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ROSE BOWL GAME: IOWA VS STANFORD

December 29, 2015

C.J. Beathard

Pasadena, California

Q. Does it feel a little weird having Media Day here instead of at home?
C.J. BEATHARD: Yeah, you're talking about in Iowa City?

Q. Yeah.
C.J. BEATHARD: I guess it's a little bit weird. August was so long ago, it feels like a completely different year.

Q. I guess it's pretty cool to have a Media Day, a second Media Day here.
C.J. BEATHARD: Definitely. What do you mean? I'm not sure exactly what you're asking in the question. In August, this summer, you're talking about?

Q. Yeah, but you always have a Media Day at the start of the year, but to finish one at the Rose Bowl.
C.J. BEATHARD: Oh, yeah, definitely. The big Media Day during camp is a big deal, especially this year. At the beginning of the year, there were a lot of skeptics out there, didn't know how the season was going to go. Now, especially being here at the Rose Bowl, one of the biggest Bowl games there is, it's an honor. It's a tribute for having a good season.

Q. You guys, it seems like every day you're talking to the media. You guys sick of talking and just ready to play the game?
C.J. BEATHARD: Yeah. I don't know if we're necessarily sick of talking because I think that comes along with being in the Rose Bowl. You have to embrace every part of it, and media is a big part of that. I feel like we've answered a lot of the same questions over and over again, but it's part of it, and you've got to go into it with a good attitude.

I think we're a few days away here from game day, and I think we're all excited and ready to get on the field.

Q. A lot of talk has been made about Stanford's offense, but you guys have a pretty good offense too.
C.J. BEATHARD: Definitely. I think our offense has done a good job all season long. We've battled some injuries throughout the season as a lot of teams have as well. We've done a good job at filling those injury spots with guys that have been ready too go. All year long, I think we've done a good job offensively. There's been some games here and there where we haven't done as well as we wanted to, but I think overall we've done a decent job.

Q. It's been a long road for Iowa to be out here. What's it like to be the team to finally get back to the Rose Bowl?
C.J. BEATHARD: It's awesome. It's the biggest Bowl game there is. It's an honor to be here, and we're real excited to be here. It's been a fun week. It's getting to the point where we're just ready to go out there and play the game.

Excited to get out in the stadium and see that atmosphere and everything. I think we'll be ready to go.

Q. How much were hampered by the groin injury this year?
C.J. BEATHARD: I think the majority of the season. I think after the Pittsburgh game is when it was bothering me. There were a few weeks there when it was worse than it's been, but it's hampered me throughout the entire season. I haven't been able to do everything that I've been wanting to do. It's gotten better as the season went on.

Q. When did you feel it, running or planting?
C.J. BEATHARD: Mostly running. The first few weeks I had it, we couldn't do any bootlegs or anything like that because it was bothering me. Over the past few weeks, it's gotten a little bit better. I'm able to do some running.

The training staff has done a good job trying to get me healthy. I feel like it's just progressed each and every week. It's not 100 percent, but it's getting better.

Q. Did you know Graham Shuler in high school?
C.J. BEATHARD: Yeah.

Q. Did you guys compete against each other?
C.J. BEATHARD: Yeah, definitely. He was on a really good high school football team at Brentwood Academy. They beat us. We never beat them in high school. They were a really good team. Graham is a great player. We're really good friends. I have respect for him and the Stanford team. He's a good guy.

Q. Did your dad ever work with his mom? She's a country singer?
C.J. BEATHARD: I'm not sure. I don't think so. I honestly don't know.

Q. You never got into that, did you?
C.J. BEATHARD: No. I'm into music. I really like music. Our brother is a musician as well. That's what he's decided to do. If all else fails, I think I play guitar, and I like writing stuff. So I think it runs in my blood.

Q. Have you written a song?
C.J. BEATHARD: Just here and there a little bit.

Q. Graham Shuler just told me the same thing, he's written some songs.
C.J. BEATHARD: That's funny. I mean, we're both from Nashville.

Q. Do you ever in your mind envision ahead of time how this game might play out?
C.J. BEATHARD: It's hard to say that because I feel like you can envision one thing but it never happens the way you envision it. You do it all season long. You try and play out, put scenarios in your head of what would happen in this situation, but it never pans out the way you want it to or the way you envision it.

I think you've just got to go into the game just realizing that it's not always going to go your way. There's going to be setbacks within games, which there always are, and you have to be mentally prepared to keep pushing forward.

Q. [On his leadership style...]
C.J. BEATHARD: I don't know. I think it's just a natural ability you get from God. I don't get rattled very easily. I'm kind of calm. Sometimes I'll get on guys when they need getting on, and I'll get mad at guys, but my style of leadership is more lead by example. Calm but I'm not afraid to get on guys as well.

Q. [On quarterbacks being team leaders...]
C.J. BEATHARD: Definitely. Any time you're a quarterback of a team -- quarterbacks are leaders of teams. It doesn't matter who you're the quarterback of, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, they're all calm guys. In pressure situations, they come up big in those situations. I think a big part as a quarterback is try to stay positive and calm because guys look to you. If you're panicking and freaking out, that starts the other guys freaking out. So I think in those pressure situations you have to stay calm and set a good example and keep your composure.

Q. Do you or your teammates harbor any disappointment about not being in the playoffs?
C.J. BEATHARD: No, not at all. Obviously, after that Michigan State game, it was a tough loss, but just like any game, win or lose, you've got to move past it, and that happened to be our first loss of the season. We didn't really know how it felt to lose because we hadn't done it all season long.

Just like we've done all season with winning, you've got to put those games behind you and move on. We found out the day after that we were going to be playing in the Rose Bowl, and we put the Michigan State game behind us. The Rose Bowl is a great game, and we're honored to be playing in it.

Q. That is the goal, right? For a Big Ten team to make the Rose Bowl?
C.J. BEATHARD: Yeah. There's a lot of goals you can have, goals of going to the Big Ten Championship, winning the Championship game, and obviously, I think the ultimate goal for any team would be to play and win the National Championship.

We put ourselves in a situation to be in the talk of attaining that goal, but obviously the Rose Bowl is as good as it gets as well. I know Coach Ferentz, this is big for him as well and all the players and all the coaching staff.

Q. C.J., Coach Ferentz has been here a long time. Is there an extra incentive to win a Rose Bowl for him, to add to his legacy?
C.J. BEATHARD: Yeah, I don't know if it's an extra incentive, but I think everybody on this team and the coaching staff, we want to win it just because of the season we've had. I think the only right way to end the season would be to go out with a win.

You start the season 12-0 and lose your last two games, that's tough. I think, in order to send the season off on a good note, we need to win. Definitely, I think Coach Ferentz, that would be huge for Coach Ferentz and for this team. He's been here a long time. I know what that means to him, what it would mean to him to win a Rose Bowl game as well.

Q. He probably wouldn't admit it, but would it be extra special for a win?
C.J. BEATHARD: Yeah, I think -- I don't know necessarily if it's the Rose Bowl. I mean, it's a historic game, but it's big. I think any coach would say they'd love to have a Rose Bowl game. If you play in the Rose Bowl, that means you had a successful season and a good season.

But at the same time, if we were playing in a smaller Bowl, it would be just as big to win that one because it's the next game on the schedule.

Q. When you look at Stanford , when you study pass rush, what stands out?
C.J. BEATHARD: They're a good team. They play a lot of tough, hard-nosed, physical football, and we know that. We've got a lot of respect for them, their players and the coaching staff. We know in order to beat them, we're going to have to come out and play our best football.

We've been studying them, and we know it's going to be a tough game. They're a good team. We're going to have to play our best.

Q. During the regular season, was there any point where you guys maybe started to know this season is really special? Was there any one game, any practice, in particular?
C.J. BEATHARD: When we noticed we had something special?

Q. Yes.
C.J. BEATHARD: It started in the off-season especially. In the off-season, we realized we came together as a team. Guys emerged and leaders and kind of stepped up when we needed them the most. That's a big part of having a successful team is guys stepping up and being leaders. We did that starting in the off-season and then moved on to spring ball and fall camp.

I think we knew we had something special going into fall camp. I think it's hard for anybody to predict a 12-0 regular season, but we knew we had something special, and we knew it was going to be a good season. Going 12-0 is just great, and getting to play in this Rose Bowl game is a big deal.

Q. The win at Wisconsin early in the season, with as tough as they were defensively, coming away with that win, did you feel that was one that propelled you guys a little bit going forward?
C.J. BEATHARD: Yeah, I think so. I think, ever since I've been here, we haven't beaten Wisconsin. That was a game on our schedule that we felt like we needed to win. They have been playing -- they have been the West Division champs for the past few years. We knew going into it we needed to beat Wisconsin if we wanted to be in that talk, and we were able to do that.

The way we did it showed a lot about the character of this team and the fight we have in this team. Offensively, we struggled, but the defense stepped up that game and did a great job, and we got the win. That kind of shows how the season has gone. When the defense struggles, the offense steps up and picks up them not playing well. And then when the offense isn't playing as well, the defense steps up and picks us up.

So it's just a team game, and I think we've done it all season long, playing together as a team.

Q. You had a little time off, and now you got back in that rhythm. How are things going with getting in your preparation toward the game?
C.J. BEATHARD: Yeah, definitely. I think we're back in that rhythm. I think there was a week here we took off. We were still practicing a little bit, trying to stay sharp. Then we started getting ready for Stanford a couple of weeks ago. We've got a good game plan going into it, and I think we're ready to go, and we're excited to be playing on Friday. We know it's going to take our best and we're going to have to play our best in order to beat them.

Q. Who sticks out on their defense as you look at it?
C.J. BEATHARD: There's a lot of guys. They've got an All-American linebacker. He's a good player. Their defensive back is a solid player. They've got a lot of guys. I don't think there's anybody on the defense that you look at and think, oh, yeah, we're going to attack this guy. They've got a lot of star football players.

I think we've got a solid offense as well, and it's going to be a battle. It's just who wants it more, who's going to fight harder. We know that going into it.

Q. Has there been a moment this week where it really has hit home that this is not just another game?
C.J. BEATHARD: Yeah. I mean, honestly, it really truly is just another game. It's the next game on the schedule. We know it's the Rose Bowl game, but if you look into it like that, then you'll hype it up too much, and we don't want to do it. It's the next game on the schedule.

We know it's a big game. It's going to be a big stage. It's the Rose Bowl game. It's the biggest of them all. You can't look at it like that as players. People on the outside can look at it however they want, but as a player, you don't want to over hype a game because really and truly it's 60 minutes of going out and playing another opponent, and that's how we're looking at it.

It's a big stage, but we've done a good job at playing on big stages all year long, and we've stayed focused. We've just got to make sure we stay focused, and hopefully we'll do that and play well.

Q. Up to 60,000 Hawkeye fans are expected for this game. What surprises you or impresses you most about Iowa fans and the way they support the football team?
C.J. BEATHARD: We have a great fan base. In Iowa, there's not an NFL team. There's not a baseball team or an NBA team. There's no professional teams in the state of Iowa. So I think all these fans think Iowa football is their professional football team, and we love that.

We've got great support from all our fans from all around the country. We have fans everywhere. Everywhere you go, you find out, you know, I'm a Hawkeye fan. I'm from California. I'm from Florida. It's great to see all the support you get from different areas of the country.

We love our fans, and we appreciate their support. It just goes to show all the support with all the tickets they bought to this game. Hopefully we go out there and give them something to cheer for and get a win.

Q. Do you feel like your team is completely mentally over coming so close to the College Football Playoffs? Are you there?
C.J. BEATHARD: Yeah, definitely. We put that behind us. Obviously, it was a tough loss at the time, but just like all the wins we had this season, we put those behind us as well and had to move on. That's what you have to do when you're a successful football team. You have to put those wins and losses behind you, and they can be tough wins, tough losses, but you've got to put them behind you, and that's the only way to move on.

We did that, and we're on to this game. We've been on to this game for a while now.

Q. What impresses you the most about Stanford's defense in the tape you watched?
C.J. BEATHARD: They're a good solid team. There's not any guys up there that we look at and think we're going to take advantage of this guy or that guy. There are a lot of good players out there, and we know it's going to be a tough fight in this football game. In order for us to win the game, we're going to have to play our best football and stay focused and be prepared.

Q. [On the experience at the Rose Bowl...]
C.J. BEATHARD: It's been great. It's been a fun time out here. I think that's the reason we come out here so early is to kind of get acclimated to the environment and everything like that. We appreciate all the hospitality we've had. They have great hospitality everywhere we go, and it's a fun trip. The Rose Bowl does a good job of getting together events for us to go to and fun events. We cherish all that.

At the same time, you've got to make sure you keep the focus because we are here for one reason, and that's to go win the game. We know that it's still game week, and we're here for a football game.

Q. I remember talking to you the day after the Michigan State game. Obviously, a lot of disappointment amongst you and your teammates. You seemed to be taking it very hard, as obviously you would expect. How hard was that for you, and how hard was the process to move on? Can you kind of describe that process of moving on?
C.J. BEATHARD: Yeah, definitely. It's just like any game you have a win or loss. It just happened we won 12 games before that, so we didn't know what a loss felt like. Honestly, it was a bigger loss than most losses because it was the Big Ten Championship game. Just like the games you win, you have to put them past you and move on from that win or loss.

Luckily, we had a few weeks there before our next game so we could kind of get over that loss over a few days rather than having to put it behind us the next day. I think we did a good job of that. There are a few days there where we were upset, but just like any game you win, you've got to put it behind you. Any successful football team, that's how you've got to act. You've got to move on.

We found out the news about going to the Rose Bowl a couple days after the Big Ten Championship game, and that was great news. The Rose Bowl, it's an honor to be playing in this game, and we're excited for it.

Q. The chance to win a Rose Bowl, obviously, that's only happened a couple times in Iowa history, the chance to really leave a legacy for this team, what does that mean for you and the team?
C.J. BEATHARD: It means a lot. It's good to show the season this team has had. We've had a great season. We've had a great regular season and came up short in the Big Ten Championship game. We're honored and blessed to be playing in this game. It's the biggest game of them all. We're excited. We've been preparing, and we're focused.

I think it will be big just to cap off this season off on a good note. I think that's the way we need to do it, and we have to do that, and I think we know going into it we have to win this game. To cap off a great season, you've got to finish with a win, and what way to win better than a Rose Bowl game?

Q. What stands out to you about Stanford when you look at them defensively?
C.J. BEATHARD: Yeah, they're a good team. They're a good, solid team. They've got a lot of good players, linebackers, defensive backs, defensive line. You look at them and don't see anywhere on their defense where you're thinking you're going to take advantage of them because I think they've got a lot of solid guys. They do a lot of smart things. They're smart football players and tough guys.

I think in order to beat them, we're going to have to play our best football and give ourselves our best chance to win.

Q. You came to the Rose Bowl in '08. What was that like?
C.J. BEATHARD: That was awesome. I remember I came as a fan. I was rooting for my uncle. He was at Illinois at the time. I just remember going to those games, going to some of the events, and going to Universal and all that stuff. It was awesome.

I remember going to the game just realizing what a great atmosphere it was. I remember when it was a dream of mine. It would be awesome to playing in this game one day. A few years later, who would have thought that I'm actually getting to play in a Rose Bowl myself now.

Q. How about the fact that your uncle won a Rose Bowl? Did you kind of grow up hearing about that?
C.J. BEATHARD: Yeah, I knew that. Pete was a great player. Obviously, he was drafted high in the NFL draft, whenever that was. He was the MVP of the Rose Bowl. I don't know what year that was either. He was a great player. He did a lot of good things.

It has a historic meaning for me, the fact that he played in that game. Then my uncle a few years back. It's the best game that you can play in. It's an honor to be playing in it.

Q. What's the support you've gotten from Hawkeye nation been like? Has it been overwhelming, all the pats on the back and that sort of thing? Seeing all the black and gold?
C.J. BEATHARD: Yeah, I don't think it's been overwhelming. It's just been a lot of great support. We have the best fans in the country, I believe. It's been great support. People from all over the country giving you support and giving you positive attitudes and stuff like that.

It just goes to show with all the tickets the Iowa fans have bought. We've got great support all over the country. We're excited for them all to come out here, and hopefully, we can show them a good game and get a win.

Q. You come here, and you dream about playing in this game. What's it like to be playing in this game? Is it surreal?
C.J. BEATHARD: I think it is a little surreal. It's the Rose Bowl game. There's nothing like it. It's such a historic game, and the fact that we're able to play in this game is an honor. It is really a dream, especially with the history. I got to come to one as a fan back in 2008. I always dreamed of playing in this game. Now I'm getting the opportunity to play in it, and I'm excited.

Q. Just as a general fan, you ask about Stanford, they know about Christian McCaffrey, and that's about it. When you look at the film, how do you sum up what they do defensively?
C.J. BEATHARD: They've got a lot of good players on defense. We have a lot of respect for their team. It's definitely not just Christian McCaffrey. If it was just Christian McCaffrey, they wouldn't have a successful football team. There's a lot of good players on that team, offensively and defensively, and we know that.

They've got a solid defense, and they've got a lot of good guys on the defensive line, linebackers, defensive ends. I don't think there's a spot in the defense where we're just like, yeah, we're going to attack this part of the defense because that's where they struggle. That's not the case. I think they've got a very solid defense. They play tough and play hard. We know that, in order to beat them, we're going to have to play just tough and harder than they did.

Q. What do they look like? Do they look like anybody you've faced?
C.J. BEATHARD: Yeah, like any tough football team. You can compare them to Michigan State, just how physical they are. It's hard to compare them just because I don't like comparing teams because they're their own team, and they're going to bring their own energy and different stuff. They're a good team.

Q. How do the team leaders like yourself regroup after a loss in the Big Ten Championship? Do you talk to the team the next week, the day after?
C.J. BEATHARD: The day after, we found out we were going to the Rose Bowl, and that's the biggest Bowl of them all, and we're excited to be playing in that game. Obviously, it was a tough loss at the time, losing the Big Ten Championship the way we did, but like any win, you've got to put it behind you and play the next game.

It turns out our next game would be against Stanford in the Rose Bowl, and you've got to put it behind you and move forward. That's what any competitor on any successful football team does, and that's what we did. We've moved on, and we're completely past that game now.

Q. When did you know this team was good? When did you know -- whether it was fall camp or the first couple of weeks?
C.J. BEATHARD: I think it started in the off-season. We put together a good off-season program. Coach Doyle was working on it, and we worked hard, and guys stepped up and emerged as leaders throughout the off-season. That was a big part of it.

I think we knew we had something special then. Going into spring ball, we had a good spring ball, and then fall some of the workouts were great. And then camp, I think we were really putting stuff together in camp, but I think we knew during camp we had something special.

I don't know if anybody would have said we'd be 12-0 in the regular season, but I think we all knew we had something special and we were going to have a successful football team. Obviously, we did, and we put together some good games there and came together as a team.

Q. This week, all the attractions and events going on, how do you guys focus during the week?
C.J. BEATHARD: I think that's the tough part of any Bowl game you go to, there's going to be a lot of distractions, a lot of things going on, but trying to focus on the football game, and we know that. Coach Ferentz does a good job of preaching to us to make sure we keep our focus because we're here for one reason and one reason only, and that's to play a football game and win the football game.

At the same time, we put ourselves in position to play in this game, so you want to enjoy everything. As Coach Ferentz says, enjoy it, but at the same time, make sure you stay focused because we're here for one reason. I think we've done a good job of that all season long. We've played on big stages and stayed focus all throughout those games. There's no reason we shouldn't be up to this game.

Q. This your first time in L.A.?
C.J. BEATHARD: No, it's not my first time in L.A. because I've been to the Rose Bowl before and I've been to California multiple times as well, but it's my first time actually staying in L.A. and kind of doing some stuff here.

Q. What stands out the most to you about Stanford's defense? How would you describe their defense?
C.J. BEATHARD: It's a tough, hard-nosed, physical defense. We know that we're going to have to play our best in order to beat them. They're a good defense. I don't think there's any part of their defense where you look at them and say, hey, we're going to take advantage of this part of the defense. Their defense does a lot of good things up front and with their linebackers and defensively. We know that in order to beat them, we're going to have to play our best.

Q. The wristband says every --
C.J. BEATHARD: Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.

Q. Expecting a lot of Hawkeye fans out here for the game?
C.J. BEATHARD: Yeah, definitely. We've gotten wind there's going to be a lot of Hawkeye fans out there. I think any way we go, every Bowl game I've been through so far, the Hawkeye fans have supported it very well. They did support a Big Ten Championship, and it goes to show what kind of fans we have. We have great fans and great support all over the country.

Q. The weather factoring into this at all on game day? It's going to be like a 40 degree dropoff from Iowa City to Pasadena. It should be like in the 20s that day. Are you guys really putting any emphasis on that, or is it just going over your head?
C.J. BEATHARD: What's it supposed to be like?

Q. It's supposed to be like mid-20s in Iowa City and supposed to be like 65 on game day at the Rose Bowl.
C.J. BEATHARD: No, I don't think -- if anything, it helps us, rather than playing in the cold and stuff. Any time you can play in nice weather, I think that helps you. I think we're excited to play, even practicing in this nice weather all week long, and finally getting to play in a nice weather game will be nice as well.

Q. I talked to Tyler Wiegers a little bit earlier. I just want to talk about what his role is, especially on the sideline, has the headphones on and calls the plays.
C.J. BEATHARD: That's a big role for the team. I was in that role there for a couple of years. Any time as a backup quarterback, he has to be ready and prepared at all times because you never know when the starter is going to go down. All it takes is one play, and he's going to be in there. So he has to prepare as much as the starter does, but at the same time, he's a great support system for me. All the quarterbacks are.

He does a good job of letting me know, when I come off the field, like if I have a question, he pays attention. I ask him questions as well, and he does a good job with it. He's a very good support system for me, as are Ryan and Drew and the others as well. We have a good family, and they do a good job.

Q. Is there anything like advice that you give? Do they come to you often to talk about things?
C.J. BEATHARD: Yeah, we all talk. Me and Tyler are a little bit older and more experienced, so we can address it a little bit better. But Ryan Boyle and Drew Cook, i help them out as much as we can because they're freshmen, and they're still learning, and they'll be learning for a few years to come.

You're never where you want to be. You're always trying to learn. Any way I can help them improve, I'm trying to do that.

Q. I know you've been asked this question a million times. Talking about what you need to do as the quarterback to lead this team to a victory.
C.J. BEATHARD: I just think we need to do what we've been doing all season long is stay focused and stay prepared. We're prepared. We've been practicing for three weeks now. We're ready to go. It's to a point where we've been practicing for three weeks. We've gone to Disneyland and done all the fun stuff, and we're at a point where we're ready to get out on the field and play.

Just stay focused. I think a big part of the game is Coach says don't turn the ball over. Any time you don't turn the ball over, you give yourselves a chance to win. So we've got to take care of the ball and play hard.

Q. What makes Stanford's defense so difficult?
C.J. BEATHARD: They're a very good defense. They're very solid. A big part of why they're so good, there's not a part of the defense where you look at them and say we're going to take advantage of this part because it's not there. The defensive line, the linebackers, defensive backs, they play tough. They play hard football. In order to beat them, we're going to have to play our best football as well.

Q. Can I ask you a question about your hair now?
C.J. BEATHARD: Yes.

Q. Do you feel like a different guy? Do you think cutting the hair at the end of the season, regular season, the hair had anything to do with it?
C.J. BEATHARD: I don't think so. People ask me the same question sometimes, and it's got nothing to do with it. People can say whatever they want. It's funny.

Q. How long are you keeping the beard?
C.J. BEATHARD: I don't know. I'll probably shave it after the game a little bit. During the season, it got pretty long. Just keeping it going. Last time I shaved it off. It's getting a little bit long again. I'll probably cut it after the game.

Q. What is it about this team that makes you guys so special? Do you guys almost feel like -- I'm around you guys a lot. It almost feels like you're actual family.
C.J. BEATHARD: Everybody on the team is family. We've got a great chemistry together. That started in the off-season and went into summer and camp, and we all get along very well. That's a key part to any successful football team. We all want to win for each other. It's a brotherly bond we have.

Q. You've been answering a lot of questions the last few weeks. What's the weirdest thing anybody's asked you?
C.J. BEATHARD: I think the weirdest thing that people ask me is when they ask me what are you going to do to exploit the defense? As if I'm going to give the game plan away. It's just kind of a weird question to me because, if I see something, I'm not going to just give away what we're going to do. I guess it's kind of weird.

Other than that, just typical questions you would think of. Nothing silly or crazy.

Q. You've been out here for a long time already now. Are you getting antsy? You've got three days to go here.
C.J. BEATHARD: I think we're getting antsy. We're maintaining our focus because we know we're in a football game. We've enjoyed the past few days here in L.A. and Pasadena. We've had some great events that the Rose Bowl has put on. They've done a great job of putting events on. We've had fun and enjoyed those, but we know, at the same time, we're here for one reason, and that's to get a win.

Q. When you think about it, have you ever seen anything like this, been a part of anything like this?
C.J. BEATHARD: No, I have not. Obviously, the Rose Bowl is the biggest stage of them all. You could expect this, but I've never been a part of anything this big and this much attention.

Q. So I got a little bit of a weird question for you. Boone Myers said he can easily out eat Matt VandeBerg, but VandeBerg thinks that Myers can't eat that much and he can out eat him. Who do you take in that draw?
C.J. BEATHARD: I think Boone for sure on that one. I don't know how much Matt eats, but I would say Boone.

Q. Perfect segue for me. How's Media Day been?
C.J. BEATHARD: It's been good. A lot of people and a lot of attention, but it's been good.

Q. Something that comes with the territory being here in the Rose Bowl, I'm sure?
C.J. BEATHARD: Definitely. You've got to embrace every part of it. You've got to embrace the fun stuff and embrace the media stuff as well. It's a tribute to getting to the Rose Bowl. It's part of it, and you've got to enjoy every part of it.

Q. Any off-the-wall questions? They've been pretty standard today?
C.J. BEATHARD: They've been pretty standard, pretty straightforward, honestly.

Q. You're a guy like with a gunslinger mentality. You're real cool and smooth. Don't get too high and don't get too low. How do you maintain it?
C.J. BEATHARD: I think I've got a calm attitude. It's part of the quarterback position. You have to stay level at all times, kind of even keel. I kind of grew up that way. It's just how I've always been really. Don't get too high when things are going good, too low when things are going bad because that can hurt you if you have that kind of attitude.

Q. You became the starting quarterback this year. The other dude transferred to Michigan. How competitive a battle was that? When you landed his job, how did you feel?
C.J. BEATHARD: I kind of felt like -- I'm a competitor. Any time you're at quarterback, you want to play, and you want to be the guy. So I was competing as much as I could, as hard as I could for three years there, and it finally got to the point where they decided to make the change.

I knew that, when my time came, I had to do good things. I had confidence in myself that, once I got the job, I would keep the job.

Q. Coach tells you guys ignore the white noise and what they say in the media, but when you're 12-0, 12-1 now, is a pretty damn good football team.
C.J. BEATHARD: Yes.

Q. Do you guys expect a little more respect than you're getting
C.J. BEATHARD: I know we're not getting a lot of respect from certain places, but you can't look at that and listen to that stuff because the beginning of the season, people were talking about how bad we were going to be. Then you have a season like that, and you start getting some respect. People that don't give us respect is just people talking. Who knows what they know or what they're talking about. I think all that matters is what we have within the team and what we think of ourselves. We know we've got a good team, and we know we're family here.

Q. If you win this game on Friday, what's that going to do to propel the Iowa football program in years to come? It's a big Bowl game.
C.J. BEATHARD: It's the biggest of them all. That will propel us for sure. Obviously, it's been a great season. What better way to cap off a great season like that than to win a Rose Bowl game? I think that's what we want. We don't want to settle for anything less than that. We want to win this, and hopefully that will give us a boost going into next year.

Q. You're from Tennessee. You understand what football means to a team like Tennessee and what football means to a team like Iowa. How would it make you feel to be the flag bearer to bring back the Rose Bowl trophy for the first time in like 50 years?
C.J. BEATHARD: That would be awesome. It's a team deal. It's not me. It's not any one of us on the team. It's all of us together, everybody on the team has had a share in helping this team be successful. It would be a great way to bring it back to Iowa for the fans and for everybody. It would be great for Coach Ferentz too.

Q. I've got a question for you. Do you know how physical of a football game this is going to be? How important is that going to be when it comes down to it?
C.J. BEATHARD: Very important. I think it's two teams that do things the right way. They don't make many mental mistakes. I think it's going to come down to playing selfless football. Whoever stays focused. It's going to be a back and forth game. It's going to be a tough game. We know that we've got respect for them, and I think it's going to be a tough game.

Q. C.J., what was the defining moment for this team?
C.J. BEATHARD: I think it started in the off-season, the winter program, working hard, the chemistry we created as a team. And then move that along into spring ball, and then in the summer workouts and camp. I think in camp we finally got a feel for the guys, the team, and guys emerged as leaders, and we created a bond and a chemistry throughout the entire team.

I think we knew we had something special going into that, and then going into the first game, we knew we had something special.

Q. [On the underclassmen...]
C.J. BEATHARD: They're good players. They're young guys. Obviously, I remember when I was in their shoes, things are going 100 miles an hour in your head because the way we run our offense puts a lot on the quarterback, whether it be making checks, getting into plays and seeing stuff as a quarterback. So their minds when they're at camp, they're going 100 miles an hour. They've gotten better and continue to improve throughout the season, but they're still learn, and I'm trying to help them any way I can.

Q. Can you describe your emotions once you step out onto the field January 1?
C.J. BEATHARD: It's hard to explain what they're going to be like. I know we're going to be excited, but you can't let the game over hype you. We've played in some big stages all year long, and we've handled them pretty well. There's no reason we shouldn't handle this one well as well.

I've been in the Rose Bowl stadium before, and I've seen what it's like. It's an incredible atmosphere. It's awesome, and I just can't wait to be in that position. We've got three days here. I feel like we've been waiting for a year now for this game. We're excited to get on the field and finally play the game.

Q. How do you feel physically with the layoff and the preparation approaching the game?
C.J. BEATHARD: I think it helps. I think it helps us prepare and study the game plan and get the game plan down better than we would in just a week.

Obviously, with my health, it helps me get better with my health, my groin and everything too.

Q. As far as the focus of the team, how intense do you feel you guys are? Let's put it like this. How hungry are you guys?
C.J. BEATHARD: We're very hungry, especially after the loss in the Big Ten Championship game. We're just ready to get back out on the field and finish the season with a win. We know the Rose Bowl is the biggest game of them all. We're playing a good opponent in Stanford, and we've done a good job of playing really good football all season long. We think there's no reason we wouldn't do that in this game. We're prepared and ready to go.

Q. You're ready to use that loss as a stepping stone?
C.J. BEATHARD: I think so. First round of the season, we didn't know what it felt like to lose a game. I think we need to win this game. After having the regular season we did, I think, in order to conclude a great season, we've got to win it, win this game, win the last game, whatever that game would have been, other than it's the Rose Bowl game. So it's even bigger. You've got to win the Rose Bowl game.

Q. What's your motivation and inspiration as a person and as a player?
C.J. BEATHARD: I've got a lot of inspiration. I get inspiration from God. I pray a lot and talk to him about stuff. Whenever they're in trouble or going through stressful times, I pray, and I talk to my dad and grandpa about stuff as well. They help coach me forward, and they're very positive influences in my life.

Q. So you're a man of faith?
C.J. BEATHARD: Definitely.

Q. How long have you been a man of faith?
C.J. BEATHARD: Ever since I can remember. I've been going to church for a long time and reading the bible. In high school, as far as my sophomore year of high school, I really dug deep into scriptures and stuff like that, and it's just gotten better since then.

Q. Any favorite scriptures that you may use as your source of inspiration?
C.J. BEATHARD: I've actually got a psalm 27:1 tattoo on my chest. The Lord is my light and salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? That's my favorite verse.

Q. You want to give yourself and your team a shout out in preparation for the big game?
C.J. BEATHARD: A shout out to like the fans?

Q. The team, fans, family.
C.J. BEATHARD: Hey, mom and dad, I love you guys.

Q. We asked a couple of guys about you playing the guitar. A couple of them had the idea about you maybe singing before the game. What are your thoughts on that?
C.J. BEATHARD: No, that would never happen. I'll say that now. I don't know who said that. I do play guitar and write a little bit, but I will not sing before the game.

Q. Have you ever played for any of them?
C.J. BEATHARD: Yeah. Me and my roommates, Stone and Riley. Stone is a very good guitar player as well, and we'll write stuff. We'll go downstairs to the basement and jam sometimes, just play guitar together and jam. It's fun to do, but I don't think I've ever really played.

This guy right here, Derrick Mitchell, he says he sings, but I've never heard him. No, sometimes he hears the noise, and he'll come down there, hey, cut that out. No, I'm just kidding. Yeah, we play and jam sometimes.

Q. Mabin says that it doesn't help you with the ladies.
C.J. BEATHARD: Mabin would say that. Mabin doesn't know. He has trouble himself with the ladies. So that's why he said that.

Q. So you're saying it helps?
C.J. BEATHARD: No, I don't -- no, I haven't had a girlfriend for two years. I haven't looked at it like that. I know Mabin tries to give me crap about it and says I'm ugly, but I think he's ugly too. I'm just kidding.

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