#UNC press conference with Davion Gause

But right now, we just focus on Wake

Forest and taking it one game at a time.

We ain't looking at Duke or we ain't

looking at NC State right now. We just

focus on Wake Forest right now and

taking it one game at a time.

Davon, where have you seen the most

improvement offensively over the last

handful of games? Where have you seen

the the most improvement?

Um, I feel like we've been improving a

lot tremendously like over the year,

like especially in passing game, run the

game. So, we just taking it step by step

and progressing week by week.

Caroline.

Yeah, you know, to go off of that

question, um, what do you think is

different in particular about this team

over the last, let's say, four weeks? I

mean, a lot more competitive games,

things like that. What do you think has

changed and what do you think is

different about you guys?

Um, nothing really different. We just

kept fighting, keep swinging, and taking

it one game at a time and just coming

together as one more and just staying at

it. Right.

Yeah. There you go. Um, Michael Lombardi

said yesterday you're you're considered

the nickel back on offense. I guess like

a third down back. You said you're

you're the best in pass protection. How

much does your role then change week to

week based on on what other teams are

going to be giving you?

Um, it definitely depends on what the

def what what the opposing team is doing

and their game plan and how we going to

use each other. But I think it just go

by the game as the game going on. Did

you know going into the Stanford game

that you might see a bigger role because

of of pass protection pickup and then

obviously they were trying to get you

isolated on some linebackers out there

in the past.

Um I was just ready for my moment right

there and it came. So

did did you guys I'm sorry. Did you guys

talk about halftime that first drive you

caught three passes for 51 yards. Was

that an adjustment made at halftime to

see if we can get you isolated out there

in a passing game?

No, the plays were just working. So, we

just stayed at it and kept going back at

him.

Adam, Mark, you done?

Go ahead. Go ahead. Thanks.

Um, Bullet, uh,

tell us, take us through the play of

hurdling the guy. Um, I mean, I think it

was a guy you had to make miss as soon

as you called it, which

that looked a little tricky there and

then you hurdled the dude. Like, take us

through that play if you can.

Um, I was just I had a wheel rock, but I

was actually hot. And then I actually

didn't see the corner. He like kind of

bumped my hip and I felt it. And then

when I got to 29, I was just in my mind

like heard him

and then I just heard him.

Yeah. I mean, we know there's something

done before, I guess, right? UC

Charlotte maybe last year, I think. I'm

trying to think of the game.

Yeah.

Um, and then the touchdown. What? That

was a what? That was a match up on a

linebacker. Is that right?

Yes. 35.

Right. Right. like is that that's

something you guys looking to exploit

there maybe a running back on

linebacker?

Um yes definitely especially like those

linebackers that middle linebackers that

don't really supposed to be like they

don't really the opposing team really

don't want them outside covering like

that.

So we look for matchups like that to

pick on like those kind of linebackers

kind of

great.

Yeah. So where does that come from

exactly? Because of course I see a bunch

of photos of you actually hurrying over

the guy from Charlotte. Is that

something that you've always kind of had

just you through your athletic ability

or did you do hurdles in high school?

No, I never did hurdles. I just tried it

when I was like 12 years old in little

league and I just been doing it ever

since.

Shelby. Yeah, I guess um just kind of

going away from it, but um a lot of the

players have spoken about um just the

importance of like Sunday night football

and I'm curious like from your

perspective as one of the guys that's

maybe you're not competing, but you're

cheering on those younger players.

What's been your favorite part about

that session? My favorite part about

that is seeing the guys, the younger

guys grow with like grow grow each week

of them doing Sunday night football and

them just going out there and making

plays each and every Sunday when they

get their chance and some of those guys

stepped up even in the games like when

they number was called. I guess just a

quick follow. I mean my I know that you

know Deont kind of like started you know

showing those those flashes

you know Sunday night football basic

periods. What um stood out to him early

on from your perspective?

What stood out to him

or stood sorry stood out to you about

him rather um in maybe those development

areas?

Um his explosiveness when he hit the

hole.

Yeah. Were there any like maybe there

was one Sunday night football game where

he had like a crazy play like anything

in particular stand out?

I don't I don't think Jud was on Sunday

night. I I don't I don't know.

Okay. But like maybe

Yeah. Yeah.

Okay.

Ron D being one of the few returners,

man. What have you told all these new

guys about what to expect in these

rivalry games coming up? Um, they going

to be hard fork games and it don't

matter what the record is between either

team. It's just going to be hard fork

games and the best team going to win

that week.

How much is Bill talking about coming

into this final stretch here with all

the state teams?

Um, he didn't really hit on it too much,

but he just said like our last stretch

is like instate teams and it's going to

be hard for games, but right now we just

focus on Wake Forest.

Jeremiah.

Yeah. D for you guys, the running back

room in particular. I mean, we've seen

some games it's, you know, Demar's

night, some down it's Benjamin Hall's

night. The other day was your night. You

see kind of more so in the passing game.

Uh, what do you think it is about this

group of running backs that kind of

allow us for, you know, maybe depend on

what the matchup is, you know, different

guys are kind of more productive, some

um, I feel like all us bring different

abilities to the table. So whoever like

I feel like we all just stay ready and

then when our number call we all just

make plays. So you

talk about those different abilities.

How do you think um you guys kind of

complement each other in that way you

know to where you know obviously you

talk about your pass and the different

things you do. You see how long runs you

see how hard runs. How do you think you

guys kind of complement each other in

that uh in that back?

Um they go hand in hand especially. They

go hand in hand because

I just go hand in hand.

Adam Sho.

Yeah, I did actually. Right along lines

what Jeremiah was saying like bullet is

there is is there a sense with the

running backs that if you get hot during

a game, they'll stay with you. The

coaches will stay with you. You see what

I'm saying? Like there have been games

where you've had two carries, three

carries. I think at Syra just had 15

carries. Is there

is that the sense that you get going

into the game? If I get hot, they're

going to keep feeding me or or is it

something different?

Um, I want to say is if we get hot,

they'll keep feeding me. It just be like

you got to have that stay ready

mentality and go with the flow of the

game and when your numbers call that you

just got to make plays. But that goes

like for the whole offense like make

plays, get yards, and we'll come out

victorious on that.

Yeah. And I'm I guess along those lines,

I'm sure Freddy is not saying as your

game plan like, "All right, Bullet,

you're getting 12 carries. Demon, you're

getting 10 carries." Like, there's no

sort of planning out how many carries or

touches a guy is going to get.

Yeah. Yeah.

Shelby,

I know you're um really close with

Jordan. He was in here after the um the

last game kind of bragging on you a

little bit. Tell me just from your

perspective, what's impressed you the

most about what he's been able to do

either on the field or from a leadership

standpoint this season?

Um, his leadership grown tremendously

and what I've seen most from him is his

hard work that he put in in the spring

and the summer and it's paying off a lot

this season and just like him being a

student of the game. Yeah, I I would

imagine that, you know, a lot of players

have spoken about how everyone came

together a lot after the Clemson game.

Um, what was Jordan's role making in

that? What were some of the things that

he was saying to you guys just when

everything was kind of going on around

him?

Um, everybody was really saying that

like it wasn't like what the opposing

teams were doing. It was just

self-inflicted wounds. So, it wasn't

really like us focus on what other teams

was doing to us. It was just like us

getting us getting us back to what we

know we was capable of like what we were

seeing in practice and us just focused

on the fundamentals and playing

complimentary football.

Perfect. Good stuff. boat. We only get

double times to appearance.