University of North Carolina Athletics
Terry Lewis Reflects On FSU, Looks Ahead To Marshall
September 21, 2000 | Football
TarHeelBlue.com
TarHeelBlue: The last thing I want to do is dwell on last week, but what happened?
Coach Lewis: "Hey, that's OK. It happened. It's becoming more of a memory now. If we win these next four games, it'll become a distant memory.
TarHeelBlue: What do you coaches do after an old-fashioned butt-whipping like that?
Coach Lewis: "It really depends on what time of year it occurs. It happened early enough in the year that it just represents one loss. If we had lost by two points, a lot of people would feel better about it, but the truth of the matters is we would still be 2-1.
"We obviously know we're not as bad a team as we showed. Coaches everywhere will tell you that the thing that will kill you against a team like Florida St. is turnovers. We had turnovers early and were down before we had a chance to blink.
"Since the loss was so early in the year, you can realistically still achieve most of your goals. The chance to have a great conference record and get to a good bowl game are still out there. We still have some tangible goals that are within reach.
"That's the way we're trying to get our players to look at it. Losing is losing, it's still just one loss. I don't ever want to be considered a good loser. To me, you lose, you lose. We won't face a team that's any tougher than them. We have to take what we learned in that game and use it against the rest of the teams we play.
"If it had been the last game of the year, the lingering effect would be indescribable. But, if we can win these next four games, it will definitely be a distant memory."
TarHeelBlue: How's the team's attitude this week?
Coach Lewis: "These guys are a lot better at putting things in perspective than some of the players that played before them. I don't think they were too much in the dumps. They know that things got out of hand early, then just snowballed.
"I don't think there were any lingering effects from that butt-whipping that we suffered.
"I still think our talent level is about equal to anyone that we play. I thought we were equal to FSU with our skill guys, but not our other players.
"It's still just one loss. Michigan lost, Tennessee lost, half the people that played last Saturday lost.
"We need to move on. Obviously, this is a very big football game Saturday night."
TarHeelBlue: What do we need to do to beat these guys?
Coach Lewis: "They have some really good offensive weapons and a good scheme. When you play a team that has quick-strike capabilities, you need to possess the ball yourself, keep their offense off of the field.
"The one thing teams like that get antsy about is not having the ball, so we need to keep possession of the ball. We need to keep those guys on the sideline. They can't be throwing the ball if we have possession of it.
"We've got to be able to establish a running game and throw some control passes.
"Defensively, we've got to keep pressure on their quarterback. It's his first year, and we've got to pressure him."
TarHeelBlue: What do you know about their defense?
Coach Lewis: "They have a couple of outstanding players on defense. Their right defensive end is a big kid who is a really good pass rusher. They have a middle linebacker who is really, really good. They've got some good defensive backs who probably think they can cover our receivers well.
"Marshall is a team that's really on the upswing. With the success they've had the past few years, they'll come in really confident.
"I think we have the talent, if we bring our 'A' game, to play with anyone else left on our schedule. None of it's going to be easy, but that's the way it is. Our kids know that we're talented enough to compete with anyone else on our schedule.
"I couldn't have said that prior to this year. This year, with the exception of FSU, we have as much talent as anyone we play.
"This four-game home stretch is the key to our season."
TarHeelBlue: How do you feel about the tight ends' play so far this season?
Coach Lewis: "I know everyone talks about why we haven't gotten the ball to Crump more, but I will tell you that Coach O'Cain has been diligently trying to find ways to get them more involved in the passing game.
"My guys had such a good reputation coming into this season that the other teams take them seriously. Against FSU, the strong-side linebacker was on my tight end almost the whole game.
"You have a progression in the passing game. The tight ends have been the first option a number of times in the passing game, but they've been covered. You can't sit around and hold the ball waiting for them to get open.
"From a blocking standpoint, which is where their worth will be measured in the league (NFL), they are doing a tremendous job. They are sacrificing individual stats early in the season for the betterment of the team.
"They're smart players, they're positive players. Crump has just been named a permanent captain of the team. Crump and Finger are good team leaders with positive attitudes."
TarHeelBlue: Were they intended to be more a part of the passing game in the first two games than they were last week?
Coach Lewis: "They are more possession type receivers than big-play receivers, so they kind of got taken out of things when we got so far behind so quickly.
"Now, the two games before that they were more involved, but the quarterbacks and the receivers all have to be on the same page. There were several times where they could have, or should have, gotten the ball."
TarHeelBlue: I noticed Crumpler was wide open on that last touchdown pass to Bosley at Wake Forest
Coach Lewis: "You're exactly right. Both Crump and Dauntae' were wide open on that play. Dauntae' was open short, and Crump was wide open about 22 yards upfield. ut, when you've got a man open 40 yards downfield, you go to him.
"Sometimes Ronald (Curry) has probably not chosen the best option. He likes to throw the deep ball, and since he does it real well, it's hard to argue with his throwing the deep ball. The guys understand that."
TarHeelBlue: I'll ask you the same thing I asked Alge on Tuesday. How important is it for us to have a great crowd on Saturday night?
Coach Lewis: "Our fans are loyal, they're supportive of the things we need to look the part of a first-class program, but I just wish they would come early and stay late. If it's not your nature to be vocal, if you're put in a situation where that's the climate, you'll respond.
"Marshall's fans are so supportive of their team because, despite all their success, they're still climbing up the ladder. They're doing everything they can to let their players know they are behind them 100%.
"Our fans are behind us 100%, but they need to show that in their actions. We need their physical appearance and their verbal enthusiasm.
"If they would do that, it would go a long ways toward dispelling this notion that we are a basketball school. Now, we are a basketball school during basketball season, but we're a football school during football season. We just have to show that.
"The reason people talk about the SEC so much, and I've been a part of it, is that those people consider football the only thing to do during football season. They'd rather go to a football game on Saturday night in Baton Rouge or Tuscaloosa or Knoxville or between the hedges than do anything else. Now, those fans have lives like our fans do, but on Saturday night, they put everything else behind them.
"We know our fans love us, but a lot of times they won't get there until the end of the first quarter, then you look up and finally see the place filled up.
"If they would just be there physically, and be spirited, it would go a long ways.
"The perception is that we don't really have die-hard fans. Now perception is perception, but when you're out on the front lines trying to get kids to come to North Carolina, that perception is very important.
"Now, when our people do show up and get into the game, they can be pretty darn strong. I remember watching the FSU game in '97 on TV in Colorado. I got chills just watching it on TV from my house in Boulder. I had not seen that before, so I know we can do it.
"Now it's a two-way street. What we have to do as a team and coaching staff is to play hard early and get the fans involved.
"We've got to provide cause for them to get enthusiastic. I don't mean to imply that it's something singular that the fans have to do. We need to be a little more creative and dynamic in our performance.
"It's a two-way street. We all have a role in this."
