Transcript of interview with head coach Matt Campbell:
Q: Bowl week is finally here – have you sensed how excited the Iowa State fan base is?
Matt Campbell: We’re really fortunate to have one of the best fan bases in college athletics. So there’s been a great buzz around Ames, Iowa and the fan support has been tremendous all year. They’re excited to come down here.
Q: What are some of the non-game related things that you all are looking forward to?
Matt Campbell: The biggest thing is obviously the River Walk. Everyone is excited to do a little searching through the River Walk.
Q: Has your bowl approached changed since you’ve been at Iowa State?
Campbell: It really hasn’t. I mean, every team is different and every situation is different but we’ve always kept the same mentality, no matter what bowl game we’re at. It’s always a great opportunity to put a finishing touch on a football team.
Q: How do you manage this week and plan everything out?
Campbell: It’s that process of understanding when it’s time to go do football, we’re locked into that process, but also enjoying what these young men and so I think there’s a fine line. I thought last week we had a really good week of preparation and detail. I think we come down here and really try to refine the game plan that we can.
Q: What’s it like as coaches to be here in San Antonio and all this kind of be real right now?
Campbell: I think it’s really exciting for our program, university and our fan base. You know, I think opportunities like this or you know what you’re really work hard for all year long. So I know our kids are really excited about this and I know our fan base is as well.
Q: You guys have experienced the bowl game preparation with holidays around. What kind of experience did the team gain from last year’s bowl?
Campbell: I think the coaching staff, we’ve been together and fortunate to be a part a lot of these together. But for our kids, that experience a year ago went through the length of a season and certainly the opportunity came with is a real positive.
Q: What does it mean for you to sign that extension before this bowl game and kind of put that behind you?
Campbell: Really important. Really, you know, I think more than anything, it’s validity for our staff and our coaches and certainly positive for everybody involved.