Defensive Coordinator Brian George
On second day of practice…
“Obviously the environment here is a little bit different from the one we came from. We left a cold and cloudy Toledo to come down to the Bahamas and it’s been nothing short of beautiful. We have tried as a coaching staff and players to treat this as a normal game as far as how we prepare. In the mornings we have practiced and met and it’s been really focused. In the afternoons and evenings we are giving the players some free time to enjoy the beautiful Bahamian culture and the Atlantis, which has been really cool.”
On players handling the Bahamas…
“We have had two really good practices and will finish it up with the finishing touches on Thursday. We have had very focused practices with great effort and the kids understand what they need to do with regards to the fun and relaxation part of this and pair that with being focused and playing hard.”
On what the Toledo defense needs to do to be successful against Florida International…
“We know that FIU has some very explosive players at many different positions so we need to eliminate big plays. We need to play sound defense, do a great job of communicating with each other and play hard. We need to have 11 hats running to the football and get their skilled guys to the ground.”
Senior Cornerback Ka’dar Hollman
On balancing the transition between practice and the Atlantis/Bahamas…
“It’s definitely a big transition. You have to make sure everyone is right mentally to have fun and handle business at the same time. We are enjoying it and taking everything in, but we also realize that we have business to do. I feel like we as a team are good at knowing when to focus and when to have fun. We have lost two bowl games in a row and don’t want to make it three. I am confident that we will be able to flip that switch on and be ready to step up to the challenge on Friday. ”
On the keys to Toledo’s defensive success against the FIU offense…
“Running to the ball is important. We are really big as a team on having 11 guys running to the ball on every play. Communication will be a big thing. FIU does a lot of meshing so we need to be able to pass people off and make sure we all communicate in the secondary.”
On making his second trip to the Bahamas…
“I came down here when I was 10 years old with my family and really enjoyed it. We enjoyed the beach and we took a boat ride to one of the other islands. I was really excited to come back because I knew what to expect. I did the Lazy River and some of the slides so I knew where everything was and was able to help my teammates find things at the Atlantis.”
