Everything Miami's Mark Fletcher Jr. and Keionte Scott Said During Fiesta Bowl Media Day

The Miami Hurricanes are set to face off against the Ole Miss Rebels in the College Football Playoff Semifinals at the Fiesta Bowl. The excitement level is through the roof, but the Canes are as stoic as their head coach in this situation.

Now the defensive and offensive MVPs of the Cotton Bowl take the stage as they prepare for the game ahead.

Mark Fletcher Jr. and Keionte Scott spoke with the media during the Fiesta Bowl Media Day as they prepare for the Rebels in the biggest game of their lives.

Q. How did you embrace Mario's personality?

MARK FLETCHER: He's a dawg, man! When you're the top dawg, that's all you can create.

Q. When you talk about "dawg," what is a dawg?

MARK FLETCHER: It's a guy that will get the job done no matter what. He loves adversity. That's what a dawg is. He will push through it.

Q. It's gotten to the point where you control the locker room.

MARK FLETCHER: Most definitely.

Q. How does that work out?

MARK FLETCHER: We have to have guys willing to do it. When you are willing to show up every single day and put your blood, sweat, and tears into this and like Keionte [Scott] and Carson [Beck] here with me today, willing to speak up and you have guys willing to buy into it.

Q. You talk about being accountable, but if they are not listening – how is it that the older guys and the younger guys have listened?

MARK FLETCHER: You have to buy in. Even for young guys, they just want to do their own thing naturally; but, shoot, they want to win. If you really want to win, you will do it.

Q. Mark, the Texas A&M game, the first quarter, and the last game you fumbled. Who were the guys by your side? What was the message mentality?

MARK FLETCHER: They just said, Hey, Mark, we got you. Let's do it. There was nothing in my head for that. I was coming back. It got me one time. I have to give them that. They got me one time, but I always spin back. I'm a dawg.

Q. You were committed to Ohio State. Were there any coaches you talked to?

MARK FLETCHER: Yeah, Brian Hartline. He was a great mentor. He was somebody I could talk to. I spoke to Brian Hartline, but I didn't get a chance to see Ryan Day.

Q. Mark, I'm curious, with Ole Miss earlier in the year, they struggled to stop the run. They have been better here lately. They were pretty good against Georgia. What are they doing differently that allowed them to have more success stopping guys like you?

MARK FLETCHER: They are making plays and the coaches trusted their guys. I feel like some of those were going on and off the field. They are extremely talented. They are just attacking the ball.

Q. What is it like when you have two teams that are both hot and playing their best football at the same time, lots of confidence? How does one emerge ahead of another on a game like that?

MARK FLETCHER: It's whoever makes the least mistakes and when the opportunities are there, whois going to see those opportunities and seize the moment.

Q. When you look at a guy like Javian Mallory who you have been around for a while, you and Jordan [Lyle] have that repertoire with him. What are some of the things you've seen out of him with the first couple of practices with the team? And how have you seen him grow and the mentorship that you instilled with him?

MARK FLETCHER: He's excited to learn. He's asking me questions already about everything, and I'm there to help them. I just know that I will help them through anything they need. He

Q. You have the ability to beat teams in a lot of different ways. What do you think of their offense?

KEIONTE SCOTT: I think they're a great offense. They do what they do well. Great quarterback, great receiver room, great offensive line. It's something we're focused on. Offense that wants to run fast pace. Want to put you on islands, different things that can beat you. I feel like it's going to be a great opportunity for us and our defensive room.

Q. Is there something specific that you guys notice on film with how they can beat you?

KEIONTE SCOTT: I definitely think the way they're able to create plays is something that jumps off on tape. The way they are able to set guys up. I spoke on the quarterback play, that's something that you look at, and the way he's able to create, but then also read defenses and stuff like that. Just a great team, great opportunity.

Q. Is there any way to replicate his (Trinidad Chambliss) scrambling ability when you guys are in practice?

KEIONTE SCOTT: There's definitely different ways to replicate it, but I also more so, I think it's on us doing our job. That's the biggest thing this week is making sure everyone is doing their 1-11 and that's what we need to focus on.

Q. How important was it to preach patience to the other guys in the DB room over the last couple of days? Trinidad [Chambliss] is a guy that can extend plays well. Just being able to stay patient; not bite on the scramble and give up a big play over the top.

KEIONTE SCOTT: I definitely think it's something everybody collectively as a defense has to focus on. I don't think you can put it on one or two position groups. When it gets to that point where it breaks down or it doesn't break down, like I spoke on before, I think everybody doing their 1:11 can erase a lot of those things.

Q. We've seen Michael Irvin, Andre Johnson, Ray Lewis support you guys. To have guys of previous generations from Miami support this team like that, what does that mean to you guys?

KEIONTE SCOTT: It just shows the love for The U, how much The U means to them. Me personally, it makes me take a look on it, like, man, you see guys that could be doing anything in the world at that moment, but they're supporting their university. So it gives me a moment to just stay focused and stay locked in, because at the end of day, you can do great things. This place can do great things for you. It's just a testament to the University of Miami, for sure.

Q. Does it give you a sense of pride that there's that level of tradition at the school that you play for? Especially in the age where there hasn't been loyalty of guys sticking it out four, five, six years?

KEIONTE SCOTT: For sure. From the first day I walked into the IPF, I seen the guys on the rafter, seeing all the Hall-of-Famers on the wall. You're looking at them every day and looking up to them on the sideline. It speaks to the university, it speaks to what the university has done for them, and then it speaks to what they want to do for the university.

Q. These are the moments you'll talk about 20, 30 years from now. How much are you trying to enjoy the moment outside of the game? Not just the game itself, knowing these don't come around often.

KEIONTE SCOTT: For sure. All week I've just been telling guys: These are games you share with your kids. You sit down on the couch and show your kids this game. There's definitely times we want to make sure we're taking full advantage of just the smaller things, the little things. There's teams that are not competing, and we're one of four teams that are. There's definitely a moment where we soak it all in. But you've got to stay focused and live in the moment.

Q. Two games, you're the underdog. People say you don't belong, now you do belong, now you're the favorite. Does that change the mindset when you're the one expected to win?

KEIONTE SCOTT: I don't think it's changed. We still have that salty taste in our mouth from the decision being questionable at the start of the selection. So we don't change. [Mario] Cristobal does a great job of keeping us focused. As he calls it, rat poison, of people that a couple of weeks ago when we dropped a game to SMU, were saying we weren't supposed to be where we were. And now they come back around and we're a super good team. This is just a moment where we want to be one level – not too high, not too low. It's something I tell everybody. That's something we're preaching every day

Q. What's unique playing against Trinidad Chambliss?

KEIONTE SCOTT: The way he's able to create, and then the way he can change the game at any moment. I definitely think he's a great quarterback, and definitely excited to play against him.

Q. What's it like to be on the doorstep of the Semifinal game?

KEIONTE SCOTT: Yeah, walked into the stadium today, you get a visualization of what's about to go down. It's just something that's just crazy. Like I said before, these are football games you show your kids that you were able to take part in, just the situation of football. Some guys from south Florida have never been west before. It's just crazy the opportunity football grants you, and this opportunity we have has granted some guys to be on the West Coast for the first time. It's not something we're taking for granted, but trying to stay focused and continue to prepare.

Q. Is there added pressure in this one? Do you feel that?

KEIONTE SCOTT: Definitely. I feel the pressure rises each week. It's not something we're overlooking or underlooking. It's just something we're focused on, it's all about us, which is one of our models and something we want to be.

Q. Playing in a lot of big games, but not like this, not in these kinds of situations, as a leader of the team, how do you feel so locked in?

KEIONTE SCOTT: I would just say it's just the fact that this is the same football game. Obviously the situation has risen and the stakes are what they are, but I definitely think it's something -- like I said, [Mario] Cristobal and everybody around is doing a good job of keeping everybody focused in the moment. If you put too much on it, it causes anxiety. But if you don't put enough on it, you'll go out there timid. We're just staying on that one level, just focusing on preparation and focusing on where we need to be.

Everything Miami's Mark Fletcher Jr. and Keionte Scott Said During Fiesta Bowl Media Day

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