What Oregon Ducks QB Bo Nix Said Before the Pac-12 Championship
Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix met with reporters in Eugene this week to give a final look ahead of the Pac-12 Championship against the No. 3 Washington Huskies.
Below you’ll find a complete transcript of what was said during the media availability.
Question: Last five, six games your deep throws have been on point, the touchdown that you had to Troy at ASU in that really tight window. You're making some really elite throws right now. What's been different the last five, six games in that one?
Nix: “Well, I think the preparation has been really good. I think we've been practicing at a high level. And then, I just think I've hit a really good rhythm at the right time. And, all week or all year, we've been putting together something. And, we've been trying to be really accurate and really efficient with all of our throws and when they're open hitting them. And I feel like we've done a really good job of that here lately.”
Question: A lot of these guys said they've thought about that loss last time every single week. Is that the same for you?
Nix: “Yeah, the loss column, that one next to it. It's been with us all year, and I think it's really turned our season around. I think we've responded really well because of it."
Question: Do you feel like you guys are playing your best football, offense to defense to special teams?
Nix: “Yeah, I do. I think we've hit our stride. I think we're playing really good. I think we're playing really well together. I think we've put together a rhythm. I think we have just gotten a lot better as the year has gone on. And week by week, we've been making improvements. And we've put ourselves in a good position.”
Question: For you personally, what areas from the first Washington game are you looking to improve on? Are there certain aspects that you feel like you could’ve done better?
Nix: “Yeah, I just think the whole, I think, operation as far as, like, making explosive plays, staying on the field on fourth downs and just getting those moments and making the most of them when they're the big situational moments. I think that's where ultimately we lost last time. And I think we have been more prepared now. I think the season's allowed us to play good situational football at the end. And I think we're ready to regroup and go out there and play again and not put ourselves in those situations.”
Question: How much? When you talk about those situations in particular, you don't have to say what it is, but how much different or how much more is there available to you guys now in some of those spots, play-wise, scheme-wise, than maybe six months ago?
Nix: “Well, I just think we found, ultimately what we're good at and we're kind of in stride with that. We're in tune with that. Coach [Will] Stein is putting us in a really good spot to succeed and he's calling the right plays at the right time. Unfortunately, the first game we just missed a few opportunities and it comes down to really just a few plays and I think that in these kind of games that that's usually what it comes down to is just a few plays.”
Question: This second half of the season, Tez [Johnson] has had just an unbelievable year. What do you feel like has allowed that to happen? What is he doing differently?
Nix: “Well, I think he practices extremely hard as well as Troy [Franklin] and those other guys and when you practice hard, when you work hard, I think good things happen and the ball just naturally finds you. I think also we've gotten really good situations and gotten matchups and been able to exploit those and he's just really come on as the year's gone on. He's really become a very good 1B to Troy. I think he's been available and he's been at practice. He's been available in all the games and when you play as much as those guys have, the ball finds you and they just get open. They have a knack for getting open and I think he's just doing a really good job of that right now.”
Question: Kind of sticking with those two. What's made them such a good complement together? Why are they such a tough one-two punch to defend?
Nix: “Well, because I think they're very smart football players. They put themselves in really good situations against defenders. They understand leverage and understand route running and they understand between quarterback and receiver, connection. They just understand it. They understand ball placement and how to get open and how to make windows and, at the end of the day, they're just able to move around inside, outside, all over the field and they play off of each other really well and it's just hard to guard those two at the same time.”
Question: You made pursuing a championship such a big part of coming back. I mean, there's still more that you hope to even after this, but what's the key to getting your goal? You've beaten rivals. You've won in road games. You've played top-five teams. You've done all these things at other places. But what was the key to making this team capable of getting to at least this point?
Nix: “Well, when it came down to it. When it came down to the big games, the big moments as the year went on after we lost one, we just made those situations work. We made those plays when we needed them and we've had huge wins since and we've put ourselves in situations to play for a championship. And all we got to do Friday is just go out there and execute at a high level and just don't beat ourselves. And I think when we do that, when we put ourselves in the best situation possible, I think we have a really good chance and they're sitting over there saying the same thing. So it's going to be whoever can execute at the highest level and whoever can make plays when their number's called. And, the good thing is that we've had the past few weeks to really build off of and to go out there and be confident when our name is called so that we can make plays.”
Question: What's the key to blocking some of the noise with maybe the Heisman and those individual accolades and staying focused? What’s the key for you for that?
Nix: “Well, just staying off TV, staying off social media has helped me a lot. All I am around is the guys, the locker room, the coaches and practice and meetings. And I pretty much just stay up here all day and just get to work and prepare and make sure that at the end of the day, when it's a big moment, it's not me who's messing it up for the team. I just want to be as prepared as possible and I want to put our guys in the best situation to go out there and win the game.”
You can find the full press conference in the video below.
