Comments from Central Michigan athletic director Dave Heeke, coach Dan Enos, quarterback Cooper Rush, offensive lineman Andy Phillips, defensive back Jarret Chapman and defensive tackle Jabari Dean.

Dave Heeke

“We’re just excited to be back in the bowl picture. Really excited for our players and our football program. It was another good year here and we’re pleased that we’re able to celebrate it in the Bahamas.

“It’ll be a unique and a really interesting cultural experience for us to play football in the Bahamas and we’re really looking forward to it. It’s an exciting time for our program, an exciting time for our university and certainly a very exciting time for these players.”

On additional responsibilities of traveling outside the continental U.S. for a bowl game: “Well certainly there are some different twists to it. But we had, as a league, we had talked about that when we accepted the opportunity to participate in this bowl and be a partner in the bowl. We had already done some preliminary work in securing passports and the right documentation.

“We’ll charter as one complete group over there. But we’d already done that work and again as a league we had been preparing each of our schools as they progressed and were in contention for this game to begin those preparations so we’re totally prepared to do that.”

On added expenses of traveling to the Bahamas: “I think it’s right in line with most of the other bowl trips. Certainly bowl trips are expensive when you’re moving a couple hundred, 200, 300 people and those are financial challenges but there’s a supplement provided by the bowl, a supplements provided by the conference that helps offset some of those costs. We’ll be able to manage it very well and have a great time.”

Dan Enos

“I’d like to thank the Popeye’s Bahamas Bowl for the invitation. I know our staff and players and coaches – everybody’s very excited and feel very proud to be involved in the first game over there. It’s been a great season and this is going to be a reward for our players and our coaches and their families. The guys said they wanted to go south, I don’t think you can get any more south than this. It’ll be a great experience for our student-athletes. More than anything I think it’s a place that most of our players have never been and who knows how many of them will have another opportunity to experience something like that.

“We’re going to enjoy the experience and we’re very proud, we’re very excited and, you know, at the beginning of every year part of your goals and objectives for the season are to be bowl-eligible and to compete in a bowl. This is the third year in a row we’ve been bowl-eligible and this will the second bowl game we’ve been in in three years. Very proud of that. Looking forward to going down there and representing our conference.

On participating in a first-year bowl game: “Yeah I think it’s going to be really neat for everybody to be the first team, first game. From what we understand, I know they host a lot of basketball games down there and the people that are running the bowl do a tremendous job and I know our players are going to have a great time. You can’t beat the weather. Being from Michigan this time of year it’s going to be a really welcome sight to have that type of weather. But to be the first one, in particular, makes it very special for our entire team.”

On whether this was the particular bowl CMU’s players had sought: “I don’t know. Last week I started asking and I think I got about 10 different responses from 10 different players so I think our guys are excited to be in a bowl game, period. You know we don’t take it for granted. We appreciate our administration, Mr. Heeke and everybody helping us through this process. But I think, you know, when you look at all the different placed they were all very attractive, but when you talk about the Bahamas and Atlantis. I know a lot of these guys probably see these Atlantis commercials all the time on TV and you always go ‘That place looks pretty cool. I’ll probably never go there,’ and now they’re all going to have an opportunity to go there. My family and I were fortunate enough, we went two years ago. It’s a great place. It’s an unbelievable place and I know a great experience.”

On the challenge of avoid distraction of a bowl game: “It’s going to be challenging, yeah. I told our players, I’ve been involved in about 10 or 11 bowl games as a player and as a coach and coach Watts has been in about 30 of them and all of our coaches have been in bowl games and I told our players last week that if you ask anybody who has participated in a bowl game what was your favorite one they don’t mention the ones they lose. They mention the ones they win. It makes the memories that much sweeter, that much nicer. The Little Caesars Bowl two years ago we won that game and I know I had a great time and I know our players and coaches and families all had a great time. But at the end of the day we’re there to play a football game and represent this conference. When it’s time to play we’ll play, but when it’s time to work we’re also going to work very diligently to make sure we play well.” 

“We’ve already looked very closely at our model that we had for the Little Caesars Bowl. I believe that game was on the 26th^, this game’s on the 24th, so it’s a very similar model. There’s a balance between overworking them – I’ve been places where we’ve gone two-a-days and things like that. And I’ve been places where we haven’t practiced very hard. I think there’s a happy medium in there somewhere. Obviously we’re going to have fun, this is a reward, but football’s about work. Our program is about being tough and blue-collar and working hard and we’re going to continue to do that. We’ll take everybody’s input on our staff and look at the team.

“We’ve already had time to rest. We had finals week this week so we won’t have to practice until the end of the week so we let our guys finish off their academics in the right way without overburdening them with too much practice time and preparation. As we work and do our preparation starting on Thursday or Friday this week it’s going to be business as usual. Then I think the biggest challenge is when you have them here for an extended time, you’ve got to try to make practices so they’re not mundane, so they’re not going through the motions. But I think as soon as you step on the plane and you go and you get to the site and then all of a sudden you see your opposing team standing over there, the adrenaline gets going, the sense of urgency gets going and then I would anticipate we’d have a couple very, very good practices when we get over there. With the understanding and knowledge that the game’s right around the corner.”

On playing Western Kentucky: “They’re a good football team. I’ve had a chance to see them play this year. And they’re going to present a lot of challenges. They actually played Bowling Green in the opener, I watched it. We were off. I came in the next day and said ‘Oh man, you guys see Western Kentucky last night? I’m glad we don’t play them.’ So now we’re playing them. I shouldn’t have opened my big mouth. They’re very good, their quarterback’s very good. They’ve got very good skill. I know they pass (for) about 350 yards a game. Their coach, coach (Jeff) Brohm, was a quarterback at Louisville, was an assistant under coach (Bobby) Petrino for many years. Very good coach. As I’ve mentioned I’ve watched them on tape already on both sides of the ball and they’re a very good, very well-coached team. It’s kind of unique to play the same team in a bowl game two times in a row, but certainly our guys, a lot of our guys, didn’t play in that game. They’ll be fresh and ready to go and I’m certain that they use that as a big of motivation. They want to beat us this time around.”

 Cooper Rush

On playing in a warm climate: “It’s always nicer. We were talking that if we went to Detroit that would be cool because we’d be indoors. It’s nice to throw the ball around when it’s not cold and you can’t feel your fingers. Just very excited. It’s going to be a fun time.”

Andy Phillips

On the excitement of making a bowl game: “If you were in here, you saw it, everyone was pretty excited. I think we’re most excited that we’re making a bowl game and getting a chance to play and end the season on a good note.” 

On leaving the U.S. for a game: “I’ve never been out of the United States. This will be interesting.”

“I’m excited. Like coach said they have a very good team, offense and defense. They really beat some good teams this year. They beat Marshall, and it was Marshall’s only loss. They’re a very good team. We played them two years ago, but, like coach said, a lot of our guys didn’t play in that game and a lot of their guys I’m sure didn’t play in that game either. So it’s really two different teams, it just happens to be the same school.”

On the layoff from the final regular-season game until the bowl game: “I almost compare it more to summer camp. Because you have about a month of it and then you have the game. So I’d say it’s really similar to that. But really, the coaches do a great job of (putting together) a schedule and like coach said we have times where we’re working very hard and then there’s also times where our legs get a little break so we don’t go into the game completely exhausted or anything. They do a great job of that. Really the biggest part of it is understanding it’s a business trip and understanding that we’re not going on vacation, we’re going to a bowl game to try to win. Our coaches do a great job with the way they schedule our practices and everything like that so I know we’ll be ready.”

On healing time for several players: “Oh very, very. Especially for this guy (motions to quarterback Cooper Rush). I know it’s going to be very exciting for him to have those weapons.” 

Jarret Chapman

Reaction upon hearing the Chippewas were head to the Popeye’s Bahamas Bowl: “If you were in here, it was just nuts. We’re just excited to play in a bowl game and it being the Bahamas just makes it 10 times better because it’ll be down (in) great weather, good area, so we’re just excited.”

On leaving the United States: “I’ve been down in Florida and I’ve been out of the country in Japan, but Bahamas? I’m must excited to see what it’s like. Everyone’s saying it’s just amazing down there. Playing football down there is something we’ll appreciate, and (I’m) excited for.”

“I just know, from football noise, that they’re just a good team. When they beat Marshall it was a high-scoring game. So you know they’re going to come with a great offense. Like Jabari said, it’s just going to be a great challenge for this defense and we’re ready for the challenge.”

Jabari Dean

On playing defense against an explosive offense in Western Kentucky: “It’s sort of like a challenge for our defense. We’re willing to accept the challenge and play our best game.”

“Coach Enos always says, in football, if you lose a game, you’ve got a chance to bounce back. Fortunately enough we got a bowl game and we get a chance to respond.”