University of North Carolina Athletics
Coach Fedora Press Conference
October 28, 2013 | Football
Coach Larry Fedora
Press Conference - Oct. 28, 2013
Opening Statement
"We're coming off of an ACC victory here at home and getting ready to go on the road this week to a place we know will be a hostile crowd, should be a great environment and should be a lot of fun. We're looking forward to getting back into a normal routine, which we haven't had the opportunity to do very often this season. Actually this is the second week of just a normal routine for our football team and luckily we'll get to do that the rest of the way."
His takeaways from the weekend against Boston College
"I think that, especially the last two weeks I think that we've started to make some progress in some areas. We haven't arrived, but we're getting better. We're getting better in a lot of positions and we're getting better in a lot of situations. With as many young people as we're playing, they're getting better and they're getting more experience and they're feeling more comfortable with what we're doing. We want to build off that each week. So hopefully the good things that happened this past week as far as taking care of the football and we were much better in the critical situations. Defensively we really gave up one big play. We're still looking for a game-changing play in our special teams and we haven't done that yet so hopefully that's going to come through. But there were still a lot fewer mental mistakes in all three phases."
On the biggest change in the Boston College game
"Probably the mental game, the mental part of it. I think just cutting down on the mistakes the last couple of weeks, we've done a much better job of that."
On playing a more complete game
"It was much better execution. More focus from the guys. We were also, I think 50-percent on third downs, which was better. Just overall there was more focus and more energy, more intensity."
On the rivalry with NC State
"That's what makes college football so great is the rivalries that you have. The fans, the hatred from one or another, just the, I don't know - that's what's fun about college football, it really is. Just the excitement that rivalries give."
On football and its success in the state of North Carolina
"I didn't hear much about that but as you go back and look through my career in coaching, as you watch - there were schools our there that people felt like were still sleeping giants. And it was always said that North Carolina was one of them. That would be the best way to answer that I guess.
"I don't have an answer for that as far as why. There's been some success here; it's just not consistent success. That's exactly what we're trying to do is build a program that we can have success and build it to last so we can be consistent in what we do and we can compete for a championship year in and year out."
On advice from Mac Brown when Fedora was hired
"He [had success] while he was here. It boils down to you have to do a great job in recruiting and get the players in here, then you've got to coach them up, and then they've got to make plays. It's nothing more than it is anywhere else. It's exactly the same, it's just you've got to get it done. You've got to go recruit the kids. And what are the problems in recruiting? We have our unique problems that other people don't, but they have their own problems. You've just got to fight through them, you've got to work through them and learn what they are - that's one big part so you can combat them - and then you've got to go from there."
On the state of North Carolina having enough players to split between UNC and NC State
"Definitely. There are good high school players in the state of North Carolina. We've got to get more of our share of them. That's the key."
On Gio Bernard's punt return against NC State in 2012
"I would say that that one was probably the biggest one play that I can remember. It was pretty neat."
On filling Bernard's position in 2013
"He was a big-play guy. He could make big plays any time. Any time he touched the ball he could take it the distance. And we just haven't had anybody show that this year. We haven't had anybody get that spark or get that going. It's not just because of that one person. Just overall we did a better job of blocking downfield, getting on the perimeter, all those things and we're still working on trying to get better in those areas."
On continuing to rotate starting RBs through seven games
"I don't know if disappointed is the word but I would have like to have had one emerge and take over. But we haven't had that. Again we're still doing it the same way. Randy [Jordan] decides on who is going to start the game sometime Friday or Thursday and from there it doesn't mean that guy is getting all the plays unless he comes in and he's tearing it up. If he's hot then he'll stay in. If he's not, somebody else is going to come in. and we'll see. Each guy brings something different to the table and we're looking for one guy to catch fire eventually."
On bringing in Marquise Williams
"He definitely brings something to the offense and that's why we continue to use him in a lot of different roles in the offense. So that has definitely helped us in the running game and it's actually helped us in the passing game to get some coverages that we haven't seen.
On packages for Marquise Williams
"He does still have some specific packages but we've opened the offense completely and he runs any play that we have. We haven't limited him at all at this time."
On Bryn Renner's game against Boston College
"He took care of the football. He really managed the game very well. He took care of the ball and he put the ball where it was supposed to go. He did a nice job just putting the ball where it was supposed to go according to what the defense gave and he didn't force anything. I think the results were really good."
On what stands out about NC State
"I look at them and they're playing a lot of young guys just like we are. I think they're trying to get a feel for where they are. I know that losing the quarterback really early on was probably tough for them. They adjusted a little bit of what they were doing offensively. Now they've got the quarterback back, which has made it harder on us to try to find how they are going to attack us because they're a little bit - I don't know what they are on offense. I don't know if they know yet. Defensively I think they're really good up front. Those four guys that play up front are good football players. They really do a nice job. They're younger in other areas but I would say they are more basic on defense because I think they're just playing and letting them play. They have a few blitzes, they don't bring a lot of blitzes, that's not what they want to do but they're playing good football. Special teams are sound in everything they do. We're looking for weaknesses in how we can attack them but they're sound in everything they do."
On NC State's coaching transition and how it affects recruiting at UNC
"We see them everywhere now, we really do. They're all over the state and out of state also in the same footprint that we're in. I think, from what I can tell, they're doing a nice job. They're beating the path just like we are.
"It would be hard for me to say because I wasn't here with [Tom O'Brien] long enough to know what his recruiting philosophy was. When we first got here we were spastic going everywhere just trying to get every kid we could possibly get. I didn't have time to really pay attention to what they were doing. But now this next year we've gotten into a full 18 months of recruiting on a kid and now I see them, they're there, they're on the same kids."
On crossing paths with Coach Dave Doeren
"Looking back on it I don't think I had ever met him before, ever ran into him in any situation. I've enjoyed meeting him. He's a nice guy; I've been with him and his wife on flights with them. We've gotten to know each other a little bit but before that I don't think I had ever met him.
"We were on the same flight going down to the conference meetings actually. At that time his wife was with him and we got a chance to visit with her as well."
On characterizing Bryn Renner's senior season
"We'd like to have every pick back but I think Bryn has been solid. I really think he's been solid. Every game has not been perfect for him but I really believe he's gotten better the last couple weeks. I think he's more comfortable. Now that he's back off the foot he feels comfortable moving around. He slides in the pocket better. I think he's doing a nice job."
On the QB position taking more sacks
"I think it's a little bit of you can throw all of it in the mix. There are protection issues - there were times the other day where it looked like it was a string and it wasn't. There are some protection issues; there have been some times where [Bryn Renner] may have been looking at the wrong place according to the coverage. There has been some times where the receivers didn't win. It's a combination of all [those things]. And when you say protection, that's not just the offensive line. The backs are included in that."
"Yeah Marquise did a really nice job in that [Virginia Tech] game. Handling the game, handling the magnitude of it, it didn't faze him. What he has done a nice job of, he did it just the other day in the touchdown to Bug [Howard], he extended a play. He got pressure, he moved in the pocket, he got outside, instead of running he got his eyes downfield, and he finds Bug in the back of the end zone. That's what he brings to the table."
On this week for the players
"I won't see anything different from them. Just like yesterday's practice, it was the same way it was every Sunday. It really has been. They understand the game. They understand what's at stake. They understand what's going on. We're in a situation this year where we're focusing on the next game, that's it, being 1-0. That's what our focus is. This one happens to be the next game. They understand the between the lines, they understand what this is as far as a rivalry and everything. I don't know that I'll see anything different from them on the practice field."
On locker room decorations
"I didn't. Somebody did [decorate last year]. But I promise you I didn't. They might have. I don't go through the locker room very often, but it might have."
On Kareem Martin's changes in his game
"Nothing different. I will tell you this, I think the thing that you see with Kareem is that he can see that light at the end of the tunnel and he is trying to make the most of every play that he has the last two weeks. And don't get me wrong now, he was still solid for us in all the other games, but in the last two, he's just making play after play, playing extremely hard, doing a good job of leading. I think part of that is that senior understanding that it's coming to an end and it will be here quick. I think we're down to about 15 or 18 practices left in the regular season. It's not much."
On nearing the end of the seniors' season
"I talked to all the seniors about it just in the last couple of weeks that this season is going to be over with [soon]. I hope there's a sense of urgency in each and every one but I will say that you have seen Kareem [Martin] make more and more plays in the last two weeks."
On Martin being one of the great DEs
"I think Kareem is going to play obviously at the next level if it all works out for him and he stays healthy and all those things. First of all he's got the body. He can run. He has all the measurables. He's an intelligent play who's not going to embarrass anybody. He's going to be where he's supposed to be, he's going to take care of his business, and he can play the game. He can rush a passer, he's good against the run and so I think he has all the tools."
On DE recruits in North Carolina
"I think because you find a lot of tall, lanky guys with a lot of length. When you look at them, you're trying to look at their ankles and their wrists, look at their bone structure and see how big are they going to be. They might be 205 in high school and I don't know what Kareem was in high school, but they start out at 205 and they end up being 255 or 260 or even more. Then you get that guy who is 205 and he gets to 215. You don't know and so you're doing the best job you can projecting and that's getting harder and harder because you're looking at them younger and younger. But obviously the more length, the better chances of growth."
On carrying strong performances over to the next game
"Oh yeah it definitely helps. Everybody's got a little more lift in their step because you invest so much and then when it pays off for you, you feel a lot better than you do the other way I can assure you. As far as the way they approach practice on Sunday, and I'm proud of this group for this, they've been very consistent. They come out there and they go to work. That's something that we talk about. We don't want to be this way on the wins and this way on the losses. We would love to just stay right there and practice all the way through the season. That's how you get better."
On players and social media
"We talk about being smart with social media. Whether we like it or not it's the world we live in. I didn't have to worry about that growing up. Somebody could call your name or holler at you out of the stands or whatever but I didn't have to worry about what somebody is putting on my cell phone or my computer every day. You can say 'Hey don't pay any attention to it,' but they're going to pay attention to it. You have to talk about being smart. When I was at Florida we had a kid that didn't make a play and we lost it and somebody put a billboard up. Just tried to crush the kid. If you're going to play this game, you've got to understand that comes with it. Like you tell the quarterbacks - you get too much glory when you win and you get too much blame when you lose so you better be able to handle it. You better just be able to stay even keeled and just not worry about it and understand those people will sometimes pat you on the back and sometimes they'll stick you in the back. Either way you better be able to handle it."
On his vantage point for Bernard's punt return against NC State in 2012
"I was standing somewhere on that sideline. I don't know exactly what yard line. We called to set up a wall and I wasn't watching Gio, I was watching the wall. I noticed that nobody had gotten outside of the wall and then my eyes went to whoever it was that got the first block, it may have been [A.J.] Blue or [Eric] Ebron, I can't remember, but they had to get him to the wall. That's where my eyes went and I saw Gio make a guy miss. Then I knew when he got to the wall there's probably a pretty good chance from that point on. Then Tre [Boston] got like two people out and he's towards the end of the wall and then it was just the punter I believe left and Romar [Morris] ended up coming back and getting the punter. Like I said before all Gio had to do was run and he did. He ran pretty fast."
On hearing from Bernard as a professional player
"Oh yeah, sure. I haven't talked to him this week. In face I hadn't been able to check to see what they did last night but I know he's having a pretty good season."
On fan interaction after the win against NC State
"Not as much as I heard before about what needed to be done. I heard a lot more before I can assure you."
On the surprise that NC State punted to Bernard
"Heck, who knows? There were a lot of thoughts going through my head. I wouldn't have worried about if they were kicking it out of bounds or in. I was trying to decide whether to try to block the ball or how much time was on the clock...what people forget is that sack on first down by [Kevin] Reddick was really huge. That was the one. Put them in a long yard situation where we were able to call a timeout and preserve the time on the clock. Go back and look at the game and - yes, the punt return was a big play - but Reddick's sack was huge, I mean huge on the series before. We're not able to call a timeout and utilize or manage the clock the way we did so that we would have time. I really was going back and forth on do I try to block the punt and win it right there or do I get a decent kick, get some time, get down and kick the field goal. That's what was going through my head. I did not...I cannot tell you that I was thinking that we were going to score a touchdown on the punt return. I won't tell you that."
Players Mentioned
