University of North Carolina Athletics
Turner's Take: Game Week Begins
August 25, 2014 | Football, Featured Writers, Turner Walston
By Turner Walston
“Well it's finally here,” Tar Heel head coach Larry Fedora said at his first game week press conference of the 2014 season. “I think it's something like 245 days since we lined up against another opponent, so I think our team is extremely excited,” Fedora added. And his math checks out: Saturday, it will have been 245 days since the Tar Heels took the field against Cincinnati in the Belk Bowl on December 28, 2013. “They're tired of camp, they're tired of hitting each other and all the different things that go along with training camp. They're biting at the bit to get out there and play another team so should be a lot of fun.”
Carolina opens the 2014 season Saturday against Turner Gill and the Liberty Flames, last year's Big South co-champions. Though the Flames aren't the name opponent that South Carolina was a year ago, the Tar Heels are preparing as if Liberty is the only game on the schedule. “You hope it's the culture that we create, when we talk about our brand, playing smart, fast and physical, and that the next game is the most important game, and it's really the only game that this team has talked about,” Fedora said. “That's something that was emphasized from the very beginning.”
“They've got a good solid defense,” said right guard Landon Turner. “They're returning a lot of starters this year, so they're returning a lot of experience. As a young offensive line, we've got to go into the game and come correct, because we're anticipating them to be playing really hard.”
Junior linebacker Jeff Schoettmer said the team certainly isn't looking past Liberty, but that Saturday is an opportunity for the team to get the season off on the right foot and hit another opponent, regardless of the team on the opposite sideline. “We get to open up in our home stadium in front of our home fans, and there's a lot of excitement just to start the year. We haven't faced another opponent besides ourselves since December 28, so we're just eager to hit and play somebody else. We don't look at it as who we're playing; it's just another opponent on our schedule.”
The talk of this week –and the talk of training camp– has been the question of who will start at quarterback for the Tar Heels. Marquise Williams is the first name on the depth chart, though there's an 'OR' next to his name, with Mitch Trubisky directly underneath. Either one of the two could take the first snaps Saturday, and it's likely both will see action. Williams, a junior, is the incumbent, having inherited the role from Bryn Renner upon Renner's injury midway through 2013. Redshirt freshman Trubisky has quickly asserted himself as more than capable of directing the high-paced Tar Heel offense.
“I don't know. Who do you want to go?” Fedora said in response to the quarterback question. “You?” he asked the questioner, in jest. “We haven't made that decision yet. Somebody's going to go out there. It'll probably be a quarterback.” When asked why he hasn't made a decision public, Fedora responded, “because it bothers a lot of people. That'd probably be the number one reason, is that everybody wants to ask about it, so it just gives me pleasure.”
The coach said the starter and reserve quarterbacks will know of a decision this week, though the rest of the team may not, as the two will continue to split reps in drills and in scrimmage situations.
Ryan Switzer said it helps the quarterback (and the rest of the team) that the Tar Heels aren't opening on the road. “Opening up, away from home, having to take a plane . . . I think that's always tough but now that we've got a home game in front of our own fans, who we're comfortable playing in front of, I think it's going to help a lot.” When does Switzer think he'll know who's starting behind the center?
Switzer played up the media attention on the quarterback arms race by posing as a media member when his own obligations are finished.
“Talk about the quarterback situation,” Switzer said, already mastering the reporter's favorite directive. “Both the guys have done a great job this training camp. Who do you think has earned the fight to step out on that field. I heard #3 (Switzer himself) has done a fantastic job.”
“I think I could pick about 100 people on this team more deserving to start at quarterback than #3,” Schoettmer said.
So who will take those first snaps? Switzer thinks we'll know shortly after he does. “5:58 p.m., August 30. Saturday,” he said. There you have it.
Players Mentioned
