University of North Carolina Athletics
Coach Fedora Press Conference Quotes
October 8, 2012 | Football
Coach Larry Fedora
Press Conference - Oct. 8, 2012
Opening Statement
"After dissecting the film from the game Saturday, we really felt like as a team we played a complete game. There were a lot of things that we have, we have a lot of room for improvement. We can be a lot better football team. That's a good thing to have a win like that just to see on film that you know that you can still be much better. Our guys were able to see that. We try to be critical of ourselves in every game and evaluate it and try to get better from it. The thing that I'm happy about is that our team does seem to be progressing each week and hopefully we will do the same against a very good Miami team at home."
On looking at the big picture at the mid-point in the season
"The good thing is we've won four games. The bad thing is we've lost two. I think probably looking at the big picture. I think we're tackling better on defense. I think we're playing as a team with a much better energy level than we did at the beginning of the season. I think our guys feel a little bit more comfortable in all three phases of what we're doing. We're playing a bit faster. I think the concern area for me is playing smart. We had 15 penalties the other day. We've got to play much smarter than that and it's going to be very important to our success. We are getting better each week. That's something that you really want as a coach and it's happening. If we can just get a little bit better and if we can keep doing that we have a chance to be a really good football team.
On the 15 penalties against Virginia Tech
"We had two consecutive punts where we leaned and basically fell forward and were called offside. We had a couple of pre-snap penalties on the offense. But when you're handling the kinks the way we're handling them, sometimes you're going to have issues like that. We've got to do a better job there. We've got to do a better job with our hands. We had too many holding calls. Our guys have got to play smarter. That's all there is to it."
On contributions from the underclassmen in the passing game
"It's really big. You've got two sophomores and a freshman making passing plays for us. It's really important in this offense. Everybody talked about Gio [Bernard] from the beginning but being able to have Quinshad [Davis] making plays for us on the other side that some teams just can't get over there to him. That opens it up for [Eric] Ebron or [Sean Tapley] through the middle. Then you've also got Gio and A.J. Blue and Romar [Morris] who can run the ball anywhere. We've got a few guys that are all contributing and making plays and just really taking what they're giving us. Early on in the season [Erik Highsmith] was making more plays but they're giving us other things in other places right now. I think that's one thing about the offense when you can be balanced as far as your run-pass and also how you spread the field, it makes it much tougher to defend."
On Sean Tapley
"He's made some big plays the last couple weeks. You saw that in the spring. He worked really hard through the spring. He's a kid that doesn't talk a whole lot, he's really kind of quiet. He just goes about his business every single day and works hard. You don't ever have to worry about him. He's not a guy you have to continue to push hard. He's preparing himself each week and it's all paying off for him."
On facing Miami
"Miami is leading the Coastal Division, they're 3-0 in the conference. Now the way it sets up, we've got to get through Miami to get to where we want to be. We know that Al [Golden] is going to have his team prepared and they are going to play well. They're a young football team but he's got a lot of athletes on his team. They're getting a lot of great experience and they are flying around."
On Miami's youth
"Any time you're playing with young kids, you'd like to say you know how they are going to play week in and week out. Even our young guys, you watch them and there's not consistency. That's the thing that you worry about with young kids is the lack of experience and each new rep is a new experience for them. Sometimes it makes them think, sometimes they don't just play the same speed. There are a lot of factors involved."
On Miami's talent
"They've got talent. They are as talented as anybody in the league really. They've got guys that can run, they've got hitters, they've got receivers that can go, there running backs and quarterback are doing a nice job. They've got the players there, it's just right now from my understanding they've played more freshman that anybody in the country."
On picking up the tempo
"Probably overall, yes. From top to bottom, week to week, we've had fewer mistakes up front. Guys really put a great effort in. Our guys are now seeing the light come one. Now they understand it's not the offensive line saying in practice that they are going through so many reps and are tired. Now it's understanding why we're doing what we're doing and why we're going fast each day. It's not so much of a concern of how hard it is on them but how hard it is on the opponent. Guys on the sideline are now saying 'Hey coach, go with the tempo, let's go, they can't handle it, they're trying to get off the field.' When our guys start saying that you know they're truly understanding it."
On preparing for a road game
"It's all about our preparation. That hasn't changed and it won't change. It's going to be about us and making sure we prepare the same way. It doesn't matter if we're on the road or at home as to how we prepare. Everything else is the same. The sooner we truly understand that the better we will be. It doesn't matter that we're going to Miami, we still prepare the same way whether we're playing here or there. Mentally you've got to prepare the same way."
On the challenges of Miami's schemes
"When you turn the footage on the, the more glaring thing is their speed. They've got a lot of speed. They've got guys that can run at every position. You watch it on their special teams or their defense -- You watch the first play of the game against Notre Dame the other day and the receivers just fly right by them. Of course they didn't complete it but there are guys wide open. These guys have flat out speed. Scheme-wise they're able to offensively run it and throw it. Any time you can be balanced if makes it tougher on our guys to defend everything. Defensively they've given up some in the running game. I think part of it has been just inconsistency because they've got guys who can really go and run. You're seeing them play true freshmen, redshirt freshmen and sophomores at nearly every position. Their special teams, speed alone gives an advantage there."
On the depth at offensive line
"You've seen [Landon Turner] come in a play a few snaps the other day to give Brennan Williams a little bit a rest. Kiaro [Holts] played the entire game for James [Hurst] against Idaho, I don't think he got in this week. But we've giving several guys lots of reps. That's making them better and is paying off for us as we get into the second half of this season."
On Giovani Bernard's 262 rushing yards vs. Virginia Tech
"It's not like I turn the film on and go 'Wow.' It's something I see all the time. It is a 'Wow' and but for us -- you get him into that second level and he can make that linebacker miss or the safety that is getting down, he's got a chance for a big play. What it does for the other guys, those receivers know that even though that little timer is going on in their head they may have blocked a guy long enough that if they just give it a little bit more our back has a chance to take it the distance. That's what happened on Saturday on a couple of routine plays. You get a hole that pops open and you get a gap because of formation, he can go and take it the distance. He can also take something that is not there and make it big.
"I knew he had rushed for over 1,200 yards last year so you know he's got something to him. I really didn't know that much about him. I remember him from recruiting and I knew who he was. I'd seen him on film from high school. But there are a lot of guys you can watch on film in high school and they look pretty special but they don't do it at the next level. Gio has just continued right now. But that's the type of person that he is. He obviously has the athletic ability and the skill set there. But to be there, to prepare and to do what he does week in and week out, that's something special."
