CHAPEL HILL — Bill Belichick opened his Tuesday press conference discussing No. 16 Virginia’s “impressive string” of wins, but it didn’t take long for the North Carolina coach to be asked about a report from The Athletic that Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris showed “extreme” interest in transferring to Carolina before this season.
It figured to be a natural storyline considering UNC’s struggles at quarterback and Morris, a North Texas transfer, being in the top five in the ACC in passing yards (1,607) with 11 touchdown passes and two ACC quarterback-of-the-week awards.
Belichick tried to shut down that narrative.
“I don’t really know what the source on that was,” he said. “We didn’t have any contact with Chandler Morris. We spoke to his agent. I don’t really know where that — what the source of that was. His agent didn’t know anything about it. We didn’t know anything about it. Just making up stories — I don’t know where it came from.”
The Athletic’s report said that General Manager Michael Lombardi decided to pass on Morris because of concerns about his size and arm strength.
The coach’s tone was flat, his answer brief but emphatic — vintage Belichick. He quickly steered back toward the Cavaliers, who visit Kenan Stadium at noon on Saturday (ACC Network) in what he called “a great, traditional rivalry.”
Belichick praised Virginia’s discipline and ball security, the latter obviously a big weakness for the Tar Heels after two huge fumbles led to Friday’s loss at California.
“They haven’t lost a fumble all year,” he said, noting that Coach Tony Elliott’s team “has done an excellent job” winning close games. The Cavaliers’ defensive ends, he said, “are very disruptive and create negative plays.”
And, yes, he made a point of crediting Morris — the same quarterback at the center of that report — as “having a good year.”
“Morris has had a lot of big plays on extended plays,” Belichick said later, comparing the Cavaliers’ quarterback to his starter, Gio Lopez, for his ability to “extend plays because of their feet, their athletic ability.”
As for his team’s development and the mood around the locker room, and if it felt different after a close loss, Belichick brushed aside any notion of moral victories.
“Not really,” he said. “Disappointing the results, but these guys, we all bounce back quickly. Once it’s over, it’s over.”
He also addressed the offense’s progress, saying improvement has come “from all 11 guys improving, I don’t know, 5%, as opposed to one guy improving 90 percent.” It was, he said, “the rising tide [that] lifts all boats.”
Belichick, who said that defensive backs coach Armond Hawkins has been reinstated, circled back to basics: turnovers, discipline, and moving on from the latest close loss.
“You spend all week filling up your tank,” he said. “You go out on the field and you empty it. Whatever the results are, they are. Then you turn the page and go to the next chapter.”
That next chapter arrives Saturday in Kenan Stadium.
| Team | ACC | All |
|---|---|---|
| No. 16 Virginia | 7–1 | 10–2 |
| No. 12 Miami | 6–2 | 10–2 |
| No. 25 SMU | 6–2 | 8–4 |
| No. 24 Georgia Tech | 6–2 | 9–3 |
| Pittsburgh | 6–2 | 8–4 |
| Duke | 6–2 | 7–5 |
| Louisville | 4–4 | 8–4 |
| Wake Forest | 4–4 | 8–4 |
| California | 4–4 | 7–5 |
| Clemson | 4–4 | 7–5 |
| N.C. State | 4–4 | 7–5 |
| Stanford | 3–5 | 4–8 |
| Florida State | 2–6 | 5–7 |
| North Carolina | 2–6 | 4–8 |
| Virginia Tech | 2–6 | 3–9 |
| Syracuse | 1–7 | 3–9 |
| Boston College | 1–7 | 2–10 |
Friday’s result
No. 4 Georgia 16, No. 24 Georgia Tech 9
Saturday’s results
N.C. State 42, North Carolina 19
No. 12 Miami 38, Pittsburgh 7
Louisville 41, Kentucky 0
Clemson 28, South Carolina 14
Boston College 34, Syracuse 12
Duke 49, Wake Forest 32
Florida 40, Florida State 21
No. 16 Virginia 27, Virginia Tech 7
California 38, No. 25 SMU 35
No. 9 Notre Dame 49, Stanford 20
Saturday’s ACC championship game
No. 16 Virginia vs. Duke in Charlotte, 8 p.m., ABC
| Month/ date | Score/ time | Opponent | Record/ TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| September | |||
| 1 | L, 48–14 | vs. TCU | 0–1 |
| 6 | W, 20–3 | at Charlotte | 1–1 |
| 13 | W, 41–6 | vs. Richmond | 2–1 |
| 20 | L, 34–9 | at UCF | 2–2 |
| October | |||
| 4 | L, 38–10 | vs. Clemson | 2–3, 0–1 ACC |
| 17 (Fri.) | L, 21–18 | at California | 2–4, 0–2 |
| 25 | L, 17–16, OT | vs. No. 16 Virginia | 2–5, 0–3 |
| 31 (Fri.) | W, 27–10 | at Syracuse | 3–5, 1–3 |
| November | |||
| 8 | W, 20–15 | vs. Stanford | 4–5, 2–3 |
| 15 | L, 28–12 | at Wake Forest | 4–6, 2–4 |
| 22 | L, 32–25 | vs. Duke | 4–7, 2–5 |
| 29 | L, 42–19 | at N.C. State | 4–8, 2–6 |
Photo via Joshua Lawton
tarheeltribune.com 