Meet the Press: Paul Chryst previews North Carolina
11/10/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
Coach Paul Chryst Press Conference Transcript
North Carolina Game Preview
Opening Statement:
“I’m looking forward to starting this week with preparation against North Carolina. I thought we got what we wanted to accomplish out of last week with the bye. I’m certainly looking forward to a good, strong push to end the year and I’m excited to get going in earnest on North Carolina today. You look at them and, offensively, their quarterback [Marquise Williams] is a heck of a football player. Throwing, running, I think he is a key. He’s got good weapons around him. They’ve done a good job of scoring. I think they’re averaging 35 points a game. Explosive. Defensively, what we’ve got to be prepared for is a lot of different looks. They’ve done a great job of creating turnovers and takeaways. They’ve had some games where they’ve given up yards, but we’ve got to do a great job of preparing and executing against them. And we all know—just look at last year’s film for us—how important the special teams will be and can be. They hurt us in the punt returns last year and they’ve got an All-American there [Ryan Switzer]. He’s a heck of a returner. I think they do a good job on all their special teams. I’m looking forward to it and, most importantly, I’m looking forward to working with the guys this week.”
On losing safety Terrish Webb for the season due to injury:
“We’ll keep Reggie [Mitchell] at safety. I thought that he did some good things. Hopefully we’ll be a little bit more comfortable with that. I liked a lot of what Terrish was doing and hate to lose him. He was [also] contributing in some key roles on special teams. We went a stretch to see if it [injured ankle] would start healing on its own and it looked like we needed to help assist that a little bit. I hate losing him.”
On if he preferred that the team have an off week following the Duke loss:
“They don’t ask you [your preference]. I thought we made good use of the bye, both in what we did and in putting that [Duke loss] to bed. You don’t worry about it or think about it. You just deal with what you have. I like where the guys are at. We left our last practice on Thursday with really good energy and spirit. I like all that. Guys are excited and ready to come back today so I feel good about it.”
On deciding when to increase practice intensity:
“I think you’ve got to get a feel for your team, and that’s what you enjoy the more you know them. I don’t think you can ever let circumstances be the driving force. You ramp it up because it’s the right thing to do at the time, but you’ve really got to be careful. If you believe in something, you do it. You ramp up things because it’s the right thing or there’s a point of emphasis—one of those solid, foundational things. I think you’ve got to be careful of letting too many outside events change how you approach things. I think if you believe in it, and your kids believe in the same things, then you’re harsh on those [things] and you don’t want to compromise. You keep grinding away at it.”
On the key to getting consistent results:
“Consistency in your playing is from when you have genuine confidence and trust what you’re doing. You earn that trust and confidence by doing it repeatedly. It’s knowing and understanding situations. You’re looking for consistency with veterans [as well]. It happens to the young guys, but there are veterans around that continue to learn. I’m not trying to spin or sell a broken record, but we’re not playing consistently at all the spots and until we do, I’m going to talk about it.”
On quarterback Chad Voytik’s play in the Duke game:
“I thought he did a good job on some things and in some key moments. I thought we were good on third down. I thought that he hung in there and made a couple throws under pressure. There are still some things that we’ve got to continue to work on, where he can get better. I think he gave us a chance to win.”
On playing to become bowl eligible:
“That’s a benchmark. You earn that right to play another game. The thing you want most, first and foremost, is to play well. That’s this week. Then you take next week and the week after that. It’s a big deal at the end of the year to have a winning record. I would never minimize that—that’s big. But we can’t worry about that. I think we’ve got to worry about having a great week. You can almost go smaller than that and [say] we’ve got to have a great day today.’”
On how the team responded to the Duke game:
“I liked their reaction and how they were after the game. It stung a lot of guys. I really liked how they came back. Wednesday and Thursday we were with them the most and they were good days. I think that is really important. It’s how are we going to approach today? I was around them last night. We had a quick meeting to make sure everyone was back in town. I liked them there. But I think that’s the biggest thing. How do we respond to success? How do we respond to failure? So far I’ve liked what the group has shown.”
On the leadership of receiver Tyler Boyd:
“There are a lot of guys that respect him on this team. I think it’s the plays he’s made and I think it’s his approach and the way that he is day-in and day-out. I thought he had that last year. Each week solidifies it a little bit. He’s one of those guys that everyone’s going to look at and see how he’s responding to different things. I love his competitiveness and there’s no doubt in my mind that he wants one thing: for this team to win. I think we’ve got other guys like that, but I think guys absolutely look to him to see how he’s going to respond. I’ve loved his responses and we’re going to continue to need his leadership.”
On defending the speed and pace of North Carolina’s offense:
“We’re going to try to mimic it as much as possible. You watch the film and you see the chains aren’t set, the referee is right behind the quarterback. We’re aware of it. We’ll try to mimic it. There are different ways you can do it in practice, but I think there’s nothing like actually seeing it. That’s something we’ve got to handle.”
On how to prepare for North Carolina’s offensive tempo in practice:
“You can do a number of things. You can use two huddles of scouts, so you’ve got one ready to go, then the next one. Your defense is having to finish a play then come back and get the signal, get lined up, and recognize the formation. I think that’s a way you can do it. It’s probably the best way. You’ve just got to make sure the guys are aware and be smart in your calls. It’s just procedure. Once that play is done, you’re looking, you’re making sure guys are talking.”
On how much UNC quarterback Marquise Williams looks to run:
“They have some designed runs. They’ve got some read-runs. He’s a good quarterback. For example, on a pass, he’s going to try to get the ball downfield and throw it. It’s not just if the first look [is covered] that he’s pulling it down and going. I think he’s got good sense and a good feel for the game. That’s what makes him dangerous.”
—PITT—
