SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (WSVN) — The Miami Hurricanes continue their chase for a championship, as they prepare for the College Football Playoff semifinal against Ole Miss.
Canes players spoke to media on Tuesday, excited and confident ahead of Thursday’s Fiesta Bowl matchup with the Rebels.
“We’ve been working really hard, and we’ve earned the opportunity to be in this position, so I think just recognizing it for what it is,” said Canes quarterback Carson Beck. “We’re really excited for that opportunity, and at that point, once you know what it is, you can just go out there and cut it loose.”
“Truly a blessing to be here. All the hard work that I’ve put in, you know, it pays off, and it’s just – it’s surreal,” said Canes defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor.
For the Canes, the mindset remains the same, no matter the stage or location.
“We’ve been through that adversity of times and knowing, like, OK, you can’t never get comfortable in this thing, you know,” said Canes defensive back Keionte Scott. “We’re the most hated team on the field in the country at points, but I feel like that fuels us, but then it’s also definitely something that keeps us grounded.”
It is a massive moment for the Canes. Their mission? Stay simple, stay locked in and together.
“Everybody is bought in, and there’s no little sore thumb out the group in anything that we do, and everybody’s just helping each other around,” said Canes running back Mark Fletcher Jr. “It’s like real family-oriented, like from the top to the bottom, it’s crazy, for real.”
“We all got connected and realized, OK, if we’re the team we think we are, and we want to get to where we need to go, then we all need each other, and I feel like that was a big thing that clicked, too,” said Scott. “We realized that everybody’s helping each other, you know, no matter what, everybody’s helping each other, we all need each other, so that was when I feel like the moment everybody bought into what we were really trying to do.”
A win at the Fiesta Bowl would put the Canes into the National Championship, for a chance to win it all at home.
Tuesday’s news conference is the last time players will speak to media ahead of kickoff. The coaches’ press conference will be held on Wednesday.