Rose Bowl Media Day
December 30, 2018 | Football
Members of the Washington football team met with the media at Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif., Sunday morning, Dec. 30., ahead of the 105th Rose Bowl Game. Read what head coach Chris Petersen and the rest of the Huskies had to say.
HEAD COACH CHRIS PETERSEN
(Opening statement) "We've had a good week. We've had a good couple of weeks. The guys have prepared hard. We've practiced hard in Seattle. Been really focused being down here. And the Rose Bowl has been tremendous in terms of the events we got to be a part of. Everything just completely first class. And it's very apparent why everybody raves about being at this bowl game. It's been a really good week."
(On what he's seen from Ohio State) "One of the elite programs in the country, without question. They throw for a bunch of yards, but I think the thing that makes them so special on offense is how balanced they really are. And so with really good players, excellent scheme. Coached well. And on defense, I think they -- I think they're physical. They're athletic. Do enough stuff to keep you off balance blitz-wise. And we knew from the start even without putting the tape on what we probably were getting ourselves into. And Urban does a great job with that whole program."
(On coaching in the Rose Bowl) "I've had an opportunity to go to a lot of different bowl games. And I've never been to this one. But this is the one I did watch as a kid growing up. This is the one. And we've been close a couple times in my career, really close. And we have not got here. So, again, kind of alluding to one of the questions: It means a lot. Because how hard it is to get here, some of the hard things that we went through this season to get here, my hat's really off to these kids for making this happen."
LINEBACKER BEN BURR-KIRVEN
(On reflecting on the Rose Bowl being his last college game) "I haven't been that reflective honestly. I think I probably will be when I'm done but it's hard to think about other stuff when it just feels like another game week. You have so much work to do, prep, practice. It's hard to have time to reflect on stuff you did a long time ago when you still have a lot to do."
(On going to the Rose Bowl and being the Pac-12 Scholar Athlete of the Year) "It's pretty special. It's awesome to be Scholar Athlete of the Year. It's cool to be recognized for more than just what I'm doing on the field. It's nice that people notice what I'm doing off the field, too. It's pretty special to have such a cool year for me alone, but to be in the Rose Bowl with my team, my last game as a Husky; I get to play in the biggest Bowl game in the country, so it's been a really special season."
(On his expectations for Tuesday's game) "It's going to be a fight. I think both teams are going to come out swinging. We've got good playmakers and they have got good playmakers. We know they are going to make plays. We don't expect to play a perfect game. They have good players and I think it's going to be a dogfight and it will come down to the fourth quarter."
RUNNING BACK MYLES GASKIN
(On the legacy of Washington's senior class) "Just a group of guys that kind of -- a family. I mean, obviously we're all a family, but just kind of all those guys that came in together, and the senior class that redshirted, that's a part of that senior class, I think everybody is just real close knit. We've seen a lot. We went from 7-6 to the Peach Bowl to playing Penn State and all that type of stuff. I just think a lot of guys have a lot of experience, a lot of guys have put in the time and all the work, and we're there for the younger guys whenever they need it."
(On the threats Ohio State's defense poses) "They've got a good scheme, but at the same time, they have really good players. They've got a lot of great athletes on the field and a lot of guys that are hungry to run to the ball, so I feel like that's the biggest thing. I think this is the best team we've played all year, so that's probably our biggest challenge. There's a lot of guys that are hungry to play football. That's the type of game you want, especially in the Rose Bowl. As big as this is, just going against an opponent like this is really exciting."
DEFENSIVE BACK JOJO MCINTOSH
(On Ohio State's offense) "Very good offense. They have a lot of weapons. Quarterback is good. Receiving corps, they got some good linemen. It's going to be a challenge."
(On his memories of the Rose Bowl) "I mean, the biggest game I remember was the Texas-USC game. That's one of the biggest. But growing up watching this game every year and being from out here, always wanted to play in this game. It means a lot to be here finally. And it's a blessing. And everybody here, even if they're not from the West Coast, this is a big game. This is a big deal. And everybody loves it."
HEAD COACH CHRIS PETERSEN
(Opening statement) "We've had a good week. We've had a good couple of weeks. The guys have prepared hard. We've practiced hard in Seattle. Been really focused being down here. And the Rose Bowl has been tremendous in terms of the events we got to be a part of. Everything just completely first class. And it's very apparent why everybody raves about being at this bowl game. It's been a really good week."
(On what he's seen from Ohio State) "One of the elite programs in the country, without question. They throw for a bunch of yards, but I think the thing that makes them so special on offense is how balanced they really are. And so with really good players, excellent scheme. Coached well. And on defense, I think they -- I think they're physical. They're athletic. Do enough stuff to keep you off balance blitz-wise. And we knew from the start even without putting the tape on what we probably were getting ourselves into. And Urban does a great job with that whole program."
(On coaching in the Rose Bowl) "I've had an opportunity to go to a lot of different bowl games. And I've never been to this one. But this is the one I did watch as a kid growing up. This is the one. And we've been close a couple times in my career, really close. And we have not got here. So, again, kind of alluding to one of the questions: It means a lot. Because how hard it is to get here, some of the hard things that we went through this season to get here, my hat's really off to these kids for making this happen."
LINEBACKER BEN BURR-KIRVEN
(On reflecting on the Rose Bowl being his last college game) "I haven't been that reflective honestly. I think I probably will be when I'm done but it's hard to think about other stuff when it just feels like another game week. You have so much work to do, prep, practice. It's hard to have time to reflect on stuff you did a long time ago when you still have a lot to do."
(On going to the Rose Bowl and being the Pac-12 Scholar Athlete of the Year) "It's pretty special. It's awesome to be Scholar Athlete of the Year. It's cool to be recognized for more than just what I'm doing on the field. It's nice that people notice what I'm doing off the field, too. It's pretty special to have such a cool year for me alone, but to be in the Rose Bowl with my team, my last game as a Husky; I get to play in the biggest Bowl game in the country, so it's been a really special season."
(On his expectations for Tuesday's game) "It's going to be a fight. I think both teams are going to come out swinging. We've got good playmakers and they have got good playmakers. We know they are going to make plays. We don't expect to play a perfect game. They have good players and I think it's going to be a dogfight and it will come down to the fourth quarter."
RUNNING BACK MYLES GASKIN
(On the legacy of Washington's senior class) "Just a group of guys that kind of -- a family. I mean, obviously we're all a family, but just kind of all those guys that came in together, and the senior class that redshirted, that's a part of that senior class, I think everybody is just real close knit. We've seen a lot. We went from 7-6 to the Peach Bowl to playing Penn State and all that type of stuff. I just think a lot of guys have a lot of experience, a lot of guys have put in the time and all the work, and we're there for the younger guys whenever they need it."
(On the threats Ohio State's defense poses) "They've got a good scheme, but at the same time, they have really good players. They've got a lot of great athletes on the field and a lot of guys that are hungry to run to the ball, so I feel like that's the biggest thing. I think this is the best team we've played all year, so that's probably our biggest challenge. There's a lot of guys that are hungry to play football. That's the type of game you want, especially in the Rose Bowl. As big as this is, just going against an opponent like this is really exciting."
DEFENSIVE BACK JOJO MCINTOSH
(On Ohio State's offense) "Very good offense. They have a lot of weapons. Quarterback is good. Receiving corps, they got some good linemen. It's going to be a challenge."
(On his memories of the Rose Bowl) "I mean, the biggest game I remember was the Texas-USC game. That's one of the biggest. But growing up watching this game every year and being from out here, always wanted to play in this game. It means a lot to be here finally. And it's a blessing. And everybody here, even if they're not from the West Coast, this is a big game. This is a big deal. And everybody loves it."
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