WAFB 9 News Baton Rouge, Louisiana News, Weather, SportsAn Interview with Georgia's Murray, Boykin, and Jones

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to today's SEC Football Championship student athlete teleconference. My name is Chuck Dunlap, Associate Director at the SEC. I will moderate this call from the conference office in Birmingham.

We'll have ten minutes with each student athlete, and we're going to begin with Georgia. I believe we have Aaron Murray, Brandon Boykin, and Jarvis Jones. I believe Georgia sports information is on the line. What student athlete are we going to be starting with first, gentlemen?

We'll begin with Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray. Aaron, while we take questions from the media, will you just address your team's 10 2 season and their berth in the championship game.

AARON MURRAY: It's a great feeling. Especially coming up from starting off 0 2 to really turn the season around. This team is a very young team, and I think we definitely have matured during the season. And just taking each week individually and have gotten better week by week. We feel good with the progress we've made and the direction we're heading right now.

Q. Hey, Aaron, what would it mean for you to walk off the field as the quarterback who won the SEC Championship this year?

AARON MURRAY: It would be a great feeling. This is a goal that, as a team, we set since January to be able to make it to Atlanta to compete for an SEC Championship game. There's no other conference championship game like this. This is the big one. We're really excited. Like I said, it would be an awesome feeling to be able to walk out of that stadium with an SEC Championship.

Q. What about you personally in terms of individually? Do you think championships should define your career or I know you've done a lot with touchdown passing records, et cetera.

AARON MURRAY: Championships is all that matters. When people talk about stats or this and that, I think the biggest stat is how many championships you've won. My goal is to win a few while I'm here, and my first one, my first opportunity is this weekend. So hopefully get that win, and from here on out, get a couple more. It would be a great feeling.

I do think as a quarterback you are judged on championships. I think this is a team I'm not worried about myself. I'm worried about doing what I can to get another victory for us.

Q. Aaron, if you look at the beginning of the season, your numbers weren't anything like they look like now. What's kind of been the difference for you in terms of the second half of the season? You have 19 touchdowns to 6 interceptions since the Vanderbilt game.

AARON MURRAY: Just continue to work on my stuff. Like I said earlier, we're a very young team, and myself included. I've only had one year of experience, and I still have a lot of work when it comes to my knowledge of the game, the playbook, defenses, and just continue to work on my footwork, my cadence and things like that.

I think I've definitely continued to work, and Coach Bobo and Coach Rick have pushed me to get better all season long. I think the talent around me we knew we had talent all year, and I think those guys around me have continued to get better all year too.

Q. And just being the quarterback to mentally get over the first half swamp and be able to play this way heading into a game like this, how much has that helped you?

AARON MURRAY: I think right now as a team we're playing great. All three facets of the game special teams, defense has been playing lights out all year, and offensively, we're a very young offensive team, and I think a lot of our young guys have matured, have grown up this season, and have gotten better.

Right now they're feeling confident. I have a lot of confidence in our young guys, and we're ready to go.

Q. LSU's got one of the top defenses in the country, of course, Aaron, you know that. Give a comment on them, and then also how about the confidence you have in your offensive line to protect you when you are throwing on Saturday?

AARON MURRAY: I have complete confidence in my O line. Those guys have done a great job all year. I think the biggest reason why we've been so successful on offense is those guys. They've given me plenty of time, and they've opened up huge running lanes for our running backs.

Those guys, like I said, I trust them. I know they're going to go out there and do a good job for me. Their defense, LSU, they're one of the best in the country. They have a lot of speed. You think of SEC defenses, you think of speed, and they have a whole other speed on top of that. They're very fast up front. They get after the quarterback. They're one of the top defenses when it comes to sacks.

And their secondary, I mean, they have some of the best corners we'll probably face all year. We're going to have to make sure we're on our game and prepare extra hard this week.

Q. Just wondering what quarterbacks did you grow up kind of watching and admiring and possibly trying to emulate?

AARON MURRAY: You know, nowadays, for years now I've been watching Drew Brees, and I like watching Aaron Rodgers. They've gotten some film on them, and I've been able to watch them in the off season and just see little things they do when it comes to footwork, when it comes to using their eyes and stuff like that. I think, if there's any two better quarterbacks in the NFL to watch, I don't know any two better than those two guys. I definitely looked at them closely.

Q. Those are pretty good. Do you feel like what you've done obviously, you were a preseason All SEC selection. I kind of know how you feel about those kinds of things, but do you feel you've done what it would take to be the best in the league this year?

AARON MURRAY: I don't know. It's not for me to vote on. I'm not concerned about the accolades of this. I'm just worried about getting a victory this weekend and getting an SEC Championship for the University of Georgia.

Q. Aaron, it was unusual to see a Georgia offense have a winning game plan with so little input from the tailbacks last week, especially in the first half. Going against this LSU defense, just talk about how important is it to get some healthy guys back at tailback this week?

AARON MURRAY: I think it's huge for us. We like to keep things balanced. I mean, I'm not saying we're going to go out there and pass the ball 40, 50 times a game. We want to be able to run the ball. We want to be able to chew up clock to keep our defense on the sidelines. I think we've been able to do that all year.

Last week against Georgia Tech, Coach Bobo saw some things in their secondary that we could just hit them on and execute in the passing game, and we were able to do that. Like I said, we really want to be able to run the ball, and I think we need to be able to run the ball against LSU in order to get the victory and put some points on the board.

Q. Was there any feeling out there in pregame warmups that maybe you guys were saving Isaiah for this SEC Championship game?

AARON MURRAY: I don't know if we were saving him. I think they had all intentions, the coaches, of playing him. I just don't think he was ready when it came game time. He was close, but I don't think they wanted to risk any more injury. If he was 100 percent, don't put him out there, we'd rather put someone else out there. I'm pretty sure he'll be ready to go by today's practice.

I talked to him yesterday. He said he's feeling great. He'll definitely be ready for the game Saturday.

Q. Hey, Aaron, can you just talk about those two corners specifically. I mean, Claiborne, 17, and Mathieu, 7. How big of a challenge are these guys going to be? In watching film on them, are you in amazement sometimes at their play making abilities?

AARON MURRAY: It's amazing, just how many plays they make. You talk about Mathieu, you've got to worry about him on special teams. They're great athletes. You put them in the category, when I was watching the film, of just athletes like Jarvis Jones on our team. They're football players. They know how to go out there and make plays, and they're exciting to watch.

I know our receivers are excited for the challenge 6789 I know our guys are getting better every week this year, the receiving corps, and it shows by how many catches all of them have. It's not one or two guys. We're able to spread the ball around. Like I said, they're excited for the challenge, and it's going to be a good one.

Q. LSU is notorious for going on these big runs. They closed the Arkansas game on a 41 3 run. They create a lot of different ways. If things start going wrong, if they put up a quick 10 or a quick 14 on you, what is the key to try to combat one of those runs they seem to put on just about everybody?

AARON MURRAY: Just keep working. I know we'll probably have a great game plan for the game and just stick to it. We've been down a couple games this year, and we've been able to come back and pull to victory. We're a team that's not going to worry too much if we get down or this or that. We've been down this whole season people have been doubting us. We're a bunch of fighters. I think no matter what goes on, we've got to stick to the game plan and continue working hard and go out and make plays.

Q. Aaron, you mentioned a couple times at the start of the season you all are a really young team. Looking back on that first game in the Georgia Dome against Boise, how did you think the young team had all that big game atmosphere that night, and what did it learn from that experience?

AARON MURRAY: I think we handled it pretty well, our young guys. I think it was good to get it out of the way, get those jitters out, and I think it will be I think those guys will UPDS the big atmosphere for games like that and the environment and how crazy it's going to be. I think we'll be able to handle it a little bit better this time.

Those guys have matured all season long. They've gotten better. They understand our receivers they're starting to understand the defenses better, understand the routes better, and I think they'll definitely be more equipped for the big game.

Q. Is there an added dimension to this game because you are playing the No. 1 team in the country?

AARON MURRAY: Yes, it's a huge challenge. This is something you want to be. You want to be able to play in these big games and compete against the best. That's the reason why the guys on this team committed to Georgia. We want to be able to play in big games like this, and here's our opportunity.

Q. Tim kind of stole my thunder asking about the big game atmosphere from the first game, but if you can put your finger on one or two reasons you feel like you all are much better since that opener last time you played in the Georgia Dome, what would it be?

AARON MURRAY: Just few mistakes. And the big thing also is turnovers. We've done a great job all year of limiting the turnovers, and our defense has done an awesome job of giving us the ball back, giving us great field position all year. Just those little mistakes here and there, I think we've cleaned up since those first two games.

Q. At what point in this year did you guys felt like you had turned the corner and did you start telling yourselves you have a chance to be in the position you are now?

AARON MURRAY: Definitely when we started winning. I think after the South Carolina game, we saw the potential this team had. Once we got a couple of wins under our belt. And I think once we got to the Florida game once again, we're down 17 3 and able to mount a comeback and get some big, big plays and pull out a victory. I think from there on out, we were a team that felt, hey, no matter what goes on, no matter what happens, we're going to keep fighting and win out.

THE MODERATOR: Aaron, that's all the time today. Thank you for being with us.

We have Brandon Boykin. Brandon, while I wait on those questions, if you could give us a brief comment on Georgia reaching the championship game.

BRANDON BOYKIN: Oh, man, the buzz around campus, around the state is just excitement. The team is really excited. Just ready to focus on this week. Today is a big day.

Q. Brandon, how much different a team do you think you all are from the last time you played in the Georgia Dome and also in terms of the big game atmosphere, do you feel like you all are going to be a little more prepared this week than you were the first time?

BRANDON BOYKIN: Absolutely. Totally different team from the first game in the dome. Just everybody has a lot more experience, be able to play in that environment and know what it's like to play in the big game. We had a lot of freshmen, a lot of young guys that had to play that first game against a very experienced Boise team.

Now that the season's kind of progressed, they aren't freshmen anymore. They know how to play and play in those types of games. We'll definitely be ready to play.

Q. You all face some good receivers all year, Brandon, and LSU has certainly got their share of them, Shepard and Rueben Randle, who's about the top guy, about 6'4". What kind of challenge does that present for you guys in the secondary, and how much are you looking forward to it?

BRANDON BOYKIN: Oh, man, looking forward to it a lot, just in the big game on the big stage. Like you said, LSU has a lot of great receivers. We've been up against a couple of good receivers all year. This will definitely be a challenge with the type of play makers that we have outside.

Just trying to work on fundamentals this weekend, just basically everybody doing their jobs. I think we can be successful in the secondary as long as the whole defense does their job as far as the pass rush and the linebackers and the secondary as a whole.

Q. Brandon, can you just talk about as a cornerback, can you just talk about what you think of LSU's corners. I'm sure you've seen them on TV 17, Claiborne and 7, Mathieu what you think about those guys and their play making ability.

BRANDON BOYKIN: Awesome players, great play makers. Every time you see them, they're constantly making plays. There's never been a game where they're not. Just ball hawks all around the ball. I feel like that's what you need in order to be a great secondary. They've done a great job of that. Their secondary is a big reason why they have undefeated right now.

Our defense is ready to play, and ours is going to come ready to play too. So it should be a good matchup.

Q. I know you're going to have responsibilities with Rueben Randle and Shepard and those guys, but can you talk about LSU's ability to get the run game going, and what a challenge it's going to be for you guys stopping those four tailbacks.

BRANDON BOYKIN: They've got so many weapons just in the run game itself, so many good running backs. We've prided ourselves all year on being stout against the run. Definitely going to be another challenge. We'll definitely have to get ready for it this week.

If we can contain their run game, that will be a big plus for us and help us be successful.

Q. Brandon, a lot has been made about Coach Richt and how he's brought you guys back after the 0 2 start this season, ten game winning streak. How much have the veterans and the seniors really helped to get this team back up?

BRANDON BOYKIN: Big, big part of this was just the senior leadership, the poise that the guys stayed with and we have throughout the time when we were 0 2. Things weren't looking too good. Just being able to keep everybody composed and tell the young guys that just to continue to grind and think we were a good team.

Definitely can attribute a lot of the success to the seniors as well as the rest of the players.

Q. Was there a moment where you guys were out the entire team and kind of had a speech? What was that kind of like?

BRANDON BOYKIN: Yeah, kind of, especially after the Boise game. The Boise game, when we lost in the Georgia Dome, everybody was putting such a big emphasis on that game, and everybody was excited about it, and we kind of fell short. People were kind of saying, oh, back to old Georgia, man, just like last year.

So I kind of wanted to make it a point to just step up and tell everybody to continue to grind and we were a great team no matter what this first game had. And after the second game as well, people would continue to stay positive. It definitely worked out for us.

Q. Hey, Brandon, obviously, LSU's defense is one of the best in the country and comes up with comes in with quite a reputation. You do too. Do you guys compare yourselves to LSU at all? Are you kind of eager to kind of see if you can match what they do on the field?

BRANDON BOYKIN: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, statistics show that Georgia is one of the top three defenses in the nation in run game and, I think, total defense in some categories. We're like No. 3 in the SEC just because LSU and Alabama and all the great teams we have in this conference. Just like you said, the matchup that we're going to have is going to be important, and definitely two big defenses going against each other. It's going to be exciting.

Q. A followup to that, I assume there's some satisfaction about your decision to come back for a senior year to be in this game.

BRANDON BOYKIN: Absolutely. Now looking back on that decision, I mean, I feel kind of like it's just kind of funny. I feel foolish for even considering it just because of the impact of this senior season on my life and the way that it turned out and just how much more I've learned and just the overall effect of just coming back for a senior year. Definitely excited about doing that.

Q. Brandon, I was going to ask you about that decision, and just to follow up on that a little bit, how close did you come to not coming back? And was it the feeling of unfinished business to be done? How big a factor was that?

BRANDON BOYKIN: It was a huge factor. I honestly was going to go to the NFL. I kind of had my mind made up at one point. And then I talked to Coach Richt, and it's funny, what happened was I actually came to the team meeting, me along with A.J. and Justin and all the other people who left. It actually was like a snowstorm in Athens, a blizzard, and I got stuck here for a couple days.

Just over the course of those days, I started talking to Coach and all the coaches and just thinking about things. I felt like it was kind of a sign from God. Definitely made a good choice in doing that, and things have worked out well.

Q. So you had actually decided to go?

BRANDON BOYKIN: Well, I was still on the fence, but just sitting there thinking about it for that long, it was definitely something that I was considering.

Q. And just follow up also on what you were talking earlier about the previous game this year in the Georgia Dome. I know you were a veteran player at that point, but there were a lot of young guys on the team. Can you remember just their reaction to the big game atmosphere in the dome? Were there some wide eyed younger guys on the team that kind of had to adapt to playing in a game that big?

BRANDON BOYKIN: Yeah, it's your first college game for a lot of those guys, and then the magnitude of it being in the Georgia Dome and against a top five team. It doesn't really give you a chance to get adjusted. It's like the SEC game, a big bowl game right in the beginning of the year, your first game. So a lot of people were nervous and kind of had to get adjusted to the game type situation of a college football game.

They did what they had to do and got better. Unfortunately, we didn't come out with the "W," but they all kept grinding and got better this season. Definitely contributed. A lot of those young guys have contributed to us being SEC East champs.

Q. Hey, Brandon. If you can, talk a little bit about Jarvis Jones and what you see in it his play and how he's improved as the year's gone on.

BRANDON BOYKIN: When Jarvis came last year and he wasn't able to play because he had transferred from USC, just being able to see him out there in passing and in the film room, I could tell he definitely knew how to play. I knew he was going to be a good player and be able to contribute once he was able to play.

All the things that he's done this year and all the accomplishments he's made and the sack records and the stats he's put up isn't a surprise to me or any of my teammates. This is his first year really getting adjusted to the defense. He can only continue to get better. He'll definitely be one of the great linebackers to lead Georgia.

THE MODERATOR: Brandon, thank you.

I believe we'll wrap things up with Jarvis Jones. Jarvis, while we take questions from the media, could you just talk about Georgia's run to Atlanta this season.

JARVIS JONES: It's been a great run. We started at the bottom of the polls. Everybody was counting us out early with the two losses to Florida State and South Carolina. But we had our composure. We stayed together as a unit. We locked in, and we believed in each other. We just kept gelling. It's been a great run. We've had some great things happen for us.

We had a lot of players step up, coaches step up, and everybody kept faith and just locked in, and things have been going great.

Q. Hey, Jarvis, LSU's got four running backs from 205 to about 225 and a big quarterback in Jordan Jefferson too. How do you feel about the challenge of stopping those guys and locking up on them and maybe slowing down the LSU running game this Saturday?

JARVIS JONES: We're physical, just like they are. I believe we've just got to penetrate, get on the ball, make plays. When we get our hand on them, we've just got to bring it to the ground no matter what.

Q. Jarvis, going back to LSU's running backs, just how detrimental to the defense can it be when they can throw out three or four guys and keep churning and churning out yards and wearing down defenses like that?

JARVIS JONES: I mean, it's big. They're pretty deep at running back. But it's a challenge for us as a defense. You always want to be challenged, and you want to step up, and you want to accomplish those challenges. So it's going to be a big day for us. We're looking forward to it. We know they've got a lot of great players over on their side of the ball.

We've just got to become a student of the game, just keep doing what we've been doing. Find their formation, do the things that we do best, and disrupt offenses, get to the quarterback, hit running backs behind the line of scrimmage, and get the ball out.

Q. And also, a lot has been made of how Coach Richt has handled this season, but how much did the seniors and the veterans help you guys out to bring you back up after the 0 2 start?

JARVIS JONES: I think our seniors were a big part of it. This day last year, this day last time around, they really didn't want their last time here at the University of Georgia go out like it started, like most people thought it was going to be.

So they're the reason why we kept our faith. We gelled closer together, and we just kept believing in each other. Every day, they were like just believe, just come out here and work hard, and we control our own destiny. Every day that's what we did.

Q. Jarvis, I wanted to ask you about you had a year away from football last year what you learned about your game and what you've been able to incorporate into it this year.

JARVIS JONES: What I learned about my game was just different techniques. Just watching a lot of different players play, coming here to the SEC and looking at the speed of the game, looking at how athletic people are, just different things I can bring to my game to help me be a better player like using my hands, becoming a better student of the game, finding tendencies, formation, things that can help me play better.

Definitely just learning how to scheme ourselves out of the defensive playbook.

Q. J.J., just wondering about LSU gets a lot of reputation for their defense being dominant. Are you guys eager on any level you're a pretty good defense yourself for kind of showing that you can play at that level as well?

JARVIS JONES: I mean, everybody praises LSU defense, but I think I know we've got a pretty good defense. We're not cocky at all. We're just going to play. We do our job and get out on the field. We like having fun. We love playing football. We're aggressive. We play just as well as them.

A lot of people don't give us credit of how they play and how we play. I think we play two different styles. I think our defense is just as good as theirs if not better.

Q. I wondered how many times during the season, especially now that you guys are going to play for the SEC Championship, have you sort of thought back to how it all started for you. Starting at SC, sitting the year out, all the things you had to go through, just sort of thinking back, was it all worth it?

JARVIS JONES: All that stuff is kind of like used for motivation. Being at SC, not being able to play no more, it was a big dropoff for me. It was kind of crazy not being there to play football no more. Now that I've got the opportunity, I take advantage of it every time I step on the field, practice or in the game. I try to leave everything I've got. I try to respect the game.

They say, if you don't respect the game, the game don't respect you. Every opportunity I get, I try to make something of it.

Q. I remember you told me back in August when we were talking that you were glad the Georgia fans had accepted you back, so to speak. Now that you've gone through a season and played at the level you have, would you say they're more than accepted you back, that they're glad to have you back?

JARVIS JONES: I think they love me. I really care about the University of Georgia, the people here. I really think they care about me. Everybody is showing me love. Everybody speaks to me. I do the same. Even on campus, I speak to all the students.

I met some girls the other day, and they couldn't believe really I was a football player because we were just having a conversation. They really care about me here. I'm thankful for it.

Q. We were already kind of rolling on defense when Alex Ogletree came back from his injury. What does he bring to your defense?

JARVIS JONES: Alex brings the energy. He's a big hitter, sideline to sideline type player. He brings the energy to our defense. Alex is just passionate. He loves the game. He's a complete back. He can cover. He plays safety. He can come up and make big plays. He's smart. It just makes our defense much more better having him in there.

Q. Jarvis, what has the buzz been like around campus today? How much does LSU being ranked No. 1 add kind of to the excitement in this game?

JARVIS JONES: Today has been kind of dead. It's raining pretty bad. It's been kind of light. But it's a pretty big game. Everybody knows what's at stake. I think we're kind of underdogs right now, but everybody here is focused. We're focused, and we're not trying to change anything. We've been on the road lately, so we're just trying to keep our focus and do what we've been doing the best way we can and come into the game ready.

Q. I know, of course, you played your first game for Georgia in the Dome. Did you also play there before in high school? Did you have any games there?

JARVIS JONES: I played there twice in high school.

Q. What did the team learn maybe from that first game in the Dome that might be beneficial this week?

JARVIS JONES: For the team? I don't know, I think it's pretty loud. It's a different atmosphere. There's a lot more energy than playing at home more. It's just different all the way around. The fans are right on top of you. Just the energy and everything that the whole thing brings with it, just being there playing in the Dome. I can't explain it. It's so different.

Q. Jarvis, Les Miles mentioned yesterday recruiting you, I guess, out of high school. What do you remember about that? Did you ever take a visit there? Did you ever meet with him and their coaches?

JARVIS JONES: Yes, I've been to LSU quite a few times. Coach Miles is a great guy, loves football, loves his players, just loves having great players. We spent quite a bit of time to together talking when I was down there, just talking football and life, just going over stuff. Coach Miles is a great guy.

Q. Do you remember why you just kind of didn't end up going there?

JARVIS JONES: I really don't know. Coming out of high school, Coach Norton, when I decided to go to USC, Coach Norton was one of the best linebacker coaches at the time I came out.

THE MODERATOR: That's going to be it for today. Georgia, thank you for your time.

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