University of North Carolina Athletics
Virginia Tech - Carolina Post Game Quotes
November 6, 2004 | Football
Nov. 6, 2004
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Virginia Tech Coach Frank Beamer
Opening statement
"I said it last week, but I'll say it again. I think some big time players made some big time plays when it counted. Jim Davis on that sack was critical. We missed some opportunities there at the end. If we'd caught a couple balls or made a couple throws in there I think we'd have been okay. But, I want to give North Carolina credit. I think they hung in there and battled. They blocked that kick and you've got to give them credit. They were coming hard and we just didn't get the protection done correctly. I think we give them a lot of credit because they just hung in there. They keep getting better and they're a tough team to play."
On Mike Imoh's performance
"He had 230 some yards and those were hard yards. A lot of those were hard yards. How many yards he got after the first contact is where you really measure a back. Right after half he made an incredible run to get us out of our field. He's little bowling bowling ball. He's tougher than heck and he makes us a better football team."
On Connor Barth's last field goal attempt
"Well it's a hard call. The wind kept moving back and forth a little bit and more times than not it was against that kick. That kid probably has the leg that he can hit that kick. I'd be he has hit it in practice. But that's a tough one to make."
On Virginia Tech's performance up to this point in the season
"This football team and these players have worked awfully hard to get us in this position. But, I know that how we finish is how we'll be remembered as a football team. Right now we're finding a way to win. We're playing together great as a football team. The chemistry on this football team is very very good. Everybody's giving it their best shot and it's fun to be around. It's fun being around this football team."
On finishing out play in the ACC
"I don't think anything's going to change. I know every win you get in this league is a tough win and a good one to get. You just try and get as many as you can and hope you get more than the other people. It's just tough. The teams we play in this league are tough."
On defensive adjustments against North Carolina
"We changed up a couple things. But in the end it was just make sure we tackle and keep the ball in front of us in pass coverage. That's the deal. They made nice runs, but we missed tackles. I thought we did a better job of tackling. We had Mike Daniels in there at free safety and he's practiced really more as a rover. You've got to give him credit for coming in there and playing very well."
On the youth of the Virginia Tech's team
"Well they're growing up very fast. It's all about what you're going to do in the last four or five minutes. We got the ball at the 50. But I wish we could have controlled the ball there at the very end. But, when we kicked to them, they made some nice plays. IN the end we found a way to make some big plays, Jim Davis in particular. Sometimes you just get on these rolls and when you're young and you're on them, you like it."
On the next bye week
"I just told the guys let's make the best of it. Let's catch up on our studies and let's make sure we're doing things right off the field because we're only going to have a couple practices next week. We've got some time here. But, let's make it good to heal up and make this thing right for us."
On Josh Hyman's performance
"He's as reliable as we've got. But, boy today was rough. He'll be back, I'm certain of that."
UNC Coach John Bunting
Opening statement
"No loss is any fun and this one wasn't either. It was a difficult loss
because I really believed that we'd win, just as I think everybody else on
our sideline believed that. Once again, it just shows you close we are to
getting to where we want to be. We are one or two plays away from winning
this football game. Those kids played their hearts out. I can't ask for any
more effort. We played a good football team. They are very physical up
front. We knew that going in. Particularly with their offensive line and
their inside tackles on their defense. Very, very physical. They really
played hard against our guys and gave our guards some fits. Of course their
offensive line gave us some fits with the run game. Some of the misdirection
stuff that we had some difficulty trying to adjust to and making the right
fits.
"It was great to see them play hard in the fourth quarter. It was great to see our team block a punt. I'm extremely pleased with the way our special teams stood up to this challenge playing the great Virginia Tech special teams. We certainly played with them. Equal to or maybe even better. But it is a total team effort. We had a chance at the end. It's a shame that we couldn't make one more play there. I really believed that we would. Tough loss for these kids. They're down. They had a big win last week and they're real down right now. We'll just have to pick it back up because we have a two game season now and we still can make something special out of this year.
"There was a little bit of a swirling wind from the beginning of the game which we knew about. I'm seen him hit 57 yards. He loves to go from 57. He can make those. When the ball took off, I thought it was in there. I really did. I'm not sure how far it feel short.
"Once again it shows where this football has comer and where it's going. To be in those games in the fourth quarter, I don't think anyone thought we would, but we did. And we had a chance to win this one. You have to come up with one or two more plays. That's the kind of opponents we have been playing. When you play those kinds of teams and you have a young team and you have some experience, hopefully the young guys learn from the experienced guys how to play and finish those games. We are one or two plays away from finishing this game and winning it."
(penalties)
"Looks like we have here seven and we are one of the least penalized teams in
the country. Seven isn't many but they kind of came at critical times. Two
third down penalties on the first drive obviously ones that really hurt us.
I'll be curious to watch them both. Then we start the second half after we
get the ball back we had some penalties that set us back and changed field
position. I'll be curious to look at those also. Don't like it. We've been
real good at that. One of the reasons we have had some success is we have
been penalty free, smart, disciplined...Couple, three at the wrong time which
really hurt us."
(sack)
"Huge play. Great pressure by them. Their defensive tackles out some pressure
on us, Darian was about ready to throw downfield, then pulled off and was
going to throw out to Chad and decided not to. Then he was hit. What are you
going to say? That guy is a great player (Durant). He made a lot of plays
today, a lot of plays."
(Chad Scott)
"He had a lot going for him. He was a mature kid from the beginning. Has a
great attitude. Quiet young man, likes to get things done. Extremely good
student, tremendous character. Will be a very successful person. Boy has he
played well, He has been given the rock and he has taken care of it. He has
really delivered for us the last couple of games."
(last play)
"Progression was the over route and I think he came off that. Thought it was
covered. Was going to dump it and he didn't feel it was time to make that
throw. And you only have so much time."
UNC Players
On playing in his last home game:
"It's something that I wish I could have won, gone back in the game and done something differently. We played a very hard game today against a very good opponent. Did we play one of our best games? Did we play a good game? No. We were not technically sound. There are a lot of things that we could have executed better. We had a lot of penalties and shot ourselves in the foot. Those are things - yards - that are fundamental in football. You can't have those to win a game."
On Durant being sacked on the last drive:
"There were a lot of back-breaking plays. You just can't write this game off on one single play. There were so many plays that could have made this game totally different - could have switched things around. We should have been up at halftime, at least by a couple touchdowns."
On there still being hope for the team:
"There are two more games. It's a two game season and nobody has their heads down. Of course it's a disappointment and a sad loss. But you know what, we're a positive team; that's what has been keeping us going. We're positive, up-beat, up-tempo, and we have a lot of hope for next week and the week after that."
On feelings after the past few weeks:
"I think we're a much smarter football team now. Before, in our first few games, we made mistakes that don't even happen now. For the most part, we've gotten more fundamentally sound within in the defense. I think everybody understands their role in the defense now and we have a lot of faith in our offense. They're going to always score points. We just have to go out there and get ourselves to play like we know we can."
On the last field goal attempt:
"I just hit it as hard as I could. I guess the wind up top was a little harder than it was down on the ground, by the field. The wind was blowing. I thought it was going in but then I saw it dive down and it came up a little short. [54 yards] was definitely in my range."
On feelings last week compared with now:
"It was a 54-yarder - you can't make all of them. I'll come back next time and make the next one. You have to be positive about everything."
On if the past two weeks have been gratifying:
"I think that the games have been really good for me. I've been out the whole season and I had a good game last week. I give all the credit to my offensive linemen."
On suddenly becoming a key player:
"I always knew that if I had the opportunity, I could show everybody what I can do. Fortunately, I had opportunities the past two weeks. I always knew that I had it in me. It was the fact that nobody else saw it - I was out because of injuries."
