12/5/2021 football Edit

What Oregon State HC Jonathan Smith Said In The LA Bowl Press Conference

Brenden Slaughter • BeaversEdge

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With Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith meeting the media for the LA Bowl Press Conference, BeaversEdge.com recaps all the info!

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Jonathan Smith On The LA Bowl

"We've got a good amount of players from the area and it's an awesome opportunity to play in a big-time stadium and a big-time city that's familiar to our players. Our guys are really excited about it."

On Utah State

"They played awesome yesterday (against San Diego State) and to win the Mountain West Conference is certainly an accomplishment. Especially this year with how many good teams are in that league and how they've been playing Pac-12 opponents. They can score in a hurry, they're athletic, and defensively their scheme is very aggressive They can cause a lot of problems."

On Preparing For Utah State

"We definitely had eyes on their game last night, that was a really big win for them. We've been heavy into the recruiting, not going to lie I've been on the road a ton, which is a vital part of the process. This upcoming week will be very similar. Our players have finals this week, so they'll be locked in on that and we'll be getting ready with heavy film prep this week. We'll go to work practice-wise this weekend."

On The Limited Extra Practice Time

"It's definetly a little less practice time because of the early kick, but it's still great to kind of able to get the bowl season started. We're going to take advantage of what we can, practicing starting at the end of the week and I know our guys will be looking forward to it."

On The Team Preparing For Its First Bowl Game

"It's going to be a little different than normal, but that's a bowl game in general. I know our guys are really excited about it, and we've had coaches who have played in and prepared for bowl games too. That's what we're shooting for, to play well and at the same time, enjoy the experience. These guys will be locked in when it's time to play, but it's going to be exciting for them to experience some cool events in a big-time city."

On Getting To Meet Jimmy Kimmel

"We went over it with our players today, and they were really excited about being able to see the show. They follow it, I don't watch a ton, but I've seen enough to know how funny he is and he's done well for a long time. It's going to be a very exciting part of this bowl game."

On Having The Bowl Experience For This Group

"There's definetly a lot of pride, especially from the older group that's been around for a while to accomplish the initial goal of playing in the postseason. It's one we've had for a while and guys are taking some pride in knowing that you have a chance to win it if you prepare and play well. We're going to need to against a good opponent that won a lot of games in a good league, so there's a lot of pride from our seniors, but they know they've got a lot of work still to do."