Mason likes the Georgia Dome

AUBURN - Auburn held its first practice in the Georgia Dome Monday in preparation for Saturday night's Chick-fil-A Bowl game with Virginia.

Afterward, several of Auburn's players met with the media, including freshman running back Tre Mason.

Here's what Mason had to say:

Talk about playing in this game.

"It's exciting. It's a great opportunity I was given, so I'm just going
to do what I've got to do to win.

What do you think of the Georgia Dome?

"I like the turf. The turf is a fast track."

Does that give you and Onterio McCalebb an advantage?

"I feel like it is. It'll be an advantage for us. We're a couple of
fast guys. This will actually help us get to be where we need to be,
which is the end zone, a lot faster.

Has Onterio been helpful?

"He's helped me greatly. He's like a brother. What I didn't really
understand, he corrected me on it. He's got me to where I understand
the entire offense."

Are you ready to run between the tackles?

"I've been ready. I've been ready since high school to run between the
tackle. That's what I'm here to do."

Are you big enough?

"I think it really takes a lot of heart, and not being afraid to run
between the tackles. Some running backs may be shy between the
tackles, but I’m not. It's not a size thing at all."

Talk about the work you got during the regular season.

"A lot of reps. It was Mike (Dyer) and I. We were getting an equal amount of
reps, and we just kept each other going because you never know when
somebody might go down."

How has Quan Bray fit in?

"He's perfect. He's versatile. He could play every position on the
field if you wanted him to. He could play defense, too. He's just a
great athlete."

Talk about your freshman year?

"It was good to get your feet wet and learn some of this offense. I
can't wait until next year and really play a lot."