CHAPEL HILL – UNC football coach Larry Fedora met with the media following Wednesday’s practice to discuss the team’s progress this month with the season opener just two weeks away.
Here is what the fourth-year head coach had to say:
Q: How did Saturday’s scrimmage go?
Fedora: I do remember there were no turnovers in the scrimmage, I was pleased with that. Fewer big plays on defense. There were good things on both sides of the ball. It was a good day, physical, we got a bunch of snaps in. It was really good.
Q: Question about competition.
Fedora: We do competition every single day and we assign points to everything that we do. Before this practice, it was 589 to 582, it was a seven-point difference in 16 days of practice. That’s all your blitzes and pitting teams against each other, your 7-on-7s, and anything that you’re competing on. So, it’s been pretty close all the way through.
Q: Do you know who was up?
Fedora: I think the offense was up 7. They won today by 4, I believe.
Q: Is there a position group that’s made the most progress since we last talked to you a week ago?
Fedora: I don’t know that I would say there’s been a single position group that’s done anything, but there’s been a lot of individual guys that have made really good plays all fall and done a really nice job. But I don’t know if there’s one single group I would pick out.
Q: Last year, Marquise (Williams) led the offense in rushing, is it ideal in this offense that the quarterback run it so much?
Fedora: The best way to answer that is to say, yeah, I’d love for the running backs to be the leading rushers, the receivers to be the leading receivers, and all that stuff. But, ‘Quise can do some special things (and) it’s nice that he can. Yeah, we would like more of the workload and production from the running backs.
Q: Are you worried more about what (South Carolina coach Steve) Spurier may have up his sleeve, or are you more worried about losing some of that experience on the offensive line?
Fedora: I’m more worried about us than I am anything right now. We haven’t started on South Carolina yet, and we probably won’t for a while. We’re still in a camp mode for us, even though school started. It’s still about getting ourselves ready for the entire season.
Q: Do you lose any sleep thinking, “Man, I’ve got this experienced line, I hope they don’t get hurt in practice”?
Fedora: I lose sleep all the time, but I’ve got help. That’s how I’m able to sleep.
Q: I’ve had a few people ask me the last few days, “Who is Cole Holcomb,” so, who is Cole Holcomb?
Fedora: He’s a linebacker who’s hear from New Smyrna Beach. He’s stepped up and shown he’s going to play for us, he’s going to help this football team. He’s involved in almost all of the special teams. He’s a kid that’s athletic, he can run, and is learning the scheme, and is going to help this team.
Q: What are the strengths and differences that T.J. (Logan) and Elijah (Hood) bring to the team?
Fedora: There’s a size difference, a strength difference, a running style difference. One of them is a big, physical pound-you kind of guy, the other one is a slashing, got great speed. That would be the two differences.
Q: How has that rotation helped the offense?
Fedora: It’s nice to have that punch and that change up that no all of the backs are exactly the same. One good thing is they both catch the ball very well, so that’s a big asset for us.
Q: What kind of growth have you seen in Mack Hollins – he said he’s a lot more of a leader, and that’s the only real difference between this camp and a year ago before he exploded.
Fedora: Mack’s always been a guy that’s been very vocal, that’s his thing, he likes to talk. He has, he’s been a much better leader this year than he was last year. His skills, Mack can run and make plays. He can get behind anybody, really, he can run. We’ve got to take advantage of his explosiveness, and when we get him back there we’ve got to hit him.
Q: He said a point of emphasis has been making those moving-the-chain plays that he didn’t make many of last year, has he progressed in that area?
Fedora: Yeah, he’s gotten better overall as a football player. He’s gotten better as a blocker, he’s gotten better as a receiver.
Q: How close is the competition between Nick Weiler and Freeman Jones?
Fedora: It’s still close, we haven’t made a decision yet. How close, I don’t know. On the (Sept.) 3rd we’ve got to have someone go out there and kick ‘em. I can tell you Weiler is going to be the first guy that goes out there because he’s going to kick off. Then after that we’re going t have to figure it out for the field goals and still got a ways to go.
Q: Landon (Turner) said it seems like in this training camp the penalties called in scrimmages and drills have been dramatically lower than what it seemed like in previous years. Do you agree with that?
Fedora: Yeah, I agree with that. Is that your question?
Q: Why is that?
Fedora: I think experience helps some, because when you put yourself in the proper position you’ve got less likelihood to do something, holding and all those things. It’s usually when you get out of position, so when you know what you’re doing and you can put yourself in the right position you’re not going to have those kinds of penalties. We have, we’ve more experience up there, less of those calls this camp.
Q: Are you still using a lot of officials in practice?
Fedora: Not as much as we did last year. Last year, there wasn’t a day that we didn’t have officials, we haven’t done that this year.
Q: Do you believe that running backs need a certain number of carries to get into a rhythm and feel comfortable?
Fedora: I’ve heard that theory.
Q: Do you buy it?
Fedora: I don’t know, I don’t know what to think because I’ve had guys that have done it both ways, so I guess it really boils down to the individual running back some of them may be that way and some others aren’t. So, I think it’s more about that individual person. You’d have to ask them if they feel that way because I don’t know.
Q: T.J. (Logan) sad that he’d prefer at least 15 carries.
Fedora: Yeah? 15?
Q: Is that realistic?
Fedora: Yeah, it’s realistic. If he can give me three touchdowns on 15 carries I’d like that.
Here is what the fourth-year head coach had to say:
Q: How did Saturday’s scrimmage go?
Fedora: I do remember there were no turnovers in the scrimmage, I was pleased with that. Fewer big plays on defense. There were good things on both sides of the ball. It was a good day, physical, we got a bunch of snaps in. It was really good.
Q: Question about competition.
Fedora: We do competition every single day and we assign points to everything that we do. Before this practice, it was 589 to 582, it was a seven-point difference in 16 days of practice. That’s all your blitzes and pitting teams against each other, your 7-on-7s, and anything that you’re competing on. So, it’s been pretty close all the way through.
Q: Do you know who was up?
Fedora: I think the offense was up 7. They won today by 4, I believe.
Q: Is there a position group that’s made the most progress since we last talked to you a week ago?
Fedora: I don’t know that I would say there’s been a single position group that’s done anything, but there’s been a lot of individual guys that have made really good plays all fall and done a really nice job. But I don’t know if there’s one single group I would pick out.
Q: Last year, Marquise (Williams) led the offense in rushing, is it ideal in this offense that the quarterback run it so much?
Fedora: The best way to answer that is to say, yeah, I’d love for the running backs to be the leading rushers, the receivers to be the leading receivers, and all that stuff. But, ‘Quise can do some special things (and) it’s nice that he can. Yeah, we would like more of the workload and production from the running backs.
Q: Are you worried more about what (South Carolina coach Steve) Spurier may have up his sleeve, or are you more worried about losing some of that experience on the offensive line?
Fedora: I’m more worried about us than I am anything right now. We haven’t started on South Carolina yet, and we probably won’t for a while. We’re still in a camp mode for us, even though school started. It’s still about getting ourselves ready for the entire season.
Q: Do you lose any sleep thinking, “Man, I’ve got this experienced line, I hope they don’t get hurt in practice”?
Fedora: I lose sleep all the time, but I’ve got help. That’s how I’m able to sleep.
Q: I’ve had a few people ask me the last few days, “Who is Cole Holcomb,” so, who is Cole Holcomb?
Fedora: He’s a linebacker who’s hear from New Smyrna Beach. He’s stepped up and shown he’s going to play for us, he’s going to help this football team. He’s involved in almost all of the special teams. He’s a kid that’s athletic, he can run, and is learning the scheme, and is going to help this team.
Q: What are the strengths and differences that T.J. (Logan) and Elijah (Hood) bring to the team?
Fedora: There’s a size difference, a strength difference, a running style difference. One of them is a big, physical pound-you kind of guy, the other one is a slashing, got great speed. That would be the two differences.
Q: How has that rotation helped the offense?
Fedora: It’s nice to have that punch and that change up that no all of the backs are exactly the same. One good thing is they both catch the ball very well, so that’s a big asset for us.
Q: What kind of growth have you seen in Mack Hollins – he said he’s a lot more of a leader, and that’s the only real difference between this camp and a year ago before he exploded.
Fedora: Mack’s always been a guy that’s been very vocal, that’s his thing, he likes to talk. He has, he’s been a much better leader this year than he was last year. His skills, Mack can run and make plays. He can get behind anybody, really, he can run. We’ve got to take advantage of his explosiveness, and when we get him back there we’ve got to hit him.
Q: He said a point of emphasis has been making those moving-the-chain plays that he didn’t make many of last year, has he progressed in that area?
Fedora: Yeah, he’s gotten better overall as a football player. He’s gotten better as a blocker, he’s gotten better as a receiver.
Q: How close is the competition between Nick Weiler and Freeman Jones?
Fedora: It’s still close, we haven’t made a decision yet. How close, I don’t know. On the (Sept.) 3rd we’ve got to have someone go out there and kick ‘em. I can tell you Weiler is going to be the first guy that goes out there because he’s going to kick off. Then after that we’re going t have to figure it out for the field goals and still got a ways to go.
Q: Landon (Turner) said it seems like in this training camp the penalties called in scrimmages and drills have been dramatically lower than what it seemed like in previous years. Do you agree with that?
Fedora: Yeah, I agree with that. Is that your question?
Q: Why is that?
Fedora: I think experience helps some, because when you put yourself in the proper position you’ve got less likelihood to do something, holding and all those things. It’s usually when you get out of position, so when you know what you’re doing and you can put yourself in the right position you’re not going to have those kinds of penalties. We have, we’ve more experience up there, less of those calls this camp.
Q: Are you still using a lot of officials in practice?
Fedora: Not as much as we did last year. Last year, there wasn’t a day that we didn’t have officials, we haven’t done that this year.
Q: Do you believe that running backs need a certain number of carries to get into a rhythm and feel comfortable?
Fedora: I’ve heard that theory.
Q: Do you buy it?
Fedora: I don’t know, I don’t know what to think because I’ve had guys that have done it both ways, so I guess it really boils down to the individual running back some of them may be that way and some others aren’t. So, I think it’s more about that individual person. You’d have to ask them if they feel that way because I don’t know.
Q: T.J. (Logan) sad that he’d prefer at least 15 carries.
Fedora: Yeah? 15?
Q: Is that realistic?
Fedora: Yeah, it’s realistic. If he can give me three touchdowns on 15 carries I’d like that.
