TCU Horned Frogs College Football Pregame Quote, 12/29/2022

How are you feeling coming into this game? How do you feel your team has prepared?

MAX DUGGAN: You don’t want to do too much. Sometimes people will overcoach or over-game plan. But our coach and guys have done a great job of getting us right, making sure the game plan wasn’t in too early where stuff is getting kind of stale at that point. It’s been good to have a little bit of time to watch Michigan and everything they’re doing.

What’s impressed you most about Garrett Riley when he came in and you first had your first couple of takes with him? What does he bring to the offensive staff?

MAX DUGGAN: There’s a lot. Obviously, he’s such a fun person to be in the room with as a quarterback. And then just as a coordinator, to be around him, it’s a lot of fun to go to work with him every day. Obviously he’s so innovative and creative.

Seeing him on Saturdays, the things he can dial up and put us in great position to be successful. Watching film with him, being in the room every day, you learn so much about him, whether it’s stuff on the field or off the field. He’s a great person to go to work with. It’s tremendous.

Playing against SMU, you see what he can do and the success he’s had. He came in, you’ve been able to learn where he’s been — East Carolina, Appalachian State. You knew what type of mind, what type of person and coach he was. So it was exciting to get to know him.

What kind of credit do your heart doctors deserve for you being here?

MAX DUGGAN: They deserve a lot. They were able to put me in a spot to be successful again and make sure I’m healthy, make sure I was able to live my life the way I wanted to and not have any issues. Saved my life, whatever it was. I don’t know what would have happened if I didn’t catch this. But my family and I are really indebted to those doctors.

Coach Dykes says he thinks you have a similarity to Andy Dalton and that you should be on the Mount Rushmore of TCU football. What does it mean to hear that stuff?

MAX DUGGAN: It means a lot coming from Coach Dykes with the success he’s had and the quarterbacks he’s been with. We’ve been able to grow our relationship and to hear that from him, means a lot. Everyone knows the legacy of Andy Dalton and what he meant to this program.

When you come here out of high school, you want to be like those guys, Andy [Dalton], L.T., (LaDainian Tomlinson), Bob Lilly. All of our greats. When you come here, you want to be like those. You want to leave an impact on this program and this university, just like those guys.

Can you talk about Kendre Miller and what he’s meant to the run game and the team in general this season.

MAX DUGGAN: He’s taken us out of a lot of bad spots. He’s been a tremendous player, one of our best players. The things he does on the field, whether it’s his power, his vision, his balance. He makes my job really easy. When I’m struggling in games, I can turn around and hand the ball to him.

He makes things look really easy when they’re hard to do. He’s a great person, great did to be around. Really hardworking. A lot of fun to be in the locker room with and hang out with. He’s a funny kid. Glad he’s on our team.

What are your thoughts on the game and playing Michigan for a chance at the national championship?

MAX DUGGAN: We know how good Michigan is and it’s going to be a tough battle for us. But it’s a challenge we’re ready for, and it’s going to be a great opportunity.

Is it tough to understand that one win gets you into a national championship? Has that been kind of hard to block that out?

MAX DUGGAN: It really hasn’t. We haven’t talked about it whatsoever. We’re focused on this game against Michigan. We know what type of game it is and what’s at stake, but we’re not making it more than we need to. We’re not making the lights brighter than they are. It’s just one game. Just throw the ball and go play and have fun.

Can you see yourself living in Fort Worth?

MAX DUGGAN: I love Fort Worth. There’s so many great people and a spot I truly feel welcomed at. I feel like it’s my second home. I think I’ve seen so many people that live there and have families there and how happy they are and things that they can do and raise a family.

And many opportunities to do what you want in your career and things of that sort. So it’s something that I would be more than happy to stay in Fort Worth.

Being from the Midwest and really Big Ten country growing up, is it cool to have a chance to play against Michigan?

MAX DUGGAN: Yeah, it’s really awesome. What Michigan has done as a program, especially the last couple of years, what Coach [Jim] Harbaugh has done building up that program.

You hear about Michigan all the time being up in the Midwest and the greats they’ve had. I’m excited about the opportunity to play a team like that that’s located in my neck of the woods. It’s going to be a lot of fun.