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#UNC players press conference with defensive back Kaleb Cost and QB Max Johnson
Sep 2, 2025
#UNC players press conference with defensive back Kaleb Cost and QB Max Johnson
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0:00
here. Uh, and you guys start off 24/7.
0:03
What went wrong when everything started
0:05
to help and what was the mental
0:08
challenge of not allowing snowball and
0:11
trying to fight against that?
0:12
I mean, we just got to be tougher as a
0:14
team as a whole. You know what I'm
0:15
saying? Like just taking it day by day,
0:18
practice by practice, uh, drill by
0:20
drill. And when it comes to game time,
0:23
we just got to be tougher all around
0:25
and, uh, compete better as a team.
0:29
Is there a point as you look back right
0:31
now in the game you thought this was
0:34
getting out of hand and you felt maybe a
0:36
little bit helpless in
0:38
I mean absolutely I I wouldn't say I we
0:40
felt helpless at all like we still kept
0:42
grinding we still kept pushing and to to
0:46
try to get some production out of that
0:47
game but uh all in all like we lost the
0:50
game at the end of the day and it didn't
0:52
went it it didn't go our way but we just
0:54
we we we still kept going forward
0:58
Grand Sitorials on the side. I know
1:00
there wasn't really a whole lot u going
1:02
for you guys, but the crowd and the
1:04
environment seem to be awesome. What do
1:06
you have to say about them and showing
1:08
up for you guys?
1:09
We absolutely appreciate Tar Hill
1:10
Nation. Uh and we we we would need that
1:14
every single week. Absolutely. We we're
1:16
sorry we let y'all down and it won't
1:18
happen again. We promise you that for
1:20
sure.
1:21
Let's go to Brian back here.
1:24
You guys seem pretty confident in the
1:26
weeks leading up to this game. How much
1:27
of a shock or disappointment was the
1:29
effort that you guys put out there?
1:32
Um, it's definitely disappointing, but
1:35
it's just back to the drawing board
1:36
again. We're going to go hard. We're
1:37
going to go hard every single day this
1:39
week going into Charlotte and make sure
1:41
that never happens again.
1:43
Let's go to Jeremiah.
1:44
Yeah. I obviously haven't had a chance
1:47
to, you know, really look at it and
1:48
everything like that, but I guess how
1:49
would you evaluate the I guess sense of
1:52
cohesion, connectivity, I guess, were
1:54
you guys as a unit going into the game
1:56
and then also just kind of, you know,
1:58
reflecting after the game?
2:01
We're definitely connected as a unit.
2:03
We're still connected as a unit, uh,
2:05
defensively, offensively, and as a team.
2:07
Like, we understand what what happened
2:09
tonight, and we're going to fix it.
2:11
We're going to solve it. Figure out
2:12
everything we need to do to solve it.
2:15
and do that.
2:17
Caleb over here athletic. Yeah, same
2:19
similar question, but to that point, I
2:20
mean, morale-wise for yourself, like how
2:22
do you sort of keep things high? How do
2:24
you prevent this from, you know, maybe
2:26
lingering a little bit?
2:27
Uh, try to just try to keep positive
2:28
energy just all around. Um, obviously
2:30
it's a little negative energy, but um,
2:33
as we come together as a team and come
2:35
together as a band of brothers, uh, and
2:37
realize what happened today, uh, we we
2:41
it it's a it's a team. It's a team. it
2:42
it's from top to bottom from coaches all
2:45
the way down to players. So, um yeah, we
2:48
just got to go back to the drawing board
2:49
like I said.
2:50
Let me go David.
2:52
How did you feel like the game plan was
2:55
the game plan that prepared you for what
2:57
you saw tonight or were you kind of
2:58
surprised by some of the things that TCU
3:00
did that they had success with?
3:01
We were prepared for the night. We were
3:04
prepared but it just didn't go in our
3:08
favor. So,
3:10
let's go to Emma. Ken, just would you
3:13
say this was the team that you guys saw
3:16
in preseason? I mean, you guys the way
3:17
the way you guys practiced this
3:19
preseason. Did Did your performance
3:21
tonight surprise you guys in any way?
3:24
Uh, no. We knew they was a tough team.
3:26
We knew they was a competitive team. We
3:28
knew that they were going to come in our
3:30
house uh and try to beat us. We knew no
3:33
team was going to give us anything. So,
3:35
uh, that definitely wasn't a factor of
3:38
anything. Like, we knew what we had. We
3:40
knew the opponent very well and we just
3:42
didn't execute at the time we did.
3:45
Time for a few more.
3:47
Caleb, how would you describe the mood
3:49
in the locker room after the game and
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what did coach say to you guys?
3:54
Uh we're just we're just moving forward.
3:56
Just moving forward. And the mood is
3:58
fine. the mood. Obviously, uh
4:01
uh people are obviously we're we're
4:04
we're angry as a team, but like I said,
4:08
it's back to the drawing board and we're
4:09
going to use that to take the practice
4:11
and take the next opponent.
4:14
Let's go to Dennis in the back.
4:16
You talk about the guys rallying
4:18
together after this loss. Who are those
4:19
leaders in the locker room because so
4:21
many new guys?
4:23
Everybody.
4:24
Everybody. Sorry.
4:25
Everybody. Everybody.
4:26
Everybody.
4:28
And last one here with Carro.
4:29
Uh Kayla, can you talk a little bit
4:31
about the impact of that semi-f
4:38
I mean uh I mean it was a good run on
4:42
them. Like it was a competitive play on
4:44
them. Uh he broke out and made a good
4:46
run obviously. Uh
4:49
uh we just got to compete like keep
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competing just till the end like
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regardless of the situation or
4:54
regardless of the play that just
4:56
happened before or after whether it's a
4:58
good play or a bad play like we got to
5:00
keep going cuz obviously like the game
5:03
went good at the beginning and it
5:05
started going downhill but even with the
5:07
good things like we got to keep our foot
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foot on their neck like regardless like
5:12
regardless.
5:14
Perfect. Thanks so much.
5:15
Cool. And then we had played&m together
5:17
and what a special moment. So
5:19
let's go to Aaron here.
5:20
Yeah, nice Aaron here to the AP. There's
5:22
been so much attention and buzz about
5:24
coach Bel coming in. I'm curious, how
5:27
would you describe your feeling right
5:28
now with a game that really got away
5:29
from you guys? Is it shock? I mean, how
5:31
do you sort of reconcile what happened?
5:33
No, I mean, I thought we were prepared
5:34
for the game. We prepared, you know, for
5:36
um, you know, week and a half now for
5:38
TCU specifically, you know, but we've
5:40
been working on our fundamentals for,
5:42
you know, this whole past year and um,
5:44
you know, I thought we were prepared for
5:45
the game, but you know, it didn't go our
5:47
way. We we got to do a better job
5:48
executing.
5:50
Let's go to Andrew.
5:51
Uh, Tario 24/7. Aside from the outcome
5:54
tonight, it would be impossible to
5:57
describe you being victorious and being
5:59
successful tonight. the fact that you
6:01
walked on the field and played given
6:03
where you were this time of year.
6:05
Can you kind of process that? And I I
6:08
know that you guys are competitive want
6:09
to win, but is there any emotion
6:12
intertwined with processing that?
6:15
I wouldn't say I wasn't. I mean, I was
6:18
just so thankful and happy to be out
6:20
there. I just, you know, threw the
6:21
touchdown and threw the go ball to Vari
6:23
and just gave God the glory just for,
6:25
you know, just being blessed to be able
6:26
to be out there. I can't, you know, I I
6:28
couldn't see myself, you know, a year
6:30
ago being where I am now. And but I
6:32
always trusted that, you know, I had,
6:34
you know, my faith in Christ and how
6:36
that kind of motivated me, motivated me
6:37
to get my, you know, my leg healthy and
6:40
um but yeah, we got we got to do a
6:41
better job of executing and um you know,
6:44
we'll be ready to go next week.
6:45
Let's go to Adam.
6:47
Max, it obviously couldn't have been a
6:48
better start for you guys out in the
6:50
game. uh what did you make of the
6:53
adjustments that TCU was able to make
6:55
and the adjustments that it seemed like
6:56
you guys weren't like you know what did
6:58
you think changed how did they change
7:00
the game and how how were you guys not
7:02
able to react to to what they were
7:04
I think we just you know we got to
7:06
communicate better with each other um
7:08
with you know what we're um you know
7:11
with what we're doing um they they made
7:13
some good adjustments um we we made some
7:15
adjustments coming out of halftime and
7:17
we just gota we got to go out there and
7:18
execute better we had some things that
7:20
were there Um, we just had to do, you
7:21
know, a better job of, you know, going
7:23
out there competing every single play
7:25
and, you know, throughout the whole
7:26
game.
7:27
Let's go to D.
7:28
Uh, ahead of ESPN. Kind of walk us
7:32
through obviously go through the
7:34
competition where you don't get the job.
7:36
What was kind of your response to it and
7:38
then how did you kind of prepare
7:40
yourself to be ready for for tonight?
7:42
Yeah, I mean, I've been in, you know,
7:43
multiple quarterback battles in, you
7:45
know, my career in college and it's it's
7:48
crazy. There's I mean there's ups and
7:49
downs and you know you've win some and
7:51
then you lose some and you just kind of
7:52
find a way to you know maximize your
7:54
your spot where you are. You know
7:56
whether you're a starter you're
7:57
preparing to play whether you're the
7:58
backup you're preparing to play it
7:59
doesn't matter. Um so I think I was
8:00
prepared to play this game and I
8:02
prepared like I was a starter. Um I
8:04
thought I had a a good camp and I was
8:06
fully healthy the whole time and you
8:08
know just just tried to work my butt off
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and um you know I felt like I I was just
8:12
happy to be out there and you know play
8:14
again and throw the ball and just um
8:16
just very blessed. Let's go to Shelby.
8:19
Shelby,
8:22
sorry. I'm curious. Um, with Gio Lopez,
8:26
the start obviously wasn't going as well
8:28
for him as you would have thought. What
8:29
were you saying to him on the sideline
8:31
just to encourage him to stay?
8:33
I think it's just doing a a good job of
8:36
kind of keeping him, you know, motivated
8:38
and um keeping the guys going. um he's
8:41
you know started off hot and you know we
8:42
kind of um got slow for a minute but um
8:45
I think hopefully I haven't talked to
8:47
him hopefully he's he's feeling better
8:49
um but you know he's a good player and
8:51
you know I think we learned a lot from
8:52
each other just being able to bounce off
8:54
bounce off ideas from each other and um
8:56
just encourage each other
8:59
athletic in your football career you've
9:01
obviously seen a lot of different
9:02
stadiums a lot of different atmospheres
9:03
how would you sort of compare this one
9:05
something else you see seen and then
9:06
also for for fans who are maybe
9:07
disappointed by the outcome tonight what
9:09
would you say to As far as sticking,
9:10
yeah, I mean it was special come out
9:13
there and see the lights, you know, the
9:14
Carolina blue lights. I mean, it was it
9:16
was it was really special to be able to
9:17
to run out, you know, out of that tunnel
9:19
and kind of see everybody cheering and
9:21
it was it was it was awesome just to
9:23
kind of feel the whole vibe of the
9:24
stadium. But I would just say to all the
9:26
Carolina fans, you know, don't lose
9:28
hope. I mean, we're going to continue to
9:30
put our best foot forward. We're
9:31
continue to work um and trust in each
9:34
other. So,
9:35
let's go to Brian
9:37
off of Uh did you feel like the
9:40
competition was close? Did you feel like
9:42
you might get the call that you were the
9:44
starter and then you've been through it
9:45
where you are the starter, you get hurt
9:47
the opportunity that may present itself
9:49
here moving forward?
9:50
Yeah, I mean I thought that I you know
9:52
had a good fall camp. Um I thought I
9:54
performed well. Um you know I'm not I
9:57
expected to play. I mean that's that's
9:58
the way I I'm always thinking. Um I'm
10:01
never going to know you know not I'm not
10:03
going to doubt myself. Um so I had faith
10:05
in the way I competed in fall camp. Um,
10:08
but I I I was ready to go tonight. So,
10:11
let's go to Jeremiah in the back.
10:12
Yeah, Matt. Um, when Bill and Caleb were
10:15
in here, they were kind of talking about
10:17
a regrouping, so to speak, back to
10:18
drawing board type of mentality for you
10:20
from an offensive perspective. What do
10:22
you think is that first couple of
10:25
priorities that you guys need to, you
10:26
know, kind of hone in on?
10:29
I'd say we got to communicate better um
10:31
just with each other. We got to
10:32
encourage each other, uplift each other.
10:34
We know that, you know, wasn't a great
10:35
showing for us tonight. So, I think we
10:37
got to just like they said, just get
10:39
back to the drawing board and, you know,
10:41
dial up some things and get going.
10:43
Let's go to Noah here.
10:44
Noah stop target 247. What was it like
10:47
driving onto the field there in the game
10:49
and just what went through your head and
10:50
what were you thinking? What were you
10:51
thinking?
10:52
Uh, again, like I was just so happy to
10:55
be out there. Like I there was not a um
10:58
a nervousness, you know, I've played a
11:00
bunch of college football, so I mean I
11:01
was I felt confident in myself to go out
11:03
there, you know, execute what was
11:04
called. Um, but again, just want to give
11:07
God all the glory and the credit for
11:08
allowing me just to, you know, be able
11:10
to play the game of football still.
11:12
Hey, uh, Max, you, like you said, you've
11:15
been through this multiple times. I know
11:16
you went through this your first year at
11:17
LSU and then, of course, at&m, you know,
11:20
what do what do you think when you go on
11:22
the field, especially when your team's
11:24
down, what what do you tell yourself?
11:26
What what do you do on the field to just
11:28
kind of get everything going, get
11:30
everybody together, especially such a
11:32
tough time? Yeah, I mean everybody goes
11:34
through tough times, but it's just, you
11:35
know, being able to encourage, you know,
11:36
others around you, bring others up and
11:39
uplift them. Um, just telling them to
11:40
keep fighting, put it on film. It's
11:42
going to get watched. So, you know, just
11:44
keep fighting, give your, you know, put
11:45
your best foot forward, never give up.
11:47
That's the thing that we will not do
11:48
here is we will never give up.
11:50
And last one for Aiden here. Maxire
11:54
obviously it was you wanted to go into
11:56
the game but I imagine obviously going
11:59
in for a teammate who's injured is not
12:02
the ideal situation but you know you
12:04
went in and provided some offensive
12:07
spark and I guess talk about you know
12:09
being able to throw that pass to your
12:11
brother too. You know you guys growing
12:13
up and to be able to finally do that on
12:15
the same team.
12:16
Yeah I mean we threw you know a couple
12:18
touchdowns together when we were at
12:20
Texas A&M. Um, man, it was it was I
12:24
honestly didn't even know he was in the
12:25
game. My brother was. I knew that. I
12:27
knew the play was called. We had a tight
12:28
end there. I didn't know it was Jake at
12:29
first and then once I threw it to him,
12:30
it was what a special moment. Um, just
12:32
to celebrate with him. It felt like we
12:33
were little kids again, you know,
12:35
playing PeeWee football and just going
12:36
out there and celebrating. But, um, you
12:38
know, we got to come to work next week
12:40
and put on a better show.
12:42
Perfect. Thanks so much everybody.
12:43
finance offer. Let go.
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