University of North Carolina Athletics
Bunting Press Conference Quotes
September 27, 2005 | Football
Sept. 27, 2005
John Bunting Press Conference Quotes
"As we have in previous weeks, we're putting last week's game behind us. We need to focus on Utah. It was fun to win the game, it was good for our fans and our players, but our focus now is on Utah and getting ready for them. They put quite a number on us last year out there, a record-setting defensive number in terms of yards. We looked like the walking dead coming back on the plane. Fortunately we had the bye week and we were able to recover and play. This game will be very similar in that they haven't changed much offensively or defensively in terms of what they do. They have a new offensive coordinator who has a few wrinkles of his own that he's brought from Oregon. They don't have all the players back from last year, but they still have very good players. The new quarterback (Brian Johnson) is throwing the ball extremely well and is a very gifted athlete. He makes a lot of plays for them and runs the ball extremely well.
"This is fourth different offense we've faced in four weeks, so we're going to have to do a great job of shifting gears getting ready for something that is absolutely, totally different from what we have faced before. From an offensive standpoint, we need to continue to try to get the execution we got in the second half of the (NC State) game, and what we got from the offensive line and running the football. I think it's important that we continue to try to run the ball. It will help our offense and that will help our defense.
"The big focus for me yesterday and again today will be our special teams. We need a lot of improvement from last week. We almost gave the ballgame away with poor play. A lot of good things happened, have been happening. Matt Baker is playing well; it's great to see Barrington have a big game. The receivers, in particular Mike Mason, had some big catches for us. On defense, the Tommy Davis and Tommy Richardson duo did some really good things, and we need to continue to get them to play well."
On preparing for the spread offense of Utah:
"It puts pressure on everybody. It is another form of the triple option. They also have the speed option, where there is no fake to a back and they just take it one way or the other to try to get out on the perimeter and press the defense. But the forms of deception that they have with their (offense) is unique. It was last year, and it is this year. It puts a lot of pressure on everyone on defense. You've got to be absolute in terms of integrity. You can't play a lot of different defenses against it either, so that forces you to be somewhat simplistic, which then helps the quarterback know where people are in terms of the passing game."
"What people have done is they try to be patient and then they try to go after it, and they get burned. People that have blitzed it have gotten in trouble. They are also going to try to read everything at the line of scrimmage. We can get a big boost if our fans get into this game and are loud. It will hurt them with their cadence and their audibles. They have enough receivers to make plays - (John Madsen) has made a lot of big plays, (Travis LaTendresse) is a heck of a receiver, and they catch the ball well, and they catch it in a crowd."
On Utah QB Brian Johnson:
"He has the same type of arm strength (as Alex Smith). He has probably a little better running ability. What he doesn't have is the experience that Alex Smith had. I didn't see too many balls on the ground in terms of the exchanges and the backwards passes and pitches (last year). I've seen a couple of those (this year) - hopefully we can get a couple. But that's the timing element, that's the experience element. That's why I think a lot of people are blitzing this quarterback, is to try to force some errant backwards passes. But they've gotten themselves in a lot of trouble, and that quarterback has made a lot of plays. He is as physical as Alex, and he appears to be extremely tough, because he's taken some shots just like Alex Smith did. They have the same type of physical stature, except Johnson might be a little faster and Smith had more experience. But this kid has a lot of tools and can throw the ball very, very well."
On the success of the running game in the NC State game:
"We got vertical a little bit more instead of horizontal. I think that helped us against (NC State). Each week the defensive style changes. I think Barrington (Edwards), Cooter (Arnold) and Justin Warren, who got in to play, who deserved to play, and has earned the right to play some more, those guys played better.
"I would say Barrington took a giant leap forward and I'm hoping he'll grow from that. I think Cooter took another step too. I liked what he did. Barrington blocked very well, which was really good - that's what we needed him to do. In our offense, the back is involved in protection, and Barrington did a good job."
On the progress of Tommy Davis:
"I expected him to have a really great senior year. Here was my concern - he missed a lot of training camp. As great as shape as he was in, he had a hamstring injury and he missed playing time. I don't care if you are a senior or an eighth year player in the NFL, when you miss a lot of playing time you aren't going to play as well. I think that hurt him in the first game. But I think since that time he's been practicing and playing, he's coming along. I expect him to continue to get better. We've played Kentwan Balmer more, which is helping Kentwan get better and Tommy stay fresher and play better. Probably one of the best things we have going on defense is we've got a little bit of a rotation going there. We're playing eight guys between 25 and 30 plays."
