Mizzou's seniors did their ceremonial 'final tackles' on Tuesday
ORLANDO, Fla. - It was a busy day for the Mizzou football team on Tuesday (Dec. 30) as it held its final practice before playing in the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1 against Minnesota. The Tiger seniors of course did their ceremonial `final tackles' before wrapping up a week's worth of practice in Orlando.
Following practice, defensive coordinator Dave Steckel, offensive coordinator Josh Henson, quarterback Maty Mauk and defensive end Shane Ray met the media at Buffalo Wild Wings for a press conference. Complete quotes are below and be sure to check out the Mizzou Network wrap-up of today's events below.
Thursday's game will kick at Noon (CT) on ABC. For all the latest on Mizzou football, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow Mizzou on twitter at both @MizzouFootball and @mutigersdotcom.
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Defensive Coordinator Dave Steckel
On working for two schools at the same time (Missouri, Missouri State)...
"Well at first, the good lord blessed me a little bit because we were in finals week. So I went from 7-5 and then switch over at five o'clock when some people went home with their families, and went 5-11 with the other job. When I came down here, all that other stuff is past me now. My focus is on Missouri and having these seniors going out the right way."
On coaching his last game at Mizzou...
"It hasn't hit me yet. My emotions will probably come after the game. Right now the focus is the 48 hours that Maty talked about and sending players out with a win. When it's all over, you sit back and it might be a sigh of relief and then there might be some reminiscing, but until that you have to keep focus. I preach that to the players, but it is my job to stay focused as well."
On game-planning for Minnesota's usage of the tight end position...
"It's a great challenge. Everything goes through that young man, No. 88 (Maxx Williams), I am really bad with names and I apologize. I mean no disrespect - we've been studying the heck out their video. He's very big, fast and he has great hands. The thing he does, he's like a basketball player playing tight end. He can box people out going for the ball. He has great eye-hand coordination so he is going be a very big challenge. He is also a very good blocker because they run the ball well. A lot of their passing comes off of their play action, so he's going to be a big challenge for our guys."
On any aspect of Minnesota's offense that they have game-planned for...
"Us specifically on defense, we have to stop the run. They do a great job like Josh just mentioned about Coach Kill - the thing that I am really impressed with Minnesota's coaching staff that you can see physically on film is that they are really, really fundamentally sound. They kind of run the same plays over-and-over and they are so good at disguising it by formations. We really have to stop their running game. No. 27, he is a really a downhill runner and he has great cut-back ability. I think if we can stop the run game somehow or slow it down a bit and get them into passing situations, then hopefully we can cut Shane (Ray) and the other boys loose to get the quarterback. But our No. 1 priority will be to stop the run."
On how Shane Ray has handled any extra attention...
"I don't follow the media, so I don't really know specifically that answer. But I know this: the last time I've spent with Shane since he's got here - he was telling a story in the van on the way over here which I have no recollection of but I believe it to be true. You see the young men grow up before your eyes. That is the great thing about college football. These kids come from high school and they don't know whether it is Tuesday or Chicago. And they grow up in front of your eyes and mature as young men and it is really exciting. Shane is actually a product of the Mizzou Made product that we talk about. He has come in here, he's worked hard, taken care of his academics and represented the program. I am really proud of him."
On what he remembers about Shane Ray's first year with Mizzou...
"He has to shave now. No, Shane is just like every other college student who comes here. What I mean by that is it's probably like if you have kids who are going off to college, they are out there to go experiment the world and they have all the answers. Then after about a year and a half, they realize that our answers are better than their answers and it's called maturity. I think once Shane realized that, his ability just took over and he bought into the program and that is why I keep talking back to it and going back to it - but it's great to watch these kids, not just Shane and Maty, but all of these kids, just grow up in front of your eyes and they realize that there are other ways to skin a cat and that they don't have all the answers. It's kind of cool and hopefully they leave with more answers than they came with."
On any final thoughts publically before coaching his last game...
"I am not a real emotional person, but unbeknown to you people in the media, I really don't have a problem with you, even though you probably think I do. I appreciate your job and what you have to do, but my whole focus my whole life is just about my players. I am going to miss them."
Offensive Coordinator Josh Henson
On extra time to prepare giving him a chance to tweak the offense...
"It does. Obviously you have a lot of time to prepare for this game but the biggest thing is to not get bored of doing the execution and doing the same things over and over. You know, we have been able to adjust some things. You kind of game plan for the game and you put in what you think you are going to run and you get a lot of reps of those plays. I think for the players, the challenge is to not get bored of running the same plays over and over again. You are practicing the equivalent of three to four weeks of practice for one game when you usually only get a week for a normal game."
On replacing the injured Jimmie Hunt...
"Yeah Jimmie has played well. He has done a great job finishing the season - obviously had a big game in the SEC Championship game. He did some great things down the stretch. But we have some other guys who are going to step in there. We're going to use different personnel to help replace what Jimmie has done. Really at the wide receiver position, we moved Nate Brown to that spot who is a true freshman who has done a really good job and practiced really well over the last several weeks. Gavin Otte, who is a senior walk-on, is a really good football player and he just hasn't had a lot of opportunities. He has practiced extremely - I thought he had a great practice today, didn't you Maty? I mean really practiced great today. Those guys are going to get in there and do great. So many times it's just about getting an opportunity so this is those guy's opportunity to step up and make plays for the team.
On Coach Kill's success throughout his career...
"I know he has done a great job everywhere he has been. I don't know Coach Kill personally. You watch them on film and you respect the job that he has done. They play hard, they are well-coached, they're sound and they are aggressive. So you watch them and you know the kind of job he is doing just by watching the way they play on film."
On Barry Odom joining the Mizzou coaching staff...
"I think No. 1 we are going be a lot younger, the energy level is going to go up. I mean, Barry has been here and been a part of our staff and working with Coach Stec and the other guys on the staff. Obviously, it is a great addition. I think he knows Coach Pinkel's system and he knows how the program works - how Coach Pinkel does things. I think he will come in and do a great job. He has a great reputation among the players on the team, among our staff and among our program. All of those things are very positive."
Sophomore QB Maty Mauk
On being ready to play the game after eight days in Orlando...
"For sure. The main purpose we came down here for is to win this football game. Now we are in that 48-hour period where we are locked in and focused up. We understand that we came down here to have fun, we had fun and that stuff is over with. It's the lock-down period and we have to make sure we come out and play our best football game."
On if being an Ohio native makes it special to be playing a Big Ten school...
"I mean I guess so. That never rally has a factor on what I do. The main thing is that it is another opportunity to go out there and play the game that you love. We have and a great week of practice. We are ready. We are going to execute what we need to and now it just comes down the last 48 hours to really focus up. Look at film and play the best game of the year and send these guys off right."
On how this game can be a springboard for him...
"I am not focused on next year at all by any means, but it is definitely a stepping stone for me. It is another opportunity like I said. Every day I am going to do whatever I have to do to get better. That's the good thing - I have coaches that aren't going to let me slack off and are always going to be on me. Coach Henson is always in my ear. Coach Hill is always in my ear. It's not tear me down or anything, it's to make me better. For me, I need to come out here and play my best game and move into the spring and continue to get better so we can continue this. We have two more years to build. There is no time to take off, we just need to keep getting better."
Junior DE Shane Ray
On the remaining time left with Coach Steckel...
"We understand that Coach Stec has a great opportunity to do something that he has wanted to do his whole life. We just appreciate the time that he has given to us as players and we want to make sure we can to send him out on a good note."
On when he began to think that he could be a Division I College Football player...
"I never really thought about it. For me growing up, it was about trying to find a way to get to school. My mom had a plan and when that plan got set in place, that's when I started working hard to get better. And that's when things started happening. Mizzou was the first school to come give me an offer. I couldn't turn that down. I was able to come up here and I was lucky enough to have coaches who out up with me for a little bit and continue to work on me and my development. I am just blessed to be up here where I am today."
On possibly breaking the SEC single season sacks record...
"I think it's important but it's really not my focus. My focus is just to come out and execute the gameplan that Coach Stec has for us and be where I need to be and play as hard as I can play. I have learned that when you handle your business and do you job, things fall into place and you will be where you need to be to make a play. I am not completely focused on setting that as a goal, but I would love to break that record in this game. But I am really focused on what I need to do to be successful for this defense."
On whether or not Coach Steckel has been easier on the team this week...
"Coach Stec doesn't change. He stays on us and demands the same kind of intensity and effort from us every day in practice. You know what you are going to get day in and day out from Coach Stec. That is why he demands so much respect from all the defensive guys because we know that when it is time to go in and work, that is what Coach Stec expects of us."
On the anecdote he told Coach Steckel in van on the way to the press conference...
"Well, if you want to know, like I said, I was a knucklehead. It was the spring game and one of my teammates had gotten an interception and ran it back like 60 yards and I had kind of walked off the field. Not because I was mad or anything, but the most important thing that we do is when we get a takeaway on our defense, we celebrate with each other. Because takeaways are important. That's the main goal of our defense. The next day, Coach Stec called me into his office - he and Coach Kuligowski. Coach Stec just looked me in the eyes and I'll just give you the PG version, but basically he told me that if I didn't buy into the program, he said I don't care how good you are, you won't play here. It really set with me. I remember it like it was yesterday and that was definitely one of the times where I took that it and realized that I had to mature and become a better person if I ever wanted to become a part of this football team and it just worked out."