Quick Lane Bowl Prep Has Begun in Detroit

DETROIT - The Boston College football team continued preparing for the 2016 Quick Lane Bowl against Maryland, taking to Ford Field on Friday morning for the first practice inside the dome. The Eagles (6-6) will take on the Terrapins (6-6) on Monday, Dec. 26 at 2:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN and the WatchESPN app, along with the BC IMG Sports Network (WEEI 850 AM locally).

After practice, head coach Steve Addazio, junior defensive end Harold Landry and graduate quarterback Patrick Towles answered questions about the Eagles' preparation and their experiences in Detroit so far.

Head Coach Steve Addazio:
What did you think of the festivities last night and the fowling experience?
They had a great time. I think they really enjoyed it and they had a little competition with Maryland, which was a lot of fun. (Len) Skubal did his little between the legs long snap deal to a pin and the whole place erupted so it was a nice night for the kids. I really enjoyed it.

How important is it for you to balance the chance for the kids to enjoy making a bowl game and preparing for one?
It is important they have a little bit of fun. You can have fun and work hard and have a little fun and work hard. Of course, now that we start to get closer that thing tightens down to a traditional more of a game week approach. But last night and today and tonight, they have some nice activities. I want them to take it all in and enjoy that piece of it and then have the maturity to flip the switch and get ready and go and play the game.

With the first practice today at Ford Field, what did you think of the facilities and how was practice?
Oh it is beautiful here; what a great venue. You know the players really dug on it. They love to be in these NFL venues and it was great. The surface was great. It was great to get in here and see the lighting and the pro hash and all the stuff you know you little few reps at, so I thought it was terrific.

Harold Landry:
What is it like being in Detroit so far and the fowling experience last night?
It was actually really fun. When we got there I was not expecting it to be like that. I never done that before. It was definitely a fun experience we all really enjoyed it, especially at the end watching Skubal knock it down by long snapping. That was crazy. But it has been an overall pretty good experience. Coming in here this is my second time being in an NFL stadium. I love the field; it is really nice. I was not expecting them to have (Boston College) in the end zone so that is a nice touch to it. Overall it has been a really good experience.

Skubal made SportsCeneter Top 10. Have you ever seen a long snapper make Top 10 on SportsCeneter?
No. I have seen them make Not Top 10, but that was crazy though. Good for him. That was an amazing thing to do.

You spoke a little bit about Ford Field but what was it like coming in here today and practice inside a NFL venue?
It was really cool. I never done it before but it was a really good experience, really cool experience. As soon as I walked out there I felt like I was playing in the ACC Championship game or something. It was just a really, really nice experience going out there practicing. We get to do it again tomorrow and then play in the game. It is going to be really cool.

How big of an adjustment is it turning your focus to game day with Monday right around the corner?
For me personally, I have been focused on the game this whole week just doing the same things I have done during the regular season. Studying film as much as I can, taking practice seriously every day, enjoying the experience but not letting the experience overtake what we came here to do, which is win the game. I think if we all just keep that in mind that the game is the most important thing, it is not more fun than actually winning the game, not just the experience of being here. I think if we do all that we will take care of business on Monday.

Patrick Towles:
What was the fowling experience like last night? Especially with Skubal on SportsCenter Top 10?
It was awesome, awesome. Good for Len. You know Len is my roommate, so it was great to see that. (Fowling) was kind of an interesting thing, took us a while to get the hang of it but I really, really liked it. It was very, very fun.

How has the experience been for you guys so far in Detroit?
It has been great. We have had a wonderful time. Our hotel is super nice. You know, (the Quick Lane Bowl has) done a wonderful job of making us feel like super stars which we really, really appreciate. This facility, the Lions facility, is incredible so I think we are going to go to the (Henry) Ford museum tonight, which we excited about so it has been wonderful.

Have you ever played in a dome? If not what was it like for the first time being in here today?
No, I don't think so. We got the bubble, but that is not anything compared to this. It is a beautiful stadium. It is huge. Coach (Scot) Loeffler, when he was a quarterback coach here, talked to me about it, tried to describe it but he didn't really do it justice. It is awesome.

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Harold Landry

Patrick Towles

Quick Lane Bowl Prep Has Begun in Detroit

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