Welcome to Miami (sort of) ...

The blog is back up and running … for at least the next five days. I should be able to provide a pretty solid Orange Bowl fix each evening.
 
In fact, if I become overly ambitious tonight … you might get a second helping tonight. This first blog is heavy on Kansas stuff, but I figured you’d like to know about this semi-anonymous team from the Midwest that your Hokies are facing.
 
And … they had a few interesting things to say about Tech. Also, you’ll find an interview with Hokies DT Carlton Powell, who I wrote a story about that appeared in today’s Virginian-Pilot.
 
Then some stuff from and about Kansas QB Todd Reesing – who looks nothing like a big-time college quarterback, rather somebody’s little brother – and his unlikely journey to the Orange Bowl.
 
As for updates from sunny Fort Lauderdale – odd that the Orange Bowl as known as a Miami event, but almost nothing leading up to the game actually takes place in Miami – here are a few:
 
* The weather is ridiculous here. Warm, but not hot, and blue skies all the way.
 
* The gambling – at nearby Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino – is good. Unless you’re me. I played like a fool early and lost my stack last night. But … one of my Landmark Communications brethren was a big, big winner last night. FYI: There’s a lotta poker novices at the Hold ‘Em tables down here … and they’re more than happy to hand over their cash. Last night, I was one of those dummies.
 
* Kenny Lewis Jr. is fired up about his chance to start the Orange Bowl in place of starter Branden Ore, who’s suspended for the first quarter. He was grinning from ear to ear at today’s press conference, calling this “the greatest moment in my sports career” and saying that this is why he gave up a pro baseball career. He is, by all accounts, a great guy. You have to like seeing someone like him get a shot to shine.
 
* Kansas has a linebacker who scares me. And he would scare you. He’s got a little bit of Lattimer in him (the CRAZY, roided out guy on the wonderful, over-the-top college football flick, “The Program”). Now, I am in no way saying Jayhawks linebacker Joe Mortensen is on steroids. Not at all. I’m just saying, he looks crazy and scary. He’s got traps (those muscles up on the tops of your shoulders) that look like stacks of bricks. And … he has a Mohawk. With a dark, thick beard, lines shaved into his eyebrows and a chipped front tooth. He has the essence of a man who runs into walls for fun. Or on a dare. The guy said that last night, one of his teammates dared him to eat a ball of wasabi (that red-hot stuff that’s popular, in small doses, at Asian restaurants). “I ate it. Then went outside and puked.” This is apparently common with Mortensen. “They’ll be like, ‘I bet you won’t eat that food off the ground.’ I’ve eaten live bugs. I’m just getting ready for Fear Factor. I want to go on that show. I think I would just dominate.” I stepped away from him slowly.
 
OK, I think that’s enough for now. On to the Qs and As …
 
*** VIRGINIA TECH DT CARLTON POWELL
 
ON FINISHING HIS CAREER AT THE ORANGE BOWL: “Oh, man, what a beautiful thing,” he said. “What a great finish. To end my career in Miami, in a big-time bowl, it’s a great blessing. I’m just glad to be here. But I always knew it would end this way.”
 
ON FLYING UNDER THE RADAR COMING OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL: “I’m definitely kind of an under-the-radar guy. Just one of those hard workers that gets stuff done. But I don’t mind being under the radar. When you humble yourself, you’ll be exalted later on.”
 
ON COMING FROM A LOSING HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM AT GREAT BRIDGE TO A TRADITIONALLY WINNING COLLEGE PROGRAM: “Yeah, we were probably .500 our best year. It was definitely a difference, because there winning wasn’t expected. When we lost, it really wasn’t a big deal. Here, where winning is a tradition, it was quite a turnaround.”
 
ON WHETHER HE HAD TO CHANGE HIS MINDSET COMING TO TECH: “Oh, no. I always played to my best ability. It’s just that we didn’t have a lot of other players that weren’t so good.”
 
ON THE PROGRESSION OF HIS CAREER: “I just came in, redshirted the first year. My redshirt freshman year I got a few starts in there. And actually my redshirt sophomore season, I began the year as the starter, but I got hurt. And I had a senior behind me, Tim Sandidge, who ended up starting some games. Then after that, I’ve started every game.”
 
ON HIS GOAL AS A DEFENSIVE TACKLE DURING GAMES: “Just to wreak havoc, make them have to double-team me every time so someone else will get free to make the play.”
 
ON HIS NICKNAME: “Causing Problems. Actually, when I came here on my visit during high school, I came into one of the dorm rooms and got introduced to Marcus Vick and Mike Imoh. They were in there playing video games and they asked me what my name was. I said Carlton Powell, but I guess I kind of mumbled it under my breath. Imoh was like, ‘What? Causing Problems?’ It was just a misunderstanding, but it stuck with me.”
 
ON DT BEING AN UNHERALDED POSITION: “I just play my role on the team, helping everybody else out. I might not have the most tackles, but I definitely cause the most plays to be made.”
 
ON THE BIGGEST CHANGE FROM HIGH SCHOOL: “Well, actually, I played linebacker in high school, so coming here and playing on the line was a big change. But it was something I knew I had to do. A lot was different when I got here, getting used to the speed of the game, getting bigger, stronger, dealing with more offensive linemen than usual.”
 
ON HOW MUCH WEIGHT HE HAD TO PUT ON: “Probably about 10 pounds. That’s it. I was like 290 in high school. I was a big linebacker. People were definitely scared. They didn’t ever run the ball on me. The passing game was different. They could throw the ball on me all day.”
 
ON TECH TELLING HIM ALL ALONG THAT HE WAS TOO BIG TO BE A LINEBACKER: “Oh, yeah. They said right away that I’d have to put my hand on the ground. I had to learn to use my hands a lot more and understand what blocking combinations I was going to get and how to get off blocks in general.”
 
ON HIS CURRENT WEIGHT-ROOM NUMBERS: “Right about now, I’m benching about 430, squatting around 600, power cleaning about 330, push-jerking 330.”
 
ON TAKING PRIDE IN “CAUSING PROBLEMS” EVEN IF HE DOESN’T PILE UP STATS: “Oh, yeah. I kind of consider that an assist. It might not get written down like that, but people who really know football look for things like that and appreciate it.”
 
ON WHETHER THESE LAST TWO SEASONS HAVE GIVEN HIM A CHANCE ON THE NEXT LEVEL: “I definitely think I have a chance. Because anybody that can cause a team to have to have extra blockers on them, leaving someone else free, is a valuable commodity.”
 
ON THE IMPORTANCE OF RELIGION IN HIS LIFE: “I definitely was brought up in the church. My mom and my dad had Bible study at the house about three times a week. We have Bible study with some of the fellas (on Tech’s team) probably once a week. I’ve got to say with The Word. It will always lead you in the right direction. I’m going to have it with me my whole life.”
 
ON HIS MOTTO: “My motto is do whatever it takes, no water, no breaks.”
 
*** KANSAS CB AQIB TALIB
 
ON THE FIRST TWO DAYS OF PRACTICE IN MIAMI: “It’s wonderful. We’re in Miami, out here working hard. It’s hot, like two-a-days, but we’re working hard and it’s going to pay off.”
 
ON HIS IMPRESSIONS OF TECH’S TWO-QB SYSTEM: “It kind of helps us out, because each quarterback is going to have his tendencies. It’s like game-planning for two different offenses. It’s kind of difficult, but at least it gives us a heads-up on what to expect.”
 
ON WHETHER KANSAS HAS EVER FACED AN ATTACK LIKE TECH’S: “I don’t think so. Not that I can remember.”
 
ON WHETHER THE TEAM IS FEELING ANY EFFECTS OF THE TIME OFF SINCE THEIR LAST GAME: “No, I don’t think so. The first practice, we came out here and had one of the best practices we’ve had. I didn’t see any effects, no rustiness or nothing.”
 
ON HOW DIFFERENT TECH’S TWO QUARTERBACKS ARE: “They’ve got a runner and a thrower. It’s kind of just like that.”
 
ON WHAT HE’S SEEN IN HIS OWN QUARTERBACK: “He’s just smart, makes good decisions. He doesn’t really force a lot of stuff. He prepares himself well for the game.”
 
ON HIS LOCKER ROOM PRESENCE: “His locker’s right next to mine … so we’ve got a loud corner over there. We get it poppin’ over in that corner. We joke around.”
 
ON WHETHER HE’LL RETURN PUNTS IN THIS GAME: “Yeah, this week I will.”
 
ON USING A GAME LIKE THIS TO SHOW PRO SCOUTS WHAT HE CAN DO: “Nah, man. I use these extra games for my team. That’s what we’re here for. I could care less about pro scouts right now. I’m worried about the Orange Bowl. That’s what we’re here for.”
 
*** KANSAS COACH MARK MANGINO
 
OPENING REMARKS AFTER PRACTICE: “We just finished our second practice here, and it’s been good. We went full-contact here for two days. Practiced roughly two hours a session. The kids had a three-day layoff. They all went home for Christmas. And we had no effects of them going home. They understood the task at hand here, to practice and get ready. I’m pleased with our first two workouts here. They’ve been heavy workouts, but that’s the way we do it.”
 
ON WHY HE HASN’T PLAYED TALIB ON OFFENSE MORE BEFORE NOW: “Well, you have to be fair to kids. He’s settling in at that corner position, and he’s learning. We felt now, this year, that he had a good grasp on that position and he was capable of taking on more responsibilities.”
 
ON REESING BEATING OUT VETERAN KERRY MEIER AT QB, AND THE DECISION TO PLAY MEIER AT WR: “Well, when Todd won the quarterback position, I sat down with our offensive coordinator and I said, ‘Ed, we’ve got one of the most talented guys on the team who’s going to be standing next to me every day, and I’m not comfortable with that.’ We’re talking about a young man that’s got good size, strength, power, speed, great hands, very intelligent. It would be a waste just to have him signaling plays all year. I had Ed present it to him and he was all for it. Kerry Meier, he is a microcosm of what our team is all about: unselfishness, play together, let’s do what we have to do to help the team. He’s become a very popular figure in the Big 12 region because of that. He could be the starting quarterback for a lot of Division I schools, but he unselfishly took this role on and he has the respect of his teammates and our fan base because of it.”
 
ON TALIB SERVING A ONE-GAME SUSPENSION LAST SEASON AND HOW MUCH HE’S GROWN SINCE THEN: “He has grown a lot. He really has. Sometimes kids come into your program, and it takes a while. Sometimes it takes a couple years, really, to get a grasp of what it’s all about. He was a young kid, a little bit immature when he got here. But I can’t say enough positive things about the way he handled his suspension, how he learned from it … and he has become not only one of our best players, but one of our most-respected kids. He’s all team. He’s about winning. He doesn’t care about all these accolades he’s received. He deserves them. We’re proud of him, but he wants to win.”
 
ON QB TODD REESING BEING OVERLOOKED, EVEN AS THE TEXAS STATE PLAYER OF THE YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL, BY MOST COLLEGES: “I’ve told the story before. He sent us a tape. His tape, he just looked phenomenal. He not only made plays throwing the ball, he made them running. His decision-making was very, very good for a high school quarterback. I really liked the tape, but he looked kind of small on the tape. I wanted to see him. So he came through with his dad the summer before his senior year. I guess it was one of those barnstorming tours that juniors like to do. But in his case, he knew he had to sell himself. He was being turned down by a lot of Division I schools because of his size. So I met him, talked with him, and while he was taken on a campus tour, the coaches came running down to my office and said, ‘What do you think about him?’ I said, ‘Well, he’s small. He’s really small. But I like him.’ He looked me in the eye. He was confident. Not cocky, but confident. Very sure of himself. I really took a liking to him. You take his videotape and his personality … We knew that a lot of schools were jumping off of him, and we felt that he could play for us, that he could be a good player. And now you know the rest of the story, as Paul Harvey would say.”
 
*** KANSAS QB TODD REESING
 
ON PRACTICING AND PLAYING IN THE HEAT OF MIAMI: “It’s going to take us a couple days to get used to the warmer temperature, but we went through hot two-a-days and we played a lot of games when it was hot, so it’s nothing we’re going to be worried about. We just need to stay hydrated and we’ll be fine.”
 
ON TOURING COLLEGES WHILE HE WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, TRYING TO PROVE HIS SIZE DIDN’T MATTER: “I visited a few schools. Probably about five or so. I was going to camps and just trying to get noticed.”
 
ON GROWING UP A TEXAS FAN AND MAYBE A SENSE OF REDEMPTION WITH HIS SUCCESS NOW AFTER THE LONGHORNS DIDN’T OFFER: “No, there’s no redemption or trying to get revenge on someone. Everything happens for a reason, and I’m not mad because people didn’t recruit me. It happens, and I’m glad I ended up at Kansas. I love the coaches, love all the guys on the team, so things worked out the way they should have for me.”
 
ON WHETHER THERE WAS A TURNING POINT FOR HIM THIS SEASON, WHERE HE KNEW HE WAS REALL IN CONTROL: “Well, I felt like I had control all season long, but I think our first Big 12 game when we played at Kansas State. We played on the road, where we hadn’t won in about two decades, and for us to come out of there with a win … I think at that point, everyone on this team knew we had a real good team.”
 
ON THE COLORADO GAME BEING ONE WHERE HE REALLY TOOK A LEADERSHIP ROLE: “Another road game, a tough place to play. Oklahoma went in there earlier in the season and they lost. We faced a similar situation … playing a good team on the road. We battled some adversity in that game. We had a few struggles on offense … but at the end of the game, we scored when we had to.”
 
ON MANGINO SAYING THAT WHEN HE MET HIM AS A HIGH SCHOOL PLAYER, HE WAS STRUCK BY REESING’S CONFIDENCE: “I was just being myself. I’ve always had a lot of confidence in myself. You tell me I can’t do something and that’s just going to be more reason for me to go do it. So I’ve always believed in myself. My parents raised me that way, to think whatever I want to do, I can do it. I guess he just saw that.”
 
ON WHETHER IT WAS TOUGH NOT TO GET THAT TEXAS OFFER: “It wasn’t really tough. If you’re born in Austin, you’re probably going to be a UT fan. My dad went there. But I came in expecting not to be recruited by a lot of people because of my size. I was just going out hoping someone would give me a shot. Luckily, I got my shot, and it’s turned out pretty well so far.”
 
ON THE FIRST TWO ORANGE BOWL PRACTICES: “We’ve had two really good practices. I feel great coming off the field today after the work we’ve had so far. Guys are getting out here practicing hard and competing. I think it’s the right way to start this week off.”
 
ON VIRGINIA TECH’S DEFENSE: “From watching them on film, it may not be that far off to say this is the best defense we’ve faced. They have a lot of great players. They have All-Americans, all-conference guys, guys that are going to be playing at the next level. I have a lot of respect for them. It’s going to be a challenge. But at the same, I have confidence in our offense. I know we have a good game plan. So we’ll be ready to go.”
 
ON TECH’S PASS RUSH, AND WHETHER HIS MOBILITY WILL COME INTO PLAY: “Well, I’ll do what I have to do. That’s kind of what a quarterbacks supposed to do … whatever he has to do to get the job done, whether that be running it, throwing it, or pulling something out of your sleeve. Whatever you have to do.”
 
ON FEELING LIKE HE WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO PLAY AT KANSAS ALL ALONG: “I felt that way from Day 1, when I came on campus. I expect a lot out of myself. You don’t have to tell me when I mess up. I know. And you don’t have to tell me when I did good. I’ve always carried myself that way and I think the guys know that. I think that’s why they respect me as a leader and a quarterback.”
 
ON HIS PERCEPTIONS, AS A TEXAS FAN GROWING UP, OF THE KANSAS PROGRAM: “I really didn’t know much about them. When I was growing up, Kansas never really had a lot of great football teams. I never knew much about them until I started talking to them in high school.”
 
ON KANSAS BEING IN AN ORANGE BOWL SEEMING UNTHINKABLE BACK THEN: “Maybe back then, but once I started to meet the coaches and meet the guys they were recruiting, learning the things they wanted to accomplish as a program … if you asked anybody on this team before the season if we thought this was possible, we would’ve said yes. All the success and the season we’ve had is something we’ve earned and we’ve worked for. It didn’t just happen by chance.”
 
ON BEING HAPPY TO PLAY IN WARMER WEATHER: “You’ve gotta love the heat. Growing up in Austin, it was always hot. Some I’m happy to be here, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
 

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