Offensive Coordinator Andy Kotelnicki
On balancing the game and the fun…
“We spent so much time preparing to come down here and you understand that there is a balance. We are down here to do some work but we are down here to enjoy this beautiful place. We got here yesterday and let the guys acclimate to their surroundings and enjoy themselves. It has been fun for us to see them in an environment like this because many of those guys wouldn’t have the opportunity to come down here on their own.”
On not having practice on Tuesday…
“There is a balancing act between making sure the guys are prepared and enjoying the experience. Coach (Leipold) made a good call today. Let’s walk through real quick to make sure the guys’ minds stay fresh and make sure we are doing things they way we need to do it so the guys can enjoy this (the Atlantis). Keep in mind that we had a long time to prepare for Charlotte. I am excited about how we have prepared.”
On what he is going to do today…
“I’m going to get with the family, but we need to do some water slides, maybe some snorkeling. Perhaps the beach – we will see what happens.”
On the team being in the Bahamas…
“Many of our guys view it as a game at first. Then you get down here and your like ‘wait a second – this place is special,’ and you need to step back, press pause and enjoy it. They are handling it well.”
Antonio Nunn, Junior, Wide Receiver
On not having practice on Tuesday…
“I did not know what to expect. I came down at 6 in the morning before our meeting started at 8. When Coach Leipold told us there was no practice we were all cheering and happy.”
On balancing football and enjoying the Bahamas…
“It’s kind of hard. Our coaches tell us to enjoy ourselves but it’s a business trip, too. Be where your feet are. When it’s practice, you practice. When you have time for yourself, it’s time for yourself. We try to balance that.”
On being prepared for Charlotte…
“We are trying to prevent every little mistake. We don’t want it to get mundane. We are trying to make it perfect so when we get on the field there will be no mess ups. We are trying to get all the guys on the same page at the end of the day. It’s a job and we understand that.”
On how Buffalo matches up with Charlotte…
“We feel like we match up perfectly. At the end of the day it is going to be a hard battle. We are preparing our time so we can get a win.”
On playing for the team’s first bowl victory…
“That’s all we are talking about among the players. We are not trying to get ahead of ourselves. We know if we win it will be big for our seniors and our team. If we can get a win and have a big vacation down here it would be very good.”
Jaret Patterson, Sophomore, Running Back
On not having practice today…
“Coach showed us a the practice schedule this morning and it said ‘the water park’. Guys started celebrating and jumping up. It was pretty cool that coach did that. It gives us the day off to enjoy this experience. Before we came to the Bahamas we prepared. I feel very confident in our team and in our scheme and what our coaches came up with.”
On balancing time preparing for the game…
“At the end of the day we are here for one reason – to get our first bowl win in school history. As we get closer to game time we will start locking in more.”
On what it will take to have success against Charlotte…
“We need to focus on us. We need to worry about what we are doing and get the little things right. The keys on Friday will be the team that is the most excited to be there, ball security and do the small details right. I was actually excited for practice today – I can’t wait to get on the field.”
