Daily: In Saturday’s 42-35 double-overtime win against Purdue, you carried the ball 46 times for 217 yards and caught five passes for 59 yards. Do you feel capable of carrying that big of a load week in and week out?
Maroney: Oh yeah. I’ve got to be. I bet I can do it, you know, it’s nothing. There was nothing to it. You know, I really didn’t know it was that many carries until somebody told me. So I really wasn’t paying attention to how many carries I got. I was just out there making something happen with the carries I was getting.
Daily: Who in your mind are this year’s Heisman candidates?
Maroney: That’s a good question. I have to say, Matt Leinart, he’s looking good; Reggie Bush, he’s a great running back; Vince Young, he’s good, you know, those guys right there, they’re all right. They’re good players.
Daily: Do you consider yourself one of those candidates?
Maroney: I really don’t know. I don’t pay attention to it. You know, a lot of people say ‘Oh, he’s a Heisman candidate,’ but I’m just going to continue to go out there and do what I do best and that’s run the ball and help the team win.
Daily: You guys have a couple of tough teams coming up in the next two weeks (Penn State and Michigan) and they’re both road games. After the Purdue game, do you feel more ready for that challenge?
Maroney: Oh yeah. We’re feeling real confident right now. You know, you just got to go take it one game at a time. We can’t overlook Penn State and say, ‘Ooh, Michigan’s coming up next.’ We’re just taking it one game at a time we’re getting prepared this week for Penn State to the best of our ability.
Daily: A lot of the top teams in the Big Ten have been beating each other up early on, with both Michigan and Iowa losing last weekend. You guys had a really tough game early on, but you came out on top. How much does that give you an advantage early on?
Maroney: It just let us know that the Big Ten is wide open this year, you know, anybody can win it. So that just gives us more to fight for.
Daily: In what areas do you think you’ve improved the most since your freshman year?
Maroney: I have to say, just blocking, catching. Well, I ain’t going to say I improved in catching because I don’t think I had bad hands. Blocking is what I really try to improve in. I try my best not to let Cupito get hit, because look how little he is! You see Cupito get hit, they’re going to break him in half! No, I’m just playing. But I told Cup, you know, I’ll take the punishment. I’m the running back so I get hit anyway. I say, if they’re going to hit you, they’ve got to get through me first. I said if they can go through me, you better hurry up and pass it.
Daily: Could this be your last year here?
Maroney: I don’t know, I can’t even tell you man. You really can’t predict what’s going to happen, you know. There’s just no telling at this point in time. If you ask me about it Jan. 1, I might have an answer for you. No, you can’t even ask me that day, because we’re having a bowl game. You’ve got to catch me after that.
