GoHeels Exclusive: Weekly Press Conference Notes

by Pat James

With the North Carolina football team's record at 1-7 overall and 0-5 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, a bowl game is likely out of reach this season.

But Larry Fedora said at his weekly press conference Monday that it's not time to panic and make any drastic changes in how he and the coaching staff lead the program.

"Because of the success in the past," Fedora said, "I'm not shaky about my philosophy, I'm not questioning whether I can coach, I'm not questioning whether our coaches can coach, I'm not questioning those kinds of things. I know what we're doing and the way we're doing things are proven.

"You've got to put your nose down, your head down, and you keep grinding and you keep doing it and you keep doing it. And eventually good things are going to happen."

Here are four other notes from Monday's press conference, leading up to Saturday's noon game against No. 8 Miami.

Evaluating development

Although he didn't see any improvements with the offense in Saturday's 59-7 loss at Virginia Tech, Fedora said there were a few players who showed individual progress.

One of the players Fedora cited was Dazz Newsome. Fedora spoke of one play where Newsome was tasked with a tough blocking assignment and it was "questionable" whether or not he would know what to do. But he said Newsome blocked the correct defensive player, resulting in a positive play.

"You've got to look for the little things, the small silver linings in the details," Fedora said. "We've just got to keep improving and paying attention to detail."

Leaving a legacy

Following the loss against Duke on Sept. 23, Fedora was asked at his weekly press conference about when his team's goals for the season might change. He said then that they hadn't.

But following Saturday's loss, Fedora said he spoke with the seniors Sunday about what sort of legacy they want to leave behind and how they're going to respond in their final four games.

"That's what they're going to be remembered as," Fedora said. "It won't be so much the wins and losses but how they reacted in times of adversity and how they led this football team, and are they going to continue to keep this group together like they've done such a good job of doing. So, that's where we're at right now."

Sails' strides

With three pass breakups Saturday, K.J. Sails seized the team lead with nine for the season, one more than M.J. Stewart. Fedora said Sails has steadily improved since the spring, when a mistake on one play occasionally impacted his performance on ensuing ones.

"What you've got to have is memory loss," said Fedora of playing cornerback. "You can't worry about the ones you get beat on or the ones you're out of position on. And you've got to have a lot of confidence … He's done a really good job of putting it behind him and moving on to the next play. And he's made plays for us."

Miami's rushing attack

After rushing for 428 yards and three touchdowns through Miami's first four games, preseason All-ACC running back Mark Walton underwent season-ending ankle surgery.

Such a loss might debilitate most teams. But the Hurricanes have received a boost from Travis Homer, who has carried the ball 40 times for 265 yards and two touchdowns over Miami's past two games.

"They've probably got a couple more back there who they can slip in there (at tailback) and be just as good," Fedora said. "They're doing a really good job up front. I think that's the key. When you stick another running back in there and he does the same things, you've got to give credit to the offensive line, those tight ends and receivers who are blocking on the perimeter."

Players Mentioned

Dazz Newsome

K.J. Sails

M.J. Stewart

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