Top FSU Bowl Quotes Of The Day

-  "Our seniors have showed us how to win a game. They've shown us how to work. They put us back in a situation where we're back in the national title talk. We're a factor in our conference again. What they have done for us is set a standard for these young guys of how you work and how you overcome adversity. These young guys now have to carry that on." -Fisher praising the competitiveness of the 16 seniors (8 scholarship) who are on the verge of the first 10-win season since 2003.

-  "I'm disappointed that I have to leave. You hear about all these recruits coming in. They're definitely headed in the right direction and it's going to be exciting to see what's going to happen next year. I'll definitely be watching. But I've had a great opportunity to be here for five years and hopefully be known as part of the class that helped turn this program around." -Christian Ponder

-  "You get close to a lot of guys but he's special, he really is. He embodies everything. When you as a head coach think of what you want people to think of your program, the athletes you develop and who you have out there, he embodies all that. As a person off the field, what he does as a student and what he does as a competitor."  -Fisher on Ponder

-  "I can't tell you all that. We may play him one quarter, two quarters, three quarters. We'll go by ear. He'll play. I'm sure EJ's ready to play too. We'll make that assessment in the next couple of days.  I wanted to see how the wear and tear of practices really affected him. He's practiced well, he made all the throws. We're excited about him playing. We think he's going to be ready to play."  -Fisher on if Ponder will start.

-  "It does change the whole way you call the game, big-time. It allows you to stay ahead of the stick and lets you be very aggressive. I know when I call it, if we get the right look, we're going downtown. If not, he's going to get me into something else and get me some yardage so we can call it the next play."  -Fisher on why he can be more aggressive in his play calling with Ponder at QB.

-  "Yeah, there’s been a lot of young guys that [made] a lot of improvement … the vast majority of our players, they haven’t played too much. So it’s a constant struggle to keep on teaching and keep on improving and keep on fundamentally getting better. The game hasn’t changed.  You still have to be great fundamentally. And when you have young players you have to constantly work on that and constantly improve. We talked about Xavier, he’s probably the one that stands out the most that came in and played quite a bit. Joyner, Lamarcus Joyner is a heck of a football player.  Mike Harris has come in his first year from junior college – extremely productive. He’s done a very good job – he’s a very instinctual player. Very smart. We play him in the nickel, we play him in the dime, we play him at corner. I even thought about playing him some at safety. I’m sure he could do it. So to see a first-year guy come in and do that was surprising how instinctual he was.  Our linebackers are all going to be good football players – they’re athletic and work extremely hard. And Christian Jones is another guy that has seen some playing time. We moved him around a few different spots but very athletic [and] has a bright future. Same with Telvin [Smith], and Jeff [Luc]."  -Mark Stoops in an interview with Andrew Carter, on the progress of the first year players. Click here to read the entire interview. Good stuff.

-  "Datko's a tough guy, now. You wouldn't really know that just by watching him walking around and looking at him. Some guys have a pain tolerance. McMahon's one of those guys too. I believe you could shoot him with a .30-06 and he'd get back up and walk. We've got a bunch of tough guys. And I think they take pride in that. Datko knows that we need him to play, and I've got a lot of respect for Andrew right now."  -Rick Trickett

-  "When I started I was just a running motor. Now I know how to play technique and use my hands to get on and off blocks. A lot of situations I didn't understand why I'd do things. Now I understand why."  -Markus White, who already graduated with a degree in social science.

-  "D.J. has done a good job with him on moves and developing him, getting him to understand a lot of little things about the game."  -Fisher crediting D.J. Eliot for White's improvement.

-  "He's physical. He uses his big body, his frame and he just pushes corners out of the way.  A corner isn't used to facing a big, physical receiver like that, he knows he has that strength. It's about technique and staying balanced. He's a physical guy. He basically just knocks you off balance. So with him you have to stay balanced and keep your feet underneath you. I'm real excited. Something like this can really help you out. I'm not really well known out there right now."  -Xavier Rhodes on his upcoming matchup with USC's WR Alshon Jeffery.

-  "Our seniors have set that standard for the rest of this team so next year our team can carry on for the next group. Then you start to build a program and not a team." -Jimbo Fisher

-  "We're playing as a team. In prior years, everything was separated between offense, defense and special teams. Now there's a whole different level of unity on the team. Guys want to play for each other. You're not playing for yourself, you're playing for the guy next to you. I think that's something we've learned and grown into." -Christian Ponder

-  "I'm pretty sure Steve Spurrier will kick it to me.  I'm pretty sure the ball will get in my hands somehow."  -Greg Reid on if he expects to field punts.

-  "Probably not.  We're not just going to punt it 50 yards downfield and say, 'Hey fellas, see if you can cover that guy.' We're going to try to be smart. We're not going to kick that perfect return ball. I hope."  -Spurrier on whether he will punt it to Reid.

-  "When it's the regular season everybody has their own lives, things to handle, bills to pay, schoolwork. These bowl games are like a vacation away from football. But it's still football.  But when it comes down to it, at the end of the day, football is what we are going to be focusing on. But as a bowl game, this is something we all earned and worked hard for. So we're going to enjoy it."  -Kendall Smith on the bowl week experience.

-  "They've earned it. That's part of the experience. And as a coach, I want them to do that and have a good time and enjoy themselves. I'm a work-work-work guy, but there's a time to relax and do things and be able to get your mind out of it."  -Fisher on the rewards and perks the players get for playing in a bowl.

-  "I am always trying to achieve things, set goals. That mental side of the game, after talking to a psychologist, helped me improve."  -Markus White about the outcome of his sessions with a sports psychologist.

-  Ja'Baris Little will fill in for Beau Reliford with redshirt sophomore walk-on tight end Jonathan Johnson and senior fullback Matt Dunham working in the rotation as well.  -According to Fisher

-  "This is the last time this team will ever be together. That's something that is very special." -Jimbo Fisher