ORLANDO, FL - UNC football coach Larry Fedora met with the media following his team's loss to Baylor on Tuesday night. Also joining him at the dais is senior quarterback Marquise Williams. Here is what they ahd to say:
THE MODERATOR: All right. We'll go ahead and get started. We're joined by Coach Fedora and quarterback Marquise Williams.
Coach, if you could start us off with an opening statement.
COACH FEDORA: Yeah, we didn't get it done tonight, obviously. So you have to give a lot of credit to Baylor and what they accomplished tonight. They were the better team out there on the field tonight.
THE MODERATOR: All right. We'll open it up to Q&A. We are using court reporters and we'll get you a full transcript.
Q. Did you guys have any idea coming into this that that offense for Baylor would manifest itself the way it did today?
COACH FEDORA: No. I didn't believe they would run for 645 yards. Actually, no, I didn't ever think that, no.
Q. What was the challenge trying to prepare for them knowing you know can't see Chris Johnson that much?
COACH FEDORA: Well, we knew -- we thought they would throw the ball more than they did, you know. We probably were going to need to, you know, throughout the entire game, put more people in the box. We didn't think that they would run the ball like they did, you know, didn't think that they would have that kind of success. We have to give the guys credit for what they did. They played a lot of guys at the position and they (inaudible).
Q. Coach Fedora?
COACH FEDORA: Yes.
Q. What went through your mind and what (inaudible) did you see differently after the fumble in the third quarter?
COACH FEDORA: Well, I mean, it was not -- nothing that we did differently. We knew we were down at that point and we were going to have to -- you know, we were going in to score and they turned around and took it on the next play and took it back, you know, 80 yards. So it was a 14-point swing on one play, basically. We didn't take care of the football going in the end zone. You know, we drove the ball right down the field, did everything we thought we could do, and as we go forward the end zone, we turned the ball over and it turned into a 14-point swing.
Q. What was the main challenge of stopping them from the running game? Why were they so effective (inaudible)?
COACH FEDORA: A lot things. I mean, a lot of, you know, guys not being where they needed to be in their gaps. We had missed tackles in the open field that we had to make and didn't make. And we just -- you know, they blocked us and we didn't get all the blocks. So it's just as simple as that.
Q. Coach, knowing (inaudible) their quarterbacks, what was your expectation in the offensive game tonight?
COACH FEDORA: What was the expectation of our offensive game plan or their?
Q. (Inaudible.)
COACH FEDORA: We thought they would do basically what they had been doing. We thought they would throw it around a little bit more. We knew that the quarterback, 13, would run it a little bit more (inaudible) the quarterback runs. That's what we were expecting. And all they did was come out and just run it down and throw it. They got to have the same game plan, but when they realized they could just continue to run the football, there's no need to throw it.
Q. Larry, with (inaudible) Keith calling the plays, how did that process go and were there any hiccups at all?
COACH FEDORA: No, we didn't feel like there were any hiccups. We did it basically the way we've been doing it where we talked about what we wanted to do in between the series with the scripts and then he called. It was not -- I never thought it was an issue.
Q. Marquise, this is a bit more macro. When you value the season that this team has had, in what way was this bowl game (inaudible) an appropriate or inappropriate finish to this season?
WILLIAMS: It was appropriate. I mean, it was something I always dreamed of, you know. We got to a bowl game. It's tough because we lost for us seniors. It's been a fun ride for us seniors and the whole team. We established something. We're building something, and I'm excited to see what the guys bring next year to the table because they're going to have (inaudible) greed for more. They're going to see how we lost the last two and (inaudible) going to be ready to go next year, to be honest.
Q. When you see their offense running up and down the field and they're basically scoring every time they got the ball, how much more pressure does that put on your offense to match that?
WILLIAMS: It's not really pressure, you know. It's just keeping the guys positive on the sidelines. If they (inaudible), I mean, we have to answer. It that was the thing we wanted to do. (inaudible) Make a defense, defense make a it stop, and we need to go to score. That's what's difference between the team this year. We've got each other's back. Nobody's going to go back and forth saying, hey, you guys can't stop nobody. None of that. (inaudible) this year. Everybody's still by each other's side and, like I say, we always got each other's back.
Q. -- how much was a scheme and how much was the simple fact that you guys were just dominated at the line of scrimmage?
COACH FEDORA: How much of it was scheme and how much of it was that we were dominated with the line of scrimmage? Let's say 50/50. How about that? Is that good?
Q. Larry, how do you kind of reconcile what happened tonight in the context of the season, winning 11 straight (inaudible) and breaking through record season in the fourth year?
COACH FEDORA: We had a lot of positive things happen with this football team this year and we came a long way when we think back to where we were January 6 (inaudible) about our program and what was going with our program from the outside, I couldn't be more proud of this football team. Our senior class and what the legacy that they're leaving, what they accomplished this year, and they set a new standard, you know, for the guys in that locker room. So those guys in the locker room, younger guys, guys that are all going to be back, they know what it takes now. They know what has to be done. The classes that we're recruiting, they know what the new standard is, what they're going to be measured against. Is this a good team? I think so. We know we've got to do -- as a coaching staff, what we'll do is we'll come back in, we'll evaluate just like we do every year. We'll see what we have to tweak, what we have to adjust, and if hopefully we'll be a better football team next year than we were this year.
Q. Mark, your nature is to smile and you were all smiles after the game. Was that -- were you already kind of compartmentalizing that this was just one game and the whole experience at North Carolina something much more positive?
WILLIAMS: I'm always going to be positive. I'm always going to smile. (inaudible) I have an opportunity to play with one of the best teams. My team mates (inaudible) and they gave me an opportunity to compete with those guys. I'm too nice to be stressed. Losers lose, but I'm still happy that I have the opportunity to get to a bowl game (inaudible) and we had a great coaching staff and a great team. I'm going to keep smiling. That's just who I am.
Q. Mark, (inaudible) talked a lot about next year's team and trying to get that (inaudible). Despite the losses in the last two games, do you think those were necessary to be able to play against these elite level teams to see what's needed to make the next step?
WILLIAMS: Yeah, (inaudible) we started in the last two. It didn't come out the way we wanted. (inaudible) It's exciting. We've got a whole defense come back, and (inaudible) quarterback. I'm excited. I'm excited to see what those guys are ready for next year. They're going to win way more games than 11 games, I can tell you that.
The rest is in the next post...
THE MODERATOR: All right. We'll go ahead and get started. We're joined by Coach Fedora and quarterback Marquise Williams.
Coach, if you could start us off with an opening statement.
COACH FEDORA: Yeah, we didn't get it done tonight, obviously. So you have to give a lot of credit to Baylor and what they accomplished tonight. They were the better team out there on the field tonight.
THE MODERATOR: All right. We'll open it up to Q&A. We are using court reporters and we'll get you a full transcript.
Q. Did you guys have any idea coming into this that that offense for Baylor would manifest itself the way it did today?
COACH FEDORA: No. I didn't believe they would run for 645 yards. Actually, no, I didn't ever think that, no.
Q. What was the challenge trying to prepare for them knowing you know can't see Chris Johnson that much?
COACH FEDORA: Well, we knew -- we thought they would throw the ball more than they did, you know. We probably were going to need to, you know, throughout the entire game, put more people in the box. We didn't think that they would run the ball like they did, you know, didn't think that they would have that kind of success. We have to give the guys credit for what they did. They played a lot of guys at the position and they (inaudible).
Q. Coach Fedora?
COACH FEDORA: Yes.
Q. What went through your mind and what (inaudible) did you see differently after the fumble in the third quarter?
COACH FEDORA: Well, I mean, it was not -- nothing that we did differently. We knew we were down at that point and we were going to have to -- you know, we were going in to score and they turned around and took it on the next play and took it back, you know, 80 yards. So it was a 14-point swing on one play, basically. We didn't take care of the football going in the end zone. You know, we drove the ball right down the field, did everything we thought we could do, and as we go forward the end zone, we turned the ball over and it turned into a 14-point swing.
Q. What was the main challenge of stopping them from the running game? Why were they so effective (inaudible)?
COACH FEDORA: A lot things. I mean, a lot of, you know, guys not being where they needed to be in their gaps. We had missed tackles in the open field that we had to make and didn't make. And we just -- you know, they blocked us and we didn't get all the blocks. So it's just as simple as that.
Q. Coach, knowing (inaudible) their quarterbacks, what was your expectation in the offensive game tonight?
COACH FEDORA: What was the expectation of our offensive game plan or their?
Q. (Inaudible.)
COACH FEDORA: We thought they would do basically what they had been doing. We thought they would throw it around a little bit more. We knew that the quarterback, 13, would run it a little bit more (inaudible) the quarterback runs. That's what we were expecting. And all they did was come out and just run it down and throw it. They got to have the same game plan, but when they realized they could just continue to run the football, there's no need to throw it.
Q. Larry, with (inaudible) Keith calling the plays, how did that process go and were there any hiccups at all?
COACH FEDORA: No, we didn't feel like there were any hiccups. We did it basically the way we've been doing it where we talked about what we wanted to do in between the series with the scripts and then he called. It was not -- I never thought it was an issue.
Q. Marquise, this is a bit more macro. When you value the season that this team has had, in what way was this bowl game (inaudible) an appropriate or inappropriate finish to this season?
WILLIAMS: It was appropriate. I mean, it was something I always dreamed of, you know. We got to a bowl game. It's tough because we lost for us seniors. It's been a fun ride for us seniors and the whole team. We established something. We're building something, and I'm excited to see what the guys bring next year to the table because they're going to have (inaudible) greed for more. They're going to see how we lost the last two and (inaudible) going to be ready to go next year, to be honest.
Q. When you see their offense running up and down the field and they're basically scoring every time they got the ball, how much more pressure does that put on your offense to match that?
WILLIAMS: It's not really pressure, you know. It's just keeping the guys positive on the sidelines. If they (inaudible), I mean, we have to answer. It that was the thing we wanted to do. (inaudible) Make a defense, defense make a it stop, and we need to go to score. That's what's difference between the team this year. We've got each other's back. Nobody's going to go back and forth saying, hey, you guys can't stop nobody. None of that. (inaudible) this year. Everybody's still by each other's side and, like I say, we always got each other's back.
Q. -- how much was a scheme and how much was the simple fact that you guys were just dominated at the line of scrimmage?
COACH FEDORA: How much of it was scheme and how much of it was that we were dominated with the line of scrimmage? Let's say 50/50. How about that? Is that good?
Q. Larry, how do you kind of reconcile what happened tonight in the context of the season, winning 11 straight (inaudible) and breaking through record season in the fourth year?
COACH FEDORA: We had a lot of positive things happen with this football team this year and we came a long way when we think back to where we were January 6 (inaudible) about our program and what was going with our program from the outside, I couldn't be more proud of this football team. Our senior class and what the legacy that they're leaving, what they accomplished this year, and they set a new standard, you know, for the guys in that locker room. So those guys in the locker room, younger guys, guys that are all going to be back, they know what it takes now. They know what has to be done. The classes that we're recruiting, they know what the new standard is, what they're going to be measured against. Is this a good team? I think so. We know we've got to do -- as a coaching staff, what we'll do is we'll come back in, we'll evaluate just like we do every year. We'll see what we have to tweak, what we have to adjust, and if hopefully we'll be a better football team next year than we were this year.
Q. Mark, your nature is to smile and you were all smiles after the game. Was that -- were you already kind of compartmentalizing that this was just one game and the whole experience at North Carolina something much more positive?
WILLIAMS: I'm always going to be positive. I'm always going to smile. (inaudible) I have an opportunity to play with one of the best teams. My team mates (inaudible) and they gave me an opportunity to compete with those guys. I'm too nice to be stressed. Losers lose, but I'm still happy that I have the opportunity to get to a bowl game (inaudible) and we had a great coaching staff and a great team. I'm going to keep smiling. That's just who I am.
Q. Mark, (inaudible) talked a lot about next year's team and trying to get that (inaudible). Despite the losses in the last two games, do you think those were necessary to be able to play against these elite level teams to see what's needed to make the next step?
WILLIAMS: Yeah, (inaudible) we started in the last two. It didn't come out the way we wanted. (inaudible) It's exciting. We've got a whole defense come back, and (inaudible) quarterback. I'm excited. I'm excited to see what those guys are ready for next year. They're going to win way more games than 11 games, I can tell you that.
The rest is in the next post...
