Central Michigan University Athletics
Bowl Announcement Press Conference Transcripts
12/7/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
Athletic Director Dave Heeke
Opening statement
"We're just excited to be back in the bowl picture. Really excited for our players and our football program. It was another good year here and we're pleased that we're able to celebrate it in the Bahamas.
"It'll be a unique and a really interesting cultural experience for us to play football in the Bahamas and we're really looking forward to it. It's an exciting time for our program, an exciting time for our university and certainly a very exciting time for these players."
On additional responsibilities of traveling outside the continental U.S. for a bowl game
"Well certainly there are some different twists to it. But we had, as a league, we had talked about that when we accepted the opportunity to participate in this bowl and be a partner in the bowl. We had already done some preliminary work in securing passports and the right documentation.
"We'll charter as one complete group over there. But we'd already done that work and again as a league we had been preparing each of our schools as they progressed and were in contention for this game to begin those preparations so we're totally prepared to do that."
On added expenses of traveling to the Bahamas
"I think it's right in line with most of the other bowl trips. Certainly bowl trips are expensive when you're moving a couple hundred, 200, 300 people and those are financial challenges but there's a supplement provided by the bowl, a supplements provided by the conference that helps offset some of those costs. We'll be able to manage it very well and have a great time."
Coach Dan Enos
Opening statement
"I'd like to thank the Popeye's Bahamas Bowl for the invitation. I know our staff and players and coaches everybody's very excited and feel very proud to be involved in the first game over there. It's been a great season and this is going to be a reward for our players and our coaches and their families. The guys said they wanted to go south, I don't think you can get any more south than this. It'll be a great experience for our student-athletes. More than anything I think it's a place that most of our players have never been and who knows of many of them will have another opportunity to experience something like that.
"We're going to enjoy the experience and we're very proud, we're very excited and, you know, at the beginning of every year part of your goals and objectives for the season are to be bowl eligible and to compete in a bowl. This is the third year in a row we've been bowl eligible and this will the second bowl game we've been in in three years. Very proud of that. Looking forward to going down there and representing our conference.
On participating in a first-year bowl game
"Yeah I think it's going to be really neat for everybody to be the first team, first game. From what we understand, I know they host a lot of basketball games down there and the people that are running the bowl do a tremendous job and I know our players are going to have a great time. You can't beat the weather. Being from Michigan this time of year it's going to be a really welcome sight to have that type of weather. But to be the first one, in particular, makes it very special for our entire team."
On whether this was the particular bowl CMU's players had sought
"I don't know last week I started asking and I think I got about 10 different responses from 10 different players so I think our guys are excited to be in a bowl game, period. You know we don't take it for granted. We appreciate our administration, Mr. Heeke and everybody helping us through this process. But I think, you know, when you look at all the different placed they were all very attractive, but when you talk about the Bahamas and Atlantis. I know a lot of these guys probably see these Atlantis commercials all the time on TV and you always go 'That place looks pretty cool; I'll probably never go there' and now they're all going to have an opportunity to go there. My family and I were fortunate enough, we went two years ago. It's a great place. It's an unbelievable place and I know a great experience."
On the challenge of avoid distraction of a bowl game.
"It's going to be challenging, yeah. I told our players, I've been involved in about 10 or 11 bowl games as a player and as a coach and coach Watts has been in about 30 of them and all of our coaches have been in bowl games and I told our players last week that if you ask anybody who has participated in a bowl game what was your favorite one they don't mention the ones they lose. They mention the ones they win. It makes the memories that much sweeter, that much nicer. The Little Caesar's Bowl two years ago we won that game and I know I had a great time and I know our players and coaches and families all had a great time. But at the end of the day we're there to play a football game and represent this conference. When it's time to play we'll play, but when it's time to work we're also going to work very diligently to make sure we play well."
"We've already looked very closely at our model that we had for the Little Caesar's Bowl. I believe that game was on the 26th; this game's on the 24th so it's a very similar model. There's a balance between overworking them - I've been places where we've gone two-a-days and things like that. And I've been places where we haven't practiced very hard. I think there's a happy medium in there somewhere. Obviously we're going to have fun, this is a reward, but football's about work. Our program is about being tough and blue-collar and working hard and we're going to continue to do that. We'll take everybody's input on our staff and look at the team.
"We've already had time to rest. We had finals week this week so we won't have to practice until the end of the week so we let our guys finish off their academics in the right way without overburdening them with too much practice time and preparation. As we work and do our preparation starting on Thursday or Friday this week it's going to be business as usual. Then I think the biggest challenge is when you have them here for an extended time, you've got to try to make practices so they're not mundane, so they're not going through the motions. But I think as soon as you step on the plane and you go and you get to the site and then all of a sudden you see your opposing team standing over there, the adrenaline gets going, the sense of urgency gets going and then I would anticipate we'd have a couple very, very good practices when we get over there. With the understanding and knowledge that the game's right around the corner."
On playing Western Kentucky, the team CMU beat in the 2012 Little Caesar's Bowl in Detroit (CMU's last bowl appearance)
"They're a good football team. I've had a chance to see them play this year. And they're going to present a lot of challenges. They actually played Bowling Green in the opener, I watched it. We were off. I came in the next day and said 'Oh man, you guys see Western Kentucky last night? I'm glad we don't play them.' So now we're playing them. I shouldn't have opened my big mouth. They're very good, their quarterback's very good. They've got very good skill. I know they pass (for) about 350 yards a game. Their coach, coach (Jeff) Brohm, was a quarterback at Louisville, was an assistant under coach (Bobby) Petrino for many years. Very good coach. As I've mentioned I've watched them on tape already on both sides of the ball and they're a very good, very well-coached team. It's kind of unique to play the same team in a bowl game two times in a row, but certainly our guys, a lot of our guys, didn't play in that game. They'll be fresh and ready to go and I'm certain that they use that as a big of motivation. They want to beat ut this time around."
Cooper Rush
On playing in a warm climate
"It's always nicer. We were talking that if we went to Detroit that would be cool because we'd be indoors. It's nice to throw the ball around when it's not cold and you can't feel your fingers. Just very excited. It's going to be a fun time."
Andy Phillips
On the excitement of making a bowl game
"If you were in here, you saw it, everyone was pretty excited. I think we're most excited that we're making a bowl game and getting a chance to play and end the season on a good note."
On leaving the U.S. for a game
"I've never been out of the United States. This will be interesting."
"I'm excited. Like coach said they have a very good team, offense and defense. They really beat some good teams this year. They beat Marshall, and it was Marshall's only loss. They're a very good team. We played them two years ago, but, like coach said, a lot of our guys didn't play in that game and a lot of their guys I'm sure didn't play in that game either. So it's really two different teams, it just happens to be the same school."
On the layoff from the final regular-season game until the bowl game
"I almost compare it more to summer camp. Because you have about a month of it and then you have the game. So I'd say it's really similar to that. But really, the coaches do a great job of (putting together) a schedule and like coach said we have times where we're working very hard and then there's also times where our legs get a little break so we don't go into the game completely exhausted or anything. They do a great job of that. Really the biggest part of it is understanding it's a business trip and understanding that we're not going on vacation, we're going to a bowl game to try to win. Our coaches do a great job with the way they schedule our practices and everything like that so I know we'll be ready."
On healing time for several players
"Oh very, very. Especially for this guy (motions to quarterback Cooper Rush). I know it's going to be very exciting for him to have those weapons."
Jarret Chapman
Reaction upon hearing the Chippewas were head to the Popeye's Bahamas Bowl
"If you were in here, it was just nuts. We're just excited to play in a bowl game and it being the Bahamas just makes it 10 times better because it'll be down (in) great weather, good area, so we're just excited."
On leaving the United States
"I've been down in Florida and I've been out of the country in Japan, but Bahamas? I'm must excited to see what it's like. Everyone's saying it's just amazing down there. Playing football down there is something we'll appreciate, and (I'm) excited for."
"I just know, from football noise, that they're just a good team. When they beat Marshall it was a high-scoring game. So you know they're going to come with a great offense. Like Jabari said, it's just going to be a great challenge for this defense and we're ready for the challenge."
Jabari Dean
On playing defense against an explosive offense in Western Kentucky
"It's sort of like a challenge for our defense. We're willing to accept the challenge and play our best game."
"Coach Enos always says, in football, if you lose a game, you've got a chance to bounce back. Fortunately enough we got a bowl game and we get a chance to respond."
Western Kentucky Director of Athletics Todd Stewart and WKU Football Head Coach Jeff Brohm
Opening Statements
Stewart: "It's obviously a tremendous day for the WKU Football program but I want to thank the entire university and the Bowling Green community. We'd like to thank the Popeye's Bahamas Bowl for the invitation that we proudly accept. (I'd) certainly like to thank Conference USA and (Commissioner) Britton Banowsky, who was very transparent throughout the entire process over the past couple of weeks. We always knew where we stood and really as much as you can know when these things are going on. That was very helpful. And certainly the conference's five bowl tie-ins and the stipulation that all seven-win teams get placed before six-win teams, which is the fairest way to do things. Not all leagues do it that way but I think it's the right way to do it and certainly that was helpful for us.
So I thank the conference, I thank the Bahamas Bowl for the opportunity that we have and I especially want to thank our head coach here: Jeff (Brohm) and his staff and our players. When we were 3-5 after that Louisiana Tech game, I don't know how many people really still believed in this football team but to Jeff and his staff's credit, they kept coaching. And to our players credit, they kept working. As a result, (WKU) rolled off three-straight home wins and obviously we had the historic win at Marshall last week and as a result of that we lived to play another day. We have another game. They deserve it and I'm very, very happy for them."
Brohm: "It's definitely a great day to be a Hilltopper. We're extremely excited to be going bowling. We're definitely thankful for Conference USA and the Popeye's Bahamas Bowl and we're looking forward to this next challenge. I know our players are extremely happy. It's something we've worked hard for. We're excited to get down there and play a game but I know our families and fans are all excited for us as well. It is definitely a great day. I know our players will be ready for the challenge. We're looking forward to playing a Central Michigan team that has the same record as us, a very good football team. They have a great win under their belt in beating Northern Illinois 34-17, who won the MAC. I know just a little about them so far but they finished No. 1 in their conference in total defense. It'll be a great challenge for our offense to see how we match up. They have a pretty good quarterback and running back as well. We think it's a great matchup and I know some of our players will be excited to get back against Central Michigan as well. It's a great day and we're excited to get down there and play this bowl game."
On fans that don't have a passport
Stewart: "That's going to be the biggest challenge and that's something we have been working on the past couple of weeks because we knew this was a possibility. You have to have a passport, obviously. We'll have some information in terms of where you can go, websites you can go to get that but that will be a hurdle, unfortunately."
On whether or not you've been to Bahamas
Brohm: "Actually, I have. Me and my family - I have a 10-year old son and 4-year old daughter - so we've been on the Disney Cruise a couple of times. It ports there and we've gotten off and gone to Atlantis and enjoyed that for a little bit. We're excited to be down there. It's a great place people go to vacation and now we get a chance to go play a football game down there. I know our players will love to get down there."
On this week's schedule
Brohm: "We had a tentative schedule set up depending on going to one of the four probable bowls that were talked about. I think we are pretty much going to be right on schedule. Our guys are taking finals this week, they'll continue to lift weights and work out with some voluntary throwing sessions on the field Monday and Wednesday. Thursday we'll start back up practice. We'll practice Thursday, Friday and Saturday then get back at it again next week, then leave the following Saturday to go play the bowl."
On excitement of players finding out opponent was Central Michigan
Brohm: "They're extremely excited. I know that they have put in a lot of hard work to get to this bowl game. To reel off the last four victories and then finish on a high note like that is definitely rewarding. I think our players feel confident and good about themselves. Now it's time to go back to work and we know that on any given day any team can win. This is a great challenge for us. This is a team that beat us in the bowl game a couple of years ago so I know our players that have been here are looking forward to showing how far we've come since then. It'll definitely be a challenge for us but we're happy to play another game. To play it in a setting like this against a good, solid football team is going to be fun for our guys."
On the passport logistics with players and team
Stewart: "We really just started that a couple of weeks ago. The conference told us that we were in line to be one of the teams possibly to be in the Bahamas Bowl and you really can't wait until 10 days out or two weeks out to do all of that. We started a lot of that and that process is well along. Certainly people that have passports will be able to get there but those who don't, there are some ways to get them expedited. It'll be something new for our fans, new really for anybody's fans. It'll be kind of a new experience for everybody and it's something we'll have to work through."
On process of accepting Bahamas Bowl invitation
Stewart: "Officially we got the call a couple of hours ago after the 12 teams were announced that got into the contract bowls. We knew all week long we were in a bowl and knew it would be, in all likelihood, Hawaii, Bahamas or Boca Raton. There were different scenarios for each of those three and as we followed the games yesterday we then knew it was either going to be Hawaii or the Bahamas being the most likely one. There were still some other dominoes that had to fall today so while we had a pretty good idea it was probably 2:15 (CT) when we got the formal invite."
"We're certainly excited to have it. Again, I'm really proud of Jeff and our staff and really our whole program. If you think back going into the 2011 season we had gone through a three-year period where we were 4-32 as a program. Now we are one of 29 programs in the nation that has had seven or more wins in four-consecutive seasons. We've come a long way in a short period of time and Coach Brohm's leadership is a big reason why we are able to keep that streak going."
On the effect being bowl eligible four-straight years has on recruiting
Brohm: "It's definitely a huge plus and I think the momentum we gained in the last part of the season and definitely the last game against Marshall was huge for us. When we've gone out recruiting this past week, the buzz is out there. Our coaches are being talked to a lot, especially about the last game. There's a lot of excitement around the program. We think this is a great place. We have great leadership here, great fan support and a great town that enjoys college football. I know are players are excited to come to work every day and continue to improve and get better. The fact that we are in Conference USA has been huge for us. It's going to be stiff competition every week and that's really what you ask for as a college player: to play against the best each and every week. I know going into next year our non-conference schedule is really good. Our players are excited about it. It's a chance to prove how far we've come and continue to build upon that. I know from a recruiting standpoint it has been great."
Stewart: "(Jeff) touched on the non-conference schedule. If you think back, in 2011 we were 7-1 and finished second in the Sun Belt but we went 0-4 in non-conference play and that really hurt us. This year we went 3-1 in non-conference play and every one of those games were against FBS teams. We did not play a I-AA. To go 3-1 against that type of non-conference schedule proved to be very big for us."
On balancing the fun part of playing in a bowl game and the focus to go win
Brohm: "I think we've done a pretty good job of that as we have played this year. At one point we were sitting at 3-5 and our players could have shut it down a little bit but we try to make every practice fun. We want our guys to enjoy playing the game. That's what it is all about. We want them to understand you can work as hard as you can and have fun doing it. I think our guys do that. They come to work every day, they practice hard, they enjoy winning: it means a lot to them. They enjoy being themselves out there to, where they can have a little personality. We want to go down there, we want to enjoy it and that's what it's all about. They earned the right to come play in this bowl game but we'll understand that our No. 1 goal is to win the game and it's important to win the game. It's important to end our season on a high note, it's important to see how far our team has come and we'll definitely do everything we can to do that."
