Here is what members of the Florida State defense said Thursday in preparation for the Orange Bowl against Georgia:
Defensive Coordinator Adam Fuller
On the Orange Bowl: “It’s the last game of this season and a 13-0 season. Our guys have done everything we’ve asked them to do at this point. To have it finish out in a venue like this against a well-respected opponent is a great opportunity. I think our guys feel that they want to finish the season the right way. It has been a balance of us trying to make sure they understand how proud we are that they’ve gotten us to this point but now we’ve got another game and another opportunity to take advantage of. That’s been really the message to our guys. I have no question that they’ll do it the right way, because they’ve done it the entire season.”
DB Shyheim Brown
On the team’s focus: “We just have to stand together. It’s a big thing to the team for the people that showed up to play. Our model is we all we got. The guys that came and played, it’s their time now. Even the young guys that might be out there, it’s their time to shine. That’s what (the coaches) have been really harping on. Obviously, we’re down in Miami so we’re having some fun but (coach said) these three days are time to lock in. The first two days were all fun but now it’s time to lock in and get ready for a fight. We fight. That’s what makes us good.”
DL Braden Fiske
On the playoff snub: “There’s a football game to play on Saturday and you can’t look past that because that’s all we’ve got left. That’s the task we were given and we’re going to get after it.”
On deciding to play in the Orange Bowl: “Especially in this situation we’re in, having to look at all the angles when you’re getting pulled in all these different directions and hearing all these different things, it’s easy to fall into the decision-making process of should I do this or should I do that. I didn’t want to make any decisions on one day. I needed to take my time and really go through the process and kind of figure out what was best for me, my family, and my team... you want to get as much information as you can possible, talk to all different outlets, and try to make the best decision possible. But, at the end of the day, you got to do what’s best for you. For me, I think that’s what I’ve done so far. And just try to talk to everybody I can at least whose opinion matters to me.”
DB Fentrell Cyrpess II
On the team’s many opt-outs: “We just all we believe in each other and that no matter who we got (playing), we know who we are and we know what we can do. No matter who is on the field and who we’re playing, it’s all about us. So just understanding that (head coach Mike Norvell) trusts us and that we know we believe in each other to win the game.”
OL Darius Washington
On playing in the Orange Bowl: “It’s an opportunity to play football. You get to experience a new city and have more time with the people that you’ve been with. You still got to take it with a grain of salt, play the game and just go from there. This is not the playoff. You can’t get that back. But let’s keep moving forward and just keep moving with the people that we have.”
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