University of North Carolina Athletics
POST-GAME QUOTES
September 12, 2004 | Football
Sept. 12, 2004
ACC FOOTBALL
NORTH CAROLINA AT VIRGINIA
SCOTT STADIUM
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA
SEPTEMBER 11, 2004
POST-GAME QUOTES
VIRGINIA COACH AL GROH
One of the things that's true in every game is that players make the difference, not coaches. Those offensive linemen - Elton Brown, Yarbrough, and that crew - Jason Snelling and the tailbacks - that's how we did it.
The fourth-down stop down there the first time was particularly important. When you can do that early, that's a confidence booster. Then we took the ball all the way down the field and scored. There's a tremendous impact on our team and on the other team when you get a turnaround like that.
Our return guys have done a great job, they work very hard at it. They can see what it can be. It's not just another play. They think it's an opportunity for a big play every time.
Marques (Hagans) made some positive plays out of plays that didn't look like they were going to be positive. He made some smart decisions, and his accuracy as good.
(On Jason Snelling) He's a very strong and legitimate threat inside. If our offense was a boxer, he's the body punch.
(On Alvin Pearman's play) He did everything you can do on a football field. He made a tackle on a kickoff, he blocked, he ran, he returned kicks, he caught a pass. He's a terrific, versatile football player, and he's reveling in his versatility.
NORTH CAROLINA COACH JOHN BUNTING
Give Virginia an awful lot of credit. They have a fine offensive line, but I'm very disappointed in the way we played defense. I'm probably even more disappointed in two kickoff returns for touchdowns. (UVa returned one kickoff to the one yard line and returned another for a touchdown.) That just can't happen. Anytime you try to build momentum and have two kickoff returns for touchdowns, that's just really poor play, poor coaching and that's got to get corrected.
We've got to do a better job of coaching these players and getting them in better positions - holding them to a higher standard as we get ready for this week's game. We need to see a lot of improvement in a lot of areas.
They had three base runs they ran against us. We couldn't stop any of them. Those are the base runs we practiced all week. Nothing different.
I expect we will take a very long, extensive, scrutinizing look at the guys who are covering kickoffs. If guys aren't playing hard, they will be off that kickoff team. They will not get a second chance.
(On UVa's fourth-down conference late in the 1st half) That's a bold play. It was good for them, bad for us.
I'm looking forward to next week. I'm just glad this doesn't count for two losses or three.
