Boise State Broncos College Football Pregame Quote, 12/27/2024

Q. What has Coach D [Spencer Danielson] been reiterating these last couple of weeks?

TY BENEFIELD: Honestly, just making sure that we do everything leading up to the game so that we are confident enough to go in there and just cut it loose. Really just cutting it loose. Not worrying about any outside noise. Going in there, having fun, and enjoying the moment.

Q. What does this stage mean for you to play on, Ty?

TY BENEFIELD: This is something that I’ve been wanting since I was starting football. Something that me and my dad and my family have talked about forever. To be able to get here is an absolute blessing. To be able to perform in the Fiesta Bowl on this stage is everything to me. I’m super excited.

Q. So the things that you and your dad would dream of when you were a kid?

TY BENEFIELD: Just playing in front of a packed-out crowd in an NFL stadium, cameras on you. This is something I’ve dreamed of, too. Especially when football started getting serious for me in high school, when I started getting offers, I was like, the time is now. It’s going to happen to you soon. Keep your head down, and soon people will see.

Q. How much have you grown from game 1 to game 14?

TY BENEFIELD: A ton. I watch myself on film, and I’m covering my eyes, because I’m like, jeez, dude. But I’ve grown so much and I give it all to Coach Stock [Tyler Stockton], Coach Chin [Erik Chinander], Coach D [Spencer Danielson], the strength staff and my team. We’ve all grown and we’ve all helped each other grow.

Q. The biggest understanding you’ve had from being in the fire. You’re one of the guys who plays every single play, too. What’s one of the biggest things that you’ve started to understand about what it takes to succeed on game day?

TY BENEFIELD: Honestly for me, it’s just being calm, not blowing things out of proportion, not getting my eyes too big. Just focusing on what I’m supposed to, like my keys, and cutting it loose, not worrying.

Q. The San Jose State game, you picked, you forced a fumble. How much did that game mean to your confidence, making some game-changing plays? You guys needed that.

TY BENEFIELD: That game was a test for me, because the first play of the game, I got trucked. It’s all over CBS. I’m like, that just happened in front of my dad, in front of my family who was at the game, in front of my boys and everything. I had that decision, either I was going to lay down and let it happen and just be sad about it.

Or am I going to change the game? Am I going to say, we’re not running with that. We’ll show them what we can do. That game was a huge test for me, and I passed it. And it’s been huge for my confidence because I know what I can do. That self-doubt that I sometimes have is almost out. When that ball comes into play, I can just cut it loose and just focus.

Q. Going back to the hit, that ball, a weird play pops up in the air after you knocked that thing out. Jayden [Virgin-Morgan] looked like he turned into a tight end playing high school for a minute there, too.

TY BENEFIELD: That play was funny. I just remember being in the post and I was trying to see where this quarterback was going to end up. We didn’t expect him to run much at all and he ended up running. It was just one-on-one.

I just remember seeing the ball and then seeing him kind of lower down on me. I was like, I just took him out. The ball game with. It was kind of funny, but I’m glad I made that play for my teammates and for the team.

Q. For a lot of the older guys on the team, like Rodney [Robinson] said, when he came into Boise State, the limit was the New Year’s Six playoff. But I think by the time you committed, the 12-team expansion had already been approved and there was an access for a Group of Five. How exciting was that coming here, knowing that you had a chance to play for a national championship at Boise State?

TY BENEFIELD: Oh, it’s incredible. It’s incredible. That’s a big reason as to why I came here. I came here so we can win championships and win big games and play in big games. I had trust in everybody to be able to do that. It’s definitely amazing.

There was this thought in my head that we knew we could accomplish this. We were talking about this since winter when we were doing the hardest workouts. We were, like, we’re going to go do this. Now to see how it’s all unfolding and we are here, it’s amazing.

Q. You said this is one of the reasons you came here. During the recruitment process, did the coaches ever use the words “national championship” with you?

TY BENEFIELD: Yeah. I’ve heard Coach D [Spencer Danielson] say we have that ability. Before, we weren’t able to, because the smaller playoff bracket and everything. When that chance came, I just thought about it. I was, like, Coach D has been telling these guys this stuff before that. He’s been telling me that since the start of my recruiting. We have a team to be able to do it, and it’s happening. We’ll go out there and cut everything loose and show the world.

Q. Has it hit you that this shot is real now? Tomorrow you guys are flying down to Arizona to play in the national tournament?

TY BENEFIELD: It’s hit me, for sure. Right after the Mountain West Conference championship, I had that opportunity to kind of reflect on everything. I was like, it’s crazy. But now it’s settled in and it’s hit, for sure.

Q. Generally speaking, what are your thoughts on Penn State’s offense? What do you see from them? Even though you guys are considered the, quote-unquote, underdog, what is your guys’ confidence level going into a game like this?

TY BENEFIELD: As always, our confidence is up. We’re going in there, not to make things close. We’re going to win and enjoy it. But Penn State is a very, very, very good team. They’re explosive. They have two running backs [Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen] who are 210plus that are very good at what they do. Their quarterback [Drew Allar] is very good at what he does. Their tight end [Tyler Warren] and Oline, their whole team is good. That’s why they’re here and that’s why we’re here. To get this opportunity is huge.

Q. Erik Chinander said a couple of weeks ago that early in the season, maybe you were playing a little mechanical at times. I think he said something along the lines of you had a talk with your dad and started to play a little freer. Can you take us back to that? How did you recognize that, and how did you push through it?

TY BENEFIELD: Honestly, my dad texted me after Georgia Southern. There was a play where I missed my first interception. It should have been that. But he texted me and he was like, you know, if you were just playing free and not worrying about the scheme so much, you would have made that play.

That sat with me, because some of these plays that I miss, you can see that mechanical look to me and that mechanical feeling, that you just see when I’m playing, is trying to creep in.

But I’ve been playing so much more free because I’ve been preparing so much better. I’m able to just study so much during the week to the game day when I’m able to just kind of relax and I know what I’m supposed to do. Now it’s just need to do it across from me. That’s all.

Q. You’re pretty young. You didn’t turn 19 until the middle of the season, right? So you step into this role, you’re still only a true sophomore. I know you say you want to be a leader, but you also have to find your voice. How much have you found your voice?

TY BENEFIELD: One is just being able to play as early as I did for sure helped. But also just helping out with the younger guys, too. Because I’m a young guy myself, I see all these younger guys come in and I’m there to help them out. I’m, like, you can ask me anything you guys want. I’m friends with all the younger guys. I’m not like that freshman that played that now is a sophomore that thinks he’s too good to talk to the young guys. Not at all.

We don’t have anybody like that on our team, which is why we’re at where we are right now, because our team is so close. Just talking, helping the young guys out for sure has helped. Also just being able to communicate the way I do on the field. For sure, guys can see that I’m trying to be a leader. It’s helped put my voice out there in that leader kind of role.

Q. Erik [Chinander] said he puts a ton on you for being a young guy. Do you feel like he puts a ton on you?

TY BENEFIELD: Honestly, I don’t think so. I mean, I think Chin [Erik Chinander] trusts me a lot, and it’s a blessing to be able to have your DC trust you that much. I just take it all in and I go with it. Chin is my guy. Stock [Tyler Stockton] is my guy. I love them, I trust them. I’m blessed to be able to have them put that much stuff, because some of this stuff that we’re able to put in now is going to help us that much more. It’s great.

Q. With Alexander Teubner back, you had him most of the season. You didn’t have him for a few games. What is the biggest difference you notice when he’s out there rolling with you guys and then when he’s not?

TY BENEFIELD: Yeah, we’re still able to communicate and all those things and play at a very high level with and without Tubes [Alexander Teubner]. Just when Tubes is out there, I don’t know, I get happy because that’s my guy. Tubes is my guy. I get happy, I look over and Tubes is over there directing traffic. I’m just, like, ah, there’s Tubes.

But honestly, it’s just knowing that there’s a senior out there and knowing that his time is limited. Knowing his story, too, is the most important thing. He’s worked his butt off, and now he’s playing. It’s late in his career, but just kind of seeing that is a beautiful thing, really. It definitely is. But as far as all the other things playing and stuff, it’s huge. But there’s definitely also an increase in communication and stuff. He’s big on that.

Q. Speaking of him, you guys talk about being blue collar, and his story, he’s the epitome of it. I’m assuming there was never a question he would be back because of what he probably put into it? It just feels right that he’s going to be able to play in this game.

TY BENEFIELD: 100%. I knew at the end of that season, I was like, he’s going to come back. I had a feeling. I just knew he was going to come back. It’s so great to see him out there again and see him practicing, too. I just laugh to myself sometimes. I’m like, there’s Tubes. It’s great.

Q. Coaches have not been huge fans of three weeks off. How has it been getting back into the swing and getting ready to go after such a long break?

TY BENEFIELD: It’s been good for me because I feel great. But that’s a long time to be off, for sure. It’s great for the body and everything feeling great. But you tend to see teams get very complacent and start to feel like they’ve got time. But we really don’t have time. We need to stay on it. We’ve been doing a great job of that. These three weeks has been, I would say, great for us. But definitely I can see why coaches don’t like that. I love it.