Jacksonville State Head Coach Rich Rodriguez
December 4, 2023 – New Orleans Bowl
 
Opening Comments:
"We are back into the game week mode even though we don't play till next weekend. It's a busy week with obviously with preparation and recruiting contact period opened up, of course, the portal has opened up, so there's a lot going on. A very busy time for our staff, but really excited for our players and everybody associated with the program to get to the first ever bowl for Jax State. It's going be a wonderful experience for everybody, most importantly for our players, going down to New Orleans, they'll do a great job playing a good opponent. I think they're really excited about that and many bowls I've been to, I would think most teams are excited to play in any bowl game, but when you're really excited to be in a bowl game, usually you play better and I think our guys will have a great week and a half of preparation."
 
On telling the team that they were going to a bowl game on the plane:
"I was still pissed about the game because we, we didn't play well. We still had a chance to win it. But you know, we felt pretty good that we would get an opportunity, but you don't know if the right teams are going to lose and you don't get your spot. When that happened, that was especially for our seniors. I mean, this is their last chance to be in a bowl game and to make history, so that was made the night a little bit better, didn't make it all better, but it made a little bit better."
 
On the extra practices:
"I don't know, a lot of people talk about the extra practices, the benefit of your team. I think that's probably overrated because hell, the young guys ain't playing till nine months, you know, like it happened between now and then. You also got to recruit and, you know, the recruiting windows are shortened which is probably a good thing, but there's so much going on with recruiting and all that at this time, you know, and getting ready for the early December signing period and all that, we're trying to cram as much as we can to get in, but we also got to get ready for a game. It's an important game for all of us. It's a really important game for our seniors, so we'll balance that over the next four or five days."
 
On the senior class getting to experience a bowl game:
"Yeah, I think in regards to what happens in the game, this senior class is leaving as winners, a winning season, this year and last year and winning seasons for most of their career. They're going out winners no matter what, but they will enjoy qhat could be capped off in a great way with a win. The Sun Belt has been a widely respected, highly respected, group of five conference. Our guys will know the challenge when we watched the film. I would be shocked and disappointed if we didn't prepare really well, both this week and next week and by the time you get to the bowl side, you got so much stuff going on, most of your preparation is already in, but you still got to get your guys focused when you're down there. My experience in bowl games, when you have a team that's focused, when they're supposed to be focused at meetings and practice, they play well during the game. we'll make sure that happens next week and play as hard as we can."
 
 
Jeremiah Harris, Safety, R-Sr.
 
Opening Comments:
"It's um a good feeling to actually set school history, being the first team to make it to a bowl game. It's a great feeling toto finish out in a bowl game."
 
On learning that Jax State will be playing in a bowl game:
"it felt great. It was all kind of down after the game and we got the news on the plane. It was a great feeling, especially for us seniors."
 
On playing in 58 games at Jax State:
"You got to have a hard edge to beat that record, 58 games is a lot on your body. I don't know how I did it and it doesn't even feel like I played 58 games. If somebody set that record it was meant for him."
 
Treylen Brown, OL, Sr.
 
Opening Comments:
"A couple of years ago I was like, dang, I want to get a chance to, to play in the Superdome and now I get that chance. It's a great feeling to go out to New Orleans and play in the ball game, especially in the Saints Stadium."
 
On playing in a bowl game:
"It's truly a blessing to be able to play in a bowl game. I always grew up watching my brother, and went to a couple of Outback Bowls when he was at South Carolina and the Liberty Bowl in Memphis. So, growing up watching him playing in bowl games, I always wanted to do it and I got the opportunity. It's truly a blessing."
 
On the senior class:
"It means a lot, a lot, a lot of people didn't expect us to be this good. They had us seventh in the, in the poll the for CUSA, so obviously, no one really thought we were going be that good. We ended up shocking the world um putting Jacksonville on the map and that's what we're what, what it's all about."