Texas Longhorns College Football Pregame Quote, 01/06/2025

Q. Matthew, whether it’s you and Isaiah [Bond] this year, or Adonai [Mitchell] last year, the last couple of years, these transfer receivers have come in and immediately kind of built a rapport with Quinn [Ewers] and this offense. I’m kind of wondering, why do you think that is? Is it Quinn? Is it the culture? Is it just God given talent and cream rising to the top? Why do you think that is?

WR MATTHEW GOLDEN: No, I would just say it’s the culture that they have here at the University of Texas, just the foundation, and the coaching staff. Just coming in and standing down. Just asking questions about like how to bring your game to the next level. Just being in this offense, it’s changed a lot, and it’s helped me develop my game to the next level.

So, I appreciate Coach [Chris] Jackson and Coach Sark (Steve Sarkisian) for allowing me to bring my talents here. They’ve helped me a lot.

Q. Matt, Andrew Mukuba said that this year, for him, has kind of been like a movie. So I kind of want to get your take on how you think this year has been for you, from when you first got here to where you are now and how it’s fit with your expectations.

WR MATTHEW GOLDEN: No, it’s been a blessing to be able to play for this university. Just everything that has happened, just waiting my turn. I feel like just me coming here, it was a no brainer. I didn’t want to go too far from home, so just coming here, just being able to play with the guys. Just the adversity we faced throughout the season, just staying together and staying as one team.

I feel like as a team, we’re right where we need to be, and, I mean, wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

Q. And how can that fourth and 13 play catapult this offense?

WR MATTHEW GOLDEN: I mean, like I don’t feel like none of us was ready to go home. So I feel like the football gods were on our side, just for that one play. Just knowing that we weren’t ready for our season to end.

So just being able to capitalize on that play and keep the season going, it’s a blessing.

Q. Does the fourth and 13 play have a name?

WR MATTHEW GOLDEN: No, we haven’t come up with a name yet.

Q. So was it just a straight adjustment at the line? Is that really all there is to it?

WR MATTHEW GOLDEN: Yeah, Quinn [Ewers] checked the protection. The play that we had called, it was a cover two beater. The safety played a little bit high. I stuck the corner, and the O line gave Quinn a good enough time just to deliver a perfect ball for me to come down with and grab.

So, congrats to us on the win, but I feel like as a whole offense, we’ve still got to go back to the drawing board and just fix the small details to be more successful in this game.

Q. Matthew, I wanted to ask about your move to go to Texas. Like when you entered the portal, what was the thing about Texas that attracted you, that made you want to go there? And what did you learn about this program and your time here so far?

WR MATTHEW GOLDEN: Just knowing that you’ve got to be able to block playing in this offense. It’s a balanced offense.

I saw Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell here before me. I saw what they did with receivers. Just knowing the history that they did with receivers, it was a no brainer just to come here.

So, me being able to come and play in this offense, like I said, it’s helped me develop my game to the next level. So just being able to play and approach the offense, it will get you ready for the next level or whatever you decide you want to do with your opportunities here.

Q. Could you describe the challenge that you and the other Texas receivers are going to face in going against Davis Igbinosun and Denzel Burke and the safeties as well?

WR MATTHEW GOLDEN: We know we’re going to play a good defense. We know it’s going to be a 60 minute battle. So just going out there as one team, as an offense, focusing on the small details, just taking it one play at a time.

So just going out there, executing, doing everything we need to do as an offense, and just letting the rest unfold itself.

Q. Matthew, I know you’re not going up against Jeremiah Smith on the field, but what do you think of him? And does his presence motivate you to go out there and match his performance?

WR MATTHEW GOLDEN: You know, just him being young and him playing at the level he’s playing at, it’s different. Congrats to him for having the season that he’s having. I see from Twitter and stuff like that, he’s a well rounded guy on and off the field. He carries himself like a pro.

So just being able to get that matchup against him and the defense that they bring. I’m looking forward to it, and I think the rest of our team are, too.

Q. Matthew, as a whole, how would you assess how the special teams have gone at Texas? Kickoff return, punt return, the kicking game with Bert [Auburn] struggling a little bit. How would you assess special teams, as a whole, this season?

WR MATTHEW GOLDEN: I feel like special teams changes games. It brings a lot of energy. Changing projections or anything like that. Just being able to capitalize on the special teams side, it makes a lot of things easier.

So just knowing that whenever we get the opportunity to capitalize on special teams, we’ve got to take full accountability for it.

With Bert, we stay on Bert. Nobody’s perfect, so just being there for him and telling him, you’re going to get another opportunity. So just being able to capitalize off that and not reflect off the pass. Just being there for him.

And special teams wise, just taking accountability for any opportunity that we get.

Q. Matthew, aside from the practices and the drills and stuff going over the game plan, has Coach [Chris] Jackson and/or Coach [Steve] Sarkisian sat down with you individually or maybe as a team and said, “Okay, guys, we have two more battles. It’s important to remain calm. Rely on your skill set. Rely on your training,” to kind of get you in a focused sense of maybe mentally giving you that spot?

Have they sat down with you guys and talked to you about that?

WR MATTHEW GOLDEN: Yeah, they’ve definitely talked to us about it, just looking at the matchup that we’re going against. Like I said, we’re playing a good team. You know, two good teams playing against each other.

So just knowing now, when games come like this, you’ve got to be locked in on the small details as a team and play as one unit.

So knowing that we get this opportunity, and we’re going to take full accountability for it. I feel like we’re right where we need to be as a team. We’re just going to stay locked in as one.

Q. I just wanted to go back to your comments about how this program has helped out your game. Can you just pull behind the curtain a little bit and let us know what about your game has improved, and also how much has Coach [Chris] Jackson’s NFL experience played a factor in that?

WR MATTHEW GOLDEN: Yeah, he’s helped me tremendously. Just talking off the field stuff, just reading defenses and just raw details in general. Just knowing that in this type of offense, you’ve got to be able to be in the zones, know when they’re playing zones, know when they’re playing man.

So just knowing that you’ve got to be there at the right time for the quarterback, and you’ve got to be at the right depth, whatever route it is, whatever concept, you’ve just got to go out there and you’ve got to be locked in with the small details and do your job.

So, I feel like coming here and just having the foundation that we have here, it’s helped me in a long way.