University of North Carolina Athletics
Player Press Conference Quotes
October 17, 2006 | Football
Oct. 17, 2006
Conner Barth, Junior Place-kicker
About playing on national TV on Thursday:
arth--"I definitely watch Thursday night games on ESPN every chance I get and it will be an awesome experience to be able to play on national television. It will give us an opportunity to show the audience what the Carolina program is made of. I think it is going to be a good test for us to go out there and prove to the country that we are still fighting and we are still ready to go."
Q--What has been the mood on the team the last two days?
arth--"We are upbeat and we are trying to stay positive as much as we can. We have put South Florida behind us and we are focusing on Virginia. It's a short week so we are trying to watch as much film as we can and Coach Bunting has shortened practices in order to save our legs and get us healthy again. We have to make sure to stay focused even more this week and prepare as hard as we can for this Thursday night."
Q--I guess a little different for you because you are a kicker, what sort of stress and strain does a short week put on you guys?
arth--"It's a lot more film watching and it's a lot more intense as the week goes on, and not like a regular week where you have all that time and now we have to cram a lot more information in the shorter film sessions. It puts a lot more stress on everyone but I think it's going to help us a lot and we are just go to turn around and just go out there and play like we can play. I think we just need to go out there and be confident and everyone needs to know what they have got to do and what their job is and just go out there and do it."
Q--Is it good in a way that you are able to get back on the field quicker?
arth--"I think so, I think the quick turnaround is going to help us out a lot. I think it is to our advantage because we are just going to go out there and play up to our ability and I think it's going to be a lot of fun. I especially like playing at night and I think our whole team does and I think we are going to go out there and show them what we can do."
Q--You were involved in two plays on Saturday that kind of sum up the plight of this team, you had a nice run that was called back because of a penalty, and the on-side kick was just a yard away from being perfect; does that kind of sum up what this team has been about this year?
arth--"I guess we have fallen short a few times this year but it shows that we just have to keep working and you can't let something like that get you down. It was still an awesome play. Both the plays were great calls and we still have to keep on fighting like that. Yes, it has still summed up our season but again I think we can improve and we just got to keep moving on."
Q--What would a win do for this team and what kind of effect would it have on this team?
arth--"I think it would be the biggest effect ever. We have a lot of football left and we can still win a ton of games. This Thursday is big because we haven't beaten them up there since 1981 and I wasn't even alive and no one on the team that is playing was alive. It would be a big statement for us as a team and as an organization to go up there and beat them in Charlottesville. I think it would turn our program around tremendously if we would go out and get a win this Thursday night."
Q--What went through your mind when they called for the fake field goal?
arth--"We had practiced it a few times in practice last week and we asked coach Bunting at the beginning of the week if we could do it. He was kind of hesitant at the beginning and then he saw something in it and we ran it once in practice. During the game he called it and I was kind of surprised because I didn't think he would because we had a fake punt on for that game too and I thought he would call that before he called the field goal. He gave us the call and we were ready to go. I am glad that coach had faith in us and let us do it because I though we could do it, too."
Kareen Taylor, Senior Free Safety
Q--What is the additional stress and responsibility that the defense is going to have to carry now that Larry Edwards is out?
Taylor--"That is one piece of the puzzle that is gone. The next person that comes in is going to have to step up and just pick up the pace and learn as much as he can right off the bat."
Q--How big of a loss is it for you guys to loose a player like Larry?
Taylor--"It's a big loss. He is one of the key factors in the defense. We are going to miss him. We just got to get the player that is stepping in for Larry up to beat."
Q--What specific challenges does the Virginia present?
Taylor--"Virginia will try and establish the run and they pull a lot of people. Basically we will try and stop the run and if we do so, we will be okay."
Q--Can you talk about what, in the big picture, what do you think has gone wrong with the defense this year?
Taylor--"It's the mental mistakes and some of the little things that we missed like jumping offsides. It's just those little things that have been happening that have cause things to go wrong."
Q--Is the scheme any different than it was last year?
Taylor--"No, the scheme is the same, the scheme doesn't change. Of course I have only been here three years and the scheme has basically been the same. Like I said it's those little things that have hurt us."
Q--Does the loss of all the players from last year's team hurt?
Taylor--"It hurts but like I said it you get a chance to play you have to try and do the best you can and doing the little things make a great player."
Q--What has it been like trying to condense a week's worth of practice into a few days in order to prepare for Virginia?
Taylor--"This is my first Thursday game and been kind of hard for me because I have class and I have papers due and I have to squeeze some film time in. Most importantly we just have to get healthy. But other than that the week has been going good."
Q--Is going to be exciting for you to play on Thursday?
Taylor--"This is my first Thursday game and the guys are excited to play. We don't play many times under the lights and it's an opportunity to show the world that we have a good team."
Q--Can you talk about the losing streak at Virginia?
Taylor--"I never try to get into that; we beat them here and think that people are looking too hard. We have to go up there and play and try not to worry about was has happened in the past."
Q--What have you seen from the guys who are replacing Larry and the other injured players?
Taylor--"They want to learn and they have been doing well; they want to fill Larry's shoes and they want to play."
Q--I am sure you guys are aware of a lot of fan unrest and alumni unrest; do you guys try to just put that out of your mind?
Taylor--"I know the fans but I don't know any alumni. I know some of them and they have a right to be uneasy. We've just got to play and the fans are sticking by us and that's a big thing and we just want everybody to be behind us and we will show them that we can play."
Larry Edwards, Senior Linebacker
Q--I guess a lot can change in a week?
Edwards--"Yes, a lot can change in a week, but things happen and you just got to roll with the punches and the rest of the team has to pick up the slack and it's just that much more motivation. It's just a minor setback and I need to be there to support our team and do everything I can to try and help them and put themselves in a position to make plays and do the right thing and be more of a cohesive unit."
Q--Are you going to spend time with Garrett Reynolds and Martel Thatch this week?
Edwards--"Most definitely, I will spend a lot of time with them and try to get them ready and what kind of game they are going to be playing, and hopefully I can get them ready to play the best game of their careers, so they can go out there and do the right thing and make big plays. They have some big shoes to fill so I will try to get them ready to just do everything I can do, pretty much."
Q--What was your reaction when you found out your collarbone was broken?
Edwards--"I couldn't believe it at first, I was like, "I'm alright, it ain't that bad." So, it is what it is, so I am going to work as hard as I can to get back in the best condition as possible and get back healthy. For the time being I am just like a coach so I am just going to try and help my teammates do as much as they can to mentally and physically prepare for this upcoming game because it's going to be a quick week and we've got a lot of quick practices coming up and I got to help them as much as possible off the field, so I'm doing as much as I can to help my teammates get ready."
Q--When did you feel like the break happened?
Edwards--"It was hurting the entire game. In pregame I took a couple of shots and it started hurting a little bit and I thought I was fine. So I went into the game and kept banging on it and banging on it and it was hurting but I never considered the fact that it might be broken and I tried to tough it out, trying to be in there helping my team and the next day I went and got and MRI and they told me I had a fracture so it kind of brought me down but I am still trying to be as upbeat as possible and be as positive as possible and be around my teammates and help to influence them as much as I can."
Q--How in the world did you play an entire game with a broken collarbone when you're a linebacker and you have to hit people with your shoulder?
Edwards--"I guess it was just something in me that wanted to keep going. I really tried to block it out of my mind, even though it hurt I couldn't take myself out-out of being part of my team. I wanted to do as much as I can to help my teammates and come out and make plays and do the right thing and I just couldn't take myself out of the atmosphere-it wasn't in me, so I just had to keep driving and keep pushing through it and keep doing as much as I can to help my team to get in a position to win the ball game."
