Feature on Bess and Ryan Grice-Mullins

http://www.mauinews.com/sports/2007/11/4/06bess1104.html

About how they do not worry about the criticism of their weak schedule, Bess said:
“We don’t have anything to apologize for,. That is one of the things we don’t get too caught up in, the lack and how weak our schedule is. You know, as long as we continue to go out and play hard, good things are going to come.’’ (Maui News)

MN Note: "The NFL could be in their futures as soon as next year, but the junior teammates were squarely cemented in the here and now as they helped run a Hawaii Speed and Quickness Clinic for 127 Valley Isle youths at Maui High School gym on Saturday."

About the predictions that they would play LSU in the Sugar Bowl, Bess said:
“That is something beyond a lot of our dreams. That would be a dream come true. That is one of the main things we want to focus on – putting Hawaii on the map, going mainstream and letting everybody across the country know that the name WAC doesn’t mean that the teams are whack.’’ (MN)


Feeling that their weak schedule should not keep them from the BCS, Bess said:
“It doesn’t matter who we go up and play against because if you look at college football this year you can see so many upsets. I don’t think it is a matter of who we are playing. It is a matter of going out there and playing ball. Anybody can lose to anybody on any given Saturday, so by us having a weak schedule, I don’t think that should take us out of the BCS.’’ (MN)


About being 8-0, RGM said:
“We are winning, we are 8-0. That is the statement. Especially this year in college football, it doesn’t matter who you are playing against. This has got to be one of the wildest years in college football history. This year it is all about winning. Everybody has proved over the last couple of weeks how hard it is just to win. It doesn’t matter if the team is ranked number two or number 119.’’ (MN)


About their second bye week in three weeks, Bess said:
“I think it is good to rest up, to get the body back in shape and obviously get mentally focused, get mentally prepared for what we have got in these last four games – we know they are real big and will determine if we go to the BCS or not. We just want to continue to work hard and stay humble at the same time.’’ (MN)


About how people constantly mistake RGM and him for each other, Bess said:
“We get mixed up a lot, especially on Oahu. We are pretty used to it. It has been happening since our freshman year.’’ (MN)


Not thinking about whether he'll go to the NFL after this season, Bess said:
“You know what, it is something I haven’t discussed with my coaches, my parents, nobody. We’ll see at the end of this year. I am focusing on getting my team a BCS championship and a WAC championship. All that other stuff will happen later.’’ (MN)


Not thinking about whether he'll go to the NFL after this season, RGM said:
“We don’t talk about it much – just this season, this opportunity that we have right now. Right now it is just this season. We don’t want to talk about nothing else. Maybe at the end of the season I will think about it, but not now.’’ (MN)


About Tyler Graunke (who was also helping at that clinic on Maui), RGM said:
“Tyler, he’s a slinger, you know, a gunslinger. Like I tell everybody, Tyler is a good quarterback. He just happens to be behind the best quarterback in the nation.’’ (MN)


About their August 30 opener next season at Florida, Tyler said:
“I get next year, I have got one more year, so who knows? Colt has taught me just about football and being a person. How he presents himself is real beneficial to me. I know we are going to have a good team coming into next year and I am going to be the general for the spread. It is just going to be me next year. I think about the Florida game all the time. I have been thinking about it for a couple years.’’ (MN)