University of North Carolina Athletics
Q&A with Mahlon Carey and Jesse Holley
September 28, 2004 | Football
Sept. 28, 2004
What do know about Wyatt Sexton, the Florida State quarterback?
"I caught some of the game on Saturday when he came in to replace Chris Rix, and he looked pretty relaxed out there; he's a good quarterback. We are going to be for any quarterback they put into the game."
Can you get a feel for your team after what happened on Saturday? In some ways it looked like you took a step or two back.
"I don't know if we were ever down; Of course the loss does not make us happy. I am here to say that none of us have our heads down and we are focused on Florida State. We not focusing in on what their mood is, I know that they have great athletes so we are ready for the challenge because we are trying to bring them one."
Talk about the transition from safety to linebacker.
"Things happen a little bit faster down there but I am catching on real well and I feel like that I am going to make plays down there as well as I made them at safety. It's not that big of a change because I am still in there trying to make things happen."
Have the players talked at all about the stretch of games coming up?
"It's the ACC and we are going to have challenges every week. We have time to improve. I know we are two and two and it is competition every week and we got to be ready to play game to game."
Do you look forward to the challenge of playing the best in the country and in the ACC?
"Oh yes. Once this game comes our practice level and entire team intensity goes up. We try to go out there and practice hard for every game but when we are playing against teams like Florida State and Miami your competition level automatically goes up. We want to play those guys."
Do you think you have found a home at linebacker?
"It's getting there. I have played four games in the linebacker position so it is still coming along but I like it. I am just trying to make something happen. I went two solid years at safety so now I what will happen with two solid years at linebacker. Coach Bunting knows what he is doing, "
What has been the biggest thing to adjust to?
"Just things happening a lot faster. Safety is the last line of defense and they have time to recover. Now it from the line to the linebacker, so it's boom, here it is, filling the gap. I am a pretty instinctive player so I try to go where the ball is, so most of the time when I do that I am where the ball is anyway. So it's knowing my gaps and knowing my responsibility."
What is the mood of the team heading into this stretch of the schedule?
"Positive, We had a little meeting yesterday and our feeling was that there is no need to panic. We will back off the panic button and play football. It took us the entire season last year to win two games and we have won two games already this year. People are going to doubt us and that is what you guys are for. With out us you guys would not have a job. We give you guys something to do every week. We go out there every week and we work hard. We have to play for ourselves, We have seven games left and if we win the next five games everybody will be happy about Carolina. So it's really not a big issue."
What happened to offense on last Saturday?
"Well, you go through mental lapses. We are all human and we are still learning and we are all kids. Even the best have bad days and that's all it was. We couldn't find the right rhythm. We were not clicking the way we are suppose to. Some days things just didn't go right that day, You just back to the drawing board and you work hard and come back the next week and you try to correct the errors."
How do you feel about your role as wide receiver?
"I have been trying to be patient and wait for my time to come. I continue to work hard and I hope I can become a more significant part of the offense. I do what the coaches ask me to do, If the job is to block, that's what I have to do. If my job is to make a catch on a big third down play, that's what I will do. I don't complain about my role, I just go out there and do the best that I can do."
What do you bring to the table?
"I bring excitement, energy, toughness; things like that. My thoughts are that whenever the ball is thrown at me I am not going to drop it. When I got two guys hanging on me and I know that there is going to be a big hit afterwards, I just try to think of myself as being a consistent player, Consistency is the main thing. If I have to make a big block down field for a running back, that's what I will do."
