University of North Carolina Athletics
Player Press Conference Quotes
September 19, 2006 | Football
Sept. 19, 2006
Cam Sexton, Red shirt Freshman Quarterback
Q--Have you ever been to Clemson or heard about the atmosphere down there?
Sexton--"I have been to Clemson a few times when I was being recruited and I definitely experienced the atmosphere. It is going to be exciting this weekend."
Q--The other players talk about how calm and loose you were; is that your natural personality, were there any nerves you were masking?
Sexton--"No, no, I felt real good. I felt real calm out there; I felt comfortable. Part of that was because I felt I prepared well. When you feel comfortable about the game plan you can go out there and be yourself. I am kind of loose in the huddle and I like to make sure everybody else is loose also. You got to be able to go out there and react and not think too much."
Q--How do keep the team loose?
Sexton--"You crack a few jokes here and there. Point out a few key things about the play. Make sure you remind the guy to look for this and look for that. It's easy to be loose when you are scoring points too."
Q--The last possession you guys had Ronnie McGill carried the ball eleven straight times. What kind of a statement is that about him being healthy throughout the entire game?
Sexton--"If he can stay healthy like he did and not cramp like he has done in the past somewhat, which we all know that he has the ability to do it, for him to take those eleven carries and have the night he did, I think it proves he can carry the load obviously and he can carry it well."
Q--What do you feel you will have to do better this week given that you are playing your first ACC game on the road?
Sexton--"I think it is a little bit of everything. When you go on the road, especially at Clemson, it is going to be loud down there and we know that. I think that every week you need to get better. Clemson is a good football team and we are going to have to play a very, very good game to beat them and we know that. We understand that. I think as your season progresses you need to watch your film and maybe even critique the film every week whether you win or loose. If you key on the mistakes you made and improve those and keep preparing well you will improve."
Q--After seeing the film, evaluate your performance.
Sexton--"I think I played pretty well. There are a few things I wanted back. There were a few miscommunications that need to get cleaned up, but overall for my first start I think I did pretty well."
Q--Hypothetically, would you rather have you first road start be at some place like Clemson where it is loud and crazy or someplace where it is like a library?
Sexton--"I would rather be on the road in the ACC because it is exciting. It's fun and there are going to be a lot of fans and they have a great football atmosphere. It's going to be fun for us to go out and compete against a great football team in a hostile environment."
Q--At what point are you going to be expected to buy your offensive lineman dinner?
Sexton-- (laughing) "Very soon. After this week if they protect me well I will buy them more than dinner."
Q--Why is the protection working well this year, is it the players or the scheme?
Sexton--"It's both, it's the players and the scheme and the players that have bought into the scheme. Those guys work extremely hard in practice and coach Webber is extremely meticulous with what they do, I mean they have their DV copies for their lap tops of the cut ups, they have their offensive line test and fill out what their jobs are, and we are doing some new things with our pre-game and our Friday meeting which help the guys and they prepare hard. Just being hit only one time last week is a testament as to how well they are doing."
Q--What do you see in the Clemson defense?
Sexton--"They are fast, they are real fast. I heard that they have lost a few guys to injury but that doesn't show on the film. Their back-ups who are now their starters are real fast and they will come up and hit you like any defense but we need go out and exploit what they do wrong. I will have to work on my foot work and making decisions faster this weekend."
Q--Do you think your relaxed attitude will carry over this weekend on your first road trip?
Sexton--"I hope so because the guys seem to appreciate it and it is working well for me too and if that is helping us, hopefully I can carry it down there. I don't know if they will be able to hear me down there but I will try."
Ronnie McGill, Senior Running Back
Q--How big of a boost was it for you to be able to carry the load for as many plays and as many carries as you had Saturday, or is that something you think you have been able to do the entire season?
McGill--"I'm not really sure, it's a boost because I went the whole game. I was just getting tired of everybody saying that he's not making it the whole game or this and that, so it takes a little bit of pressure off of me and getting people to calm down because I can actually do it if I was given the opportunity."
Q--About that final drive, you carried the ball eleven strait times, what was going through your mind?
McGill--"I got the ball eleven straight times? I didn't realize it."
Q--Were you close at all to cramping up?
McGill--"No, I was fine. It felt good because after the sixth or seventh play I thought they must like it or something. It felt good that coach was putting the pressure on me which showed me that I am the guy he wanted to get the ball to in those type of situations."
Q--Do you recognize the boost that it gives the rest of the team when you are able to stay in they and play four quarters and be productive?
McGill--"Yes. I know that the offensive line really likes it. They like guys who get in there and just run the ball because they are really tough this year and they are working their butts off, so to be in there and to be able to go the whole game with them and to have everybody on the side lines giving us pats on the back, that is really exciting and I no the whole team likes seeing me out there."
Q--Is that the longest reception of your career, the touchdown pass?
McGill--"No, I don't think so, I had one in longer in high school."
Q--Did you guys ever run a play like that before?
McGill--"We use to run wider screens that were wider, maybe one or two every three or four games. Coach Cignetti likes it so as long as we do well with them I am not going to complain them."
