Notre Dame Fighting Irish College Football Pregame Quote, 12/28/2021

Michael, I was interested if you sort of see this game as a test of the offense, to kind of show how far you guys have come over the last, six, seven weeks going back to Wisconsin, Cincinnati, and just sort of what you feel like your group can prove in the Fiesta Bowl.

Yeah, I wouldn’t call it a test at all. I would just call it doing what we know we can do, doing what we have been doing all season long. More importantly, the second half of the season, I think it’s just kind of coming out and showing that the second half of the season is what we can do all the time.

That’s kind of what this game is about. It’s also about sending the seniors out in the right way. And, yeah, we had a good practice last night, and we’re feeling good.

Michael, [Coach] Tommy [Rees] was talking about earlier how Oklahoma State liked to double Charlie Kolar, the tight end at Iowa State, in big situations. I think it’s probably predicting that that may happen against you. I’m curious, what is your mindset when you are facing double teams? How do you process that? How do you beat double teams? Or do you just sort of embrace that the defense is making itself vulnerable in other places, so the other guys can sort of step up?

Yeah, I think going into the game, I think my mindset never changes, even if I know they are going to double-team me. I’m always still going to try to get open. I think Jack [Coan] is still kind of always trying to find me with the ball. But if they are going to double-team me, that’s one less person that’s going to be on somebody else.

So if it opens some other people up, then that’s perfect. It’s all about winning at this point. One more game left to the season. If they want to double me, that’s fine. I will still try to get open, I will still try to get the ball, but it will open some other people up too.

Michael, given the fact that COVID has really kicked back up and is wreaking some havoc on some other bowl games and even other sports programs at schools, will you be particularly grateful for the opportunity Saturday to get this game in and sort of get to the finish line of the season?

I will be very grateful, yes. Some people’s seasons got cut short because of COVID. We’re very blessed to be here. I’m very grateful to be here, and I won’t take it for granted. I don’t think this team will take it for granted.

If you don’t mind a quick follow-up. What do you think of when you hear Oklahoma State football? Is there a certain brand or person or characteristic that comes to mind about the Cowboys at all?

Number one, I think of their great defense. We know what we have when we’re playing Oklahoma State. They got a great defense this year. They got some great players. They had a great DC. So that’s kind of the first thing that comes to mind, but we will be prepared. We will have a full week of preparation this week, and I think we will be ready.

Michael, congratulations on an amazing season. Since [Coach] Marcus Freeman has been appointed the head coach of Notre Dame, what has been the biggest change he’s implemented into this program?

I think number one, it’s been the practices. The practices have been more upbeat, more up-tempo, a little bit more against our own defense. For me, I think it’s been great. It’s got me better in shape. I think the team can agree. It’s a little bit more competitive, a little bit more energy on the field, and I think that’s something that’s been great for this team, and I think it will show this weekend.

Michael, you talked about how important it is to win; to send the seniors and the grad transfers out on a winning note. But how important is it for the future of the Notre Dame to win the Fiesta Bowl?

I think it’s huge. This program hasn’t had one in a while, and I think if there was to be one, it would be this team, and we got a very solid team. We’ve had a great bowl prep so far. We’re going to have a good week of practice this week, and I think it will be awesome to send the seniors off this way, but also have a little bit of momentum going into the next season. Obviously, next season will be a big season, too.

I think the first time you met [Coach] Marcus Freeman may have been at a high school awards banquet back in sort of the Cincinnati area. I was interested to go back to that, your first impressions of him, why you sort of connected with him, even if at that point you were not going to play for him? And why his personality is fitting of a head coach, even as a first-time head coach?

Yep, so my senior year of high school, I went to a banquet called That’s My Boy Award. It’s kind of best football player in Northern Kentucky, Cincinnati area, and Coach Freeman was the guest speaker for that night. He went up there and gave a great speech for 20 minutes. And I was, like: Where does this guy coach? This guy is awesome! I shook his hand and stuff after I won the award, and all that.

And then kind of first when he got here, before he was up to South Bend, I sent him a text and congratulated him for getting the DC job and stuff like that. At the end, I was, like: Do you remember kind of giving that speech at that banquet? He’s, like: Of course I remember.

And then he got up here, and we talked about it more. I think that was a good relationship starter for us. Ever since he has been up here, our relationship has been building ever since, and I think it’s just going to keep building.

Michael, could you describe your relationship with Jack Coan personally, and then on the field in game action? And what influence he’s had on the offense this year?

Personally, me and Jack are really good friends. Ever since he kind of got here, I kind of ‚Äì not took him under my wing, but showed him around South Bend a little bit. We tossed all the time. So obviously, that built our relationship, just going out and running routes and tossing to each other. He’s been nothing but a great addition to this team. His leadership ‚Äì he’s kind of taken on his role to this team for his leadership, and when he’s out there, not panicking and just playing to the way he knows he can play. And that’s something that this team likes to see out of our quarterback. So it’s good to see him. He’s been a great addition to our team, and he’s done nothing but been a great leader.