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#UNC's Freddie Kitchens, Beau Atkinson and John Copenhaver after Fenway Bowl loss
Dec 28, 2024
#UNC's Freddie Kitchens, Beau Atkinson and John Copenhaver after Fenway Bowl loss
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0:00
um you know disappointing uh result for
0:04
us uh I thought our guys kept fighting
0:06
all the way to the very end um we just
0:08
sort of ran out of time there at the end
0:10
so uh you know they never gave up uh
0:13
these guys have been through a lot the
0:14
last three weeks um the the ability to
0:19
show up for work every day is like uh
0:22
unbelievable to see with these guys and
0:25
and uh I commend them for everything
0:27
that they've done the last three weeks
0:29
and today uh we didn't really catch any
0:31
breaks today you got to make your own
0:32
breaks at sometime sometimes but uh we
0:35
didn't really um catch any breaks and
0:37
these guys just kept fighting and and
0:39
I'm so proud of this this team and these
0:41
individual players uh for for continuing
0:44
to fight Fredy how much did you guys
0:48
work on Caleb doing the Wildcat stuff I
0:50
know there was a more wrinkle late in
0:51
the year like f State game and also Mike
0:54
murer was lined up as a receiver a few
0:56
times did you guys do much of that in
0:57
the last couple weeks yeah we've been
0:59
working on it for last three weeks uh
1:01
you know uh just in case uh you know we
1:04
needed it or or uh we had injuries like
1:06
we did really so um I think it it was
1:10
pretty successful that's probably how we
1:12
moved the ball most efficiently uh the
1:14
rest of all all day even in passing game
1:16
at times you know we had some
1:17
opportunities there we didn't hit
1:19
protection broke down or or we just
1:21
didn't make the play um but you know you
1:24
got to give Yukon credit I mean they're
1:26
they're a good aggressive type team that
1:28
uh it's either hit or miss and they hit
1:30
a lot today Freddy with some of the the
1:33
just the guys that you didn't have
1:35
around for different reasons and and you
1:38
know shuffling different guys in
1:40
different spots did you think that led
1:41
to some of maybe the procedural stuff in
1:43
the first half some of the you know
1:45
there was moments where you shot
1:46
yourself in the foot did you think that
1:47
just having different guys in different
1:49
spots contributed to those mistakes well
1:51
I think we had a lot of guys out there
1:52
that was their first playing experience
1:54
you know we I think we started three
1:56
freshman on the on the offensive line
1:57
and um you know then when we lost to
1:59
Kobe of course we had a quarterback uh
2:01
with Mike he came in and did a admirable
2:04
job but you know of course there's going
2:05
to be some nerves for these guys and um
2:08
I thought they did a good job as far as
2:09
just uh trying to move past some of the
2:12
early uh situations that we were in that
2:15
weren't advantageous for us John early
2:18
on in the game uh obviously guys moved
2:20
it better in the fourth quarter those
2:21
first three quarters kind of strugle
2:23
getting first downs things like that do
2:25
you feel there was anything in
2:26
particular yukon's defense was doing to
2:29
to
2:32
um no I mean they they didn't do
2:35
anything special we uh we just weren't
2:36
executing um you play call was was
2:38
totally fine we've practicing it for
2:40
three weeks to a month and we just we
2:42
just couldn't execute it and when we
2:44
would you know get three four or five
2:46
yards you know like like somebody said
2:48
we cheat ourselves in the foot you know
2:50
um get a delay of game you know off
2:52
sides um and you know the whole whole
2:55
you know three weeks we've been talking
2:57
about is just you know man on man you
2:58
know be beat your man man and uh you
3:01
know I didn't really start kicking in
3:02
until about you know fourth quarter so
3:04
it was just too
3:05
late what were you
3:10
feeling um you know it was definitely a
3:12
a big shock and you don't you don't like
3:14
seeing any of your teammates getting
3:15
hurt no matter who it is but um
3:17
definitely you know in that situation
3:19
where we haven't had um you any other
3:21
quarterback you know get any game reps
3:23
but um you know it's next man up that's
3:25
that that's mentality and you never know
3:27
when your opportunity is going to shine
3:28
um and for for Michael murer you know
3:31
that was that was his opportunity and um
3:33
uh he just got thrown in there that Ian
3:35
that's that's a game of football but I I
3:37
feel bad for jacobe he's you know great
3:39
buddy of mine and great ball player so
3:41
definitely uh suck but John or B and yet
3:45
the result was not what you wanted but
3:46
was there any point today or last couple
3:48
days where you've kind of been able to
3:49
take a step back and a kind of
3:52
appreciate the kind of where you're
3:53
playing and something different your
3:55
careers and be kind of to get to the end
3:57
of this season and and and kind of put a
4:00
a period on it um why know I think B may
4:04
maybe have some more eligibility but me
4:05
personally I don't so the last you know
4:07
couple weeks I've just been taking it
4:09
all in enjoying it with the the tight
4:10
ends coach kitens um all the guys uh you
4:13
know just having a blast and um you know
4:16
you never know when when your last
4:17
opportunity is going to be if you know
4:19
you get hurt something happens so just
4:21
trying to you know take it all in be
4:22
grateful for it um you know blessed that
4:24
we have the opportunity to be here and
4:26
you know even though um we lost and
4:29
everything you still you know praise God
4:31
and give give Jesus all the praise no
4:32
matter what so um that's through the ups
4:35
and the downs and unfortunately today
4:37
was a down but he still gets all the
4:41
GL well I know you guys had a lot of you
4:43
know changes or maybe even scratches on
4:46
the uh on that defensive line today um I
4:49
guess kind of throughout the game just
4:50
you know how would you kind of assess
4:51
the I guess defense is a whole but
4:53
especially the you know defensive line
4:55
just considering what you guys you know
4:56
were were missing up front just how
4:58
would you kind of assess the way the
4:59
game plays
5:01
yeah I mean we were missing some guys
5:03
that had played a while but uh I think
5:06
they had a good scheme where they're
5:07
just trying to run pretty much side to
5:09
side and puts our D line in a tough bind
5:12
and kind of doesn't give us the ability
5:14
to like use our skill sets the way that
5:16
we usually do so they did a pretty good
5:17
job of that but yeah I don't know at the
5:20
end of the day I think we need to do a
5:23
little better than that in my opinion
5:25
you can see a lot of that on film but
5:26
some of those side to side yeah that's
5:28
all they do I think I think with Jobe
5:31
went out Mike went in he had five
5:32
freshman three freshman the field on
5:34
offense does that sort of encapsulate
5:36
the way the season went here at the end
5:38
you're in that situation and also sort
5:40
of the nature of bowl games now where
5:42
the rosters are so kind of ripped apart
5:44
you're in a position to have five true
5:45
freshman feeling that situation yeah you
5:47
know I haven't really thought about
5:49
thought about it from that standpoint
5:50
but of course that could happen to you
5:52
very quickly which it did today and uh I
5:55
think you know Lonnie and the offensive
5:56
staff did a tremendous job of having a
5:59
uh sort of an emergency plan and and it
6:02
kind of came to fruition a little bit
6:03
with with Caleb we been repping that for
6:05
a little while and and uh you know
6:07
didn't hesitate to get it Incorporated
6:09
and uh and then you know Michael came in
6:12
and made a couple throws for us there
6:14
late too so um you know I was proud of
6:17
Mike the way he handled the situation I
6:19
mean he's sitting over there uh he just
6:21
jumped in the transfer portal to what 48
6:23
hours ago and now he's out there playing
6:25
so um you know but yes I think that
6:28
incap plates uh you know bowl games now
6:32
but it's still you gained a lot of good
6:34
experience with it and uh there has to
6:36
be a winner and loser and and Yukon just
6:38
made a few more plays than us today and
6:40
they did a great job there's also a lot
6:41
of shuffling in the offensive line guy
6:43
Luke and and play tackles was that just
6:47
to try to find something that was
6:48
working today and how much of that was
6:50
just a little bit of an eye down the
6:51
road well I think uh you know you're
6:53
definitely trying to trying to find your
6:55
best five and the best five matchups for
6:57
what they're doing and and uh when the
6:59
started moving a little bit which
7:00
they've done all year uh you know we try
7:02
to move some guys in different spots and
7:04
and see how they react so uh you know
7:07
those guys are pretty versatile up front
7:09
as far as being able to play both sides
7:11
of the line and some of them uh some of
7:13
them are at least and and just trying to
7:16
when one can play both sides of the line
7:17
and one is only playing on the other
7:19
side then you have to find kind of find
7:21
a match Freddy I know you guys just
7:23
walked off the field but what would you
7:25
say if you could speak to it is your
7:28
sense of where this program is having I
7:31
don't think um I think you know the only
7:34
thing I would say about that is um we're
7:37
going to get up tomorrow and we're going
7:38
to go to work and try to make the
7:39
program better okay and the players are
7:41
going to do that coaches are going to do
7:43
that and uh and uh so that's what I'd
7:47
say to that I don't I'm not into making
7:50
predictions as far as like what the
7:52
program's doing and all this kind of
7:53
stuff we're just going to go to work
7:54
tomorrow and and and try to make the
7:56
program better from top to bottom uh
7:58
tomorrow and players will do the same
8:00
thing so uh and then we'll see where
8:02
we're at the next time we kick the ball
8:03
off and just to follow up along those
8:06
lines C could you speak to that I know
8:08
you're done playing but when you think
8:10
about with the this group of guys and
8:13
coach bellich and everybody maybe
8:15
heading with this thing what is what is
8:17
your sense of it U I think they're I
8:19
think they're heading in the right
8:21
direction uh no matter what you know big
8:23
believer in you know what coach kitchens
8:25
teaches and what he coaches and um you
8:28
know he's he's definitely excited for
8:29
for belich to come in and um I am too
8:31
for the program and um you know like
8:34
like you said I guess we'll just wait
8:35
and see um you know next time that you
8:38
know we kick off so definitely excited
8:40
for the program I think I think it's
8:41
going to be pretty good
8:43
so I I know it starts and ends with uh
8:46
you know a bunch of people that uh that
8:49
love football that love Carolina and
8:51
love Carolina football and uh you know
8:54
these two guys up here with me is just
8:55
two of them there's a lot of people in
8:57
that in the locker room right now that
8:59
that love Carolina and love football and
9:01
love each other and and that's where it
9:02
starts and ends and as long as we keep
9:04
surrounding oursel with people like that
9:06
we'll turn the corner and we'll get
9:07
there but it all starts with the next
9:10
day and whatever you're doing at that
9:12
moment and then you look up you know
9:14
next fall and you're kicking the ball
9:15
off again and and you see where you're
9:17
at you know what has the last month been
9:19
like for you CU you're the one coach so
9:21
far that we know has been retained
9:23
you're the inter room head coach and all
9:25
this other stuff that's going on how
9:26
have you been able to kind of keep your
9:28
your nose to the ground and and keep
9:29
this thing going and have you had any of
9:31
those personal stepaway moments where
9:34
you sort of reflect on the way things
9:36
have transpired you know um I truly try
9:38
to practice what I preach and and know
9:40
my job uh when Bubba made me the interim
9:44
coach was to to be here for these kids
9:46
at the present moment to get them ready
9:48
to play in the bowl game and uh you know
9:51
and offer some kind of stability uh to
9:54
get us through that interim time and uh
9:58
and so that's really I I haven't really
10:00
thought about anything outside of that
10:01
other than you know working after uh
10:04
that with some portal guys and stuff
10:06
like that coming in so um yeah hopefully
10:11
that answers your question yeah PA
10:12
what's the last month been like for you
10:14
have process all this just trying to get
10:16
ready for the bowl game I mean that's
10:18
pretty much all it is just straight
10:19
football it's nice cuz obviously
10:21
school's over so you just playing
10:23
football it's professional at that point
10:25
so just trying to get up each morning
10:27
trying to get a little bit better trying
10:28
to get ready to play
10:30
today what was what was your message in
10:32
the locker room you guys got in there
10:34
just now uh that I was proud of them uh
10:37
proud of the way they've handled the
10:39
last three weeks uh or month whatever
10:41
it's been and uh proud of the way they
10:44
just kept fighting um other than that we
10:46
keep the rest of it in the locker room
10:48
Fredy back to Caleb you guys weren't
10:50
really moving the ball on offense and
10:51
then in the fourth quarter you start off
10:53
at the four yd line and he ran for five
10:56
straight um 10 plus yard rushes and then
10:59
C the drive off with a 17 yard passing
11:02
touchdown what was the confidence in
11:03
just continuing to keep him in there and
11:05
continuing to keep him doing that well I
11:07
think um and if you ask Lonnie I think
11:09
he would assume he would agree with me
11:11
when I say that you know we just ran out
11:13
of time you know I think we found found
11:16
what we could do there and and uh we did
11:19
a good job of executing but again the
11:21
reason why we were able to do it then is
11:22
because we executed better is the
11:24
Players out there playing the game they
11:25
executed the plays better and Caleb
11:27
executed what he's supposed to do and
11:30
and just r on down the board so um you
11:32
know that was a real good drive and and
11:34
I'm proud of Caleb for for for uh you
11:36
know making those decisions there's a
11:38
lot of decisions he made on that drive
11:40
whether to pull it or keep it or and all
11:42
that sort of stuff and then just threw
11:44
absolute dime in the back of the end
11:45
zone to John and U you know I was proud
11:48
of him happy for him well I know
11:50
obviously like you said last month has
11:52
just been you know about preparing for
11:53
the game things like that but as a guy
11:55
that does have you know eligibility
11:57
eligibility left GE of what is something
11:59
that you kind of look forward to taking
12:01
into into next
12:03
year I'm definitely ready for the off
12:07
season now that this game is over and
12:08
just ready to go to work and try to get
12:10
me and the rest of these D line and this
12:12
whole defense as a whole better I mean
12:14
that's my main focus now
12:19
I
12:21
got third down today is something they
12:24
were doing just lack of experience lack
12:26
of execution yeah I think just lack of
12:28
execution
12:29
you know I don't think they they didn't
12:31
really do anything we didn't prepare for
12:33
you know I don't think you get a lot of
12:34
that in bowl games these days you know
12:36
you got uh The rosters are so uh
12:40
transient uh from a day-to-day basis at
12:43
times and so you can't really be too
12:44
complicated um so they didn't really do
12:47
anything they just they made more plays
12:49
than we did which usually wins loses
12:50
games and uh you know uh again I think
12:54
we just ran out of time so all right
12:58
good
12:59
appreciate it y appr