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VIZIO BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: AUBURN v FLORIDA STATEJanuary 4, 2014Tre MasonPASADENA, CALIFORNIA TRE MASON: I'm ready. We can get it crackin'. Q. We were talking after the SEC championship game about how the rhythm was important and despite you carrying the rock so many times and not breaking out in a sweat, how many times do you want the rock Monday? TRE MASON: As much as we need to do to get the win. 60 times if we need it; stamina isn't a problem for me. Q. Why is that? Is there something you do? TRE MASON: Off‑season training with Coach Russell, he got us right. Got us in the best shape I've ever been in my life and it's a mind‑set. When I'm in the game, you know, I'm not going to let stamina stop me. I'm not going to let that be a factor and I'm not going to let stamina be a factor. Q. What do you see in Florida State and the challenges they will bring? TRE MASON: They're a talented defense and they're very fast. They are fast and athletic and great on their feet so that's going to be a big difference than what we have played all year. Q. The nickname "Tre Hun" are you going to use that or adopt another one? TRE MASON: I like the Tre Hun! Q. When did you feel like you could really do something this year? TRE MASON: I would say after the Texas A&M game. We learned from the LSU game, being able to play in bad weather, playin' from behind, you know, digging ours in a whole and making our way out. We learned a lot from that game. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Uh‑huh, we gotta play our best football come the 6th. We gotta play our best football that we ever played in all aspects of the game, offense, defense, special teams gotta click. Q. Florida State has monsters up front. Remind you of anybody? TRE MASON: They have a good "D" line. They are who they are. You can't compare a championship team to anybody else. Whatever they did to get her had he did the right thing. If I did have to compare them it would be like Alabama's defense. Q. What makes you keep goin'? TRE MASON: The will to win. If we were down and we had another four quarters, stamina is not going to be a part of stopin' me. I think it's a mind‑set. The determination and how motivated I am to get a win. Q. What is your biggest concern with Florida State? TRE MASON: That's a great question. They're very fast in their secondary and our receivers have to step up to the plate and make plays because their DBs are just as athletic as our receivers. Q. Do you believe in luck? TRE MASON: I mean, we worked hard, worked very hard. I feel like we deserve some of the wins that we have, because we worked very hard. We go through all types of situations in practice that no one would ever think about. Coach Malzahn puts us through many situations, you know? I can't say that he put us through 4th and 18 versus Georgia, but he put us in tough situations and we found a way to score and win. So it's a blessing and he gave us a good opportunity to put ourselves in a great position to win. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: He's like an uncle to us. He's also like a player/coach, he's been there and done that too. He's easy to get along with, but he will stretch you when you're not doing the right thing or you have to pick your slack up. He's a great coach. He pays attention to the little things, details and making sure we all doin' the right thing at the same time. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: We see him every day. He has a strong arm still to this day. He helps Nick out on certain things with his throwing, the way he throws and makes sure Nick is accurate. If Coach Craig got behind the line, I think he could get the job done. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Oh, yeah, I don't want to leave anything on the field. I don't want to have to leave the game saying I shoulda, coulda, woulda, and that's why I give it my all and I'm not a quitter, and I'm going to play till the clock says zero, and if they give me extra time I'm gonna keep on goin'. Q. Has the season been fun? TRE MASON: It's been very fun. Accolades come with team success. Me being in NewYork, that was because of my team and I couldn't do it without them. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Yeah, that's just a lot of the will and the "want to" from last season. We knew what it was like to be 3‑9, so, you know, every guy has given all they have. Like I said, we don't want to say we woulda, shoulda, coulda on anything. So everybody is leaving it out on the field, all four quarters, giving everything they have. Q. When you went home how much time did you spend there? TRE MASON: How much time did I spend? Q. At home. Were you there for a long while? TRE MASON: Actually we left from Auburn to‑‑ we went to the College Football Awards and then we headed straight up to NewYork. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: I think we got a week home. I spent it with my family because I don't get to spend time with them much so I spent a lot of time with my family. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Yeah, it was a little different. A lot of people, neighbors knocking on my door, unknown numbers calling my phone, so that's got to be fixed. My face getting noticed everywhere, just ‑‑ it was a fun experience, though, worked hard for it. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Oh, yeah, I'm embracing it. I was kinda, you know, coached up upon success. My dad coached me how to handle things and just remain humble and stay hungry. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: The Hulk. Anything that gets in his way he's going to destroy. Don't want to make him mad. I'm happy though I get to run behind the Hulk. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: He's the key to the offense. He's going to be a major role. Next year those are going to be big shoes to fill. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: I would say our offensive line. Our offensive line makes us click. But also, you know, I would say everyone blocking, doing their job, just paying attention to just their job, do your job, that's it. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: I gave that a lot of thought, but I will make that decision right after the game. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: I'm on the fence with it. Of course I have dreams of playing in the NFL, it would be a good idea‑‑ I would say it would be smart for me to prepare for the draft but who knows? I still gotta talk with my mom and dad, make sure they're okay with things and who knows what the future holds. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: My brothers, my team. They're my brothers. I love the Auburn family. My coaches, Coach Malzahn coming back, I love playin' in his system. Those would be the deciding factors of stayin' and goin'. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Of course the Georgia and the 'Bama game, those are the highlights of my life. I would say the every day grind that I go through with these guys, they put in a lot of work. Guys behind the scenes that no one gets to see. Even our scout team, they give us the best looks possible and shout out to those guys because they don't get a lot of credit that they deserve, because they get us prepared to fight on these Saturdays. Or this coming Monday, now. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: I just had a strong feeling on the inside. How hard we worked in the off‑season. Being 3‑9, I don't think anybody wanted to feel that again so we were fueled by doubt all season long. We took it one day at a time, one practice at a time, a day at a time. We fought together and being fueled by doubt is the big thing that got us to this point. We realized we had a chance. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: They fly around. They're very fast, they fly around to the ball. Not much room for error and also they capitalize on mistakes, off turnovers, fumbles, things like that. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: He's a great player. He's "ShowTime" that's what I call myself, you know, "ShowTime"! He's a great friend of mine and I be lookin' forward to playin' against him. Q. What's that going to be like? TRE MASON: That's going to be fun, we share texts, to this day we joking with each other, cracking jokes. It's going to be fun playin' against one of my friends. Q. What do you text? TRE MASON: Send funny lookin' old pictures to each other from high school and makin' fun of each other, but it's all good. Q. How confident is your team right now? TRE MASON: We're very confident. You can't go into the game without being confident. We feel like we put the in a lot of work and we're ready to get the job done. Who knows what the end of the score will be but we gonna give it all we got and God willing we come out with the win. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: It's big not only for us but also for the Auburn family because of what we put them through last year. Being 3‑9, none of the fans were proud to rep the "AU" symbol but rockin' the "AU" emblem is a hot thing. I feel like we owed them this trip and now we gotta capitalize. Q. After the LSU game did you ever think that you would be here? TRE MASON: I kinda had a feeling in the beginning of the season because of the way we worked. I said in the beginning of the season we was going to have the biggest turn‑around in college football. Coach Malzahn told that to me and I believed, and the rest of the team bought into it. We have to buy into it; we have to be the best. Q. Are you ready to carry the load? TRE MASON: I'm ready to work hard whenever they call my name. Q. How sore was your body after that game? TRE MASON: It was pretty sore, but that comes with the game of college football. I love it. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: We feel that we need to execute our offense, no matter what defense‑‑ Coach Malzahn says no matter what they put in front of us, they can put 13 people on the field, we gotta find a way to execute our offense. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: It's an honor and a blessing. It's exciting, you know? If I bring it I know he's gonna come talk to me. It's just‑‑ it's a goal of mine to be one of the greatest backs to come through Auburn and to come through college football. Q. How have you been able to do that? TRE MASON: My "O" line, the rest of the team. They give me the confidence knowing I'm going to get the next level and get the job done. I feel like we've been fueled by doubt all year and we came into this season with a lot to prove. We like being the underdog. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Coach always said it. We're going to find a way to win the game so him saying that, you gotta believe to achieve and we always find a crazy way to win. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: I do. We need to find a way to win. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Being 3‑9 can motivate you to find a way to win. When the game comes down to a close situation we know what it feels like to lose and a lot of people on this teammate that feeling. They find any way to win. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: I feel like we got a lot to prove. In my mind I've been dealing with that all my life. People saying I was too small so I got bigger and stronger and faster. People saying I was too small, this, that, so I got bigger, stronger, faster, these guys are my team that I fight with every day. They're fueled by doubt, people saying we are the worst team in college football, we never be back to a National Championship, we show y'all. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Last year hurt, of course, at one point it felt like I don't want to say we were playin' for nothin' but it got to apoint where, like, after the Texas A&M game last year it was kinda like, okay, now we have to play for ourselves. We have to play for something, you gotta find something to play for. Q. How about Coach Malzahn and his role in coming in and helping you guys? TRE MASON: I knew what to expect as soon as he came in. I had him my freshman year I loved playin' for him. That's the reason I came to Auburn. He's a great coach, a master mind at what he does. He's a great person, a Christian man and somebody that you love to play for. Q. What does it say about the way this team has come back? TRE MASON: It all starts from him. It all starts from Coach Malzahn and his winning attitude. That was the biggest change that when he first came in was the attitude that we have. You guys gotta believe and you gotta want to win. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Describe the game in one sentence? Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: A team that was doubted from the beginning. Trying to find a way to win a game. I don't know. We gonna find something. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: It was very special to be here. Coming from last year, like that 3‑9 season to come around and comin' right back and headed to the National Championship, you know, this is a blessing. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: You know, there was a lot of fans behind us from day one, didn't care much, but, you know, we love our fans no matter what and we owe them this and also, you know, we owe them this game and that's why we worked so hard to get here because we put them through one of the worst times in college football history. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Oh, yeah, we wanted this. We worked hard in the off‑season, through the season, and we are still workin' today. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Play with as much heart as possible. Play all four quarters all the way out with a firey passion. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: This is a special team. We feel like we have what it takes everywhere and every position to get the job done. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: I love hearing a lot of doubt. That's what I'm fueled off of. I been fueled off that since high school, so I love that. I love to prove people wrong and this guy, he's not big enough, then I'm going to put on weight and the keep the same speed. I feel like being doubted, this whole team we have been doubted all year and we found a way. We found a way to prove people wrong. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Gotta do it. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Yeah, it's a lot going on, I believe none of our guys are going to get ahead of ourselves. We have been 3‑9, we know we still got a business trip, this team is very hungry. We gotta do this. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: That we have one of the best college coaches in football. And we responded from last year, he says that every day. We had a bad period in practice, we're going to find a good way to respond. A lot of success comes from Coach Malzahn and the rest of the staff here today because their attitude is a winning attitude. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Makes me feel good. Of course I didn't win it but, you know, now I have to play with another chip on my shoulder. Make people believe that I should have received it. I feel like since I didn't get it, I just‑‑ who knows? I gotta play with a chip on my shoulder. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Me and Jameis are friends; that's not going to change, no matter if we're playing each other or not we're going to continue to be friends on and off the field. It's going to be fun playin' him. I wish him the best of luck in the game also. I'm just lookin' forward to playin' it. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: That's going to be a great experience. It's just a blessing to be here and I'm looking to, you know, put on a show with my brothers. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Jay is a big brother to me. He protects me, he's going to find a way for me to be successful and I'm going to find a way for him to be successful. We are going to fight with each other every day and he's a key role and it does change when he's not in there. Look at him! He looks like the Hulk. He moves everything in his way! Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Plenty, it's plenty. I mean, I can't really say. There is plenty of times he opened up wide holes. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: A lot of these guys are self‑motivated and we are focused, because we know we can't be not focused, because that would cause us to lose and we know what it feels like to be 3‑9 and have a losing season. We learned a lot from last year. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Oh, yeah, we feel like we done came too far. We're so hungry that we done made it this far, why not finish it off? We didn't come all this way to turn around and lose so we didn't come this far to lose. Q. What did you learn from your father? TRE MASON: Stay humble and hungry and don't let anyone tell you you can't do anything. Playin' around‑‑ he said he picked up a fair turntable that's six year old, people told him to cut it off and I picked up a football, he never stopped me. Dreams can take you a long way. Nothin' wrong with being a dreamer. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Not even close to my Pops. Q. You were talking earlier about people doubting you. Talk about the running against teams people thought you couldn't do it against, you ran against Missouri and you ran against Alabama. Talk about that. TRE MASON: You do what you doin'. People doubting us all year, said we couldn't do certain things and we ignore it. I have so much confidence in my "O" line, Reese Dismukes, Greg Robinson, Avery Young, Alex Kozan, Jay Prosch, those guys are going to find a way to get the job done, and that's their mind‑set and that's my mind‑set. I don't care if you put 13 people on the field, we gonna find a way to get it done. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: It's a blessing to be a part of that group. I came in with the same mind‑set, saying that I wanted to be the best, you know, one of the best if not the best running back to come through Auburn or college football. It's just a blessing to be part of that group of people. What kind of legacy am I going to leave while I'm here? Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Bo's like my uncle. He gives me tips all throughout the game. He's there every step of the way. Q. Talk about the preparation that you had out here in California. TRE MASON: We prepared like we are in Auburn. We are be the going to let things distract us and the rest of my team is still focused. Q.  Is there concern with the layoff? The running game, blocking, how concerned are you guys with layoff? TRE MASON: We are not concerned at all. We have been focused even with the time off. We have been conditioning and doing everything we need to do to stay mentally locked in and physically ready. Q. Practice as usual in the last few weeks? TRE MASON: Just regular practice. We gonna continue doin' what got us here. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Feels good to create a spotlight of my own.  I didn't want to always live in my dad's shadow. I wanted to create a spotlight of my own and he's always pushed me to do that. He always said to become your own stuff. He told me it's okay to dream and once you dream and you got your eye on something, go get it. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: I guess the numbers are the place where I'm supposed to be. I'm not going to brag or boast, I will let the numbers speak and put me where I'm supposed to be. Q. Do you dream about holding that crystal trophy? TRE MASON oh, yeah, since day one. I've been dreamin' since before I came to college about holding that crystal ball up. I'm a dream catcher. Q. Did you think back in Augustthat was a real possibility? TRE MASON: Hey, I believed. It was just a matter of me being the leader and getting everybody else to believe with me. I believe those guys bought in, you know, with Coach Malzahn, what he instilled in me. You gotta believe. Q. People call you a "team of destiny" do you like that term? TRE MASON: Hey, I know we're a team of hard work, I know that. These guys put a lot of hard work in with me every day, blood, sweat and tears all year long. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: You know, yeah, I know they left three linemen in there but that was their plan and they stuck with their plan, and we stuck with ours and that's to continue to run the ball. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Yeah, you know, it was a good day for me and also my "O" line. Those guys, Jay Prosch, and my receivers on the edge, you know, they found a way. No what are the what tricks they put in front of them those guys found a way to identify who they had to blow. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: They're very fast. They're a physical defense and they're very smart. It's going to be a great game and a great challenge. We have been doubted all year, people saying we can't run the ball against teams like Georgia, Alabama, Missouri. Tennessee. A lot of people said we couldn't run the ball. So we just lookin' forward to doing what we need to do. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: We have a lot of formations but what makes it work is the mind‑set of our players. Our "O" line moves people out of the way. We don't run too many tricks, misdirections and things like that. We just gonna run the ball right at you. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: He has to go through his reads and sometimes it's not even a read it's if he feels he can get around the end so he does his thing. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Yeah, I expect that I'll get the ball every play. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: I feel like there is a chance for a shoot‑out. They have a high‑powered offense but so do we. We both have great defenses and that's what helped us get here today. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: That is shocking, but like I said, I worked very hard with these guys on my team, these brothers around me that‑‑ I worked very hard with them in the off‑season. We feel like we earned getting here. We earned it. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Yeah, that gave us‑‑ made me feel that we have a shot at it all because that's a very good team, Texas A&M is a very good team. At that time they had the best player in college football. We found a way to stop him at the end of the game and we put up a lot of yards against them. I feel like that was the game where we felt like we had a chance to go pretty far. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: They get a lot of credit. I give them so much credit because I imagine if I didn't have those five guys in front of me, what would it be like, if I had the ball without those guys in front of me. Those boys get a lot of credit because they get the job done and then I have to do my job. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: You how fast they are, it's a physical defense. They've done something right to get them to this point, so that's going to be the biggest challenge of how fast they are. Q. Tell me your emotions once you step out on the field and your expectations? TRE MASON: My expectations are always high. My expectation is for everyone to do their job, execute, do the things we have to do and have no turnovers. You have to expect and believe that you're going to be holding up that crystal ball at the end of the game for that to happen. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Of course you have to get better every day and every practice. We have to play our best football that we have played all year for us to win. That's a very good football team and we have to execute the things they have been doing. Q. Talk about the confidence level. TRE MASON: We're confident as a team. We don't doubt ourselves against anyone because you have to have confidence going into the game. If you have the game lost in your mind, it's going to be lost in real life. Q. Talk about what has been the most exciting part of being here in California. TRE MASON: I love the weather here. I will have a real great time holding up the crystal ball. Q. What wanted you to be great? TRE MASON I wanted to be great, I came in as a freshman saying I wanted to be one of the best running backs to come through Auburn or through college football. I just wanted to be great. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Oh, yeah. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: It started with Coach Malzahn coming back and changing the attitude around here. A lot of guys were motivated from being 0‑8 in the SEC and 3‑9. A lot of those guys were motivated so it started with Coach Malzahn coming back, changing everybody's mind‑set and believing. You gotta believe. We knew we were going to be good but we didn't know we were going to be in a National Championship, so we started to believe. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: It's fine but I feel like, you know, we work real hard to get to where we are at today. All my brothers around here, they fought with me, the blood, sweat and tiers through the off‑season, still going on through the season, fighting to get into the position we are in today. I know we are a team of hard work. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: I have. I still haven't gotten my evaluation‑‑ well, I haven't checked. God willing it's something good. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: I'm not an expert. I let the numbers do the talking. I try to perform on game day. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: I know Coach has my back. He's a great running back coach, he's a great person, he's going to be honest with you, you know, and he's not going to hold you back. If it's best for me to leave this year, that's what he would have me do. I'm going to wait until after this game to make my decision. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: They are going to be a great running back core. If I had to say anything, me and Cam talk about it all the time. He's probably skillwise the best out of all of us. Q. Really? TRE MASON: Yeah, that guy is good. He's consistent when we're scrimmaging and everything, he's very consistent. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: I know when we were back in Auburn we were still running. After practice we ran gases and sprints and things like that to stay in shape. We know how it was going to be. Our practice has always been very fast, very high‑tempo so that helps us keep in shape. We know how bad we want it.  Our practices have always been high‑temp, so that helps us stay in shape. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: I don't like to trash talk. That's fine. A lot of things have been said all season. I'm not going to talk trash about anything, because whoever we play we respect our opponent. You know, we're confident, you have to be confident, you have to believe you're going to win to win. If you think you're going to lose then you might as well not even go to the game. Q. Jameis Winston said he wanted to bring that "swag" back, for Florida State. Did you do that for Auburn? TRE MASON: Yeah, we got the "swag" back, you step on the field with that "swag" good things happen. Q. What are you most excited about? TRE MASON: Playing against a lot of people from my hometown. I had made a lot of trips to Talle in the summer, 'cuz it's not too far down the road from Auburn, and a lot of my friends play at Florida State so it's going to be fun playin' against them, a lot of high school friends, so that's going to be fun. Q. Your girlfriend is from Tallahassee, isn't she? TRE MASON: She is from Palm Beach, but she is living in Tallahassee right now. Q. Oh, who is she rooting for, you? TRE MASON: Yeah. (Chuckles). Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Excuse me? Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: That's a very explosive offense but we feel like we're the same, high‑powered. We feel like we can score when we touch the ball. That's a very good football team. I do have confidence in my defense. Not sayin' they're going to get scored on evey time, so who knows. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: I was in disbelieve. I was on the field with the Georgia catch, by Ricardo, and that was an incredible play. Without that catch, we probably wouldn't be here today. We were up by 20 at one point in the game, but we got complacent and let them back in the game and that's another thing we learned from, we can't do that, gotta play all four quarters. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Two weeks later, another thing happens like that, Chris Davis takes that field goal and we knew it had a chance to miss but we didn't know it was going to stay inbounds, and God's blessing that the ball fell into the right man's hands. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: At that time I couldn't believe that happened. We never practiced that. Now, since that happened, we practice it now. Never know when it can happen again. Q. Does that mean God doesn't like Alabama and Georgia? TRE MASON: That's not what it means. I just feel like we worked hard and we have players on this team that can make those plays. Q. Was there any question in your mind that Michigan State was going to beat Ohio State? When you were watching that game and knew you needed Michigan State to win to get to the National Championship? TRE MASON: I knew God was on our side. I had a feeling. We worked hard. We put a lot into it and a lot came out, so I had some confidence in Michigan State. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Anything. I don't care if I have to go outside or inside. I try to be dangerous. I don't want to leave myself as an inside runner or an outside runner. I try to do it all. Q. How does your body feel? TRE MASON: It feels good. It's going to feel good until the game is over. I'm ready to go, time to play. Q. Will you carry the ball 40 times? TRE MASON: I have no clue. Whatever happens, happens. Q. Are you doing anything to prepare specifically with regards to them or is it just about you getting sharper and better? TRE MASON: We're not going to change much up. We are game planning for them, also, you have to game plan for a team. We're going to do what got us here and that's continuing to practice the way we've been practicing, continuing to get better every day. We're not going to change much up because we're going to find a way. What we have been doing has got us to this point. Q. Was the Heisman experience a good one? TRE MASON: It was a great experience, being looked at as one of the best players in the country. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Oh, yeah. We don't care if you play 13 people, 14 people on the field, you know, those "O" linemen, Jay, Brandon, they gonna find a way, they're going to find the blocks. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: At some point, but, you know, sometimes Reece just identifies certain things. They find a way to block 'em all up. It's not just about a scheme, playing together, Nick making a right read. If he feels he can get around an edge he pulls it. Maybe he's supposed to give it to me but he will pull it because he feels he can get around the edge. I would say it's team work and chemistry. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: He's a great player. Reece makes all the right calls.  I rarely see Reece make the wrong call and even if he does, they still find a way to get the job done. He finds somebody to block, we don't care if you're on the right person or the wrong person as long as you're blocking at 100%. Q. Team of destiny, how do you look at that? TRE MASON: We feel like we have been called‑‑ we have been doubted, people say we're lucky, but we feel like we worked for it. These guys on my team, we fought since the off‑season, blood, sweat and tears, these guys putting a lot of work in. What you put into it is what you're going to get out of it. Q. Talk about Coach Malzahn. TRE MASON: He has a winning attitude, a Christian guy and I love playing for Coach Malzahn. He has changed guys' attitudes and you have to believe it. You have to want to get better every day. Q. What was your first impression when he came in? TRE MASON: I knew what to expect because I had him my freshman year and Coach Malzahn expects nothing but excellence. He expects the best out of you every day and, you know, to see if you're willing to get better every day. Q. Was there anything different about him from when he was coordinator to when he was head coach? TRE MASON: I knew that things were going to work out. Since he's the head man he gets to call the shots and what plays he wants to call so now he gets to run the offense the way he wants to run it. Q. What makes the offense successful? Everywhere he's been he's put up ridiculous numbers, throwing, rushing, whatever. TRE MASON: I feel he finds a way to break down the defense. He finds your tendency and your weak spots. Q. Was there a particular game that you realized you could do what you have done this year? At what point did you say, we're going to make a run at the National Championship with the numbers we have? TRE MASON: There was a lot of belief. We were clicking as an offense and I know the month of November, that's a rough stretch for us. We got all pretty much SEC teams, ranked teams, top‑5 teams so I had to turn it up a notch and be consistent. That's one of the main things, being consistent. If I put up 160 a game, I had to be consistent. I had to find a way to win. If my team is looking at me as a play maker, I have to be the one to make the plays. So I feel like consistency is key. And my "O" line, they're consistent. Those guys are‑‑ they seem to be fearless. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Oh, yeah, of course. A couple of us have to be the leaders of the offense like Nick, Reece, Greg, and me and Sammy. You have to be a leader of your position, first. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: I would say the Alabama game, because they were talked about it being the number one defense in the country at that time and my team found a way to get a win. We did it in a nice way. My "O" line did their job and gave us confidence in our run game. Q. What impresses you most about Florida State's defense, particularly the rushing defense? TRE MASON that's a physical defense and they're very fast. They have a lot of speed in all their positions on defense so that's what impresses me the most. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: It's amazing how he's progressed since he got here because he got here pretty late. He didn't get the spring to get comfortable with things. He came right in and just played off of skill. He started to sharpen skills and get a lot better and now he's a key role in the offense. A lot of things wouldn't be possible without him. He has that big play, that threat he has about himself. He carries himself with a swagger. Q. Kind of a freak as an athlete? TRE MASON: Yeah, he's a freak of an athlete. I seen him play on the basketball court, put the ball between his legs and dunk it, crazy things. Me and him had a dunk contest before, so he's a great basketball player and a great football player. Q. I knew he was going to expect excellence but now that he's the head coach, his attitude, right when he came in, he told us that we were going to have the biggest turn‑around in college football. We knew it was going to take hard work but we were willing to because we were 3‑9. We were willing to do whatever it took. We all bought in and we were sold on want to go win. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: You know I say it starts from‑‑ I pick two because the LSU game we were down by a lot and we found a way, we kinda found a way to put ourselves back in the game. We learned how to play‑‑ we learned how to play on the road, play in bad weather, you know, and just play from behind. Then the Texas A&M game made me start to believe that, you know, we have a real shot at this. We executed well on special teams, offense, and defense at the end of the game. At that time we were playing the best football player in college football. Q. Tre, how important is it to keep their offense off the field? TRE MASON: We just have to, you know, execute and do what we have to do. That's a very good offense. They're going to find a way to score. They're going to find a way to do the things they have to do. There is no "doubt" in them. Q. When you go up against a great offense, do you have to emphasize staying on the field? TRE MASON: We don't manage the crowd. We run a fast‑paced offense so the time of possession doesn't matter to us. We try to score fast. Our whole edge is being very fast paced. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: It would be good to get up early and keep the lead. Q. Do you think they're the best rushing defense? TRE MASON I can't say that. I don't know how they're going to be. I seen on film they're a very good defense but I can't tell them that's the best we have played because we haven't played them yet. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: I would say Alabama. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Uh‑huh. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Uh‑huh. They run close to the same scheme as Alabama on defense. Q. Is it an advantage for you if it's a tight game since you're used to those close fourth quarters? TRE MASON: Coach doesn't always tell us‑‑ he says if we get down to the end we're going to win. We have been in close games down to the wire. And we found a way to pull out amazing wins. Who knows how the game unfolds. Q. What is it about this team other than the head coach that you guys don't panic in close situations? TRE MASON: It starts from Nick, how poised of a player he is. He's poised, calm and so am I. I feel like our whole offense, we're calm. There is no reason to stress. Once you stress, you will start doin' things you don't want to do, freakin' out and panicking. So you stay calm, do what you supposed to do, execute the offense. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: I credit Coach Russell a lot for that. He's changed it up. Our workout and lifting schedule is just like our offense, very fast paced tempo, cardiovascular. If you had to run two feet to the next thing you have to run that, there is no walking in there! That pays off with us being in shape, cutting body fat and guys being in the best shape they have ever been. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: We're still lifting heavy. People breaking records in the weight room, personal records in the weight room during season. I've never seen that happen before and this is the first year it's ever happened. When someone breaks a record in our weight room we have this big bell in there and you gotta ring it. We have heard that numerous times throughout this season. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Uh‑huh. Just, you know, who is coming out this year. I had a very good year this he year thanks to the rest of my team. I had a very good year this year, and I have to do what's best for my future. I don't know what that decision is going to be yet. I've been thinking about it, talking to my family about it. I will make that decision after the game. Q. Last year we were 3‑9, I had 1,000 yards last season but that didn't matter to me. At one point, you know, we were just playing for pride and you have to play for something being 3‑9 and that was my mantra, you know, just do what I have to do. I wanted to play in the NFL so having a 1,000 yard season in that season, that was just a goal of mine. Then having a season like this, back‑to‑back 1,000‑yard seasons, and it's like 1600 now. It's a goal of mine, to get better and better. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: I did. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: Probably. I haven't checked. I wasn't focused on that right now. I have, though. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: A whole lot. That guy, he's a heartbeat of the team. He makes a lot of great plays. He's very good on his feet. He has a strong arm but he's calm and poised. That rubs off on everybody else. We have 30 seconds left in the game and he's still calm. That rubs off on a lot of people and that gave us confidence and knowing, yeah, he's good at what he does. Q. Having him run, do you feel like it's opened up your game? TRE MASON: Yeah, of course, you have to respect his feet. You have to respect his feet and his arm. If you don't then good luck to ya. Q. When he first got there did you have any doubts about him? TRE MASON: No, I feel like Coach Malzahn makes the right decisions, bringing Nick in. I knew that he had‑‑ there was something right that's going on and what Malzahn's thinking. I feel like it was a good decision. Q. Did you see Nick as a quarterback right away? TRE MASON: Yes, I did. I knew he had a very strong arm. TEAMMATE: How are you enjoying California? TRE MASON: I love being with you boys. TEAMMATE: Love being with you. Ready to get after it? TRE MASON: I'm ready to play. TEAMMATE: That's good. How does it feel hanging out with these guys for so long? TRE MASON: Oh, it's real fun! I live with him for a very long time. It's rough living with him. TEAMMATE: It's rough living with you, you don't do chores. Take out the trash every now and then, that's all I ask! TRE MASON: He's 6‑6, 260, there is no wrestling with him. TEAMMATE: Take out the trash! TRE MASON: I'm lazy! Q. (No microphone.) TEAMMATE: See, there is a restaurant called In‑N‑Out. I think we could go there. TRE MASON: You know what? I believe you should not ask for‑‑ I believe you're very new, you have all the nutrients you need, looking at your body I believe you have all the nutrients you need. I don't believe you need no burgers. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: He is like my brother. He does his job and he does it very well. He is the Hulk. That's what I call him. Q.  (No microphone.) TRE MASON: It's a reward to him. He lost his mom last season and he's been playing in honor of her since. I'm very proud of him and I'm happy to have him here, of course. Q. (No microphone.) TRE MASON: We rallied around him, just being his brother. You have to lift up your brothers when they down and that's what we did as a team. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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