Quotes from Monday morning

About the BCS game, JJ said:
"It's not just about our team, it's about our whole state." (HSB)

About how the $4.5 mil BCS payout could help their facilities, JJ joked:
"Hopefully, it means we'll get some new carpet and new stuff in my office." (HSB)

"We're obviously, I'm sure, going to reap some of the benefits of the money that comes to our school, but I don't even know how it gets distributed to be perfectly honest. But, hopefully, that means we'll get some new carpet and some new stuff in my office so when we bring the recruits in that do come, we'll look like a first-class operation." (HA)

Hoping that their $50k recruiting budget will be increased significantly, JJ said:
"The identity, what's happened to us and how we do it, it's a little different. We haven't even made trips to the mainland to recruit because of the money situation. ESPN, Fox and all the TV exposure, which I knew would come as we got to winning with our offense, people would want our games on TV. We're getting calls from Atlanta, South Carolina, Florida. It brings us into a new arena." (HSB)

Thanking the fans for helping the team as the 12th man, JJ said to the SSC crowd yesterday:
"We're very appreciative of all of you coming and cheering. This season for me started before the 2006 season. They took it upon themselves to do some unbelievable things; I'm so proud of their effort. (This is) once in a lifetime and it's been a real special season." (HSB)

About how their fans (like my parents and me!) will make it to the Sugar Bowl, JJ said:
"It'll be a challenge in the Superdome, with all those Bulldog fans, and I know how many come down there. It's going to be like a home crowd. We're hopefully going to have the whole state of Hawaii there proving they can equal (it)." (HSB)

"We're in for a tremendous challenge in the Superdome with a whole bunch of Bulldog fans and I know how many come down there." (HA)

"It is gonna be like a home crowd (for Georgia). We're, hopefully, going to have the whole state of Hawai'i there, too, to make it equal." (HA)

"We'll have people from Chicago, Hawaiians from New York." (HA)

Expecting UH to sell its 17,500 tickets, JJ said:
"I would anticipate that will happen, yes." (HA)

About how they deserved the BCS spot, JJ said on the nationally televised broadcast that they:
"don't feel like we have anything to prove. We have fun playing together, the kids love each other and play together for each other. We've beaten, since I've been here, Alabama, we've beaten Michigan State, we've beaten Oregon State, we've beaten Purdue ... we've beaten big teams, so it is not like we haven't done it before." (HA)

About the Sugar Bowl, JJ said:
"We're excited to be there and, obviously, it is a big game for us." (HA)


About facing UH, Georgia's coach Mark Richt said:
"I've got a lot of respect for what you've done there, Coach, and look forward to seeing you here in New Orleans sometime. Our players are jacked. I just got done talking with them, and it's going to be a war, I know it. I was at the Hula Bowl (last season), coaching there, I got a little flavor of what the Hawaiian young men are all about. I tell you, they're tremendous physical specimens and tremendous competitors." (HSB)


About playing in the Sugar Bowl, Colt said:
"I haven't been to New Orleans and I'm excited about it, especially playing in that dome. So many great games have been played there. I can't imagine how this offense will run indoors." (HSB)

"We can't wait to have a happy new year." (HA)

"Oh, man, this is so surreal. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I'll remember this feeling forever. To be a senior and end it like this, it's a tremendous honor. I feel so grateful, so blessed. It's so overwhelming it's almost scary. It's so cool and neat how everything worked out for us. We're so excited to play Georgia on the national scale." (HA)

About how this will be the biggest game in UH's history, Colt said:
"We don't want to lose focus on what's at hand. We're going to play one hell of a football team. We don't want to embarrass ourselves. We want to show everybody we're ready to go, and to win a football game. The last two games have been two of the biggest games in UH history. The Sugar Bowl will be the biggest game in UH history." (HA)

About how this season was possible because they learned from last season, Colt said:
"I think last year is the real reason we've won these close battles this year. Losses last year taught us how to win this year. And that's what football's all about." (HSB)

As the crowd cheered for him when he walked onto the SSC court before the TV broadcast, Colt pointed out:
"There's about 80 football players over here." (HSB)


About how they have gone beyond what they hoped to do for the community and state, Bess said:
"We always wanted to do something for the community and Hawai'i itself. This is way beyond what we imagined. We're thankful for the opportunity." (HA)

About their team, Bess said:
"We come from all different places. There are guys on our team who wouldn't even get to walk on at other schools. But they get their chance over here. That's what makes us so unique and different. We embrace people, and give them an opportunity to excel." (HA)


About how they were confident they would be one of the teams announced during the BCS selection broadcast, Keala Watson said:
"We were confident. It was fun leading up to the announcement." (HA)

Appreciating being able to see the fan support, Keala said:
"It was nice to experience this. During the games, we're so focused, we don't pay attention to what the fans are doing. This was nice to see our fans really support us. We appreciate it." (HA)


About their 7500 loud fans at the SSC cheering on the BCS Announcement telecast, Timo Paepule said:
"I've never experienced anything like this. Our fans have our back. It was loud." (HA)


About how they may not be as big as their opponents, but they have huge hearts, Jake Patek said:
"A lot of people might see we're not the biggest guys or the fastest guys. But one thing we do have is heart. It's almost like we all come together and play with one heartbeat. It's amazing. We build off each other. It's not our individual efforts. It's our efforts as a team that really helps us succeed." (HA)

About how the Sugar Bowl is the best choice for his family and friends to get to see him play, Jake Patek said:
"I've got a lot of family and friends who are going to try to make it. On the West Coast it might not have been that way." (HSB)

Praising how Mouton moved from CB to S during the UW game after Monteilh, Thomas, Porlas, and he were out with injury, Patek said:
"I've really got a lot of respect for Ryan going out there and playing out of position and making several tackles and making things happen. E-Rob and Ryan showed that no one is irreplaceable. Everyone's here to contribute to the team and you never know when it will be your time." (HSB)


About this amazing season, Mike Lau (former UH RB and father of Micah Lau) said:
"What these Warriors have done will be remembered for a lifetime. We're blessed." (HSB)

About facing Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, Mike Lau said:
"We got tough work ahead but another chance to prove that we're worthy." (HSB)


About the BCS game, Colt's father Terry Brennan said:
"What a perfect situation for not only Colt, but for the team and for the state of Hawaii. As far as a priority, (a BCS bowl game) was probably not one of the top things that was on my mind." (HSB)

About the praise for Colt, Terry said:
"I'm not so sure we would have missed a beat with any of the other quarterbacks." (HSB)

About this season, Terry said:
"It's been fun. Whether it be a soccer game or volleyball game for your daughter or something, it's all fun. It's just great." (HSB)


Asked about the BCS payday, HF said:
"It's not about the money. It's about the prestige this brings to our school. So many times we get hung up on dollars. But this is worth so much more. You can't put a dollar value on this." (HA)


About how the WAC will help UH sell its tickets, including contacting fans in the Louisiana area to buy tickets, Karl Benson said:
"I don't think it will be a problem." (HA)


About how he's only taking 3 classes (1 is CPR) this semester because that is all he needed to graduate, Colt said:
“It definitely helps with football season. Basically, what your focus is on is Saturday and the game. The distractions are a lot less.” (NY Times)

NYT Note: "Brennan’s schedule was a bit more complicated. On top of the CPR class, he is taking a global communications course. Brennan said that he was attending class for only about 90 minutes a day, he was doing other work outside the classroom. That includes his senior thesis, a six-minute video documentary comparing the resources available to the sports programs at Hawaii with those of college programs on the mainland. Finishing up his degree in communications will be a relief for Brennan, who is playing for his third college in six years."


Looking forward to graduation, Colt said:
“I feel like I’ve been in college forever. I’m dying, barely getting through. But I graduate Dec. 12 if I get these classes passed.” (NYT)