University of North Carolina Athletics
Aiken, Brown, Coleman Sound Off On Syracuse Game
September 3, 2002 | Football
Sept. 3, 2002
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On playing in the Carrier Dome this weekend:
"We are going to go in there with momentum. This loss we had this past week
is in the past. We definitely learned a lot about simple mistakes. This week
we are going to have to limit our mistakes and come out focused so we can
have our first victory."
On the positives of the offense last week:
"We had more than 400 yards total offense. From a positive perspective, we
can drive the ball. If we had limited the turnovers the outcome of the game
would have been totally different."
On playing on turf at Syracuse:
"It really doesn't matter because during the Peach Bowl we played on turf and
we performed really well."
On Darian Durant's game vs. Miami:
"Everybody made mistakes. That is the first time I have ever seen Darian
perform that way. You definitely learn from that, and that will probably be
the last time Darian will have that type of performance. He is the type of
athlete who has a quick memory. What was done last week is done. Each week
is a new week, go out there, set goals for yourself and drive the offence
down the field. "
On noise in the Carrier Dome:
"Throughout this week we are going to practice with loud noise. We are going
to have hand signals to change a play or other things between the
quarterback and receivers."
On Jarwarski Pollock, whose block sprung him for his fourth quarter touchdown:
"I don't want to ever underestimate Jarwarski. He is very powerful for his
size and he is as quick as I don't know what. I don't doubt anything that he
can do. He is a player in his own right. He makes plays out of nothing. For
me to watch him from this past spring, I called him the miracle player.
There was a play we had during the spring he caught the ball behind the line
of scrimmage, broke five tackles, cut it back across the field and scored.
It was amazing. From that point on I knew that he was a playmaker."
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On working as a unit:
"We definitely went out Saturday with a plan, the plan was to win. Sure, we
were faced with adversity with the QB center exchange. We were face with
fumbles, interceptions. Those are things that we really didn't really expect.
As a group we went out there and played hard and we did whatever it takes,
but still, it wasn't all about our effort. There are some areas in which we
could have played a little smarter instead of harder."
On running the ball:
"To run the ball we have to stay focused and keep working on the things that
we have always working. Sat. we did an outstanding job of driving the ball
down the field. On a few occasions they dot down to the other end of the
field and had a turnovers. It was completely unexpected. It is something
that we will work on not to happen in the future."
On the QB-to-center exchange:
"That will be ironed out this week. I have already talked to Darian about it
and we are working already. We told each other that we had to communicate
better."
On playing center for the first time:
"It is definitely a challenge. With the severity of the issue right now, I
don't have any time to learn. I have to step up right now and take charge as
a leader as a senior. I am a new center, and I have never faced game
pressure as a center before. I wouldn't say that I cracked under pressure,
but there is definitely a lot of pressure out there. Right now I feel better
to accommodate that pressure now that I have seen what it takes to be out
there during game situations."
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On changing from linebacker to safety:
"Two days after the switch I went in to talk to Coach Bunting and I said that
I didn't know about this move. He told me that he had confidence in me
coming back off the shoulder surgery last October. It's going know that the
coaches on defense have a lot of confidence in me and know that I am capable
of doing the job. It is going to take some time at first, but the coaches
gave me a lot of praise after the game.
"Last night I thought about it and it has only been two or three weeks, and I feel like I am making progress each day."
On the hardest part of making the change from safety:
"My main focus this year was trying to stay healthy, and at safety the safety
position and coming up to finish off guys instead of being up there fighting
and taking on 300 pounders is definitely a lot different.
"Throughout the game I was starting to play with a lot more confidence. It felt pretty good banging against those 300 pounders. I remember telling one guy to keep bringing it. It felt pretty good."
