Transcript: Pre-UK Q&A with Bobby Petrino

PETRINO, Nov. 24, 2014

Opening statement--The Notre Dame game, coming off that, was really excited for us to have that many fans up there, so I'd just basically like to thank the 15,000 fans who came up and supported us and helped us find a way to win the game.

Very proud of our football team, very proud of our assistant coaches; they did a great job preparing for it. It's time to put it behind us and we've been focusing in on Kentucky. Late in the year, what we do is give the players Sunday off, then they'll come back this afternoon and we'll do some work on Kentucky.

Excited for the Kentucky game. Watched them on video, they're a good football team, they've got a quarterback who really competes, can throw it and run it and we know it's going to be a great challenge, but we're certainly looking forward to it.

How hard is it for players to put a big win like that behind them--I think sometimes it is (hard). Yeah, we've had times where you win a big game and you worry about your next game. But I think playing Kentucky and being Senior Day and our seniors have had a lot of success around here and have a lot of pride, that we'll be able to focus and get ready and have a good practice on Tuesday and carry it over throughout the week.

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At stake beyond rivalry--We talked about it a little bit before the Notre Dame game, that there's some things sitting out there for us and some things have to happen. But what we really need to concentrate on is winning our next two games (now one) and having the ability to have good things happen if we take care of our own business. So let's focus hard, practice hard and see how things happen. So they're aware of it, there's no question about that. I really haven't talked to them yet today except for after the game Saturday night. But certainly I think they understand there's opportunity out there to go to a really good bowl game, but the first thing we have to do is focus hard, play well and win a game.

UK as the last game--When we played it the first game of the season, I really enjoyed it because all winter, all summer, it was something to build up to. Now that it's the last game of the season, I think the kids are excited because it's rivarly weekend, we're doing it like everybody else in the country, there's a lot at stake for both universities. So it should be very exciting for our fans, very exciting for their fans. I think it helps the entire state of Kentucky, high school football, so first game, last game, it ends up being a great deal for both of us.

WHen did he realize importance of rivalry--First time we were here, you realize how big of a rivalry it is. It's kind of unique in that in your neighborhood you have people who are Kentucky fans, people that are Louisville fans. I remember the first time I went to the golf tournament, the Governor's Cup thing, and here was a guy I thought was my buddy and he's wearing a blue semester. I was like, 'What are you doing?' He said, 'Oh well, I'm Kentucky, but I like Louisville too.' It's just unique. You have so many people in Louisville who are Kentucky fans, Louisville fans. It's great for all the sports we go against each other. Lot of excitement. There's no question that our players get energized and have a good week of preparation and look forward to the game.

Extra motivation--We just go out and compete. I don't think we worry too much about what they say on radio or TV about the rivalry games. What you try to do is go through your preparation, focus, get ready to go out and play hard, understand that it's going to be a difficult, hard-fought contest and we have to be ready to physically and mentally compete for four quarters. I think that's something we showed in the Notre Dame game, that you have to really focus and concentrate and every play counts. That's something that's really important for us in this game.

Seniors--They've done an unbelievable job for the program. It's amazing how many wins they've had, the bowl games they've gone to. I've been so impressed with them, when we first came in, you're thinking, well here's some guys that are gonna be reluctant or resistant, and they were great. They had great attitudes, great work ethic, they accepted the change, and that allowed us to move on quickly and get better quicker.

Importance of rivalries--I think the first time it happened for me was when I was a kid and it was Caroll College and Montana Tech. You really understood there's a rivalry, and I've always felt at every level it's the same. Capital High, Helena High when I was growing up, Alabama-Auburn, Kentucky-Louisville. . .it's just one of those games where there's a lot at stake, everyone loves it and you go out and compete hard, work as hard as you can to win. I like having games like this that mean a lot and people really care about them.

Finishing game--It would have been a litte bit nicer if we had finished it with a touchdown and we didn't have to wait for that missed field goal. We had our opportunity, we drove the ball down there, and then we weren able to get it in the end zone. But our guys kept competing, we had a huge play on second down that held them back, a very well-defended play on third down and then they didn't make the field goal. So what I really pulled from it was how hard our guys played, how hard they competed, and we were still as the game went on and they were tired, were still doing what they were coached to do and playing at a very high level.

DeAngelo Brown--He's really a good football player. He's real smart, he understands technique and fundamentals. He read the play; I think he probably knew there was a chance they were going to run a quarterback draw, which that play was, and he read it, got off the ball and made the tackle. He's a great guy to have on your football team because you know that every day he's going to do what he's coached to do and compete extremely hard. He's really smart, he knows the game of football.

Derive any pleasure from preventing UK from a bowl game--No, I don't think it's about that at all. It's just all about ourselves. We just want to get to nine wins, have the opportunity to go to the best bowl game we can. You really don't worry about what's in front of Kentucky. It's really about us and what we want to accomplish and how we want to go out and play. One of the things, if you just stick to the process, stick to the understanding it's about us playing well, doing what you're supposed to do every play and the scoreboard takes care of itself. That's what we're trying to work to get through.

Bonnafon--A young man who competed extremely hard. I thought he really did a great job in the first quarter getting us going, worked hard at it, a guy who really kept his poise after some things didn't go right in the third quarter, was really coachable on the sideline. Garrick did a great job with him on the sideline in the third quarter, and then he came out and competed and made plays to win the game. I was really happy with the way he played and how hard he competed. He's a real leader; everyone on our team thinks a lot of him and is impressed by his leadership and poise at a young age.

How is UK different from team Western Ky. played in opener last year--They're way different on their defensive scheme. They've changed completely. I think they did it last year prior to the Louisville game, where they went to a three-down front as opposed to a four-down front. There are a lot of guys who played in that game who are still playing for them now. I think they're way different offensively. At that point, they were just learning and understanding what that offense was all about, and now they've got a quarterback who knows how to make the throws, execute the offense and is a great competitor. When you watch them play, you're impressed by how hard he competes.

Recruiting--I think every game contributes to recruiting. After the Notre Dame game, we talked to a bunch of recruits who had watched the game. I think every time you play it influences part of your recruiting.

Towles--He can really throw the football. He's got a stong arm, he gets it out quick. You're impressed when you see him throw it from the left hash to the sideline on the right. But I think the biggest thing that impresses me about the young man is how hard he competes. When they're behind, he's still playing hard, competing, brings them back to win the South Carolina game. So we know we're going to face a good quarterback, just like we did last week, just like we did with Winston here. So we've got to do a good job defensively understanding what they like to do by their sets, formations and personnel.

College FB playoff rankings--My priorities would be, let them worry about that, let me worry about beating Kentucky. That's all we can do, take care of our own business.

His earlier success vs. UK--I think we had good football teams, we had good players, we knew how to compete and play hard. Unfortunately, that doesn't help us in this game at all. But our players prepared hard for the game, it meant a lot to them. We had some guys on our team from the city of Louisville who I think did a great job getting everybody else ready to play and understand how big the rivalry really is.