MIKE BERCOVICI: Obviously a pretty special week. You know, going into a senior day weekend, this is something that I never thought I'd be sitting in this situation, finally being a fifth-year senior and playing my last game in Sun Devil Stadium. But for this 2015 unit, especially some of these guys that have been here five years, being here before Coach Graham's entrance to this football team, it's obviously extremely special. I mean, it's an amazing achievement for a lot of us seniors just to know that we've been through college football up to this point, and it's going to be a special, special day Saturday for us.
Just the amount of sacrifice that's gone into a lot of us being able to be in this position, between our parents, guardians, family members. So our team has our backs. Coach Graham said that you've got to play for these seniors, and it's just pretty special to be able to be sitting here in these shoes, sitting in my senior year along with some of my greatest friends for the rest of my life. We're excited, and it's going to be a great week of preparation.
Q. I know you and Jordan are close. What was the reaction like when you found out he'd be out for the year?
MIKE BERCOVICI: Yeah, when Jordan came here a couple years ago, immediately just became best friends with him just because I saw the type of work ethic that he has, and it's every single day. It doesn't matter if it's Sunday morning or if it's the day of the game. I mean, the kid is just -- he's just special. He's got a special heart, and just to see him being done for the rest of the season is obviously extremely heartbreaking for his family, for our football family, for us as roommates. But if there's one kid that can bounce back from something like this, it's him.
Anybody that knows him has no worries about how he's going to prepare from this point for the rest of his career, and you know that he's going to be the best team player that we have. He'll be helping this football team whether he's on the field or not.
Q. You had four incompletions on the final drive of the first half and then you went 12 of 14 in the second half. What led to that and what was that like playing in that type of a half?
MIKE BERCOVICI: Yeah, it was obviously a special half for us. Just felt good to finally start clicking on offense. But I mean, all that really is is preparation. A lot of things that we saw on film, was something that we attacked, and our offensive line did a really good job in the second half. Receivers played well. Tight ends stepped up. Obviously the running game started becoming more explosive, and once this offense gets going, we have that type of ability. And as a quarterback you've got to put the ball in the right spot and let your playmakers make plays. It's something we need to build on moving forward.
Q. I wanted to get your thoughts on the rivalry, and secondly, for the seniors playing their last home game at Sun Devil Stadium.
MIKE BERCOVICI: Absolutely. I think this is something that, like I've said before, you wait for this game all year, the second the schedule comes out, but this is something, like I just mentioned it's extremely special for us seniors just to know we have one last opportunity to put it out there on the field, last time on Kush Field, last time in Sun Devil Stadium for our parents that have been coming here for four or five years or if you're a junior college kid, it's pretty special to see the type of emotions that I've seen over the years.
I can still remember Taylor Kelly's face when he came out of that tunnel last year for the last time, and it's something that you never see it looking forward, but now that it's finally here, it is pretty amazing. We know what the mission is Saturday, and we're not going to be distracted by the emotions of senior day, but it is a pretty monumental day for us seniors.
Q. I was just wondering if you could put into words your journey from day one to now coming up.
MIKE BERCOVICI: To put it into words would be pretty hard. Coming in here, being recruited by a completely different coach, having a coaching change, one of the most -- one of the things that sticks out in my mind is the first time Coach Graham came up and talked to us. I was sitting back here somewhere, and just the type of energy that he brought was -- you could tell, and the funny thing about it is it hasn't changed in his fourth year here. He still has that type of -- that same tenacious attitude that he did the second he stepped foot in this team room.
But obviously just being a backup for the first four years I was here was something that I learned a lot through just being with my teammates, seeing how a college football roller coaster ride works, and just being able to see how playing with your brothers and competing on the field, in the classroom, summer workouts, can really bring a football team together, and just realized how unity and brotherhood is really what wins football games and the things that you remember for the rest of your life, not just Saturdays.
Q. You played in the Territorial Cup last year. Just kind of recount what that experience was like, and how much of a difference does it make not having Scooby Wright to worry about?
MIKE BERCOVICI: This is something that we have the bitter taste in our mouth from last year, but I can't say enough about this football team and just the type of character that this football team has possessed all season. Obviously we're sitting in a situation where we have our most important football game ahead of us, and it's going to be a special, special opportunity to take the field one last time with this 2015 group. I know that a lot of us guys have been talking about it, how we can't believe it's finally here. We look some of our freshmen in the face and say, you guys have no idea how fast this goes because you constantly say that this time goes quick, but it really does go by in the blink of an eye.
So it's something that we're looking forward to, and the mission is simple: Take care of the football, play amazing defense, and win on special teams.
Just the amount of sacrifice that's gone into a lot of us being able to be in this position, between our parents, guardians, family members. So our team has our backs. Coach Graham said that you've got to play for these seniors, and it's just pretty special to be able to be sitting here in these shoes, sitting in my senior year along with some of my greatest friends for the rest of my life. We're excited, and it's going to be a great week of preparation.
Q. I know you and Jordan are close. What was the reaction like when you found out he'd be out for the year?
MIKE BERCOVICI: Yeah, when Jordan came here a couple years ago, immediately just became best friends with him just because I saw the type of work ethic that he has, and it's every single day. It doesn't matter if it's Sunday morning or if it's the day of the game. I mean, the kid is just -- he's just special. He's got a special heart, and just to see him being done for the rest of the season is obviously extremely heartbreaking for his family, for our football family, for us as roommates. But if there's one kid that can bounce back from something like this, it's him.
Anybody that knows him has no worries about how he's going to prepare from this point for the rest of his career, and you know that he's going to be the best team player that we have. He'll be helping this football team whether he's on the field or not.
Q. You had four incompletions on the final drive of the first half and then you went 12 of 14 in the second half. What led to that and what was that like playing in that type of a half?
MIKE BERCOVICI: Yeah, it was obviously a special half for us. Just felt good to finally start clicking on offense. But I mean, all that really is is preparation. A lot of things that we saw on film, was something that we attacked, and our offensive line did a really good job in the second half. Receivers played well. Tight ends stepped up. Obviously the running game started becoming more explosive, and once this offense gets going, we have that type of ability. And as a quarterback you've got to put the ball in the right spot and let your playmakers make plays. It's something we need to build on moving forward.
Q. I wanted to get your thoughts on the rivalry, and secondly, for the seniors playing their last home game at Sun Devil Stadium.
MIKE BERCOVICI: Absolutely. I think this is something that, like I've said before, you wait for this game all year, the second the schedule comes out, but this is something, like I just mentioned it's extremely special for us seniors just to know we have one last opportunity to put it out there on the field, last time on Kush Field, last time in Sun Devil Stadium for our parents that have been coming here for four or five years or if you're a junior college kid, it's pretty special to see the type of emotions that I've seen over the years.
I can still remember Taylor Kelly's face when he came out of that tunnel last year for the last time, and it's something that you never see it looking forward, but now that it's finally here, it is pretty amazing. We know what the mission is Saturday, and we're not going to be distracted by the emotions of senior day, but it is a pretty monumental day for us seniors.
Q. I was just wondering if you could put into words your journey from day one to now coming up.
MIKE BERCOVICI: To put it into words would be pretty hard. Coming in here, being recruited by a completely different coach, having a coaching change, one of the most -- one of the things that sticks out in my mind is the first time Coach Graham came up and talked to us. I was sitting back here somewhere, and just the type of energy that he brought was -- you could tell, and the funny thing about it is it hasn't changed in his fourth year here. He still has that type of -- that same tenacious attitude that he did the second he stepped foot in this team room.
But obviously just being a backup for the first four years I was here was something that I learned a lot through just being with my teammates, seeing how a college football roller coaster ride works, and just being able to see how playing with your brothers and competing on the field, in the classroom, summer workouts, can really bring a football team together, and just realized how unity and brotherhood is really what wins football games and the things that you remember for the rest of your life, not just Saturdays.
Q. You played in the Territorial Cup last year. Just kind of recount what that experience was like, and how much of a difference does it make not having Scooby Wright to worry about?
MIKE BERCOVICI: This is something that we have the bitter taste in our mouth from last year, but I can't say enough about this football team and just the type of character that this football team has possessed all season. Obviously we're sitting in a situation where we have our most important football game ahead of us, and it's going to be a special, special opportunity to take the field one last time with this 2015 group. I know that a lot of us guys have been talking about it, how we can't believe it's finally here. We look some of our freshmen in the face and say, you guys have no idea how fast this goes because you constantly say that this time goes quick, but it really does go by in the blink of an eye.
So it's something that we're looking forward to, and the mission is simple: Take care of the football, play amazing defense, and win on special teams.
