LOS ANGELES — Max Duggan sounds very much like a quarterback who knows he’s in for the challenge of his lifetime.
And he believes he and his TCU football team (13-1) are up to it, even if they are a two-touchdown underdog to No. 1-ranked Georgia (14-0).
The Bulldogs defense has been elite throughout much of the season and came up clutch in the fourth quarter of a 42-41 win over Ohio State last Saturday, holding the Buckeyes to just three points over the final 15 minutes.
“They do a lot defensively that’s special,” Duggan said at the CFP Media Day on Saturday at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
“They are well-coached and talented, and they do a lot with coverages, with their backers and with their pressures up front.”
The Horned Frogs and Bulldogs play at 7:30 p.m. on Monday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.
Former Georgia defensive coordinator and SEC coach Jeremy Pruitt is convinced Georgia will be coming after Duggan with pressure, employing their trademark style of defense.
“I think Georgia is going to be who Georgia is, and I think that’s how they need to play,” said Pruitt, who has followed the Bulldogs closely with his weekly ‘On the Beat’ installments on DawgNation.
“When I think about Georgia’s defense, when you get off the bus, they are coming after you.”
Duggan indicated that’s about what he expects.
“We know what they will be like, and we know it will be a challenge with how good they are,” Duggan said. “Something we have to do is execute at a higher level than we did against Michigan.
“We know if we don’t execute or have opportunities that we take, it’s going to be a long night.”
Duggan threw two interceptions against the Wolverines and completed less than 50 percent of his passes, 14 of 29 for 225 yards.
The TCU quarterback also rushed 15 times for 57 yards and 2 touchdowns against Michigan in the 51-45 win.
“We have a lot of confidence in us, and that it won’t be too much of a moment for us,” Duggan said. “We’ll believe in ourselves and stay the course.”
The Horned Frogs might not be on par with Georgia when it comes to talent, but Duggan made it sound like their mindset is very much the same.
“I’d say we’re resilient,” Duggan said, asked to describe TCU with one word. “The guys continue to fight back and believe in each other and get through adversity, and not let bad things that happen affect their mindset.”
As Duggan noted, the Georgia defense will be intent on creating difficult circumstances, and it will be up to him to handle it.
Poise, Duggan said, is part of the job at quarterback.
“Nothing is ever pretty, it’s not like you’re always going to have a clean pocket, there’s bad stuff that’s going to happen where someone will miss a block, or run the wrong route, or I’ll miss a throw, or something will happen in the pocket where it’s messy,” Duggan said.
“I think you need to be calm under chaos, and you need to be comfortable being uncomfortable.”
The was certainly how C.J. Stroud found success against Georgia in the CFP Peach Bowl Semifinal, overcoming four sacks to lead Ohio State to the brink of a win before falling short, 42-41.
“I think that’s what a lot of the greats have done,” Duggan said, “if you want to be grea,t you have to be comfortable being uncomfortable.
“There’s going to be a lot of chaos, and you want to thrive in that position.”