The 87th Capital One Orange Bowl held its first of three Texas A&M virtual press conferences on Monday morning, this featuring the Aggie offense.
The 87th Capital One Orange Bowl held its first of three Texas A&M virtual press conferences on Monday morning, this featuring the Aggie offense.
Speaking to the media were QB Kellen Mond, offensive coordinator Darrell Dickey, RB/WR Ainias Smith, RB Isaiah Spiller, TE Jalen Wydermyer and OL Carson Green.
Full videos and transcripts (courtesy the Orange Bowl and ASAP Sports) are available below.
Kellen, obviously you're going to get drafted and everything, but have you given any thought at all to coming back for another season? Have you thought that through at all?
KELLEN MOND: I've thought about it and it's kind of been something that's talked around the locker room a little bit. But I think just where everybody's focus is, we just want to win this game. We want to win off the finish season strong, and then kind of move on from there and decide what everybody else is going to do.
When your career is over at Texas A&M, how do you want to best be remembered?
KELLEN MOND: I mean, I think early in my career, I wanted to just leave this place a lot better than when I came in. I could definitely say so far from the season that I've had and the impact that I've made on other people, whether it's on the field or off the field, I've had a huge impact on a lot of people. I mean, that was one of my goals coming to A&M, and I definitely think I've done that already.
How have things been different in preparations for this game with the shorter period? I know coaches really hype up how important bowl practice is, especially for getting those young guys going. How have things been different in preparation for this game?
KELLEN MOND: For us, preparation has been the same. Just same type of film that we watch, just I think just a little bit longer period of time, just because we have two weeks from our last game instead of playing one Saturday then starting that Monday for another Saturday game.
I think just the only difference is just a little bit longer period of time. I think we have a long -- because of this long period, we're able to have a deep dive into what North Carolina does and study a little bit more than usual.
Is there any perks to having an extra day or extra days in College Station instead of getting out to Miami for a full week, like y'all normally do?
KELLEN MOND: I mean, I think the way that we're doing it is really good now, just obviously I think the last thing that all of us would want is us getting down there and then something, coronavirus pops up and then not being able to play. I think just with this odd year, I think that the changes that we have to make are beneficial for what we have to do to finish off the season really strong.
With you guys getting so close to the CFP and missing out on that, do you come into this game feeling like you have something to prove to the country?
KELLEN MOND: I think our mindset each and every week is that we have something to prove. I don't think it's anything to prove to other people, but we just want to continue to get better as a team and continue to grow, and I think that's just the main thing in our mindset each and every week that we play.
And how difficult is that, though, to get over kind of the hurt of missing out on the top four?
KELLEN MOND: I mean, I think it lasted less than a day, but at the end of the day you've got to move on and you can't let it affect the way that we play North Carolina.
Kellen, a couple times during the course of the season you talked about changing the culture. Do you feel that this season has gone a long ways towards changing the culture of the football program at A&M, and how important is it to put an exclamation mark on this season in the Orange Bowl?
KELLEN MOND: We definitely have changed the culture, I think. I think I said it at the beginning of the year, just the combination of some of the veterans that we had and some of the younger guys who we have on both sides of the ball. I said that combination can be lethal with one change in the culture, but also our on-the-field play.
I think in the past everyone kind of wondered would we be able to win big games and how would we do in an all-SEC schedule, and I think we proved most of those doubters wrong. Each and every week we're continuing to grind on and off the field with studying the playbook, studying film, and we just want to come out here and play another good game.
You've spent the last three years with Jimbo Fisher as your head coach. What's been the biggest thing that you've learned about him during your time with him, and what's the biggest thing that he's taught you about yourself?
KELLEN MOND: I mean, yeah, we've definitely spent a lot of time together. I think it's probably the one person that I've ever met who is so passionate about football and probably can be even more passionate that probably all the players that he's ever had, just because players, we have school and all these other things to focus on.
From probably 7:30 in the morning to late at night, he's doing something football related, whether it was watching film or probably some type of recruiting. I mean, he's probably one of the most passionate people about football that I've ever met.
I don't want you to look too far ahead, but this will be your last game in an A&M uniform. Has that sunk in yet, and if so, what kind of emotions come along with knowing this will be the last time you put on the 12th man uniform?
KELLEN MOND: I mean, it's kind of -- it kind of feels a little different. It's something that me and a couple other seniors talk about. I'm excited to be able to finish off the season and just really maintain this level of focus and finish off the season strong for, one, myself individually but also this team and finish off the season really strong. A lot of people didn't really know what we would do in an all-SEC schedule, and like I said, I think we've proved a lot of people wrong.
I just wanted to pick your brain. What's kind of your mindset going into Saturday's game?
KELLEN MOND: Same mindset every week. You know, study the film, understand who you're playing. Just pretty much go into the game, trust yourself, trust your eyes and just play football. I don't think there's any complicated recipe that I can come up here and tell you. Just go out and play the game that you love.
You touched on this earlier, but in terms of you guys being so close to the playoff and just barely missing it, in terms of -- how do you feel in terms of College Football Playoff expansion in terms of eight teams or 12 teams in the near future?
KELLEN MOND: I mean, I think every time something is changed, everybody always wants to change it to something else. I think when it was two teams, everybody wanted to go to four, and then now we're at four and everybody wants to go to eight, and probably if we go to eight, everybody wants to go to 16. Honestly, I have no idea.
A lot of teams that are ranked fifth have seemed to not be as focused or intense in their bowl games, the teams that just got left out of the playoff. I think Georgia, Auburn. I'm sure you feel like A&M is focused, so tell me why is it going to be different? Why is A&M in your mind, do you think they're going to be -- you guys are going to be focused and taking this game seriously?
KELLEN MOND: Because we always want to have the same level of focus no matter what game we're playing, no matter if it's week 1 in the season or in the National Championship. Coach Fisher always talks about building National Championship habits, and no matter what game we're playing, I think that's what's important.
We want to be able to do that, and whether we're No. 5 or got left out of the playoffs or not, we want to play the best we can.
So you sense your guys are all focused and going to be intense and ready for this game?
KELLEN MOND: 100 percent.
When you look at the North Carolina defense, what is it that you see? What impresses you? What numbers that you see impress you on that defense when you look at them?
KELLEN MOND: Obviously Chazz Surratt was one of the guys who obviously impressed a lot, but obviously him opting out, going to have another guy who's got to be able to step up. But I think just as a whole entire unit, I think they play well together, and I think they play with a lot of speed, and I think that their coach does a really good job schematically.
I think just on our end, understanding what exactly we can get and just stick to your base fundamentals and stick to your base rules and just pretty much play football, I don't think there's going to be anything that's overcomplicated, but we feel like on our end we've seen so much football, we've just got to play and react and just trust our eyes.
Talk about the North Carolina defense; what do you see? They play in the ACC; are they similar to anything you've seen in the SEC defense-wise?
KELLEN MOND: I would say the closest thing probably schematically is Arkansas. Arkansas, who we played and kind of posed some kind of fits, just with the front that they were playing. But I think that playing in the SEC and kind of playing against some of the top talent and so many different schemes, I think we're kind of -- we can go against a four-down team, three-down team and pretty much trust our roles that Coach Fisher has instilled in us.
DARRELL DICKEY: Good morning. How's everybody today? Let's go right to questions.
Two questions: First, do you all have any -- are you expecting any opt-outs or any players not playing in the bowl game?
DARRELL DICKEY: Well, you know, it's kind of part of what's going on in college football right now, but so far our team is intact offensively, defensively, special teams. We've got some guys that are trying to -- nursing some injuries, but we're expecting them to be back. You know, going into this game, I think we look like we're going to be at full strength, and we're going to need to be. We're going to need every able body, because that's our style of football here is to -- everybody has got to do their job, play their role, and so we need everybody on the field and pulling in the same direction, which we've done this entire season, and we're going to need to do it again Saturday.
How would you describe or relate, you're now working with Kellen Mond and the kind of quarterback he is and his development over the years?
DARRELL DICKEY: Well, he's probably one of my favorite guys I've ever been involved in coaching with. Coach Fisher, our head coach, also handles the quarterbacks. We've got about four or five guys around here that are also quarterback coaches, including myself and Kellen is smarter than all of us. Him and Coach Fisher are on a different level.
But just to see the improvement that he's made in his football game, his maturity level, his leadership level, from day one that we got here until now ending with a New Year's Six bowl is just -- he's been kind of like the face of the program as far as how we've improved and the direction we're heading. And I can say this: He's been well-coached by the head coach, by the rest of us, but he's also spent some time off the field on his own.
He is as well-prepared a young man as I've ever been associated with. He spends time watching film on his own. He knows the players' strengths and weaknesses from the opponent. He knows our entire offense. He sees things happening on the field and comes to the sideline and talks about it.
That wasn't always true the first year, which year one with us, he had a really super year with some fantastic games but still had some younger-guy mistakes. This year some of the things that you don't necessarily see -- we've only had eight turnovers this year, which is tremendous when you spread the ball around and do as many things as we do. And four of those came in the first game.
That begins with the quarterback. He's taking care of the ball, which is very important. Our red zone and 3rd down offenses, those numbers have been pretty high. At one point this season I think in 3rd down we were No. 1 in the nation and then we had an off-game.
But a lot of that goes right through the quarterback. So Kellen's progress, his improvement has been one of the most remarkable things I've been associated with in coaching because -- you know, when we got here, he had played in a totally different system. A lot of people labeled him kind of a run-around guy, and he's developed into a true pocket do-everything quarterback that can also extend plays - what you're seeing in the NFL, a lot more guys that can stand in the pocket, throw the ball, make all the checks, make all the reads, and still be able to move around and make plays with his feet.
So it's been really impressive to watch. It's been fun to be a part of. Hope to finish it off the right way Saturday, and as I said before, our team is -- he is kind of a reflection of how our team has progressed, unselfish guys that just want to win and do their job and do their role. Kellen just happens to have an extremely important role in our offense.
I wanted to ask you about the dynamic of the play-calling between you and Coach Fisher, how that works during just a series. Give us an example of how that works between you two.
DARRELL DICKEY: Well, Coach Fisher calls the plays. Everything goes through him. We've got a number of assistant coaches that during the week, during the game plan are providing information to him, ideas, suggestions. You know, we talk through them. We hash them out. Coach Fisher has an unbelievable volume of intelligence for offensive football. He's been doing this system for so long, but he's adjusted it to the different things and times that are going on on game day.
Mostly what I do is I'm just providing him information, down and distance, are they playing what we anticipated them playing. I've done that with other play-callers before, and where it was, hey, you need to run this play, you need to run that play. You don't have to do that with Coach Fisher. All you have to do is tell him, here's what they're doing. If it's the same as we anticipated, he knows what he wants to do. If there's something a little different going on, you don't need to tell him what play to run; he already knows. He takes the information and he processes it very quickly and is pretty much considered the best play-caller in college football.
In terms of time of possession, going into a season, going into a game, do you all say we want to control the ball this much? Do you have a certain time? Because it's been pretty remarkable what you've done.
DARRELL DICKEY: Yeah, we don't have, quote-unquote, a certain number, but when you say that, if you look -- I don't know the last time I checked, but we were leading the Southeast Conference in time of possession by almost four minutes, and that is huge. Our last game that we played, our defense played 37 snaps against Tennessee, and that is remarkable in this day and time.
Now, there's a lot -- it's not just an offensive statistic, either. We take care of the ball. We don't try to snap it every six or seven seconds. We want to control the tempo of the game. We want to keep our defense off the field. But also they do a good job of getting three-and-outs and getting themselves off the field.
So 3rd down is a big down for both sides of the ball here. We don't really talk as much about we want to possess it 30-something minutes a game, but our style of play gives us the opportunity, especially when we're good at 3rd down, which we have been the best we've been this year. That keeps us on the field.
Obviously we would like some more explosive plays. We would take those one- or two-play or three-play drives in a minute and a half, but I'll tell you, sometimes when you open the game with a 13- or 14-play drive and go 80-something yards and take nine or ten minutes off the clock, your whole team is pretty excited about that.
You know, we don't have a set number, but our philosophy here is we want to control the tempo of the game.
You and other coaches on the staff, did y'all ever have any concern that the guys would be focused or want to play this bowl game, considering the situation that put you in it?
DARRELL DICKEY: Not at all. This group of kids loves the game of football, and yeah, we've all been through a very different season, a different year, just as everybody in the world has been. But we have to also look back and think there was a point in time where we were thinking we might not even get to play football. So I think these kids have enjoyed this season.
Now, it has been long, and we've had to grind through it and we have to push them through the practices, but there's nothing that's shown me any indication other than this football team is going to continue to practice this week, pointing towards Saturday, and go out and have a lot of fun playing a great football game against a great opponent.
I think we'll be ready. Everything shows that we will, and I think everything shows that these guys are excited about playing in one of the traditional big-time bowl games that college football has to offer.
When you look at the offense, obviously the O-line is senior-laden except for Kenyon and obviously you've got Kellen, but other than that a lot of the playmakers, it's you and Spiller and Wydermyer. What do you make of the young kind of playmakers on the offense?
AINIAS SMITH: I'm excited to see what the future holds for us. I mean, it's definitely going to be tough losing Kellen and all of them, but we have playmakers, just like you said, so I'm excited.
How do you feed off each other, especially you and Isaiah this year? We've talked to you a lot this year, but what's the dynamic been like?
AINIAS SMITH: Man, it's amazing. It's just -- I know really the way I feed off of everybody else is I know the person next to me is going to be on their P's and Q's at all times, so I'll never have to worry about anything that -- I don't have to worry about them messing up and them not knowing their responsibilities.
So it's just we're all on the same train and we're all pushing for the same goals.
When you look at the North Carolina defense there, what impresses you when you look at them on film? What do you see?
AINIAS SMITH: They play very well, and they know their responsibilities. That's what I can say about that.
Big bowl game that you guys are playing in against a ranked opponent. What would a good performance in the Orange Bowl do for this program?
AINIAS SMITH: It would just give us huge confidence in ourselves and just prove to us that we are able to be able to play with a lot of people in this nation, not only in the SEC and just being able to go around and playing whoever. I mean, this win is going to mean a lot to us.
Proving it to yourself, do you feel like you have to prove it to anybody else, maybe fans or other folks in the nation?
AINIAS SMITH: I would say we're not too much worried about proving our ability to anybody else. I feel like our main thing is just proving to ourselves that we can keep going.
How disappointed was the team that y'all didn't make the playoff, because I know there was a lot of tweets and a lot of conversation about that and then just kind of what has been the conversation since then to kind of get focused in for this bowl game?
AINIAS SMITH: I can say we were actually pretty disappointed that we didn't make the playoffs. I mean, who wouldn't get disappointed that you're not in the playoffs and you're right there. You were working so hard and winning and believing that you're doing everything right to be able to get in the playoffs, but our mindset is not worried about that no more. We're worried about finishing the season and finishing strong.
Coach Dickey was talking about y'all's style of play is like the long drives, but as a receiver do you ever get anxious and wish that they'd just start throwing deep to you more?
AINIAS SMITH: I mean, I trust Coach Fisher, so it's not really a problem. Whatever he calls, we've just got to execute. 3rd down, we look at that as just another down, and we've just got to capitalize. It's not so much about getting in and getting out. If we control the ball, then shoot, we'll win.
I'm just asking personally as a receiver, do you want him to open it up more and look at you deep?
AINIAS SMITH: Like I said, I trust Coach Fisher, so that's on him.
A couple UNC guys have opted out of the bowl game, but Coach Dickey told us everyone from A&M seems locked in and ready to go. From your perspective, what does that say about this program that it may not have been the CFP but everyone is committed to playing and showing out in the bowl game?
AINIAS SMITH: It just shows how dedicated and how much work that we actually put in to be able to get to this opportunity. We're not going to take this opportunity for granted. We're going to take advantage of every opportunity that we have given -- that we have been given, and I feel like that's the whole team's mindset. We've just got to come out and execute and just show ourselves that we can do it.
I was just wondering, why do you think your dynamic ability to receive handoffs and receive the ball at the same time in the backfield make you such a threat for this week's game against North Carolina?
AINIAS SMITH: We can get them in different personnels and Coach Fisher loves that. If we get them in a bad personnel to where we go four wide, and then I get moved to the backfield with Isaiah in the game is just a bad match-up for them.
I wanted to ask you, do you and Ainias, Jalen, do you Houston area guys take a little pride that you are from that area and doing what you're doing at Texas A&M?
ISAIAH SPILLER: Yeah, it's kind of crazy. We're all from Houston. We have a connection. Just doing what we're doing on the field week in, week out is kind of crazy. We're putting Houston on the map I feel like, and we're putting our hometowns on the map.
The day after the College Football Playoffs were announced, Coach Fisher talked about turning the page. Did he talk to y'all about that, and what was y'all's approach on saying we're going to make the best of the Orange Bowl as opposed to not being in the four-team College Football Playoff?
ISAIAH SPILLER: For sure we were pretty mad, but Coach Fisher just told us to knock all the clutter out and we just had to move on because we have a good team in the Orange Bowl, so we've just got to come out and get ready, prepared, and get our mind on UNC.
I know earlier we talked to Kellen and he kind of thought what it would mean for him if this is his last game as an Aggie. What do you think from your perspective Kellen has meant to this program in his years being an Aggie?
ISAIAH SPILLER: I feel like Kellen has really been -- he's really changed A&M since he's got here. All the years that he's been here, we've just gotten better each and every year, so I feel like Kellen should -- I mean, Kellen has been really good for the program. He's been a great leader for our team, and I just want people to remember Kellen as a great football player and a great person, very hard worker.
After what you guys did in the SEC running the ball, is there any worries that you can't do that against UNC moving forward in this bowl game, or are you guys confident regardless of who's in front of you that you guys will be able to impose your will?
ISAIAH SPILLER: Regardless, Coach Fisher always says that. It doesn't matter about the opponent. The opponent is faceless. We've just going to go out there and do our job like we've been doing week in and week out, but UNC is a good team, so we have to get prepared.
And then I'm sure you saw what UNC's top two running backs both opted out. When you see that and it's not you versus them necessarily, but do you look at it as a chance to compare yourself to some of the top backs in the country if they were playing and is it a bummer that they're not?
ISAIAH SPILLER: I don't think it's a bummer. It would have been nice to see them. They're both really good backs. But they're just making the best decision for their future. So I don't think it's a bummer, but I don't really compare myself to nobody. I just try to go out there and do my job and just let the chips fall where they may.
How much of this year's success do you attribute to guys like you and Ainias and Wydermyer taking the step from freshmen to sophomore? I think we saw a stat maybe 80 percent of the offense when you get it. So how exciting is that that you're all sophomores and how much do you attribute y'all's success to this year?
ISAIAH SPILLER: I think it just contributes to all our hard work as a team. Even during quarantine we were all still working out every day, so I feel like all our hard work is just showing, and it's kind of crazy that we're all sophomores and we're going to come back. Next year should be really fun.
Is this team -- obviously you're only one spot away from making the playoff. Is this team going to be -- do you feel like you guys will be top five, top four for years to come?
ISAIAH SPILLER: Yeah, we want to stay where we're at and even go higher. Our mentality has not changed. It won't change next year, either. We're still thinking about going to the playoffs and winning the championship. But first we've got to focus on the Orange Bowl, but as soon as the off-season hits we're going to be on the chase for it, so working hard every day.
Six 100-yard rushing games this year; how do you look to add another one against UNC on Saturday?
ISAIAH SPILLER: Just reading my blocks and trusting my O-line. They have done a wonderful job this year. I wouldn't even be here without them guys. Just trusting them guys are reading my keys and letting the game come to me, and as long as we get the win, I'll be happy.
Just to follow up on that, what was your overall thoughts this year as a player? How do you think you performed?
ISAIAH SPILLER: I think I performed all right, pretty good. I could have done a few better things. I still have a lot of improvement, but I can definitely say I've been better from my freshman year to my sophomore year, and I'd like to make my jump from my sophomore year to my junior year next year.
Being a guy that's been the featured back on about 1,000 yards, most guys like that would want the ball when you get close to the goal line. Why are you okay with moving to fullback so often when y'all get close?
ISAIAH SPILLER: It's just a personnel that Coach Fisher likes. You know, keeping the defense in the nickel position. But really it's just about the team for me. It's always been about the team, the team's success, because with the team's success is individual success. I feel that if you put the team before you or yourself, it's always bigger than you. I never look at it as a selfish thing. It's always a team thing and always will be.
You talked about your offensive line and how much they've paved the way for your success. Have you been lobbying any of them, any of those seniors to come back for another year?
ISAIAH SPILLER: Well, I've talked about it, but I don't know. That's their future, so we'll see what happens. But if they do, that would be great. But we'll see.
Jalen, I wanted to ask you about the idea that you, Ainias and Isaiah from all from the Houston area and how much pride y'all have in that, being from 90 miles, 100 miles from Texas A&M and doing what you're doing together as sophomores?
JALEN WYDERMYER: I see it, it's really amazing to me. It's kind of crazy if you think about it. That's me -- that's something me, Ainias and Isaiah Spiller kind of talk about, and how it's really cool to put our city on the map pretty much.
I know we talked to Kellen earlier about what this would mean for him if it was his last game. What in your opinion has Kellen done for this program and how have you seen him mature and take on leadership roles with the program?
JALEN WYDERMYER: I've seen him hit amazing strides in his game and his leadership on this team. He's one of the best leaders I've ever been around. He pushes other people to be better in practice when nobody wants to strive to get better. When everybody is tired, he's the one that says, come on, we've got to go, we've got to keep going, we've got to keep working.
He's one of the best leaders I've ever been around and I've seen him grow so much since last year.
How much is there a conversation around about some of the older guys, if they're going to come back or move on and try to go pro with the extra year of eligibility?
JALEN WYDERMYER: Honestly, I have no idea. That's their future. That's something if they want to do then they can do. Yeah, I don't know what they're going to do.
The last time we talked to you we were trying to figure out who was going to be in the College Football Playoff. Obviously the next day was a disappointment. What was the mindset of the team when you found out that you guys were staying at five and how has that mindset changed now that you're getting ready for the Orange Bowl?
JALEN WYDERMYER: Like I say, we were definitely disappointed that we didn't get in the No. 4 seed or the playoffs, but we're humble and excited to play in the Orange Bowl against North Carolina. You've got to get what you can get.
What did you have to work on the most to become a complete tight end when you came to A&M? Seemed like you already had receiving skills, but in terms of what they wanted you to do, what you had to do to kind of take it to that next level, what was the thing you had to work on the most?
JALEN WYDERMYER: It would definitely be my -- I was always a skilled runner, a skilled route runner, but it would have to be my willingness to block. That's something that I had to learn as I came here and since I've been here I feel like I've grown in that tremendously.
Can you talk about how, I guess, important it would be for you guys to end the season on a win? I know it's always a big deal, but how that kind of catapults you guys into next season?
JALEN WYDERMYER: Yeah, it would definitely catapult us into next season, a good taste in our mouth, and after a year like this, this is the kind of year that would build a culture around A&M, and if we keep that going, it's going to help us a lot with recruiting and just all-around football play around this school. It would definitely help a lot.
When you look at North Carolina on defense, some of the guys have opted out, but what do you see on the defense when you look at them on film?
JALEN WYDERMYER: Something that really caught my eye is they have really athletic linebackers that can move around and chase the ball and make plays, so that's something we've got to look out for.
What did you make of the passing game this year? You lead the teams in yards but no one has got huge numbers. How were you guys successful in the pass despite not having huge numbers?
JALEN WYDERMYER: Like I say, we run the ball a lot. We do. We make second-level blocks and first-level blocks and we set up the run really nice. Once the linebackers step up and stuff like that, that's when our chance is for play-action passes and RPOs and stuff like that.
You want the ball in your hands, right? How does that work when you're a quote-unquote running team, how do you remain unselfish?
JALEN WYDERMYER: I'm really close with Isaiah and Ainias, and I know that running the ball will set up play action and will bring the linebackers up, and that's when I get my three- or four-yard touchdowns. That's how I get certain stuff, but I've got to block and show that I can be a blocker first, and it will always come back to me. I'm not really worried about it.
I could be mistaken and we could have already asked you about this, but if we didn't might as well. Do you fancy yourself a running back with some of the runs you had a couple weeks ago, and what is that experience like for you?
CARSON GREEN: The experience, I was not expecting to run the ball. Don't want to run the ball again. It was fun and all, I'm not going to lie, I blacked out, I just took the ball and started running. It was kind of funny. Obviously if I'm touching the ball, something went wrong. So that's kind of how I thought about it, too.
Kellen was talking a little bit earlier about maybe what this could be if this is his last game as an Aggie, what do you, in your perspective, think Kellen has meant to this program in his years here?
CARSON GREEN: I think he's meant a great deal to the program. I think he definitely is going to leave an impact, definitely leave a legacy here, which is awesome for him.
I think Kellen just helped all of us as seniors, the 2017 class, I think we've all helped build, hopefully, like maintain like a championship program, something that like teams from now on will start following the ways we did everything, how it worked out, how we did the off-season, how we practiced, and how we played games.
Is there any conversation amongst the seniors on the offensive line about anybody taking advantage of coming back next year or what's that conversation been like?
CARSON GREEN: Obviously there's talks around the whole locker room about that but right now everyone is focused on winning this game, playing the best we can, finish out the year strong.
Carson, can you talk a little bit about just that -- I know North Carolina has got some guys that are opting out, but you guys haven't. You guys are basically staying 100 percent strong. Just how proud you are of the guys that put the team first -- not saying that there's anything wrong with what the North Carolina guys are doing, but just the fact that you guys are putting the team first and wanting to finish up strong?
CARSON GREEN: I don't know, the whole opt-out thing, everyone can make it what you want. Like I don't think anybody on our team is going to quit on our team like that. Like we've been battling it out. The whole 2020 season, definitely got really close like just the team as a whole because there's been a lot of stuff going on. You've kind of got it give it up for everybody just sticking with each other, even like through kind of the thickness and kind of the rough times. We had two weeks off here and there, you had COVID, people got quarantined. People just knew that they just wanted to keep playing.
I think it's one of those things, too, we owed it to Texas A&M to play it out. You know, Coach Fisher might not have recruited me, but I owe a lot to someone, just letting me come here, letting me play, and I owe a lot to A&M to finish out my part of the contract and play out all my games, since they are providing like a scholarship and letting me play here.
What has changed about the culture in the football program since Coach Fisher arrived and especially this year? What's been the secret sauce for you guys?
CARSON GREEN: The secret sauce is I think we just had a lot of depth -- not depth, but like a lot of experience, more just around the whole team. The defense is like a lot of seniors on it, a lot of people that know how to play football. This year we finally had an O-line that had a lot of experience. The biggest thing like we had a quarterback that had a lot of experience, and even the running back to Jalen. The tight ends like Renick, too. The receivers, they were just wanting to play, wanting to make plays, so that helped, too.
I think this year we made a big emphasis like on the O-line running the ball, being able to pass protect, too, and give Kellen enough time to get it to the skill players to make plays.
And what about the culture as a whole? What has Coach Fisher and his staff brought to the table?
CARSON GREEN: Since he's been here, he brought in Coach Schmidtty, the strength coach, and I love Schmidtty. He's a great dude. Like his program -- he's going to try to break guys and make them fit into the program, and that's what he did from the beginning on. I could tell like, it was just a different way we did things with like the old staff and with him. He had to be here early, had to be on time. If you weren't early, then you're going to get kicked out. It's just one of those things. And everybody respected it, knowing that we were trying to change it.
So the culture as a whole got changed. We all knew like what it takes to be a winning program and what we had to do to get there and how we have to be able to stay there consistently throughout the week, and that means like practicing at a championship level. Like practices have become kind of like long and just demanding and stuff, but every week we realized it was very important that we are focused every day.
In terms of North Carolina's defensive line, do you have an idea how you're going to set up protections for the game on Saturday?
CARSON GREEN: Looks like they're going to do a lot of three down. They like to move a little bit. They are going to have four eyes, some four eyes and stand-ups. Protection-wise, we are just going to keep it the same way. We always protect three-down front, four-down fronts, nothing really changes that way.
You know, North Carolina, like we've been watching them, they're a pretty good D-line, pretty good defense as a whole. I kind of like how they just hustle the ball. They are always high-motor guys, which that deserves a lot of credit for those guys.
Obviously you guys are disappointed in maybe getting over it as you get to practice this week and it's game week, but what does it mean to play in this game and what would it mean to win it? This program hadn't been to it since the early 1940s. So this means something, doesn't it?
CARSON GREEN: Yes, sir. Yes. It's just another game. We need to finish this season out strong. The whole team knows this is a big game. Whatever the people voted on, it's the past. You can't really do anything to change it. All we can focus on is this game.
Everyone on the team is pumped to go to Miami. Like you said, we haven't been there in years and years, so it's awesome that we can be one of those A&M teams, one of the first ones to set a standard about going to New Year's Six bowls and playing our hardest, finishing out the season and hopefully coming back with a win.
I'm going to ask a 64-mile-up question. Explain to people who don't know why offensive linemen like run blocking as opposed to pass blocking because you especially had mentioned how much you like run blocking this year.
CARSON GREEN: You know, I like -- it's one of those things, like for me, I like getting in a three-point stance and I like going at somebody. It's kind of like a board drill almost sometimes, where it's just you versus him; you've got to win your battle in your block. I guess you can say the same thing with pass protecting.
It feels -- I would say it's awesome when you get to move somebody, get to throw somebody on the ground and getting to move them like two or three yards back knowing that you just overpowered that man.
Like run blocking, also I think it takes -- so to be able to run block, you've got to trust not only the O-linemen but you've got to trust the tight ends, if you're in there with tight ends, you've got to trust receivers to make blocks on the outside perimeter, you've just kind of got to trust the whole offense as a whole in order for Isaiah, Ainias, any of the running backs to make that carry and make the yards, and then this year it's also been awesome just getting to see Isaiah run through guys. He'll make contact at five yards and then get an extra two or three or five, and that's a big thing, too.
It's just like for us as an O-line, you can tell we just get really hyped up when we get to move the ball, run the ball and just move people around.
Do you ever kind of get the feeling or do you know at a certain point in time where the opponent's defensive front knows they're in trouble?
CARSON GREEN: Yes. That's at the point that an O-line, you can feel like breaking almost. You can feel them bending over, they're getting tired, and that's when we're just like begging the coaches, like hey, let's keep running at them. We're in better shape than them; we can keep doing it.
Whenever you start seeing them start subbing people out, like third, fourth quarter, long drive, we're really good at doing those 10-, 12-plus-play drives and just running the ball at them the whole time. Like we're in shape and we also want to throw people around. If you watch us some games, like it would be -- one of the last plays of the drive we just went 80 yards and people were still getting moved off the ball, which it's awesome seeing all of us, how we've improved that way.
Do you guys have anything left to prove in this game?
CARSON GREEN: Yes, sir, obviously. Again, every week you've got your personal self to prove. You've got your name on your back. You've got Texas A&M. We've just got to prove to everybody in the country that we are a top team. We are going to be a top-five team and we want to stay there. This game especially, we need to prove that we belong in a New Year's Six bowl. We belong in the top contenders for the next year and the years to come. And I think just finishing out strong, seeing that we like -- we can make it a whole year just being focused and just playing.
Last week you had a big day on signing day. Do you pay any attention to the recruiting and the guys that are coming in, and do you all get excited about it or is it something that you don't even -- hey, I'm not going to play with those guys, so I don't care?
CARSON GREEN: It's not like I don't care; it's just you hit a certain age and it's kind of like, all right, like I just don't even really know much about -- I just don't really know much about the recruiting and stuff like that. I heard that we did good, a bunch of good O-line guys. Pumped about that. Always good to have better O-line guys to push each other.
Honestly, the only guys that I really care about recruiting is the guys from Southlake, from my hometown. If there's anybody good, hopefully we get them, keep the Southlake train coming here.
You talked a minute ago about the North Carolina defensive line. When you look at them at the line or the defense as a whole, does it remind you of anybody you've played against in the SEC?
CARSON GREEN: No, not necessarily. I think these guys might not be the biggest guys we've seen, but I think they do play really hard, and they've got a lot of grit to them. Like I said, they run around, they hustle, they're good with their hands, they try to keep fighting the entire play. If that means they got beat, they're trying to hustle someone down from the backside. So I think they're different in that aspect where they're maybe not the biggest people but they -- I respect them, how they play. They play hard. They play just tough, so it's going to be a good game.