WATCH: Steve Sarkisian Arrival Press Conference in New Orleans for the Allstate Sugar Bowl

Opening Statement uh well this is uh exciting for the week to finally be here we uh you know when you when you play a conference Championship game and then you don't get to play again for another month um takes a while right there's a process to get to that point to but to uh finally make it to New Orleans got my beads on feel good I know our our team's excited and we're excited to play a quality opponent University of Washington a ton of respect for them uh in the All State Sugar Bowl which is which is a great honor in the cfp so um great opportunity uh fortunate to be here and um looking forward to the Ball Game in a week got a Recruiting the New Orleans Area questions and like we said if you can wait for a microphone coach the way you've recruited the New Orleans area is this starting to feel like a second home for you well I I just think the natural proximity helps us um we we joke sometimes on the staff we never know when East Texas ends and Louisiana begins right and so uh from a proximity stand stand point it's very natural for us to recruit Louisiana uh natural we have a couple coaches on staff who do a heck of a job uh recruiting recruiting the state uh we've been fortunate to to sign some really good players uh that that are really good on our team right now and and hopefully that can continue uh we know that this state produces a ton of talent and so uh for us to be able to to make some inroads here recruiting and now be playing in the Sugar Sugar Bowl um it's it's naturally you know I think helpful for us L on the Difference Between CFP and Regular Bowl Games you've uh you've been in bowl games and you also were in a playoff situation at Alabama a couple of years how do you treat this different from a regular bowl game and what have you done to uh maybe Implement those what did you learn first from being in Alabama in the playoff like that and what have you done to implement that this this week I think I think one of the keys is you do a you do a lot of the structural work from a game planning perspective back home right because we have so much time um you know we kind of take a week to really Implement what we want to do when we're back at home uh when we're here obviously we want to take our time to make sure that we're putting forth uh maximum effort to get ready for the game uh but I also want to give our players a chance to experience this opportunity experience the City of New Orleans experience uh what they've earned which is to be in the cfp but I think our players will will Echo the same sentiment you know we're here to to play our best football that we can play to to try to win a a semi-final game to get into the national championship and so um I think there's definitely a u a workmanlike mentality that this team has but I want to make sure that they enjoy the experience as well because they've earned How Do You Keep an Offense in Rhythm With a Month Off? it Steve obviously you are peing at the right time at the end of the year now you're a month off as an offensive guy how you keeping all things in Rhythm and S when yet don't get to play for a month yeah you know I I think part of it was making sure that we did enough good on good in practice uh especially early on in the prep that we kept uh the speed of of the competitiveness and of what a game would feel like in a practice setting um not necessarily to scrimmage all the time but uh at the line of scrimmage offensive linemen need to feel the speed and physicality of our defensive line uh our DBS need to feel the speed and the rhythm of our passing game because that's that's critical to you know when that ball gets kicked off next Monday night it's going to it's all going to be fast and so we have to make sure that we're playing is to to our Tempo and to our speed uh I think too you know when when you implement Implement a game plan uh what I've learned is you you don't want to give it to them all at once uh because ultimately then it can become monotonous um and so we try to kind of kind of keep giving them things as the day comes and they keep their interests really perked and and on point and making sure that practice is upbeat and and energetic and that we've got a lot of positive vibes going in our building and on the practice field and and and I think that our guys have responded well to that on to the right side now Steve messaging has been pretty consistent throughout the year from yourself and the players How Does Consistent Messaging Help the Team Through the Season? about each week being a championship week and you talk about the Workman like mentality how does that help the team kind of not get overwhelmed by this atmosphere at the Sugar Bowl and really to be laser focused just on the task hand well I again I I think one thing that's helped us this year we we've played in some pretty tough environments right we we had to go on the road and um you naturally you know playing in Tuscaloosa was helpful for us uh playing in the big toll championship game uh in Arlington was good for us um and to not be too enamored with the outside and what was going on outside but stay focused on us we have a simple adage be enamored with us um and we try to keep our Focus internal um and so that when the games come it's about what we've prepared to go do and not what might be going on around us and um a lot of times when you get into these settings um the world around you is pretty chaotic right we talk about all the time as a team like what's going on around us is very chaotic we want to make sure that we're a steady sea and that we're focused on what we need to do we're very calm when the moment comes um regardless of the circumstances because adversity is going to strike it's going to strike in this ball game and but us us keeping our our composure us keeping Our poise is going to be critical to Our Success back the left How Can You Tell Your Team Is in the Right Mindset? he coach kind of along those lines not getting too enamored with New Orleans and the fun that you have this week how how do you what do you need to see to know your guys are in the right mindset as you go through the week well I I think that started back home you know when you listen to our leader talk and you guys get a chance to visit with them um I think their focus is already there you know um you know naturally um how we prepare how we practice is going to tell me a lot what are they talking about you know you listen to conversations you know when we're on the bus and what's going on but I also don't want us to be so over the top so early uh that that we're exhausted by the time the game comes so we operate pretty well as a group when we're loose um we have a lot of fun together as a team um but I also think that this group knows how to when it's time to really be focused and locked in that they have the ability to do that and so I don't think that we need to change a whole lot I think that we already know kind of how to do that um and so you know trusting on our training to get us to this point I think Both Teams Having a Month To Prepare will be big as well have time for two more one here on the right your staff had a month to prepare for them their staff had a month to prepare for you does that change how you go about things or you just try to you know how do you deal with that extra time well it presents a heck of a challenge um you know obviously a lot of what we do early on is look at ourselves first you know what what are our Tendencies what do we need to where are we giving away too much much in in any phase offense defense or special teams two knowing that you know Washington staff and and the staff coach dor and and his crew they're great coaches and and they do a heck of a job and so uh knowing that they've had the same amount of time that we've had um I think is is understanding you know as you navigate your way through it but at the end it all comes back to let's not outsmart ourselves uh and let's make sure that we do the things that we do well um and let's make sure that we continue to do those things well uh as we game plan and and and put some of the fluff around it one final Is the Team’s Focus Where You Want It To Be? question for a while see since there has been finals some offtime holidays since yall are back together and this is this is go time is the team's Focus where you want it to be I love where our team's at um I I really thought uh when we came back to work um whatever that was you know really getting back to it I think it was the 22nd no excuse me ended the 22nd but whenever that was like a couple Fridays ago I don't even know the dates anymore it's been a long month um they were ready you know our guys were ready you know I I don't think they even wanted to stop practicing but they I know I knew that they needed it we were a little fatigued by that by that big 12 championship game um this was a heck of a week we just had last week uh they had a few days for there for the holidays and and we came back the last two days and had two really good days of work I like the mentality so I am I I feel good about where we're at I know that the hay is not in the barn for us we've got work to do this week while we're here uh to put ourselves in the best position to be successful thank you coach Ario thank you now Jordan wed