Armed with a new three-year deal with ESPN, the sideline star continues to ride a wave of popularity. A telecommunications major and dance team member at Florida, the 29-year-old has developed into a go-to reporter for ESPN, covering everything from Big Ten basketball to the Great Outdoor Games. Familiar with the Assembly Hall, she'll work her first game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday. Sports editor Jim Rossow caught up with Andrews as she was prepping for Thursday's Kentucky-South Carolina game to talk about Ron Zook, the Orange Krush and diamond rings.

JR: Student sections love interacting with you. Any stories you'd like to share?

EA: A couple weeks ago at the Orange Bowl, when Miami made a huge statement against Texas A&M, I walked by the Miami student section and they started chanting "Gators suck!" I just pointed to my fingers for (last season's title) ring, and they screamed back 'We've got five!' Then I just made a basketball gesture. It was a lot of fun.

JR: Orange Krush: friend or foe?

EA: More like a sister or brother. When I come to Champaign, it's like coming home. The Orange Krush is like a sibling. They'll find out what hotel I'm at, call me up and ask if I want to go out for a beer. They've brought me T-shirts and signs. It's not like their harassing me. It's always in good fun.

JR: How many times have students asked your hand in marriage?

EA: Quite a few times, but nothing with a ring right then and there. I've never seen a diamond. When you're 29 and single, a diamond is going to make a difference.

JR: You and Coach Zook go back a long way.

EA: Well, I'm a Gator grad. Our first meeting, when he was at Florida, we hit it off. He's not a hard guy to get along with. If I needed something, I'd text him. His door was always open.

JR: He's a pretty good recruiter.

EA: Mothers love him. He's a charmer. And he's high energy. That picture of him water skiing is famous. At Florida, when our stadium was going through renovation, there was the story that a fire alarm went off but he wouldn't leave. He told them 'If I see smoke in my office, I'll just jump out the window.' I've heard has has a phone in his shower so if a recruit calls, he doesn't miss him. That's just the Zooker.

JR: Surprised he has Illinois playing so well?

EA: Not at all. Look at the players who won the national championship at Florida. A lot of those were his players. He get them there.

JR: Can you straighten out the Big Ten race for me.

EA: Sorry. I'm having enough trouble trying to figure out what's going on in college football. Auburn's down one week, beats Florida the next. Wisconsin is No. 5 and an underdog. (South Florida) is the hottest team in Florida right now. Everything's jumbled.

JR: Your take on Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy's tirade.

EA: I'm torn. I've befriended a lot of coaches and athletes and have seen how they deal with the media and how sometimes the media can get in the way. I can understand this is a college student who was attacked, and the coach is looking at is as if he's the quarterback's parent, trying to protect him. I can also see it the other way, that I would hope never to be called out like that. I can't image something so embarrassing and humiliating. I hope he would pull me aside.

JR: Could you whoop Lee Corso in punt, pass & kick?

EA: Probably not. But I could whoop Lee Corso in a dance routine.

JR: What's your dream job?

EA: It's what I'm doing right now. Everybody asks me what's next. I guess "Monday Night Football" is the end-all be-all for me, but right now I know there are things I can improve on: my interviews, my storytelling, my relationships with coaches and athletes. We'll see. What I don't want to happen is to one day look back and say 'I wish I would have done that.'