PASADENA, Calif. - The Penn State football team took its first visit to the famed Rose Bowl Stadium on Saturday to meet with the media ahead of Monday's kickoff vs. Utah. For the first time this season, Penn State's entire roster was available to speak with reporters. Here's a recap of some of the session's most notable quotes and storylines.
Playing in the Rose Bowl:
Sean Clifford (R-Sr+ - Quarterback) – "I'm just really proud to be in the Rose Bowl. It's surreal. I think it's starting to really set in. The patches and how clean everything is. It's just such a beautiful game and a beautiful logo, honestly, too. It's just the meaning behind what that Rose stands for and the games that have been played before it. We were watching a highlight of some of the best plays in the Rose Bowl – Vince Young ran in. I vividly remember watching that play happen and to say that I'm going to be playing in the same game as the greats like that, I can't express how excited I am."
Nicholas Singleton (Fr – Running Back) – "I've been imaging it and having dreams of it, playing in the Rose Bowl and scoring touchdowns and stuff. I can't wait for it. I'm really hyped."
Hakeem Beamon (R-Jr – Defensive Tackle) – "This is fun, man. It's a dream come true. I never thought I'd be out here in Cali playing in the Rose Bowl game. This is a blessing. I'm doing it with all my brothers. We play harder for each other. When you respect your brothers, you play harder for one another."
Offensive Mindset:
Theo Johnson (So – Tight End) – "I think that we were ready to go before we touched down in California. I think we had a really great gameplan and this week we polished everything up. I feel really confident about our gameplan, offensively."
Sal Womley (R-Jr – Offensive Lineman) – "Our offensive potential is great. Of course, we have the same mentality. I say this is everything. We want to be physical on the line of scrimmage. We want to run the ball and make sure Sean [Clifford] comes out as untouched as possible. Just being able to demonstrate that again with more preparation."
Mitchell Tinsley (Sr+ - Wide Receiver) – "Overall, we have a balanced gameplan. I feel like we have ways we can attack them in the run game and pass game. Coach [Mike] Yurcich has a good gameplan drawn up to exploit their weaknesses. For me, I feel like we can do a little bit of everything. I just feel like we have a lot of weapons. We have two good running backs, three crazy tight ends, and a crazy wideout room. It's hard to pinpoint one person. We have a lot of weapons on this team."
Defensive Mindset:
Johnny Dixon (Jr – Cornerback) – "Be physical. It's going to be a physical game. That's how they play, so we plan on matching it and playing up to our standard. Their identity is a tough team and that can take you a long way."
Keaton Ellis (Jr – Safety) – "We just got to keep playing how we've been playing. Run to the ball, tackle, and just play to the style of defense that we have all year. Just keep that up and I feel like we are going to have success."
On Utah's Offense:
Beamon – "Their identity is the run game. We know they are going to run the ball. They are very good at what they do. I respect them."
Abdul Carter (Fr – Linebacker) – "They are pretty physical. I watched the game against USC. They are a good team and a good opponent. We respect them a lot. I think it's going to be a great game."
Winning Line of Scrimmage:
Wormley – "We have to do the same thing we always have to do. Be physical, dominate the line, and handle the things that we can handle. [Utah] is physical themselves, they are a disciplined team, and they play well with their hands. They actually use their hands in all aspects of their game."
Penn State Preparation:
Johnson – "You have a lot more time to prepare, so early on it's a lot of developmental stuff and working on fundamentals and technique and stuff. Then the closer we get, the more and more we start to dial in game-specific practices and drills."
Ellis – "Everybody has been really focused. Obviously coming to bowl game, especially California and LA, you have a lot of distractions. So, we just are focused and work hard when we need to in practice and in the film room and really happy about our preparation thus far."
Tight Ends Impact on Game:
Johnson – "I think just like every game, we're going to have a big role and a lot of jobs that we're going to have to do that's very important to our gameplan and the success of this offense. I think this game just like every other game we are prepared for it and ready for the challenge."
James Franklin (Head Coach) – "I think if you look at my history and coach Yurcich's history, we're really 11 personnel guys, but we play to our strengths. Right now, our tight end room is as good as any tight end room in the country. Those guys need to be on the field. [Utah] was in a similar position, obviously, earlier in the year. We will see how that plays out this game, they are down some tight ends."
Ji'Ayir Brown