University of North Carolina Athletics
Player Press Conference Quotes
September 10, 2007 | Football
Sept. 10, 2007
Player Press Conference Quotes
Linebacker Mark Paschal
On the start of conference play this week against Virginia:
"Whenever you get in ACC play it just adds that extra bonus or an extra feeling that you have to win. Our goal here is to win an ACC Championship and you have to take care of the first ACC game. We would of loved to have last week, but last week is done and this week is Virgina."
On Durell Mapp's performance at linebacker this season:
"I heard that he had 18 tackles or something, he had a great game. Durell is one of those guys that will give it all. He is a senior and he has been here for a while, he knows what he is doing. He is leader and a lot of the younger guys look up to him. We are really happy the way Durell played."
On what you can improve on individually:
"Personally I just try to find one thing to work on everyday, that could go from getting your reads down to speed to anything else. The one thing that I have worked on from Coach Davis is that he wanted me to lose some weight and wanted me to work on my speed. I think that I have at least tried to do that, you know, I'm still the slow white guy that everybody thinks I am."
On improvement from the ECU game:
"You know we have to defend the pass. Virginia loves to run the football we have to be solid in both phases. Coach Pagano comes up with great defensive game play every week and everyone is going to buy in, we are going to be fine."
On T.J. Yates performance early on this season:
"He's done an unbelievable job, I could not be happier with the way he has played. He is such a great kid and he is an awesome guy. He works so hard, he's done an unbelievable job throwing the ball and managing the game, I think that is what Coach Davis and Coach Shoop want him to do."
Running back Johnny White
On the progress of the Tar Heels developing a feature running back:
"I think all the backs with experience are getting better at every aspect of the game, getting more adjusted to college level of football. So I think all the backs are getting better as we go along."
On the improvement in the run game last week:
"I think just experience and you know playing together, we are starting to get more chemistry and getting to know each other a little better."
On Yates as a leader at quarterback:
"He really does not seem like a young guy when he is in the huddle. He's calling plays and he knows what he is talking about and he's helping you out. He seems like an experienced veteran."
On a better individual performance in week two of the season:
"I think I have more confidence out there, being that it was my second game. The first game was just basically getting all of the jitterbugs out. The second game I felt more comfortable out there."
On coming off of the team's first loss of the season:
"The mood is upbeat, we watched the film yesterday from the game. You know we already corrected a lot of the mistakes, a lot of it was just simple things and we are going to build on the things that we did good from the game. We are going to put the loss behind us and move on with the rest of the season."
