University of North Carolina Athletics
Postgame Quotes
October 19, 2002 | Football
NORTH CAROLINA COACH JOHN BUNTING
There were some familiar things that took place out there today, but our team battled and played hard. There were some things that hurt us. There were plays where you could see the players trying hard, trying to make plays, but just getting a little out of position and not able to make the play.
Darian at one point completed 10 straight passes. At times we ran the ball well. Defensively, we couldn't have played a better first half. It's just too bad we couldn't play the same way in the second half.
(On whether any one thing changed the game)
It's never one thing that changes a football game. Virginia returned a kickoff for a touchdown, we fumbled at the one yard line, and we had a penalty on a two-point conversion -- that's three things that jump out at you right there.
We executed very well in the first half. We got some things going and we had a wrinkle in that fake field goal that helped us. But you have to play two halves.
VIRGINIA COACH AL GROH
At the heart of the [comeback] is that these players really believe -- they really believe in each other. The coaches believe in the players and the players believe in the coaches. Without that, at the half, that's all we had. We didn't have any performance to speak of. We didn't have anything to take good feelings from.
We needed something to give us a spark. We needed some stars in the second half. That was part of raising our game. Some guys had to be willing, whenever the opportunity presented itself, to become the star. [Marquis] Weeks was fortunate enough to have been carrying the ball for the team. He did a marvelous job on [the 100-yard kickoff return]. But we also had three or four of the kind of blocks that are necessary to have a return like that.
I was mad [at halftime], but I was mad at myself. I didn't think I had a very good half. I wanted to go get some things corrected and go out and have a better half. Players execute physically, but there are some things coaches have to execute too. I was disappointed for the players. We talked about what we needed to do to improve our execution and raise our level of play -- two notches above how we played.
(On the play of Matt Schaub)
He was really playing a different half. Matt has now demonstrated pretty definitively his ability to trust in himself and those around him and come out and play better. That's an important characteristic in a quarterback.
I've never been associated with a team that has been more remarkable than this one.
