After being in Arizona for a week, it’s a stretch for coaches to find anything new to say about Monday night’s Tostitos Fiesta Bowl matchup. However, under the surface, Frog head coach Gary Patterson had some assurance for the future of the Frogs.
When asked who is the best team in Texas, Patterson was quick to point out there was only one way to solve that dilemma and it’s on the field. But Patterson went on to say he always rooted for home-state teams because he shares relationships with many people associated with all the football programs in Texas and that he plans on being in the state for a long time.
“I have always felt like if we weren’t playing [a Texas school], that I always rooted for them, for anybody in the state of Texas for the simple reason that we recruit a lot of their kids that went to their place,” Patterson said. “We know their parents. We are going to live in the state for a long time.”
Patterson went on to talk about his thoughts on a playoff system and how it would not help the TCU’s and Boise State’s of the country and offered no reward to the student-athlete. The Frogs have been in Arizona since last Tuesday and have enjoyed the vacation-like atmosphere that surrounded daily practice for the bowl game.
“This is the thing about the playoffs: who says the playoff system would be any different than the BCS system is now?” Patterson said. “.My kids have been here at the Fiesta Bowl for five, six, seven days. It has been an unbelievable experience. I played in Division II, I coached in Division II and 1AA and been in a playoff system. Every week you practice at your own place. You practice for seven days. You get on a bus or plane and fly to that place. You go play the game. If you lose, you’re done. There is no experience to it.”
Another concern players might have in a playoff system is staying healthy for the draft, Patterson said.
“I think what you will find out is all these guys will go in the first round of the draft and you are going to tell them they are going to play for more games and they got a chance to be a draft choice,” Patterson said. “You got guys who say, I don’t know if I can do that. Why should I risk the rest of my career with four more games when people are saying I can go right now?”
On the other hand, Boise State head coach Chris Petersen had a little to say about Monday night’s game and their matchup against the Frogs. When asked how the two schools compare Petersen had high praise for TCU.
“We’ll find out tomorrow if we should be compared to TCU. For me I like the comparison,” Petersen said. “Around the country there are a lot of people that think TCU should be playing in the National Championship game. They’re that type of program.”
In the offseason, Boise State’s coaching staff traveled to Fort Worth to exchange ideas with the Frogs’ staff. Neither coach thought it would have any effect on this game and both believed their programs came out better because of the meeting.
“I really believe this, it wasn’t on how to attack each other or how to attack their defense,” Petersen said. “It was more of a conversation between our defensive guys talking very specific technique, detail-type work that, you know, doesn’t really have a whole lot to do with the influence of the outcome of this game.”
Boise State star wide receiver Austin Pettis will have a limited role in the game Monday because of a foot injury. Patterson said he wasn’t surprised that he would be playing and made a few jokes about knowing this team has a bunch to throw at the Frogs.
“I expected [Pettis] to play,” Patterson said. “It is not my first rodeo. We expect them to play. I expect Ian Johnson maybe to come back and have one more game. I mean, Coach Peterson, I have watched him throw the ball, he may throw a couple passes. I’m not sure he is as good as Kellen Moore.”
Despite all the peripheral subjects in Sunday’s presser, Patterson said the Frogs are ready for Monday night.
“I can tell you this much: probably we could have played the game a day ago,” Patterson said. ‘We’re ready to go with this. Seven days is a long time, but it has been a lot of fun.”
For an extended transcript of the press conference, visit the Skiff Sports Blog at skiffsports.wordpress.com.
