University of North Carolina Athletics
John Bunting Press Conference Quotes
September 28, 2004 | Football
Sept. 28, 2004
Coach John Bunting's Weekly Press Conference Quotes - 9/28/04
"We are a 2-2 team. Those are the facts as I told the whole team yesterday. The fifth round is coming up and this opponent is the toughest that we've played, particularly in terms of their defense. The defense we played last week was good, but gave us opportunities to make big plays, which we did not make. This defense is not nearly as wild and crazy as we faced last week, they are just good. They are a team that played well last year on defense when we played here in the opener, and we moved the ball on them, but we didn't score. They are a better defense this year. They are not only a year older, but they are better. Sometimes a year older just means you're a year older, it doesn't mean you are better. These guys are better.
"Offensively, we all know what we've heard about their quarterback (starter Chris Rix being unable to play this weekend due to injury). Let me just say this - this is the ultimate team game and I have a great deal of confidence that the Florida State coaching staff will have a game plan that will be extremely suitable for Wyatt Sexton (FSU's backup who will start Saturday). He's a good quarterback; good enough that he officially visited us. We liked him a lot, but it was just hard to beat (Sexton's father, Billy, FSU's assistant head coach) in the recruiting game.
"We are excited about getting ready. Our team had a great day last night and we'll have a great day today."
On Darian Durant and the offense:
"If you sum up what took place in the UVa game and what took place the other evening (against Louisville), there's four or five plays that if we connect it's a different ballgame, number one, and his stats are different. I know (Durant) doesn't feel good about it, because he's good and he's extremely competitive and he's got a ton of pride. But it's not just him. Our receivers have to do a better job, too."
On Jacque Lewis:
"I'll remember a young man who came in here with a great high school record who was bit immature, who has progressed a great deal as a person and has become a solid football player. ...What I'm most proud of is the leadership that he is beginning to display week in and week out. He's kind of our most complete back because he can run, he can block and he can catch. Losing him the other day hurt us in the receiving game because we were planning on throwing the ball to the backs and he's a very fine receiver."
On FSU quarterback Wyatt Sexton:
"He's got a live arm. He's a very bright football player. He's from a football background, so therefore he knows a lot about football. That's one thing that anytime you bring in high school players, they are trained and have done well in high school ball, but sometimes they are limited in what they have been exposed to. And that's not a putdown, but there's only so much you can take in. Sexton's from a football family, so he's a very bright quarterback and he's not going to make many mistakes."
On Mahlon Carey:
"This young man, for being moved midway through training camp down to linebacker (from safety), has done some remarkable things. I'm really proud of his efforts. He is a very good tackler. He can make some things happen...He has a tremendous upside at that position. I've told him he could be a nickel linebacker. I coached a couple of safeties in the (NFL) that were able to play down low that couldn't play in the back end. He might be one of those guys. He's a very good athlete. He's very instinctive...he's also very tenacious on special teams, so I'm very with what he's been doing with us."
