Las Vegas Bowl (today 4:30)

Utah vs North Western

If you had told the Utah football team at the beginning of this season that they’d be playing a game at Allegiant Stadium yet again, they surely would have figured it’d take place in a third consecutive Pac-12 Championship game, rather than Saturday’s Las Vegas Bowl.

At his 1st spring game, I said I'd rather see Thompson get the ball and start learning. Now, I couldn't be more happy to have been wrong.

I'm so glad Bo is a Duck and I'm thankful for what he's done and how he's done it.

I look forward to watching him play on Sundays.

Next season Oregon will get to play the National Champs & runner up, plus host tOSU. Competition is stepping up for the Ducks!

Also, from the Athletic (which made me realize this bit of scheduling):

There will be a championship rematch next season — no matter how the Sugar Bowl ends​

Michigan’s 2024 schedule may be one of the most impressive in college football history. The Wolverines play host to Texas on Sept. 7 and USC on Sept. 21. Michigan travels to Washington on Oct. 5, plays host to Oregon on Nov. 2 and finishes at archrival Ohio State on Nov. 30. In all, Michigan gets two CFP qualifiers, including a championship game rematch, plus two New Year’s Six teams — all in the regular season.

Niya is the California state high school 100m and 100m hurdles champion. This girl is very versatile and could contribute in other areas.

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PRESS CONFERENCE WITH DAN LANNING, BO NIX, JEFFREY BASSA, AND TEZ JOHNSON

COACH LANNING: First, I just want to say to Fiesta Bowl, Vrbo. This has been an unbelievable experience. You talk about the things that are benefits of the bowl game, for us it's connection. It's the time that we get to spend with each other one last time. This guy [Bo Nix] on the stage with me, some of these other guys, their last opportunity to get to spend some time with us. And for us to have a great opportunity to spend time together and then go out there on the field and finish it the way we wanted to.We said this season, and really this game, was about unfinished business. We said we're writing the last chapter to our book, and we had the pen. I thought our guys wrote a phenomenal chapter. Started off a little hairy, but they finished it off the way Oregon is supposed to play. So, really proud of these guys. And thankful, again, to the Fiesta Bowl and the job they did.

Q. 12 wins only happened five other times in this program's history. What does this win mean? What does 12 wins mean for this team and this program?

COACH LANNING: I think it just speaks to the direction, the base that these guys have created for where we're headed and what we're about to do. They believed in what we wanted to accomplish. Really, this is all about our players. Our players had a buy‐in. They knew what the goal was and what to accomplish. We're going to build off that in the future, and they really set the stage for that.

Q. Bo, you end your career as one of the most experienced, productive college quarterbacks ever. Do you feel 35 years old in quarterback years? Or what does it feel like now that this kind of odyssey is finally done?

BO NIX: I feel like I have played a lot of football. But every time I went out there, it slowed down more and more. And by the end of it, I just had a really comfortable feel. I think this year with what we were doing offensively, schematically, I think we were very efficient. And part of that is because of what we did offensively, and then the players we have on our side of the ball. It's been a great career. It's been a lot of ups and downs. And there's been some great adversity toothat I've been able to learn from. I wouldn't be here without every year. Every step has been another journey, and I wouldn't have traded anything.

COACH LANNING: To piggyback off that for Bo, hopefully everybody out here in the crowd realizes that this guy has the single-season record for passing touchdowns, passing yards, and most touchdowns in an Oregon bowl game right here at quarterback; not to mention set the NCAA passing record for completion percentage. So, he's done a lot for this program. He's played a lot of elite ball, and we're really proud of him.

Q. Bo, just your thoughts on those accomplishments. And will you finally say that you played good football this season?

BO NIX: Yeah, I played good football this year because of the opportunity and the situation that I was in. It wasn't difficult to go out there and play with the guys that I was around. Coach [Dan] Lanning can say what he wants, but a lot of it is because of him that we were in the situation we were in. He coaches us extremely hard, and he gets the best out of us. That's what you want out of a head coach. And his humility is going to give it to the players, but we wouldn't be here without him and his leadership. I've learned so much from him over my time, over two years.Like I said, I wouldn't be here without him and the coaches that he's put around us as players. As a team, I felt like we set the bar really high. We had a standard, and we just wanted to go out there and match it every Saturday.

Q. Obviously, your last game in the Pac-12. Just wonder what your thoughts are, leading the league, entering a new league, and also the legacy that Oregon leaves.

COACH LANNING: I think Oregon has cemented itself as a premier program in college football. I'll say, more than anything, certainly grateful for some of the great games that exist in the Pac. But probably just as excited about what's happening in the future for us, where we're headed, the direction we're headed. The clarity, what that brings. That's really a credit to our administration, Rob Mullens and the people around us that have put us in that position.

Q. Bo, looked like you had a little conversation with Will [Stein] and Dan [Lanning] before going out for that curtain call. You guys were smiling. What was said there in that conversation, and what emotions were you feeling when you were walking off that field for that final time getting that curtain call?

BO NIX: Well, we were just going through the little memories we had. Both coaches were just super excited, and I was grateful to be in that position with them. They've done so much for me and my development. They've allowed me to have one of the best years of my life and I attribute it to those guys. To be able to have that situation, you see it a lot and you always wonder, you think maybe one day that could be me, and then today it just happened. I feel nothing but joy. I feel nothing but happiness and gratitude for the entire university. I think I could list on and on about what the university has meant to me and each person that's done so much for me.

Q. Jeffrey, what conversations did the defense have after that first drive and being able to shut them out for the rest of the game?

JEFFREY BASSA: Yeah, little things just like keeping our poise. That's something that we preach every day at practice and all the time in the facility. I think Coach [Dan] Lanning and Coach [Tosh] Lupoi do a great job of instilling that in our minds. Keeping our poise, going to the sideline, not keeping our highs too high and our lows too low. I think that's something that a lot of these guys in the offseason were focusing on, was that mindset of next-play mentality. We've got to flush the next play and we have to look at that next play and reflect on it and grow from it. I think that first drive, just kind of reflecting on the first drive, like you said, was going to the sideline and keeping our poise, and we were going to execute at a high level from there on.

COACH LANNING: Jeff [Bassa] won't give himself enough credit, but just like Bo [Nix] makes this offense run, Jeff makes this defense tick. We give him an unbelievable amount of defense that he has to process through his mind, getting us in the right call. Obviously, that showed up today, and that's why he was able to play elite.

BO NIX: I get tired of practicing against Jeff because he always calls out our plays because he studies so much. He knows exactly where to tell the guys where the ball is going. I think that's a tribute to him, because he's such a great leader. He took ownership of it, and that's why he had such great success on the field.

Q. It's the last year before the College Football Playoff is coming here to Glendale. What was it like playing in the Fiesta Bowl before that change comes?

BO NIX: Well, for it being my last game and for the season that we had, I grew up watching the Fiesta Bowl. I grew up watching bowl games on New Year's Day and dreaming and going outside after and playing like I was in that position. Even though maybe you could say it didn't go how we wanted it to this year, I think it ended exactly how we could have controlled it .I think we did everything we could with the opportunity that presented itself. We were in the Fiesta Bowl. We were able to come out here and play. It wasn't until pregame, I was out there warming up and I thought back to when -- back in 2010 the national championship was here and I was able to come to it. Full-circle moment. I'm back in my fifth year and the last game ever, back in the stadium. It’s little things like that, that you know God orchestrates, and He does things like that, and He's up there kind of smiling.

COACH LANNING: Yeah, certainly a unique experience, getting to be a part of a New Year's Six. I think all of our players realize how special a moment like that, how special this game is. I remember being in college watching the Fiesta Bowl with Oklahoma-Boise State. Getting to experience some of these games and getting to be a part of it is really special, for these guys up on this stage, but also for our team.

Q. Offensively, you guys switched in that third drive. What do you think contributed to the sluggish start as far as points go? And how did the experience and leadership you guys have on the sideline, how do you flip that switch to score all those touchdowns in a row?

COACH LANNING: We just had to settle in. They had some success getting hands up on some batted balls that probably would have been successful plays early. But once we settled in and made sure we weren't beating ourselves -- we talk about how bowl games come down to the team that tackles the best, the team that doesn't penalize themselves. I think we walked out today with two penalties. That's a big credit to our guys operating really well. But as long as we operate within sequence, it's hard to stop the Ducks.

BO NIX: We were a batted ball and a poor, inaccurate throw from having success on the first two drives. Just like we did all year, we've got to settle in and continue to go. We knew that the defense was going to continue to get us the ball back. We just had to go down there and score the first time. Once we did that, once Bucky [Irving] had that long run, that really started things.

This completes the Oregon football season. It has been a great season made even better by all of you!

More from Under Armour here:

Sorryto have fallen asleep on this ... but there is still time


I'm going 49-24 Ducks

1. How seriously do you take a 13-0 Liberty team as a threat to the Ducks?

Scott Reed: Anytime a team is undefeated after 13 games, there is a reason to take them seriously. When Central Florida beat Auburn in the Peach Bowl following an undefeated regular season, I think a lot of people felt similar – that the schedule really wasn’t that good and that against a top ten ranked SEC team, that the magic would end. When the Knights beat Auburn that afternoon, it reminded is that undefeated teams are usually very good at developing solid game plans. The other reason to take them seriously is that they have the one thing that seemed to give Oregon fits at times this season – a quarterback who can make plays with his legs and turn pressure into a big gain. The rushing attack for the Flames is legitimate and a true threat to do the one thing that has been most effective at slowing down Oregon – keeping Bo Nix and an explosive offense off the field.

Brandon Gibson: Liberty has the third ranked offense in division I football, and that should be enough for the Oregon players to take this challenge seriously. On the other side of the ball, Liberty’s defense is just within the top 50, but they also only faced one offense in the top 50 this season (albeit twice). So, while a top 50 defense might look good on paper, when you don’t play anyone with an offensive pulse, it is difficult to call top 50 an accomplishment. If Oregon had a bunch of opt outs and were playing with a third string quarterback, this one might be a nail biter with the offense power of Liberty, but the Ducks for the most part are here and ready to get a bad taste out of their mouths. Oregon has QB1 and RB1 in there with a wish to finish out their Duck careers playing one more time. The defense is largely intact, and wishes to put together one more redeeming effort. Oregon doesn’t lose this game as long as they do more than simply show up.

2. What's the most intriguing offensive storyline for Oregon?

Scott: For me it is seeing who steps into fill the void left by Troy Franklin opting out of this game. Will Traeshon Holden or Gary Bryant, Jr. assume that role? Will Jurrion Dickey – who is finally fully healthy – show why he was so highly rated in the 2023 class? Logic says that Holden and Bryant – who have had plenty of snaps this season – will start along with Tez Johnson, but I think Dickey likely sees action early and I am intrigued to see how he looks as a true freshman.

Brandon: With Franklin out and recovering, the weight is going to fall on some solid backups and a special freshman that is just working himself back to health. Jurrion Dickey has been overcoming an injury suffered in his senior year of high school and is expected to be one of the next great Duck receivers. With all the accolades and talent, Dickey hasn’t had to put in the cognitive side of preparing for opponents, and this injury made him step back and start to look at the game from another level.It certainly doesn’t hurt when you have teammates like Bo Nix and Troy Franklin that show you first hand what preparation and talent can lead to. Dickey’s injury may be a blessing in disguise as he will be better off for the skill he has developed to add to his God given ability. Definitely looking to see what he can do, along with the next-steps for Holden and Bryant Jr. as their time in the spotlight will be increased.

3. What's the most intriguing defensive storyline?

Scott: I think that most intriguing and most important story lines are different in this case. Most intriguing is to see the youth of the interior defensive line – guys like A’Mauri Washington, Johnny Bowens, My’Keill Gardner, and Ben Roberts getting time against a really good rushing attack.We know how the young edge players are going to look as Matayo Uiagalelei, Blake Purchase, and Tony Tuioti saw plenty of snaps this season in critical moments so seeing how the young guys on the interior defensive line will be intriguing given the number of players who will exhaust their eligibility this season.Most important? That is going to be how the young defensive backs play. I know there is some immediate help coming in with the 2024 class – especially Sione Laulea – but the Ducks will need depth at the position and I want to see some of the younger guys who are also healthy step into this game and see what they can do against a very good offensive team.

Brandon: Oregon will be facing its most run heavy opponent of the season and must continue to maintain discipline and limit explosive plays by the Liberty offense. The Ducks have fared well against “one-dimensional” teams, but will have to do so with some new bodies taking main roles.Brandon Dorlus is back for one last ride, but key players Birch and Florence are still questionable (at best), along with Popo and Khyree opting out and getting ready for the NFL. This matchup is likely beneficial for the Ducks as the secondary was one of the thinner groups, and this one will allow a bit more focus on the front seven, although safeties and corners will still play a major role in run support.

Dan Lanning and Jamey Chadwell took part in a final head coaches press conference today before the game tomorrow:

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COACH CHADWELL: Well, one, hats off to the Fiesta Bowl for a great week for our team and our program and our staff. When you are in Division II, you can screw up a lot, and I did, and nobody knows. But you can really build who you are and the values that you believe in and the foundation. And for our staff, a lot of those guys have been with me a long time. We started there and have been fortunate to work up to this moment. We always look back to remember where you came from. I think that's important, and the things that you've had to overcome, the different adversity. But we're here today because of those young men in 2009 when I was at North Greenville who chose to buy into our belief system and our values there, and they helped to propel us to this day. Any time we get to a big moment, I always look back on them fondly.

COACH LANNING: It's about building and growth, and it's the same thing across all avenues -- offense, defense and special teams. We want to be aggressive. Playing a team like Liberty, it makes it challenging. If you are aggressive, they take advantage of it and they make you play on islands. They tackle well and all of those things are really important when it comes to bowl games. For us, we want guys to play with relentless effort. We want to limit the thinking out there, but hopefully create some confusion for the offense, and accentuate what our players do really well.

Q. Dan, yesterday Coach [Jamey] Chadwell made a comment about how this game is pretty rare with so many players opting in and how in bowl season, that's a rarity these days. What are your thoughts on those comments and the state of bowl season in general right now?

COACH LANNING: You know, Coach Chadwell and I were talking about it before we came in here. You know, bowl season is supposed to be something that's really phenomenal and an opportunity for guys to get to play together one last time before a lot of guys' journeys take different directions and go in different ways. That's something that I know he appreciates and certainly something that I appreciate. I know a certain reporter was fighting for us to have a Florida State-Georgia type game. But we love to see our players play. We love to see our guys compete. They've signed up to be part of a team for the long haul. They want to go out there with their teammates one last time.When you have great players like the great players on his team that sign up to do it, and the players that sign up to do it? That's what the fans want, that's what the players want, and that's what bowl season is about.

Q. Dan, you alluded to the Orange Bowl. Having worked with both of those coaches, your thoughts in general and how that game came to be? And then Kirby's [Smart] comments after the game saying that things in college football need to be fixed, and people need to ask what they want out of these experiences, even with the expanded playoff next year.

COACH LANNING: I think we all know that at the end of the season, these games are best when the best players get to play in these games and they get to compete. I think what Coach Smart said, there's a lot of truth to that. When there's guys getting pulled in so many different directions at the end of the season, I don't know what the answer is to create some tie-in and buy-in for them to be able to compete in these games. You play an entire career in college football and then all of a sudden, you are not able to play in your last game? I think that's sad. These games mean something. They certainly mean something to the school. They mean something to the fans. I think everybody wants to see everybody's best.What the answer is to that, I don't know. I don't get paid to figure that part out. But ultimately, when you have a great culture, when you have good players that commit, when you have a quarterback like Bo Nix who commits to play in this game, I think it makes other people around him want to go compete -- and that's the best of college football when that happens.

Q. Dan, a lot has been noted about what Oregon has accomplished this year and it's been well-known nationally. What have you learned about what Liberty has accomplished from starting to game plan them to 24-ish hours before kickoff?

COACH LANNING: I know I'm younger but I have coached football for a long time. I haven't been around an undefeated team very often. That's a very unique experience. When you turn on the film and see a team go unscathed through their conference, able to win some close games and then have some blowouts. You see a team that competes at the ultimate level. They play hard for each other in every single unit. They create explosive plays. They take care of the ball. They do a good job of ripping the ball away from the opponent. So they make it challenging and that's credit to Coach Chadwell and the job that he's done. But obviously, they are a really dynamic team that's one of four teams in college football that has not lost a game. I guess three teams now in college football that have not lost a game. So it speaks volumes to the job he's done.

COACH CHADWELL: Thank you.

Q. For both coaches, it's been a month since you've played. How do you replicate the physicality that will happen tomorrow and be prepared for that after such a long layoff?

COACH LANNING: Yeah, it's a fine line, right? I walked in the room this morning and told Coach Chadwell, I'm ready to play. We have been practicing for a long time. There's a benefit. For us, we had 13 practices where it's almost an additional spring ball. It's an opportunity for development for young players and older players on your team. What always sticks out to me is the very first game of the season. The most missed tackles in the season is game one, right? And then the most missed tackles after that is bowl season. It really shows that people probably are not as physical within bowl prep. They don't tackle as frequently in bowl prep. I think that's something that is a fine line. You have to find that balance of creating what has to happen to be successful in football. But also take care of your players in that avenue. So it's a little bit like a spring ball for the first few practices, where you are really working development, and then you have to start breaking down and getting into the team that you are about to play.

COACH CHADWELL: Ours was very similar. We ended up having 13 as well and the first four or five were a lot of working on Liberty things that we needed -- we do have some young guys that will actually play in the game that were redshirted, and so trying to get them as many opportunities that they can to get them up to speed. We can't replicate who they are and what they do when we go in to prepare for them. Obviously, you will put the best game plan forward that you can. But we tried to use it as an extension of some spring and getting some young guys ready -- and still try to practice physical and get ready for what the challenge is in the game. But it's hard. I don't know if anybody has a great answer to that.

Just an FYI, with a 10AM start, rather than a DSA Inside Read, you will get a DSA Roundtable article.
Have a happy New Year all - and most importantly BE SAFE!!!

🦆
Oregon in second place so far (2025).

You could argue we have it better than TX. Why? Gabriel beat TX this year, and unlike Manning, Moore had some important starting reps this year.

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I Think I Can Get A Million Followers If I Am Famous Enough

In a W for NO he had 8 catches for 80 yds to lead all Saint receivers, one for a TD.

The mighty 6/6 Scarlet Knights open a can of whoop ass on the Canes. OK, "Bowl Games don't mean much anymore," but after two recruiting and portal cycles with a blank check rosters should be deep enough to withstand the sit outs and departures. Compare what UO has done vs what Miami has done in that same time period...and the trajectory of each.

Are you all staying dry and out of the surf? Best wishes.

Sat down to watch wondering if YuCeeHellAye might have found their game during the second half vs OAC, coming away with a road win after trailing at the half. Turns out that they did about what I hoped they would. They were a taller beefier team in the paint and they owned the boards except the one that counted, the scoreboard. In order to prevent them from taking that too, the Ducks found themselves in foul trouble while the Bruins did not. Bono should have had the game in his hands but UCLA couldn't get it there often enough. He has some success and his 5 blocked shots helped keep the game close.

UCLA did play some pretty decent defense, holding the final score down. Supposedly, the biggest thing holding the THEM down is confidence, which has not improved any after the game I watched. I haven't seen Bono play very much this year but I understand he has had some foul trouble so far and was told he needed to work on that facet of his game. He managed to cut his total to one vs the Beavers and UCLA won, though not by as much as I expected. Vs Oregon he had, I think, only two in the loss. Maybe he needs to find a middle ground of aggressiveness

The game was again, in the end, about Oregon's aggressive hustling defense. Three point shooting was decent for Oregon again, especially in the second half, The UCLA sharp shooters were, from beyond the arc ... well .. pretty much UCless. They didn't get many good looks as the Ducks played pretty tight defense as they have in most of their games. I haven't looked at the stats but I cant imagine the percentages being close. Every time I though the U of O was starting to slide behind by too much to recover from, they put a burst on and jumped back into the lead. Shelstad led the way with another 20 point game and will be in then running for PAC12 player of the week. He exploded in the second half after a so-so first stanza. These guys are playing with a lot of maturity and show great chemistry and poise.

For part of a day, Oregon is in first place all by its lonesome until the desert schools and the mountain ones probably join them on Sunday. If Oregon does reasonably well in Washington next week, they could be in decent shape for the possible return of Dante the next one.

"I definitely think we have a big, big, big shot at taking it all the way and winning this thing out, because the guys we got coming in — I’m not gonna lie — these are some dawgs," former Indiana offensive tackle Kahlil Benson told USA TODAY Sports Wednesday after signing with Colorado. "This team is going to be magnificent. Just watch. We comin'."

QUESTIONS FOR DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR TOSH LUPOI, EVAN WILLIAMS, TYSHEEM JOHNSON, STEVE STEPHENS IV, JEFFREY BASSA, BRANDON DORLUS.

Q. The run defense, which again, you guys have a lot of defensive linemen back, several could end up in the league. They have achieved and showed statistically, depending how it goes against the leading running team of America, this may be the most successful run defense. They’ve never been held under 100 yards and you guys could do that. At the same time, the performances against Washington, particularly in the title game did not meet that standard. How do you evaluate and assess what in the big picture which could be unprecedented for the program and not normal for the program, versus in those big moments not getting results you want?

TOSH LUPOI: I think every opponent is its own entity. We attack it. So this opponent is certainly an original entity for us, when it comes to defending a zoned option outfit. So they have a unique mix of having some large individuals, just like the championship game we played where some guys can create movement up front. And they also have the element of an elite perimeter attack with the option scheme. So we won't know until January 1st as far as our preparation, how successful it's going to be. So we're thankful to some of the extra preparation to go through things and trial and error and see some things that we might not like, see some things we do like. You know, bring in some of the things we have done in the past. Both Coach [Dan] Lanning and myself have faced some of these similar outfits. When I was at Alabama, played Citadel, and Coach Lanning at Georgia Tech. We certainly dove into some of those games and preparation going into this one. And pulled from some things that we think might help us. So, again, that will only be to be determined come game day. I think overall, just credit to our players as far as where we've grown in overall total defense, scoring defense, and as you mentioned rushing defense, of all 11 guys understanding a plan of attack, how to build a wall, fundamentals and technique to get this, and the rushing coverage, working together to accomplish that goal of rising to be more of a dominant run defense.

Q. When your best run edge defender goes down six plays in the (Pac-12 title game), that's going to comprise anybody. Is it as simple as when Jordan [Burch] comes out and an injured secondary gets greatly depleted throughout the course of it, that will make it harder to defend.

TOSH LUPOI: It makes it more difficult; however, it's part of the game. It's got to be next man up and you always look yourself in the mirror too. Actually, both games where we played against Washington and not taking away any credit from what they accomplished, what they have done in both games. We didn't complete the game with the starting corner in the game. And you always have to look yourself in the mirror too of what could I have done better to help us or assist us or possibly adjust or call the game differently, to not necessarily put an individual in a compromised position when you are playing against an elite team as they are.

Q. Coach, if I remember correctly, you rolled a lot of corners in first game against Washington, did you not?

TOSH LUPOI: Yeah, yeah, by necessity. We had some individuals go down that started the game, weren't playing the fourth quarter. So you obviously have to do that if someone can't continue.

Q. Are you expecting Jordan [Burch] and Jahlil [Florence] back for this one?

TOSH LUPOI: They are involved every day. So it will be game-time decisions. It's great to see them out there and moving around. So I think they are doing a really good job preparing mentally, not getting all the physical reps, but being out there mentally, having a script in their hand and preparing quarterly.

Q. I'm guessing there was a time you were frustrated in the final four, and now you are here taking on Liberty.

TOSH LUPOI: We are right where we are supposed to be. Very thankful to be here. We've had an awesome overall successful season and now it's just an opportunity to cap it off, to have the opportunity to win 12 games and possibly finish in the top five. There's a lot of things that we have our eyes set on and just trying to approach every day for that possibility going into our preparation, our energy, our attention to detail every day. I think the guys have done a nice job of preparing and, of course, we'll see how that preparation plays out January 1st.

Q. What about Liberty with one of the best offenses. I know Conference USA, they can move the ball.

TOSH LUPOI: Absolutely. They deserve to be here. You know, and it's two great teams going at it. So it's going to be an awesome challenge for us. As far as you bringing up their conference, I certainly don't look at it that way. I think it's special to be undefeated no matter what, and if you look at some -- you really dive into their history and -- I like opponents to do what they did and score 49 points against a New Mexico State team, who dominated Auburn at Auburn. I think it's obvious what their capability is and they got a lot of players that signed elsewhere coming out of high school and now came aboard there via the portal. So to us, it's -- they deserve where they are at. We deserve where we are at and we are excited for the challenge.

First confr. game. SC a disappointing 6/5. And there's always Bronny. For some reason UO is a heavy favorite in both. Hope we start getting some more of our players back.

QUESTIONS FOR OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR WILL STEIN, BO NIX, TERRANCE FERGUSON, BUCKY IRVING, STEVEN JONES, TEZ JOHNSON

Q. How do you encapsulate the last year? You were hired about 54 weeks ago and this is the product.

COACH STEIN: Like I said when I first got here, it's a player's game. We have exceptional players that prepare like pros who practice their tails off. They're a joy to coach. They're a joy to be around. Very blessed to work for Dan [Lanning] who is so organized and detailed and forward-thinking. There's a lot of things working in my favor that have allowed a lot of this stuff to happen for our offense. Credit to everybody in the organization; our offensive staff. It's a great blend of minds in our offensive staff room who all work really well together with zero egos and just want to win. Yeah, it was a lot of fun.

Q. What will be it like sending Bo [Nix] in for this game -- how do you define that? Fans will say, getting completion percentage record or whatever other statistical record, but I know coaches don't like to define things like that. How do you define it?

COACH STEIN: Obviously, leaving the game as winners is the number one thing. We're playing a tough Liberty team, 13-0. It's hard to go undefeated. So they're definitely a tough matchup. Coached really well. They play really hard. But statistical measures, I mean, they're all fun to talk about. It's not like guys don't think about them, and we can all say we don't. I don't. Players probably do more than coaches. But ultimately, I think Dan's [Lanning] done an unbelievable job this entire bowl prep. The last game, it didn't end the way we wanted to, so we have unfinished business. The statistical stuff, we take care of the game or take care of the ball and play the way we're capable of, I think all of these things will happen -- along with the most important thing -- winning the game.

Q. What sticks with you about the title game? Is it the start? Because it was slow. But at the same time, six plays, in fairness. Or is it the 3rd-and-9, even though the call was good but great execution. What are the things that stick with you about that? When you look back, what do you think about three, four weeks later?

COACH STEIN: There's a lot of things. When you lose, you second-guess a lot more than when you win, just like the first matchup. The 3rd-and-2, 4th-and-2 in the first matchup was something that haunted me all year. Tried to make the best out of that situation, moving forward, which we did, and we wrote off a lot of wins in a row. But there's a lot of things in the game. The first 3rd-and-1, which was a long 3rd-and-1, we run a sprint out. That was not a great call. There was some things that I could control to get us more prepared in spots, but our kids played their tails off. They really played hard. It was not for a lack of effort. Everybody wanted that game as much as the entire state of Oregon wanted that game. It wasn't for a lack of want to. There were coaching errors. Could have got our guys in better situations. But yeah, it was a tough way to end it. But I'm really proud of the way the guys have responded. This bowl prep has been outstanding. Guys came to practice every day flying around. They want to finish this year off the right way and beat a really good team.

Q. Explain to fans who question the first one, the stuff inside the red zone, coming up short, but particularly running the routes to the corner. Many of the novices will look at that and say, if it's blown up, you're stuck in the corner, there's no options. The title game, something like that, worked for a touchdown. They forget that part. Be that as it may, for fans, when it became a six-week-long indictment about red zone execution and play calling, etc., situational stuff, explain to folks the thinking.

COACH STEIN: Yeah, it's like the way that we gameplan is the same way that Bill Walsh gameplans, in terms of the decisions you make are done not in the heat of the moment in a game. They're done in the calmness, the coolness of an offensive staff room. So when you come together as a staff, when you have ideas, when you have specific schemes that you believe will work based on what the defense presents, you go with your gut. I mean, you go with that call. And in those moments, you have to live with the result. I still like all the plays we called in the red area. The big thing about that game, I would say, is potentially the third down before the fourth down with a timeout and you could run the ball there. That would be one looking back, reflecting, okay, calm down, call one. And then you have a 4th-and-1 maybe from the 1 (yard line) instead of the 3 that you could run again.But hindsight's always 20/20, like you said. In the championship game, we run a play that was off of a play during the year and it was something that we really liked going into the game, especially tempo. And it hit. Those calls down in the red area, I still like those. I really do. It was really the 3rd-and-2, 4thand-2, which were, I thought, that was poor schematics for our guys and didn't give the guys the chance to finish on the field and take a knee.

Q. What have you seen from Austin [Novosad] that would give you confidence? He has to come in on Monday?

COACH STEIN: He's a kid that preps like a starter. He's had really good bowl prep. Gotten better every single day. I think his time going back and forth with the scout team this year gave him quality game reps against a top 10 defense in the country. So he's been playing at game speed all year and throws the football really well. Him and Brock Thomas, our other quarterback -- and Brock is a local kid from Sheldon, same high school as Patrick Herbert. A lot of pride in University of Oregon and Brock and his family. He's another kid who can come in and make an impact,

Q. Growing up as a youngster, was there a quarterback that you thought: I want to play like that guy? Is there a quarterback that you looked up to?

BO NIX: I think as I grew up, as I got older, it kind of changed a lot. I went from one to the other. I would go through phases and I would start watching one more than another. But I really remember Tim Tebow being the first one, because of what he stood for and because of how he played the game. And right after that was Cam Newton, and I knew I was never going to be like Cam Newton because I was never going to be that big. But it was still fun to dream and imagine like that. As it went, there's been a lot of others, college, NFL guys, that you may see a play or two and try to model the game after. But at the end of the day, I know and recognize that we're all different in our own way and I think it's valuable to know that and to play like that, because you don't have to be like someone else to be one of the best.So I think each quarterback that plays that has success, I think they all added unique prep to their game. I think that's what makes football, in general, so cool because you can be so different and still have success.

Q. Bo, taking a look at film and the Liberty defense, what jumps out to you?

BO NIX: I think they're extremely athletic. I think they play the ball in the air really well in the back end. They're physical. They do a lot on defense and I just think we're going to have to do a good job of executing on early downs.

Q. In a game like this, where you guys are such heavy favorites, is there a tendency to maybe not pay attention to the details much? As a leader of the team, is it your role to make sure everybody stays as locked in against any other opponent?

BO NIX: Yeah, it's important. We're going to treat this game like we have any other game. We put a lot of respect and value on any opponent we play. We know any opponent can win or lose any game they play in. So we have taken it seriously. We're going to make sure the details are on point. It's tough in a bowl game, though. There's so many different things going on. But we got to regroup and get back to the basics and make sure we're prepared going into each game.

I personally think that with OOC games and conference games combined, teams should play 10-11 total games in the regular season before entering the expanded playoff system (hopefully a 24 playoff bracket in the near future).


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