Iowa State Head Coach Matt Campbell addressed the media at a teleconference for his team's matchup with Notre Dame in the Camping World Bowl. He touched on what it means to be playing the Fighting Irish, why his team has such a prolific passing offense and more.
CAMPBELL: "First and foremost, let me just say thank you. I know from myself, our staff, our players, our athletic department, our university, we're beyond humbled and grateful to be invited to this game and accept the invitation to play in this great game. We know the great tradition and history of this game, what it represents. For Iowa State to play its first bowl game, really its first game, in the state of Florida, I think it's huge for our program, huge for who we want to be and what we're really working hard to become.
"Obviously, the honor to play a great program and institution in Notre Dame is certainly an honor for us. I can promise you we'll work really hard to represent everything that this game has stood for in the right way between myself, certainly our coaches and our players. We're just beyond humbled and grateful to be there."
On what it shows his program has accomplished when they're playing No. 14 Notre Dame in a bowl game:
CAMPBELL: "I think this has been an incredible journey for us here at Iowa State. Year four for us has been just a great belief that success can occur here, then start to put some proof to the vision. It's been really enjoyable.
"Really fortunate to coach phenomenal kids who have really bought into this vision, then sacrificed greatly to withhold the standards of excellence that this program has wanted to become.
"Like you say, to play a program that has really stood for excellence through a long time in Notre Dame, that's certainly tremendous. To be selected in a bowl game like this, to be able to play an opponent like that, it's humbling."
On why his team's been able to have such a prolific passing offense this season:
CAMPBELL: "I think you hit the nail on the head, it's consistency at the quarterback position. For the first time since we've been here at Iowa State, we've been able to have the same starter from about the midway point of last year through this entire season.
"I think what he's done has been impressive. To be honest with you, we've had to rebuild our entire offense kind of through him and with him, losing some great players a year ago in David Montgomery and Hakeem Butler.
"I've been proud of Brock's growth, really proud of the growth in some of the guys that have stepped to the forefront around him. I think that's kind of taken all season to really grow into that, in some of these young guys stepping up into prominent roles."
On playing Notre Dame:
CAMPBELL: "I think for a program like ours, number one that has never played against Notre Dame in football, the respect of the tradition, certainly the respect of what Coach Kelly has done, what they've done this year, it's a great honor.
"We're fortunate we play in a conference that's got some elite programs. To be able to finish the season with one of the best programs in college football, that's a great honor."
On what defensive coordinator Jon Heacock has done to have success at Notre Dame:
CAMPBELL: "I think what you said in that question is really what makes Jon really special: the ability to adjust. Two years ago we went from a four-down man team to really reinventing ourselves defensively to give ourselves the best opportunities to win football games.
"I think for us it always starts with the vision of players, formation plays, who are your players, what formations do you get in, what plays do you end up calling.
"I think our ability to adapt, step outside the box, really grow, really allowed our program to take a huge step forward.
"A lot of credit certainly goes to Jon, but a lot of credit also has to go to the great coaches on his staff. We're fortunate here to have a great defensive staff, a staff that I think had experience in a lot of different ways.
"I think that group was able to come together and really create a defense that was certainly new, different in a lot of ways. It gave us the best ability to have success, to have had the ability to adapt to that as the last two years have come and gone."
On how his team can start winning close games after losing so many of them during the season:
CAMPBELL: "I think that the next step is really hard. I'll be really honest with you. I think for our program, you got to remember this isn't a tradition-rich program where we can lean on experiences of the past. Every situation that we have, every step that we take, is really our first step.
"I think one of the things even in this season was kind of dealing with this new sense of expectation, dealing and understanding both from a coach and player standpoint knowing we'll get everybody's best shot, how to handle that, how to be your best in those moments.
"We've grown a lot this year. A team that in a lot of ways is really young, in a lot of ways really got forced into a situation where high execution had to happen from the very beginning.
"Man, it's been an incredible journey with this group. We've learned a lot. We've grown a lot. I think the neat thing is we get the opportunities to continue this growth pattern obviously verse a phenomenal opponent in a great situation."
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