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University of Minnesota Athletics
Insight Bowl, Tempe Diablos Press Conference
12/12/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Minnesota Head Coach Tim Brewster Quotes
Opening statement
“I’d like to thank the Insight Bowl committee and the Diablos in particular. What a special opportunity it is for me to see Coach Frank Kush. He is one of the legends of college football and one of the greatest head coaches. He taught hard-nosed, physical football and that’s what I want the Golden Gopher program to be like. This is a tremendous opportunity for us to finish the season. I love the opportunity for our fans to go to Tempe, Ariz. The area is beautiful and in my mind you’ve got one of the best matchups of the bowl season. I have tremendous respect for Kansas head coach Mark Mangino and his football team. I couldn’t be happier with our football team. Last year we went 1-11 and this year we won seven games. We are a bowl team that’s headed for a special place. It’s a privilege for us to be headed for the Insight Bowl.”
On the bowl practices
“I think the bowl game is extremely significant for the growth of the football program. We get 15 practices for the bowl game and 15 practices for spring practice and it’s just an enormous help in developing our players. We have one of the youngest football teams in America and the bowl game will give us added time to develop our younger players. We are going to implement some changes, so the extra time is going to help us grow as a team. To play at such a great venue as Arizona State University and Sun Devil Stadium is very exciting for a football team and gives a great reward for our football team.”
On preparing for the Insight Bowl
“We’ve had three physical practices since Wednesday and we’re going to take that type of approach into the bowl game. I’ve been to a lot of bowl games as a player and as a coach and been around a lot of thoughts and ideas as far as preparations are concerned. I think I have a really good understanding on how to get success from a bowl game. We’re going to take a hard-nosed approach while in Minnesota and once we get down to Arizona, we’ll taper it a little bit. The last thing in the world that we want is on Dec. 31 at 4 p.m. to have a tired football team. We want to have an energetic football team and we’ll have that.”
On enjoying Tempe, Ariz.
“I’d lock them in a room and make them focus on football for 24 hours a day if I could. But I want our players to understand the bowl game is a reward for what they’ve accomplished this season. I don’t know a better place in America for us to be going on New Year’s Eve. The weather’s going to be gorgeous, the venue is beautiful and there are so many different sights for our players to see. I think our players will have a good time, but we never want to lose sight of the fact that we are there to win the bowl game.”
Insight Bowl Board Member, Matt Winter
“On behalf of the Insight Bowl committee we are very pleased to be able to host the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers after a two-year hiatus. I know the last game down in Tempe didn’t turn out exactly like your university had hoped, but the turnaround Coach Brewster has done this year is evident. I know this will be a great matchup between your fine university and the University of Kansas.”
On how the Insight Bowl impacts the Tempe community?
We believe that the Fiesta Bowl, along with the Insight Bowl, put Tempe on the map. Tempe is a great college football town and an excellent place to have a bowl game. We have sold a record amount of tickets so far (50,000) and our full capacity for Sun Devil Stadium is over 74,000. We definitely are looking for a sell-out this year, but the ticket sales so far this year have shown what an impact the Tempe community is making on the Insight Bowl and it also shows the impact that the University of Kansas and the University of Minnesota are making on this great event.
Tempe Diablos Representative Scott Liem
“On behalf of all of the Tempe Diablos, we want to welcome all of you, again, to Tempe and the Insight Bowl. If you are not aware yet, the Diablos are your official hosts for this fine bowl game. We will be doing everything in our power to make your university’s visit as enjoyable as possible. The Tempe Diablos are about a 40-year old organization that raises a lot of money to promote the city of Tempe and sponsor the educational system in our community. We represented the Fiesta Bowl for almost 30 years until its move over to Glendale. Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe is an excellent venue for the Insight Bowl and USA Today recommends Tempe as one of the top 10 places to be on New Year’s Eve. We have scheduled the game around the excellent New Year’s Eve block party in order to maximize your alumni and fans’ experience in Tempe."
University Of Minnesota President Robert H. Bruininks
On receiving the Kachina doll from the Diablos...
“You do a spectacular job. You really feel a sense of warmth and hospitality when you travel to your area. I travel to your area at least once or twice a year. One of the reasons I go to the Tempe and Phoenix area is because at this time of year, about 25 percent of our population moves over to that part of the country. We often have alumni gatherings. We have a traveling university college program that we often put on. We have quite a number of people from Minnesota who spend a good deal of their year in your area. I expect that we are going to turn out a wild and enthusiastic crowd. I want to tell you how proud I am that we are going to be in the Insight Bowl. To have this opportunity is a real privilege for any university and we are deeply proud to be there. I am particularly looking forward to this game because one of my best friends among the presidents and chancellors across the country is Bob Hemenway and he is the chancellor of Kansas University. Kansas is a place where I had two job offers early in my career and we send a lot of students from here to Kansas. There has been a really strong relationship over the years between Kansas and the University of Minnesota. Bob Hemenway was just here for the 10-year accreditation visit to the NCAA. He was the chair and spent a lot of time on this campus. He is one of the people I often talk to about football, athletics and the academic mission of our respective institutions. There is a lot of history between Kansas and the University Of Minnesota. These are two great universities in the midwest representing great campuses. It is really an honor to be invited again to the Insight Bowl. I think it is going to be an absolutely terrific game. I think we match up well. I just talked to a coach who is pretty close to me (Tim Brewster) who said that we are going to win the game and I am absolutely convinced that we are going to do it and bring a win home. I have never seen a Jayhawk yet that could tame a Gopher. Thank you so much, this is really lovely. We want to thank you once again for being here, supporting this great tradition, and we will try to live up to your trust.”
On the impact the bowl game has on the University
“What is great about bringing college football back to campus is that your bring all of this state, all of the people who care about the University Of Minnesota together for a great celebration. People will get to watch a great game. They also come back to this campus to celebrate what is really special about the University. Arizona State and Kansas all have great academics. It is really special to have this recognition. It shows particularly in our case that we had a tough transition last year, we knew that we were doing the right things, we knew we put the right ideas in place, and to have this big turnaround, probably the best turnaround in college football is great. It has got everyone excited about the University including our students, faculty, staff and alumni. This is a part of that celebratory march into the new stadium (next year) and I think that for us, it is very special to be asked back to the Insight Bowl. The last time we were there, we had a spectacular time. It is a great community. The Diabols do a great job of hosting people and making people feel really accepted.”
University of Minnesota Athletic Director Joel Maturi
On receiving the kachina doll from the Diablos
“Let me add on to President’s Bruininks’ remarks and first of all to our guests, they need to know how significant he is and how important he is not only to our football program but to our entire athletics program. Sitting next to him is Kathy Brown, who is Vice President and Chief of Staff who I work with on a daily basis. If it were not for them, we would not be building the stadium you see when you walk over the bridge between Bierman and the Gibson-Nagurski building. Much has changed in Gopher Football since we met two years ago. We have changed the leadership of the program. I am so happy for Coach Brewster being able to lead his first team as a head coach to a bowl game. He is very much aware of the tremendous hospitality of the Diablos, the people at the Insight Bowl, and the people of the Tempe community. We are truly excited about going back and beginning in some ways not only to end this year on a positive note but also to start the 2009 season, I know that is the approach that all have taken. We welcome Coach Kush back as well. It is great to reminisce and talk about stories. I am thankful for everyone else. I am thankful for Marc Ryan who oversees the sport of football from an administrative staff point and the tremendous efforts that he has put in and has already visited your community for preparation. The Gophers will be ready on the playing field. Our fans will enjoy the trip and be energized by your great hospitality. Again, thank you.”
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