University of North Carolina Athletics
Player Press Conference Quotes
September 13, 2005 | Football
Sept. 13, 2005
Senior Wide Receiver Derrele Mitchell
You said at the beginning of the season that you wanted to be the big play guy
for this team and you did it in the first game. How does that feel to do that
so early after wanting to do it?
Mitchell: "It feels good to help out my team any way that I can and that is
just part of my role of being a big time receiver."
As a player what do you look forward to in a night game?
"There is a lot of excitement under the lights. There are big
crowds. That's about it as far as night games go. There is really no
difference from a night and a day game but under the lights there is a whole
different type of experience as far as playing the game of football."
Why do you think the team had so much success under the lights here last
season?
"The crowd seem to be a little louder under lights but it's just
a better type of atmosphere for us."
Can you draw on the success you had last year?
"Last year was last year and that's in the past. We're now
focused on this year and trying to do bigger and better things. Our whole team
is focused on this year, trying to win more games and go to a bowl game."
What is Wisconsin's defense like?
"Wisconsin has a great defense and they have a great defensive
line. They play strong, they play physical and they play fast. We want to
go out and work hard all week on their defense and overcome anything that we
expect that might hurt us in any kind of way. We are just going to work hard
in all practices so that we can defeat them before they can defeat us."
We were told that a whole bunch of you guys donated your per diem money for
the hurricane victims. How did that come about and how did you hear about it?
"We receive ten dollars after every game and one of the trainers
asked the whole team if we would like to donate our money to the victims."
As a student athlete, what did that gesture mean to you because you don't
have a lot of money to give so did it feel good to give something?
"It felt real good to help to help somebody out. We were grateful
to have the opportunity to help out these people who were less fortunate than
us."
Senior Linebacker Doug Justice
How did it feel to play a team like Georgia Tech?
Justice: "When you play those tough teams you find out what kind of team
you really are and what you are made of and you are going to get better. I
think that when you play against the kind of competition we play against it
helps us in the long run and it will help us this year and in the long
run."
What is it about playing at night that has led you guys to so much success and
how kind you carry that over to this year?
"I don't know that there is anything different about playing at
night time, I guess the people come out and enjoy the game because it's a
little cooler for them and we always have good crowds at night time. It's
always fun playing under the lights--it's kind of like playing high school
games. But it's no different than playing a day game for us. It's all the
same and we love playing against good competition and playing against
Wisconsin is going to be exciting and I know the atmosphere is going to be
great."
Have you seen some of the changes that have been made around the stadium?
"It's exciting, I mean some of the younger guys they don't they
don't remember some to these players, they don't know the history of some of
these players and they get to see their pictures and they get to read the
quotes under their pictures. To have those top games and quotes and Kenan
Stadium being one of the most scenic stadiums in the country is important. It
adds a little something more to the stadium than the concrete."
You guys last year made so much improvement defensively in the second half of
the season, is one game too early this year to have an idea as to what you
guys are going to be like this year?
"I think we played well on Saturday. We messed up here and there.
We just have to be more sound. I think we played physical and I think we
played hard. I think if we'd eliminate some mistakes we had a real chance to
win the game against Georgia Tech."
How do you think you match up against Wisconsin?
"I think our front seven is going to be fine against their front
seven. They are big up front. I watched them on TV two weeks ago and I have
watched them on film and we will do well. We just need to know our
assignments and be gap-conscious and be gap-sound."
