yeah. He's‑‑ I like to think we're on the same page about a lot of things in the runoff. I almost disregard him at this point. He's just a blur in front of me, because I know he's going to take care of what I would like him as a runner to take care of. Q. How are you feeling physically? I know you were sort of joking after the championship game, you just wanted to sit in an ice bath for a couple of days and not move. TYLER GAFFNEY: Yeah. I think physically I feel great. I think these couple days off have done wonders for everybody on the team's body. You know, like you said, after the game I was a little sore, but I think it was just from a relief that, you know, we won the PAC‑12 championship. I think everything emotionally and physically was just kind of pouring on me at once. I needed maybe a little couple‑day hiatus. Q. How long into a game do you know how a game is going to go? You talk about playing this physical defense. But is there a period where you just gotta feel it, you kind of know where they are, how they compare to other teams you've played? You don't know until you get out there, I guess. TYLER GAFFNEY: Yeah, you don't really know exactly‑‑ you know, you prepare for what you've seen, but most teams have never played a team like us. So we think they may prepare for us in a different manner. I think after we see the first drive, it's game time from there. We know, you know, how physical they're going to be, how‑‑ you know, if they're going to flow hard, if they're going to stay back. I think it‑‑ first drive of the game is a huge aspect for us. Q. What sort of expectations did you have for you personally coming into this season? Did you expect to be the center? TYLER GAFFNEY: I've expected to contribute to this team from the moment I told Coach Shaw‑‑ or Coach Shaw allowed me to come back. This is, you know, becoming a starter, I don't want to say that I'm surprised, but I prepared for this, I prepared to be in a good spot, and I think, you know, it all paid off. Q. And in terms of the NFL being an option, is that something you've thought about when you return to the baseball? TYLER GAFFNEY: Yeah. It was in the back of my head. But I was more focused on contributing to the Stanford Cardinal, and I hadn't played a lick of football in over a year, so I had to figure out how to do that again. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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