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VIZIO BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: AUBURN v FLORIDA STATEJanuary 2, 2014Nick MarshallPASADENA, CALIFORNIA Q. Nick, I talked to Coach take the item and he told me about that ride back in his van, 14 hours from Alabama. What was that like? NICK MARSHALL: It was crazy, because at first I knew I was going to Kansas but then, again, I wasn't aware of the atmosphere out there so it took me the ride out there, like, I probably went to sleep five or six times, like four nap and every time I wake up I asked him is we there yet and he would say no, we got more time so I got back to sleep. When I got out there I had to get used to the environment out there. Q. You knew him from a previous relationship, right? NICK MARSHALL: Yeah, he recruit like in high school he was recruiting still so I was very familiar with him. Q. What situation do you think you were in at that point? Was that a last resort for you? You had other options? Garden City, Kansas is not a garden spot, I guess. NICK MARSHALL: He was the first to come in so I just took the first one that came. I was so urgent to get back in school. When I made the decision to do that, I put my mind into what I needed to do to get out there and get better at playing Division I football. Q. Dunn how far it was and there is nothing there? NICK MARSHALL: No, I didn't look until I see what was going on. I was just really ready to get my mind back on my business, what I really needed to do. Q. What's the biggest distraction in Garden City? It's hard to get in trouble. NICK MARSHALL: You really can't get in trouble. There is nowhere to party. You focus on your schoolwork and football and that's thing I did when I was out there. Q. Nick, I know you have gone through this before but take us through the Hail Mary pass against Georgia? NICK MARSHALL: It was 4th and 18 and we was in the huddle and Coach Malzahn gave us the play and as we were getting ready to break, Ricardo Louis looked at me and told me to throw him the ball, so I looked‑‑ I put my trust in him and he put his trust in me to throw him the ball and as I snapped the ball and I went through my progresses I looked and seen him running down the middle of the field. I seen the two defenders down there when I threw it and I saw a tip and Rick card Doe looked right and then left and then he looked at the ball and I was just paused for a second and after he ought it and ran in the end zone I ran down there to celebrate with him. Q. When you let it go do you think it had a chance? NICK MARSHALL: Yes, I had faith we had a chance because anything can happen at the end of the game. It was just one of those plays that we can look back on as we get older. Q. Did you throw it over the wrong shoulder or did he look over the wrong shoulder? Because he looked right initially. Who would you blame that one on? NICK MARSHALL: You probably can't blame anyone. It's just something that just happened to go our way that night. When he got tipped‑‑ I don't know really why he looked toward the right, probably he thought it would bounce that way but some way his eyes caught contact with the ball coming back to the left and he made a great catch for us. Q. In the read option, you're deciding whether to pull or not, how do you decide? It's just something that you seem to know? NICK MARSHALL: It's just since day one since we got here. He will know when I'm going to keep it and he will know when I'm going to give it. We have really the same read on the field. It's just something that we have with each other, we know what we're going to do. Q. Y'all are saying the same thing? NICK MARSHALL: Yeah, we're always saying the same thing. Q. Y'all's relationship is tight off the field. Talk about you as friends. >> Tre is a nice friend to have, to be off the field with, just like‑‑ he's‑‑ it's like a brotherhood that I have, I look at him like my brother, like the ones I have in my real life. Q. How did you get so tight? NICK MARSHALL: I believe through summer camp, then when they moved into the dorms everyone became close to each other and we would go out sometimes and go to the movies or go bowling and then just really go out and have more "friend" time and team bonding. Q. When you look at the film what runs has Tre made that stick out? NICK MARSHALL: One against Tennessee, probably on the 5 yard line and I handed it off to him and the linebacker, he blitzed and met him in the hole but Tre spined and he lost him in the hole and he scored a touchdown. That's something I asked him, how did you do that and he was like, I was going on instinct and I was like, "I might have gotta put that move in my book." Q. Your relationship with Tre, he's kind of loud off the field and you guys are both goofy, same personality but looking from what we can see, he seems more "out there" than you are. NICK MARSHALL: He is, he's goofy on the field and you have to tell him to get back in game mode. And we do it in practice, also, but when it's time to lock in both of us lock in and do our job on and off the field. Q. I remember a pass second or third game where it got tipped I think it was Mississippi State, those type of plays that you make, do you ever practice‑‑ go out there and be like, I'm going to try this? NICK MARSHALL: No, everything happens. I just play off instinct and play ball, how we been playing the whole year. When that play right there happened, I don't know how it happened, I just seen when it came out, it hit his chest and I knew if I was going to touch the ball it was going to be an interception so I did everything in my power not to let him pick the ball up and I ended up getting it and running down the sideline. Q. How do you react what you watch those plays on film? NICK MARSHALL: We get hyped but we watch film to get better on what we make mistake on, you can't get caught up on the good plays you made. You go back to practice and get better. Q. Were you worried you would never get back to play football at a D 1 level again? NICK MARSHALL: I wasn't worried, because I knew I was going to give it my all and when Auburn came in and recruited me, it made me a better person to do what I got to do to get on out of there. Q. Do you see similarities between you and Cam and Cam had legal difficulties. Have you met him? Talked to him? Similarities there? NICK MARSHALL: Some similarities, because the incident at Florida he had and my incident at Georgia, both went JUCO and came back to Auburn. It's funny how that worked out and both of us came back and playing in the National Championship, but it's a blessing. Q. When you were recruited by Auburn and obviously you wanted this opportunity to play at the high level did it cross your mind that you would get a chance to play are for a National Championship this year? NICK MARSHALL: It didn't, it's just when Coach Malzahn and Coach Rhett came and just told us it was going to be a new day and the biggest turn‑around in college football, the whole team, they just bought into what they said and it was just what we‑‑ it has been the biggest turn‑around in college football and we keep going from here. Q. The pace you guys run at, how long did it take you to get comfortable with the pace because you're getting a big play, running up there trying to get a first down again. How long did it take you to get comfortable? NICK MARSHALL: It took me a week and a half‑‑ probably two weeks to get comfortable in the offense. Then I just knew what I needed to do. I was more relaxed in the backfield and just play the way I play. Q. How fast do you guys go? You're asking the ref to put the ball down. Do you think you will reach full capacity and speed that Gus wants you to run it at? NICK MARSHALL: We did, but Coach wants you to lineup and keep playing relentless football and sometimes we miss the call or misread or something and it's something that Coach Malzahn know for the defense you really can't keep up with it and it's something we take pride in. Q. How hard will it be, Nick, when you are playing with precision, how difficult will that be? NICK MARSHALL: It will be difficult and that's why we practice to get the calls out and get ready for Monday because it's going to be a great football team between us and FSU. It's going to be seeing who executes the best and who comes out with a win. Q. Do you think Alabama fans are rooting for you in? NICK MARSHALL: I really don't have any thought about that. It's really just all about me and my teammates and the coaching staff that's down here now. Q. Is it important to you to try to keep this streak alive that the SEC has goin'? NICK MARSHALL: I really haven't thought about that but this is the biggest bowl game, the National Championship and it will be great to win a National Championship so I'm going to do everything in my power to help my team win. Q. So much was made of you not getting reps until August. Should there have been? You weren't there in the spring. Surprise yourself, to get to this level? NICK MARSHALL: It's surprising because as I got in, I scrubbed up with the playbook but it took time for me to watch film with the coaches and just letting them sit me down and sharing and teaching me how to the offense worked. When I done that and I started getting better, what I was messing up on when I first got in the I took advantage of that and then it all worked out great for me. Q. How much on the mesh point, the hand‑off where you see something and decide to keep it, in other words, if you don't know if you're going to keep it, the defense doesn't have much hope. NICK MARSHALL: It's something like the start of the game I get a feel for how the game goin' and how the end is playin'. If I know I can beat him with my legs then I will pull it sometimes. Q. What was the first game as a kid, what was the first National Championship game you remember watching on TV and at that time were you thinking, hey, I'd like to be there? NICK MARSHALL: I believe it was‑‑ I want to say Alabama and Florida. It was just something as a kid you watched it on TV, but now here playing in it, it's a blessing to be playing in the National Championship because it takes hard work and dedication to get to this point here and there is a lot of teams out there that can harm you, so watch it go from a kid's point of view you never thought you would be in that situation playing for a BCS National Championship and as I got older I knew I had a chance coming out of high school from my hard work and dedication, the Lord blessed me to be playing here on Monday. Q. When did you get to Auburn, June? NICK MARSHALL: Junethe 20th, probably. Q. Were you able to do 7 on 7? NICK MARSHALL: We had the team 7 on 7 but there was no coaches, just all the team players. Q. Were you lead that go? You couldn't have been as the guy coming in, could you? NICK MARSHALL: It was just‑‑ Jonathan‑‑ it was me, Jonathan Wallace, Kiehl, Jeremy Frazier, we just all came in and put work in together and it was just like‑‑ it was helping one another out with the playbook, and it went from there. Q. Take me back to Jan 2nd of last year, where were you, what were you doing and what were your goals? NICK MARSHALL: Jan, I believe I was in‑‑ I want to say I was in Kansas. Q. You were still in Kansas? NICK MARSHALL: No, I think I was home‑‑ I was home. It was just something‑‑ when I went home and I had a lot of thinking to do about because I knew I was being recruited and I had to make a decision coming into Februaryso I went home and talked to my family about the situation I'm in and they helped me make a decision on the school I went to. Q. About that time Dameyune and ‑‑ Coach Craig and Coach Lashlee come into the home for a visit, there are discussions about Kansas State. What sold Auburn to you? What were the discussions like in the house? NICK MARSHALL: It was basically when Coach Craig and Coach Malzahn and Coach Lashlee, they came into the house and had a talk with me and my grandmother, and they told us that I have a good chance of playing when I come to Auburn. They spoke about the Kansas thing, it was just something‑‑ and Kansas was like, it would probably be hard for my family to buy plane tickets to come see me play and it's like two and a half hours to come watch me play and my mom, they drive that to come see me play, but I had to develop a good relationship with the coaching staff and it just went from there. I felt at home. Q. How important were the academics part of it. There was talk about Kansas State and you come into Auburn and I think you were the scholar athlete of the week, how has that changed? NICK MARSHALL: It's just something that you gotta take pride in because you won't be playing if you don't have your grades. I just focus hard on my grades and focus on‑‑ really school first and then you're a student athlete so school first and football last. So I take pride in my work and as I'm done with my work my focus goes toward football. Q. Nick, as your run game is clicking did you see confusion in the defense or do you feel like there is some sort of misdirection working and looking for where the ball is going to go? NICK MARSHALL: It would be like‑‑ when you goin' against the offense you have to play your assignment. If you misread anything on defense, it probably hurts you in the long run. So we just keep goin' and the defense gets tired and they probably start doing their own thing and then we are set up for a big one. Q. You had six weeks to learn this offense. Talk about the milestones you hit in terms of understanding things and when you hit them? NICK MARSHALL: The first week or so, second week, I struggled hard on the offense. It wasn't something I was used to. These place being called wasn't something I was used to. In high school we ran the spread but as I got here they sat me down and taught me how the offense worked and studied on film and watched what we do. It went from there and I got better as the weeks went. Q. There was a break‑out game for you? NICK MARSHALL: It was the 'Ole Miss game when I got comfortable in the offense because I started playing on my instinct and making plays with my legs and after that game, I just knew I could play ball from there on out. Q. You're looking forward to this game and Coach Malzahn has been coaching eight years in college, he's never had the same quarterback back‑to‑back and obviously that's going to be the case this year. How much are you looking forward to actually getting that spring underneath him to where you might be able to expand your game and do some different things next year? NICK MARSHALL: I'm looking forward to it. I'm ready to work with them in the spring because I missed the spring, and I know I can get better through the weeks and I prayed to God that I make it to the spring and then just keep getting better. Q. How important is it for you guys to be able to continue to run the ball on first and second downs in order to stay out of those third and long situations against these guys? NICK MARSHALL: It's something we take pride in running the football. We don't need any more than 5, 6 yards and get our offense rolling and we are going to keep doing what we have been doing to get us here. Q. How would you assess the passing game? NICK MARSHALL: When we throw it, we play enough off how we run the football. Coach‑‑ I look toward the sidelines and Coach is going to put us into a play that won't give us negative yardage. Q. Coach Malzahn doesn't cuss, makes up some words when he's talking to you guys and Reece was saying sometimes it's worse being yelled at by a nice guy because it kinda gets under your skin. What kind of a guy is he on the field? How does he use that positivity to motivate you and get you better? NICK MARSHALL: Coach Malzahn is an awesome coach and I'm glad to be coached by him. On the field he looks at the little things that you might not look at to get better. He's looking at the little things to make you better. He know we got play makers on the team we gonna make plays but he's looking at little things to get you better in the long run. We take advantage of that, where he tells us on the little things we do and just approach it with a positive mind and do what he tell us. Q. Any intense moments in the middle of a game? NICK MARSHALL: I believe‑‑ I want to say it was the 'Ole Miss game where I missed a receiver on the sideline, I threw it short, he pulled me to the side and he was like, "We're trying to win this game. You gotta make that throw." It's nothing I take bad, he's just trying to make me better. Q. Nick I know you said what happened at Georgia you put behind you but did you learn from that? NICK MARSHALL: I learned a lot because being in Kansas it put a lot on me knowing I'm far from home and really no family members out there. I just took that as a blessing and took it and ran with it and I learned a lot from being out there in JUCO land. I matured and made better decisions. Q. How about the last second of the Alabama game, you're on the sideline. Can you take us through your experience? NICK MARSHALL: It was me and Quan Bray, standing on the sidelines, gettin' ready to pray because I seen they called a time‑out. As I was looking, they were going back to kick the football, then I seen the crowd got alive and it was short. I knew it was and I looked at the Jumbotron and I seen Chris Davis running on the sideline and he had returned it. So as we were turning around I knew when he caught it and started running I knew we had a chance because they didn't have nothing but kicker to hold him, probably only defensive linemen out there. I knew he had a chance and I seen him running down the sideline, I thought his momentum was going to carry him out of bounds, but he found a way to stay in and ran it all the way back. Q. Were you watching it on the Jumbotron the whole time or watching it happen on the field? NICK MARSHALL: I was watching the Jumbotron, me and Quan Bray. Q. And at what point did you think he actually had a chance? NICK MARSHALL: At the ‑‑ when the last dude pulled on his shoulder and he slung him off and two of our teammates were up there, and I knew then we had the game won. Q. Do you guys feel at all like a team of destiny? Winning games like that? NICK MARSHALL: It's like Coach Malzahn said, at the end of the game we gonna find a way to win. We have been doing that the whole year. It was surprising he ran that one back. Q. (No microphone.) NICK MARSHALL: We still have been getting better every day as we practice. I've been working on my footwork and my mechanics and throwing the football. We are going to be okay. Q. Coach Lashlee mentioned a story when he played for Coach Malzahn in high school he ran a play and Coach Malzahn said he was going to kill him and going to kill him because he made a mistake. It was a bad play. Has there been any play like that this season where Coach has yelled at you and it's been over the top? NICK MARSHALL: No, not‑‑ he yelled at me but it's human nature, him coaching, it's something like if I miss a throw he tell me I gotta make that throw because we're trying to win games. I take that into consideration that I have to do better while I'm back there. Q. He's never told you he's going to kill you or anything? NICK MARSHALL:  No, he hasn't. Q. When you miss a throw is it your footwork is messed up or what? NICK MARSHALL: Yeah, it's my footwork or my wrist or I drop my shoulder. I've been working on my form and I'll be ready for the National Championship. Q. Do you feel like Florida State is going to force you to throw the ball? NICK MARSHALL: I don't know what they are going to have planned for us. We are going to do what got us here. Q. When you look at their secondary and Lamarcus and Williams and it's more than just one guy, it's three, four, five guys that lead the can country in interceptions. What is the challenge to throw against a secondary that talented? NICK MARSHALL: They're talented guys. They're a good secondary, they play fast and then like they can lock receivers up. But I take that into consideration it's going to be a great football game, and we ain't gonna stop doin' what we doin' and we're going to approach it the same way we been approaching it. Q. What are you looking forward to doing out here? Are you completely just focused on football? NICK MARSHALL: No, it's just a business trip for us. We can't get caught up in what's been going on. It's about winning the National Championship. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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