Oregon Ducks College Football Pregame Quote, 12/30/2023

Q. How involved are you as a safety, you personally in the run game? Are you playing for free, more strong, coming down to the run game a lot more? Do you expect to be involved pretty heavily in the run game?

STEVE STEPHENS IV: Yeah, I definitely have a role.

Q. I’m going to take you back to Selection Sunday. You wait to find out what bowl game you are going to be in, who you are going to be facing. What were the initial thoughts that went through your head when it was the Fiesta Bowl going up against Liberty?

STEVE STEPHENS IV: At first, I was really excited to be able to go to the Fiesta Bowl again. I was excited about that. And then playing against Liberty, a 13-0 football team. I hadn’t watched them before that point. So I was really excited to go and prep for another opponent that, you know, obviously is different. So I was really excited. Very excited.

Q. Having watched them since, of course, and comparing what has stood out to you that you know would be a challenge that you would have to overcome to come out on the winning side Monday?

STEVE STEPHENS IV: They do a lot of things really well, and their quarterback rushes for 1,000 yards. So that’s really elite. They do things different. We come from a straight offense. They major in, like a two-back look the majority of the time. So just having to execute and the different looks they give us in that regard.

Q. Their offense puts up a lot of numbers. Your offense puts up a lot of numbers. That’s got to be helpful when you are going against an offense every day in practice.

STEVE STEPHENS IV: For sure, for sure. The offense gives us a great look every day. We go up against elite guys in practice and it helps us get better.

Q. What have you enjoyed about bowl week so far?

STEVE STEPHENS IV: Just the camaraderie, hanging out with the fellows one more time for whatever the future, and going out to eat, practice and ultimately time in the hospitality room. Just everything with the guys.