Q. Amari, getting tired riding that bicycle at practice?
AMARI BURNEY: Yeah, very tired of riding that bicycle. I feel like they didn't disclose the injury, so I'm not going to say too much about that. But I'm 100 percent healthy, and I'm back.
Q. How do you feel about the knowledge of this defense? Under Grantham, I'm sure you had a really good understanding. Did any of that carry over to what you have to do?
AMARI BURNEY: Yeah, it carried over a little bit. Some of the terminology is different, but just the understanding of the defense is very easy to understand.
Once you understand it, though, it kind of gets complex a little bit. We can say it's very easy, but we're trying to become 4D players so we know every position. So we're on the field, we can play faster.
Q. What's the challenge with these tight ends for Utah, the two tight ends?
AMARI BURNEY: It's going to be a good challenge for us. I feel like we're ready, though. They've got two good tight ends, No. 80 and No. 86. No. 80, we've been watching on film. He's kind of a hybrid tight end, kind of like Kyle Pitts, kind of how we used him. It's going to be a very good challenge for us.
Q. What does that entail like controlling those guys? When the team -- like Georgia has great tight ends, and they can pose a lot of problems.
AMARI BURNEY: Just the coaches getting us ready, coach P.T. getting us ready for the game. So I feel like, if we're ready, we can go out and play.
Q. I just mean as an individual player. What does a tight end kind of bring --
AMARI BURNEY: To the game?
Q. Yeah, that just makes it difficult to defend the guy.
AMARI BURNEY: I feel like -- I mean, I really don't get the question you're trying to ask.
Q. What does it fall on? Does it fall on you?
AMARI BURNEY: It falls on the linebackers, falls on the safeties. Anybody manned up on them, then that's the person that's got to guard them.
Q. Overall how do you feel this defense matches up, especially the experienced and physical offense Utah is going to be bringing here?
AMARI BURNEY: We've got a lot of respect for Utah. They're bringing a lot of key players they had last year back on the team. I feel like this defense is going to match up very well. P.T. has prepared us very well for this game, and we're going to match up.
Q. There's a new player on the other side of the ball for them, Mohamoud, obviously someone you know pretty well. Have you been able to catch up leading into this game, trash talk or anything?
AMARI BURNEY: I don't really trash talk. We have caught up a little bit. I feel like I play defense, he plays defense, so I'm really not going to play against him.
Q. Talking about everything through camp that led to an attempt to cut down on some of the penalties -- the board, bringing in SEC officials to give feedback. How much do you feel that stuff helped throughout fall camp in terms of the discipline level and making sure you guys are cutting back on undisciplined penalties?
AMARI BURNEY: I feel like it helps very much. Last year we kept shooting ourselves in the foot, if I may say, with jumping offsides, hands to the face. You can't win games like that.
When we played Kentucky, we had 15 penalties on offense. You can't win games like that. It's been a big emphasis on those, not shooting ourselves in the foot, and that's how we win games.
Q. Anything you've seen in scrimmage about your ability to stop the run? How important will that be on Saturday, and how prepared do you think you guys are in terms of that?
AMARI BURNEY: In scrimmages, we stopped the run pretty well. The offense kind of ran the ball a little bit. I feel like we're ready. It's going to be a great ability for us to stop the run and show you guys that we can stop the run.
Utah is a run heavy offense. They come in 12, 13 personnel and try to run the ball. We're going to get grimy and dirty and stop the run.
Q. You've been here several years. How does your conditioning compare this year compared to the previous years?
AMARI BURNEY: You're talking about in practice?
Q. Your physical conditioning.
AMARI BURNEY: Compared to the previous years, we did more like -- I want to say like heavy lifting, but we did more lifting, more than kind of speed training. This year they brung in mixed speed training with the heavy lifting so we can become faster and stronger at the same time.
Q. Do you feel like you all have been able to do that?
AMARI BURNEY: Yes, sir, most definitely. We're putting up great numbers in speed and great numbers in the weight room.
Q. What did you do on the 40?
AMARI BURNEY: I ain't going to tell you that. You can witness that next year to see that (laughter).
Q. You were pushed around a little last year, run on. Is this a good test for you guys to show you're back to the standard you set maybe your first couple years here?
AMARI BURNEY: This is a very good standard. Like I said, we've got a lot of respect for Utah in the run game. We're just going to go out there and play and see what we can do for real.
Q. We talked in training camp about guys that were maybe on your radar. You mentioned Shemar James, how you guys were taking him under your wing. What did you see out of him in fall camp? How comfortable are you that that guy could provide some depth for the team?
AMARI BURNEY: I seen a lot out of him from the beginning of fall camp. As a matter of fact, I seen a lot out of him from when he got here in the summer to the beginning of fall camp. Just every day trying to soak in the game, trying to learn from me and Ventrell about how to do things properly, and just him growing as a player and as a player off the field.
Q. You've had a couple of tough season openers yourself. You had Miami and Ole Miss, and those weren't easy. What kind of tone can that set for the season if you get out of the gates with a good performance here?
AMARI BURNEY: It can set a good tone. We have a lot of faith in Coach Billy Napier. I'm sure the fans do too. If we go out there and we perform like how we should perform and come out with a win, then I feel like it's going to set the tone for a very good season.
Q. This idea that better people make better football players, and it seems to emphasize the personal aspect and the character and everything like that. Could you talk about that and how it's meant to you and how you've seen it mean to other players.
AMARI BURNEY: Off the field, if you can't do the right things off the field, then how can they trust you to put you on the field and do the right things?
If you're a good player, like we say, the little things, like picking up trash off the field, like in the locker room, if you see trash, you pick it up. Just being a great human being off the field can really help you on the field, like just do the little things, stand your gap, not jump offsides, just disciplinary actions on the field.
Q. What are your impressions of Cam Rising, the quarterback at Utah? You talked a lot about their run game, but what do you see from him throwing the ball?
AMARI BURNEY: I feel like he's a great quarterback. He played last year. We seen what he did last year. He's coming back again. I feel like -- and I think they mad about the Rose Bowl game. So I feel like they've got a little vengeance on them.
He's a great quarterback. He's sneaky fast, I see that a little bit.
Q. Do you still talk to Mohamoud Diabate, and are you guys going to trash talk with him a little bit?
AMARI BURNEY: No. He plays defense, so there's no chance for me really to trash talk. It's kind of the offensive type of guys that are going to trash talk him. I can't remember the last time I spoke to him. We've kind of been doing our things, just getting ready for the game.
Q. Do you know anybody from the offense who's talking trash with him already?
AMARI BURNEY: No, not really. I think the offense is ready to play.
Q. You and Dante both brought up the 4D Gator scale. Can you give us a little insight how that's assessed, what goes into it, and where you stand on it?
AMARI BURNEY: Right now I would say I'm not a 4D player yet. I'm working my way up there. I'm 3D right now. 1D is just like getting lined up, knowing your position. 2D is kind of helping other guys getting lined up. 3D is knowing the people in front of you, and 4D is just knowing everything that's going on on the field, even with the offense running.
Q. Are there 4D Gators on the team already?
AMARI BURNEY: There's a couple. I'm going to say Big G and probably Ventrell Miller is probably 4D right now.
Q. Talk about this new facility. How has that lifted you emotionally and mentally, and how has it lifted the rest of the team?
AMARI BURNEY: Emotionally, I feel like it's lifted the team very well. As you see, outside they've got parking spots. They put me in parking spot 4. I'm right by the head man. Just being able to park right in front of the facility and walk in here and then get everything you need, as in treatment, the food is right there, the coaches are right upstairs. You can see them every day. It's been a very welcoming thing for us. We're very grateful for it.
Q. How demanding has Coach Bateman been on you guys. We've seen him in the drills. But in the film room, I guess that carries over, right?
AMARI BURNEY: Yeah, it carries over. I just want to say Coach Bateman is not only my coach, but he is my life coach off the field. So it carries over a lot.
We can joke with Coach Bateman when it's time to joke. When it's time to get serious, it's time to lock in. Coach Bateman going to tell you what it is. He's not going to sugarcoat nothing. Even me and Ventrell, we get it. He make us start the drills over because we're examples for the younger guys to do the drills right.
So it's very helpful for him to be here, and I'm very grateful for him.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports