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#UNC coach Bill Belichick postgame press conference after victory over Stanford
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0:00
Good to win. Good to win at home. Um,
0:02
always good to win at home. U, you know,
0:04
proud of our team. Um, we had a, um,
0:08
kind of interesting two halves. Uh, you
0:11
know, had a tough start offensively. Um,
0:13
and then, you know, kind of got things
0:15
going a little bit in the second half.
0:16
Um, you know, defensively, played well,
0:19
uh, really for three quarters and then
0:20
gave up, you know, the two two-minute
0:21
drives at the end and, you know, hung on
0:23
with onside kick recovery and and, um,
0:27
being able to stop on defense. So, um,
0:29
like a lot of these games, um, they're
0:32
close, they're tight, similar to some of
0:34
the games that, uh, Stanford's played,
0:35
you know, against Florida State came out
0:37
on the last play. You know, BC was
0:38
tight. Um, uh, you know, I scored at the
0:41
end of the game to beat, um, San Jose.
0:43
So, it's there's a lot of games like
0:45
that in this conference. And, uh, you
0:47
know, that's who we're ready for. And,
0:48
you know, fortunately, we made enough
0:49
plays, come out on top today. And so,
0:52
it's a good feeling. Um, just a lot of
0:53
things we can still improve on, keep
0:55
working on, and that's what we'll do,
0:57
you know, going forward. Get ready for
0:58
wake.
0:59
We'll get started on the right here in
1:00
front right now.
1:01
Hey Bill, we asked you a lot about
1:02
Melkart recently, but Tyler Thompson has
1:04
seven sacks on the last four games and
1:06
before that he didn't have a career
1:08
sack. Just where have you seen the
1:09
emergence of Tyler come from?
1:12
Yeah. Um he's worked really hard um you
1:14
know going all the way back to the
1:15
spring. I mean he's one of the players
1:16
that was a carryover from previous team
1:19
and has stayed with us uh you know all
1:21
the way through which again it's like
1:23
well less than half the team. So I just
1:24
point that out. Um, but yeah, he's
1:26
really worked hard on his on his pass
1:27
rush. He's gotten a lot stronger. I
1:29
mean, he was, I think about maybe 15 to
1:31
20 pounds lighter than he is now. Um,
1:34
and that's all really good weight. He's
1:36
explosive. He's strong and and his
1:37
fundamentals and techniques rushing the
1:39
passer have been um something he's
1:41
refined and and worked on and and um you
1:44
know, worked in in coordination with um
1:47
you know, the defensive lineman for pass
1:49
rush games and stuff like that. So, you
1:51
know, he's um he's our guy blocking
1:53
practice. I I could just tell you like
1:54
this some of the things you see on the
1:56
in the games are uh similar to what what
1:58
we see in practice. He has good edge
2:00
speed. He has power. He's long. Um he's
2:03
pretty athletic.
2:04
On the far right, coach front row. Yes.
2:07
Bill, you guys have four and five, three
2:09
games left. Do you even allow yourself
2:11
to sort of think about what you guys
2:13
need to do to get ball eligibility at
2:15
this point? Uh right now we're going to
2:17
think about what we how we can correct
2:19
our mistakes from the Stanford game, how
2:20
to get better, uh and talk about the
2:22
things we did well, things we didn't do
2:24
well, and then we'll go on to Wake
2:25
Forest and um you know, just let
2:29
everything else take care of itself.
2:32
Bill, what has been the difference with
2:33
the pass rush in the last few weeks? Is
2:35
it something the way that maybe Tyler
2:37
and Yard are lining up or there some
2:39
other things you guys are doing that are
2:41
kind of opening up the lane a little bit
2:42
more?
2:44
Well, I mean, again, the score has a lot
2:46
to do with it. You know, it's hard to
2:48
rush a passer against Clemson when
2:49
you're, you know, behind by four
2:51
touchdowns, things like that. You know,
2:53
we're behind against Central Florida.
2:54
So, it's, you know, it's just hard to
2:56
rush in those situations cuz they
2:58
control the game. So, uh, score has a
3:00
lot to do with it. Longerities, you
3:02
know, obviously helps, too. So, um, you
3:05
know, it's good team defense, good
3:07
coverage, better coverage, better rush,
3:09
just all works together. So, a lot of
3:11
this was there pre would have been there
3:13
previously if maybe the games have gone.
3:15
No, I as look I've said a thousand times
3:17
that we've improved significantly over
3:19
the course of the season individually
3:21
and collectively. Um, our team defense,
3:24
our team offense, our, you know, our
3:26
kickoff coverage. I mean, everything.
3:28
It's not just one guy or one thing. It's
3:31
it's a collective effort.
3:33
Front row on the left.
3:34
Yeah, Bill. Uh, this was you mentioned
3:37
obviously playing in close games the
3:38
last several weeks. Uh this is another
3:40
one where the defense kind of I guess
3:42
allowed offense to kind of hang around
3:43
if that makes sense. You know, getting
3:45
stops and allowing you guys like you did
3:46
today to kind of get some touchdowns
3:48
later, you know, take the lead. How much
3:50
of a lift do you think that's going to
3:52
provide you uh from a defensive
3:54
standpoint to, you know, keep you guys
3:55
in these games and then, you know,
3:57
relying on the offense to maybe make a
3:59
couple plays to try to do
4:02
um I mean, look, I think everybody that
4:05
goes out on the field is going out there
4:06
to do the best they can. Defense going
4:08
out there to stop them. the offense is
4:09
going out there to move the ball and
4:10
score points and sometimes good things
4:13
happen, but that's not all the time. So,
4:16
I don't think it's uh I don't think it's
4:18
anything other than that really. Um you
4:21
know, we had good field position
4:22
defensively from our kicking game and
4:24
and um you know, unfortunately, we
4:26
weren't able to take advantage of the of
4:28
the turnover in the first uh what was it
4:30
first quarter or start whatever it was
4:32
first quarter and second quarter,
4:33
whatever it was. Um you know, we weren't
4:35
able to take advantage of that field
4:36
position. Um, and you know, neither were
4:39
they, you know, on the on the uh,
4:42
fumble, you know, end up missing a field
4:43
goal and then scoring before the half.
4:45
But, um, we knew Stanford's a good
4:47
two-minute team. Uh, they showed that in
4:49
the Florida State game, they showed it
4:50
in the BC game. They showed it in the
4:52
certainly in the, uh, San Jose game
4:54
where they came from behind, um, you
4:56
know, to win. They showed it in the SMU
4:57
game at the half. So, we knew that was a
4:59
big part of their their offensive
5:01
production and, um, you know, they did a
5:03
good job with it, you know, better than
5:04
we did until the very end.
5:07
uh front row, far left.
5:08
Hey coach, uh you guys had 11 penalties
5:11
left. Uh was it more of like a
5:12
discipline or was it just uh maybe just
5:15
the frustration of the game itself?
5:17
Yeah, some of those penalties are just
5:19
their bad penalties. Um false starts. Uh
5:21
we had two or three of those uh lined up
5:24
in the neutral zone once. I don't know,
5:26
that's probably a third of the penalties
5:27
right there on stuff like that. And then
5:29
um you know the holding penalties and
5:31
and the defensive pass interference. Um
5:34
we knew they would call those tight.
5:35
They called them pretty tight on both
5:37
teams. Uh they had a couple of DPIs and
5:39
an OPI. I think we had, you know, we had
5:41
a couple too. So, um you know, we just
5:44
got to do a better job of of not
5:45
contacting the receiver while the ball's
5:47
in the air. Um but it it was, you know,
5:49
those came up on both sides of the ball.
5:51
But yeah, we had too many penalties. No
5:53
doubt about it. We we stopped ourselves
5:55
too many times with uh or created long
5:57
yardage situations for ourselves. It
5:59
wasn't them. It was, you know, us on
6:01
false starts and and as I said, lined up
6:03
in the neutral zone defense
6:05
right next to you called Gio Lopez a
6:08
fighter in the way that he's been able
6:10
to kind of block out a lot of noise and
6:12
things that have surrounded him and
6:13
still come out even slow first half and
6:15
come out and put together a performance
6:16
in the second half kind of victory. How
6:18
have you seen that characteristic out of
6:20
him and what have you seen him do um
6:22
during this slow start to do things in
6:23
the second half?
6:25
Yeah, I think J's a really competitive
6:26
kid. He's a tough kid. you see him
6:27
running the ball, you know, he's he runs
6:29
like a running back. You know, he's not
6:30
afraid to take a hit. Um, you know, drop
6:32
a shoulder and gain a couple extra tough
6:34
yards. I mean, he's, you know, he's very
6:36
um, you know, very tough, competitive
6:38
guy. And, um, and look, not every play
6:41
is a great play. Every play is not a,
6:43
you know, an 80 yard touchdown. I think
6:45
that's part of being a quarterback is
6:46
coming back from um you know a three and
6:49
out or you know a play that doesn't go
6:52
the way you want it to go and just put
6:54
block it out and move on to the next
6:56
play and and really that's what we all
6:57
need to do not just quarterback but all
6:59
of us if if things don't go well then
7:02
move on to the next play figure out what
7:03
went wrong uh when we come to the
7:05
sideline or when we watch the film and
7:07
and try to execute it better the next
7:08
time. second row right in the center.
7:10
Bill, sort of along those lines, what
7:13
would you make of I understand each game
7:15
is its own its own entity.
7:17
What would you make of the way you
7:19
started at Syracuse and then the way
7:21
you're able to sort of turn around in
7:22
the second half offensively and then
7:24
today it was a slow start. I think it
7:26
was only 47 total yards where you didn't
7:28
in the first half, but right out
7:30
Thanks for reminding me of that number.
7:31
I appreciate it. I think I think that is
7:33
right. Yes.
7:35
But right out of the gates, you get your
7:37
your best drive of the game to start the
7:40
second half. Like, what have you made of
7:42
some of these slow starts and the way
7:43
you've been able to regroup or adjust or
7:46
what have you been able to do at the
7:47
half?
7:49
Um, yeah, I mean, we look, we try to do
7:51
that all the time. Um, you know, TCU
7:54
game was a fast start game for us. The
7:56
the um Charlotte game is a fast start
7:59
game for us. Um, but we didn't
8:01
necessarily sustain it. So, I you know,
8:03
I don't know that there's a correlation.
8:05
Um, you know, whether it was the pregame
8:07
meal we ate or whether it was the, you
8:09
know, something superstitious that
8:12
accounted for that. I I don't really
8:14
think that's what it was. We just have
8:15
to, you know, always try to to play well
8:18
early and try to play from ahead and,
8:20
you know, try to get off to a good
8:21
start. Um, we haven't done that lately
8:24
and we need to we need to find a way to
8:25
do that offensively. We definitely need
8:27
to find that. So, we'll keep working on
8:30
it.
8:30
Third row right in the center, coach.
8:32
Yeah. Yeah. Brian Murphy, when you um
8:35
have you ever thought, including
8:37
tonight, about taking Gio out, putting
8:39
Max in maybe for a series to give him a
8:41
chance to regroup or put Max in
8:42
permanently. And since you haven't done
8:44
that, what is it about Gio that makes
8:46
you think he's got this even if he
8:48
hasn't played well, I trust him that
8:50
he's going to get turned around?
8:52
Yeah, I just think he gives us the best
8:53
chance of winning. That's why he's in
8:54
there.
8:56
Second row on the far right. Hey coach,
8:58
I know game just ended, but with Wake
9:01
Forest up next next week, do you have
9:03
any thoughts that come to your mind
9:05
about them and what they be about?
9:07
Yeah, they're uh I've done a little
9:10
preview work on them as we usually do
9:12
prior to the game. Um obviously not in
9:15
depth, but um they they're pretty good.
9:17
I think that they are very well coached
9:19
on defense. They have a good defensive
9:20
scheme. Um same thing in the kicking
9:22
game. they they're aggressive on special
9:24
teams and and uh you know offensively um
9:28
you know they you know been productive
9:29
there too um athletic quarterback and uh
9:33
a lot of different things that we need
9:34
to stop. So um we know this is going to
9:36
be a big challenge especially going on
9:37
the road you know to play to play at
9:39
Wake. Um but I think they're a good
9:41
football team. I think they're very well
9:43
coached and and disciplined and you know
9:45
we'll probably need to play our best
9:46
game. Does the win over Syracuse on the
9:49
road give you any confidence for the
9:50
team that gone back on the road to look
9:52
forward?
9:54
Yeah, I I think we've been confident all
9:56
year. I don't think lack of confidence
9:58
is is a problem. Um we need to play
10:00
better, you know, do some things better,
10:02
but I don't think it's a lack of
10:03
confidence. I don't think we haven't
10:05
been confident in any game. Um some
10:08
games we perform better than others, but
10:09
I don't I don't think we lack
10:10
confidence. far left coach here.
10:13
Bill, you you guys score on the two
10:15
explosives today. Have seen an increase
10:17
in those as far as the scoring plays.
10:19
What do you attribute that to and how
10:21
have you seen your guys take advantage
10:23
of those in recent weeks?
10:25
Yeah, I think our guys done a good job
10:26
on some of the open field running
10:28
opportunities they've had, you know, uh
10:29
Ju Guu last week on the screen, you
10:32
know, with the stiff arm going down the
10:33
sideline and, you know, uh Jordan on
10:36
catching the ball cutting back uh you
10:38
know, hit the wheel route to uh pull it
10:40
down the sideline. And that was really
10:41
a, you know, just a a play. It wasn't a
10:44
catch and run play, but um we had some
10:46
catch and run plays. You know, uh Kobe
10:48
had the hitch pattern uh last week, ran
10:50
it down to the one yard line. So, uh
10:52
just emphasizing uh running with the
10:54
ball when it's in our hands on, you
10:56
know, short routes or um under routes,
10:59
slants, things like that. And, you know,
11:01
gaining those yards after the catch with
11:02
good running skills. Those guys done a
11:04
good job of that. Um and our backs have
11:06
done a good job when they've had a
11:07
chance. We just, you know, couldn't get
11:08
it started today. second little far
11:11
left. Shelby,
11:12
coach, a lot of players on both sides of
11:14
the ball said that over the past few
11:15
weeks they developed a lot more trust in
11:18
the guys to the left and right. Um I'm
11:20
curious just to what extent you've seen
11:21
that as a coach speak to maybe any
11:24
examples how to play off.
11:26
Yeah. Yeah. No, I mean 100%. I mean
11:29
first of all I don't think everybody
11:30
necessarily knew the name of the person
11:32
to the left or right of them several
11:33
weeks ago. So, we've gotten to spend
11:36
more time with each other. A lot of new
11:38
faces and trying to find some
11:39
combinations. We've had move some people
11:41
around and so, um, sure, trusting the
11:44
person that's next to you and and
11:46
trusting the, you know, the play. Um,
11:48
sometimes the guy in front of you on
11:50
defense is is another that's a high
11:51
level of trust, too. Person that plays,
11:54
you know, in front of you in in the um
11:56
uh on the, you know, when you line up
11:57
for a play, it's if they do what they're
12:00
supposed to do, then you could do what
12:01
you're supposed to do. and if they if
12:03
you're not sure then you kind of wait to
12:05
see where they are before you see where
12:06
you go and things like that. So yeah, I
12:08
think that um has really helped us to be
12:10
able to um you know be more more
12:13
cohesive um to practice better to you
12:16
know to work together on the field um
12:18
you know at a higher level. Uh both
12:21
sides of the ball they're very
12:22
competitive in practice. we've gotten
12:23
better um consistently and so that's you
12:27
know what we're going to try to keep
12:28
doing but that that unity um in in the
12:31
group whether it's on the punt team or
12:33
the kickoff team or the you know our our
12:36
dime defense or whatever it is it it all
12:38
certainly has helped not saying we're
12:40
there yet by any stretch but it's
12:42
definitely you know gotten better and it
12:44
helps and there's a lot of times where
12:46
you know guys can just look over and
12:47
they you know yeah that's what you're
12:50
going to do and you know what I mean we
12:51
weren't anywhere close to that um
12:53
several weeks ago.
12:54
Last one here standing far left.
12:56
And Bill, so going off of what Jeremiah
12:59
was saying earlier, next week, Wake
13:01
Forest, you got two good defensive teams
13:04
going at it, but your guys offense,
13:07
particularly second half, has really
13:09
seen it start playing playing closer to
13:12
it full potential, playing a lot better
13:14
in recent weeks. What are going to be
13:16
those things you continue to do you want
13:18
to see your players continue to do to be
13:20
Wake Forest defensively? And what are
13:22
going to be those offensive like
13:24
difference maker plays that that you
13:27
guys need to make to overcome their
13:29
tough defense and win your third
13:30
straight game?
13:32
Yeah, I I mean I'm going to have to um
13:35
kind of pass on that one. I just haven't
13:36
studied them enough to know um some of
13:39
the specifics that you're asking and
13:40
those are great questions and and we
13:42
need to get the answers to those. I just
13:43
don't don't have them right now. But
13:45
again, I think that they're very well
13:47
coached. I think they're very sound in
13:49
what they do. um they make you beat
13:51
them. They make you go out and and
13:54
execute well to beat them. They don't
13:55
make a lot of of mistakes and and just
13:57
give up a lot of easy plays uh because
14:00
they're, you know, they they're not
14:02
sound at what they're doing. So, um as I
14:04
said, I think they're they're very well
14:06
coached. They have uh probably the best
14:08
pass rush that we're going to see this
14:10
year or or certainly one of the best. Um
14:12
they're very explosive on the defensive
14:14
line. So, you know, I know that's going
14:16
to be a problem. We'll have to deal with
14:17
that. Um but uh as far as you know how
14:20
it's all going to come together um and
14:22
what what we feel like will give us the
14:24
best chance to be competitive against
14:25
them, we'll we'll have to figure that
14:27
out here over the next few days.
14:29
Thanks everyone. We had time for a
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