BAD BOY MOWERS PINSTRIPE BOWL: RUTGERS VS MIAMI

December 18, 2023

Francisco Mauigoa

Yankee Stadium

Miami Hurricanes

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Thanks for taking a couple of minutes of your time today for Miami's media day.

Joining us first will be linebacker Kiko Mauigoa. And additionally, in no particular order, offensive coordinator, Shannon Dawson; defensive coordinator, Lance Guidry; and offensive lineman, Jalen Rivers.

I'll turn it over to Carter Toole, senior associate of athletics director, chief of staff. Go ahead.

CARTER TOOLE: Thank you, good morning. Happy holidays. We'll start with questions.

Q. First of all, congrats on coming back for next year. I wanted to ask you how important it is for this team to get this bowl win. Miami hasn't been particularly successful in recent years. I know you haven't been here. What internally are you guys saying about how important it is to get this final win?

FRANCISCO MAUIGOA: I say every game is important. This bowl game is just as important as any game in the season. We want to go out with a bang. That's the plan. That's the goal. This team is trying to -- we're always motivated and reaching for a W. We have no other option but to win. That's how we are attacking this bowl game.

It's extremely important, yeah.

Q. First off, mentioning your decision to come back to UM for next year, what were the factors that played into that decision? How important was it to keep playing with your brother?

FRANCISCO MAUIGOA: It was a rough process. Me and my family were talking about it, we were praying about it. God gave me a sign and my family a sign to come back.

I see this program going far beyond imagined, and I want to be a part of it.

Being by my brother is something you don't want to take for granted, and I want to finish my last year playing beside him and playing for this program.

I just want to be part of something special that's going to be built and formed here.

Q. Along those lines, what have you learned about Mario? Why are you convinced that he's going to be the one that turns it around here? With respect to your process, did he have to almost re-recruit you, or did he just let you and your family decide on your own?

FRANCISCO MAUIGOA: He gave me the option. We had a talk. He's just a great leader. He wants the best for the team, and he always puts the team before him. That's what a great leader does. Me and him talking, he is just being real.

For me and my decision, my family, he gave me time. He gave me and my family time to think about it. It all came down to me and my family. It wasn't any other factors but me and my family making this decision for the best for my future and for the Miami Hurricanes' future. We all counted everything within the decision I made.

Q. I know you said you feel like there's more to accomplish at this level. What are some of those things that you personally still have to accomplish?

FRANCISCO MAUIGOA: I'm never perfect. I feel like there's a lot to improve on, either getting in film time with pre-read before each play or getting certain skills in, skill sets in to improve my game. So it's a long way to go for me.

For this team it's getting close. There's just missing parts, and I know we're going to get them. It's going to be a great team next year.

Q. Also, Kiko, a lot of players have left, which is the natural process every year, and won't be in the Pinstripe Bowl. What's it like practicing now without those guys? Is there some kind of transition, you're going to have a lot of guys who have not played as much on the field. What's that like?

FRANCISCO MAUIGOA: Yes, the guys that left, props to them for being with this team. They stayed strong, and we had a lot of leaders leaving. We've got opportunities for the young guys that are stepping up to that role.

We've got a lot of guys that are willing to put their opportunity to be the best for this team. I take pride in that for this team because everybody is just coming in close. There's no -- just everybody being selfless and putting the team first. That's what I see in the locker room.

Q. You were mentioning young guys that have been stepping up and getting opportunities. Just what have you seen from Jacurri in practice so far? Obviously he didn't play during the season, but now he is getting a shot. Just how has he looked in practice?

FRANCISCO MAUIGOA: He is looking good. He is using all his skill sets to prove himself. I think he's doing a really good job of throwing the ball, making the right decision. And in practice he's just showing intensive focus on his craft. He's just getting better and better, yeah.

Q. What are you looking forward to going up to New York? Because Yankee Stadium is such a fantastic stadium. Is it one of the things on your bucket list to be at Yankee Stadium? What are you going to look around for New York City?

FRANCISCO MAUIGOA: I've never been to New York. It's going to be my first time in New York. Spending the holidays over there, it's a special feeling. I can't wait for this opportunity to go to New York in the holiday and play the bowl game over there.

In Yankee Stadium it's just special. You don't got a lot of opportunities to do that, and I'm excited. I think the whole team is excited for the opportunity to be there and play.

So it's going to be cold. It's not really our nature, but you know, we have proven that we can play in the cold too with the Boston College game. We're just going to go there and do our thing. I'm excited for the opportunity.

Q. If I could follow up real quick, if you guys win this game, this is going to help you to catapult to next year for a better start and hopefully a better bowl game because a lot of these teams take these games and win and catapult themselves to a better season next year.

FRANCISCO MAUIGOA: Yes, of course. Coach Cristobal hit it one time in our meetings about this is how we're going to start out with next season. This is how we're going to -- this is how the team is going to look like. Everybody is going to look at this game as a start of next season's team going to look like.

We just have to put on a show and work to get that win.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks for your time. See you up in New York.