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Mike Elko Press Conference Quotes: North Carolina
11/7/2023 12:28:00 AM | Football
DURHAM – Duke football head coach Mike Elko met with members of the media on Monday afternoon for his weekly press conference.
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Duke travels to North Carolina on Saturday for another ACC matchup. The game will be broadcast on ACC Network with kickoff slated for 8 p.m. The contest can also be heard on the Blue Devils Sports Network from LEARFIELD through the varsity app or goduke.com.
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Mike Elko Duke Football Head Coach
(Ref.: Opening Statement)
"Thank you everybody for coming. Obviously wrapping up Wake Forest, it kind of played out like I thought it was going to. It was just a really gritty win. I thought our kids showed a lot of fight, a lot of spirit, a lot stick-to-itiveness to find a way to keep fighting and making enough plays to be in position to win the game in the fourth quarter. I thought the fourth quarter was by far the best quarter we played. I thought we caused two turnovers, forced a couple of 3-and-outs, put ourselves in position to have the ball in a tie game with a chance to win it. We were able to get down the field and then make the field goal to win it. For our players of the game – our scout team players of the week were Donald Tomlin on offense, which is pretty timely for him to be playing well, Semaj Turner on defense and Nick Lampert on special teams. Our lineman of the week, I thought Maurice McIntyre played his best game of the year. It was great to see him bounce back and have a great effort. And then Ryan Smith was our defensive lineman of the week and congratulations to Ryan as he was also the ACC lineman of the week this week. Our offensive players of the game were co between Jordan Moore and Jordan Waters. Both of those guys made plays to help us win. Defensively, it was Nick Morris Jr., who I thought stepped in for Dorian Mausi and played one heck of a game by starting at the middle linebacker position and then on special teams, it was Michael Reese. We actually inserted Michael Reese on special teams this week for the first time. Felt like it was something schematically that could give us a little bit of an advantage and he actually made three tackles on kickoff this week and so really happy with the way he played. Now on to North Carolina.
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Everybody knows what this game means and what this game is about around here. It's an opportunity for our seniors to go and compete and try to get the bell and bring the bell back here to Durham and so that's not something that we take lightly. We understand how important that is to our fans, our alumni, and all the people associated with Duke football. When you look at them, they are an extremely talented football team on offense. They're first or second in basically every category in the ACC. I think it all starts with a quarterback Drake Maye, who's an extremely talented young man and plays the game really well. He's extremely competitive, he's athletic and can throw the ball all over the place. He's got a plethora of weapons on the outside. Tez Walker and J.J. Jones do a really good job of creating separation and making big plays down the field and Nate McCollum has been a really explosive slot. We saw him last year against Georgia Tech and he's certainly doing a really nice job. I think the thing that makes them a lot different this year than where they were last year is what they're doing in the running game. Omarion Hampton is one of the best backs in the country. He's an extremely physical runner. He's got the ability to break tackles and also hit home runs. I think one of the most impressive stats we saw on him is he's got about seven or eight lost yards on the year as a running back. He gets his pads downhill and he runs downhill and he's playing really well. They got a bunch of tight ends. The offensive line is really talented. So, this is the most complete offense we've seen all year. It'll be a huge challenge. Defensively, I just think it's an extremely athletic talented group. I think when you look at them, certainly there's talent everywhere at every level of this defense up front. A lot of length, a lot of size, a lot of athleticism, a lot of ability. You know, the second level [Power] Echols and [Cedric] Gray have been at the top of the ACC in tackles since I've been here. They both go sideline to sideline and make a ton of plays. Then they've kind of revamped their secondary and I think their secondary is playing at a much higher level than it did last year. This will be a huge challenge for us going over there, night game, senior night for them, and certainly a challenge that we're looking forward to."
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(Ref.: On the play of Grayson Loftis in his first career start)
"Certainly, up and down like you would expect in a first start, but I thought he battled. I thought he made some really big throws down the stretch. The seam ball he threw to [Jalon] Calhoun in the fourth quarter was a big time throw. I thought the post he threw to Jordan Moore was a really big-time throw. I thought the out route, the one that I think I've kind of slipped under the radar a little bit, was the out route he threw to Samir Hagans right before the penalty. So that was a 2nd-and-8 and we ran a 10-yard field out that he ripped in there and then the penalty pushes it all the way down, but that throw and catch got us all the way down in field goal range before the penalty happened. I thought he got his feet underneath him and obviously gives us a sample size to try to figure out what he does well and how we can try to utilize him in a way that he's most comfortable. You never really know those things until you get out there in ACC play. It's really tough to figure some of that stuff out midyear going against the scout team on what he's really comfortable doing. I thought Kevin [Johns] and the staff did a good job of adjusting as the game went on to try to find things and find rhythm things that he was good with. I think he'll be a better version of himself this week."
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(Ref.: On how much Grayson Loftis can handle now that he's had a game as the main signal caller)
"It's not a volume thing. What you just have to be careful of is what you're asking him to do. He can handle volume, that's just study and preparation, and he does that really well. It's trying to find the things that you know he's going to be able to go out there and execute comfortably and you're not asking him to go across the field in a five-man prepared progression. Depending on coverage, he could be throwing this to any one of five people, right? You've got to try to do the best you can to keep the game moving a little bit slower. No different than what we did with Riley [Leonard] last year. You just don't want to expose him in really awkward, difficult situations and force him to try to make plays or challenge him to make plays that are difficult. That's what you're trying to do as a play caller. That's what we're trying to do as a staff is figure out where those easy access throws are and where are the opportunities for him to use his arm talent and maybe not have to mentally progress through a huge part of the game plan."
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(Ref.: On Porter Wilson's ability to flip the field in Duke's favor with his punting)
"Yeah, he's having a tremendous year. I think we're second in the country right now in net punting and that's field position and that's yardage. I don't know that it's the most attractive thing to talk about, is how good of a team is and net punting, but it's certainly something that plays a role when you talk about how you control field position, how you have a really good scoring defense, how you put yourself in position to be successful on offense. Porter has been extremely consistent week in and week out. We've won the net punting battle. He did a really good job on Thursday night. I thought it was his best game. I think we had four net punts of 45 or higher. I think we had two – one was a 51 yarder; one was a 53 yarder, that he hit so well that they fair caught it. So, I think he's doing a really good job. He's become a weapon for us."
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(Ref.: On if the neutral zone penalties were mental mistakes or schematic issues)
"I think we tried to crowd the line of scrimmage. I think one of them I looked at on film and I thought it was egregious. I thought one of them I was like, 'oh my God, what are we doing?' The other two I was kind of like, eh, really? So, I think what we did a poor job of was adjusting. I think what you try to do as a defensive line is you try to take as much as they're going to give you and then at some point there's an okay, hey they're warning us, we've got to get back or they threw one we have to get back. I think we didn't adjust well enough. That was probably the most frustrating thing. I thought that's where there was a little bit of a lack of discipline on our part of not adjusting the right way. That's a mental thing for sure. Any pre snap penalties, that's a mental thing, and we've got to fix and get better at."
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(Ref.: On Maurice McIntyre's impact stepping into multiple roles with guys being out or limited)
"I mean, it's not ideal, but it is what it is. Guys have to step up and Mo [Maurice McIntyre] has played a lot of football and so he's been in there for us a lot. I think he's battling through health and all of those things like every offensive lineman is nine weeks into the season. I don't think Mo is as fit or healthy as he would love to be coming back from last year. I think he just keeps getting better and closer to the old Mo prior to the injury he suffered last year. I think it was just great for him to step up knowing that Jacob [Monk] was down, knowing that Graham [Barton] was down, he was really the most experienced guy that we had out there, and he went out and played really well."
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(Ref.: On if the stockpile of injuries is just bad luck or a product of physical football)
"I don't think it's a product of anything. I just think it's football and I think it's probably no more than you normally deal with. I just think it the magnitude of who it is probably over emphasizes it a little bit. I'm sure being down five or six players due to injury nine weeks into a season is not an overly large number, but I think that given the magnitude of who it is, I think it probably feels a little different."
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(Ref. On Jalon Calhoun shaking off a few drops in Thursday's win over Wake Forest)
"We've got a ton of confidence in him, and he's made an awful lot of plays since we've been here. I grabbed him after the one he dropped and told him 'you're going to go back out in the fourth quarter and have to make a big catch for us to win this football game'. I thought he did on the one that Grayson [Loftis] squeezed in, but I think sometimes with kids you worry a little bit more about them pressing. I don't think there's anything Jalon is not doing. He's on the jugs every day. He's working his tail off. He's practicing well. I think maybe you dropped a ball and you want to step up so bad as the veteran leader and make plays for your new quarterback, and you maybe overdo it and you maybe press a little bit too hard. He just needs to relax and play his game and we're certainly going to go back to him. He's our guy and so will continue to target him and I know he'll step up for us."
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(Ref.: On how Ryan Smith has been able to develop throughout his time at Duke)
"I think that's our team. I think when you look at who we are, that's who we are at our core to some degree, is a bunch of guys that just continue to work and get better. You never really know who's going to impact the game for us. Ryan's a kid who, since he's been here has really worked and impacted the game tremendously last year on special teams. This year is playing a bigger role on defense and still having an impact on special teams. VJ Anthony has been kind of battling an illness and so that kind of forced Ryan Smith to even play more of an elevated role and he goes out there and he's able to play at a really high level."
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(Ref.: On if Ryan Smith's play can send a message to the younger players that sometimes your best way to the field is through special teams)
"I think all of it is a message. I think special teams is a part of it, because I think going out on special teams and making plays shows us that you're capable of making plays in a game. To us there's no less value in you being able to run down the field on kickoff and make a tackle than there is lining up on defensive and doing it. From that perspective, for sure, and then I think it's this constant development of being ready and talking to guys and pointing out all these examples of guys who were ready when their number was called. Whether it's Brian Parker II, whether it's Henry Belin IV, whether it's Grayson Loftus, whether it's Ryan Smith, whether it's Nick Morris Jr., whether it's Joshua Pickett. I mean you can go on and on and on with the amount of guys that have had to step in and play big roles for us this year. Those guys aren't ready, we don't wait. If Nick Morris Jr. isn't ready to go out and play middle linebacker this week, we lose, and it just is what it is. It's hard sometimes when you're not getting the reps that you need or want or maybe even earn to some degree, because the guy in front of you is just playing a little bit better. But you know, those guys are as critical to anything we do from a success standpoint."
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(Ref.: On how Brian Parker II has elevated his game since stepping into an elevated role along the line)
"He's now played three full games with Graham [Barton] out and I think in all three of them, you certainly haven't called his name much. We've been really happy with him. I think he stepped in and really done a nice job. Whether or not we have Graham back this week, I don't know we'll kind of figure it out as the week goes on, but certainly very confident in Brian and the job he's done. We have him for three more years and so certainly excited for his future."
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(Ref.: On the maturity of Jaylen Coleman to step into the game late in the fourth quarter and produce yards at running back)
"I thought he went out there and had a burst of energy about him and how he ran those three runs. So, I've said this in here before, we have a lot of confidence in the kid and sometimes it's unfortunate because there's just not enough snaps. There's one thing to have confidence in the kid but he's also got to beat out the guys in front of him. Sometimes the opportunities don't present themselves and I think at that point in the game, we felt like Jordan and Jaquez were maybe worn down a little bit and we had really relied heavily on the running game in the second half, and it was the right time and we put him in and off he went. He ripped off three runs for 14 yards I think and those were critical 14 yards in setting up that field goal drive. I think it's maturity and togetherness. I think it's culture. I think it's all of those things that he has that allows him to put himself in position go out and do that for the team."
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(Ref.: On entering his second game of the Duke-North Carolina rivalry and what he learned from last season)
"Yeah, to be nice to the refs for sure. No, I mean, obviously listen, there's a ton of emotion that goes into this game. You know, it's an interesting rivalry. I actually heard Mack [Brown] talking about this earlier today, there is mutual respect, even though it's a rivalry and it's intense, and it's all of those things. At the end of the day, this game means an awful lot. It means an awful lot to us. It means an awful lot to them. Anytime that's the case and there's such proximity between the schools, that just adds a level of intensity to it. So, I think going through it you recognize the intensity, you recognize that neither program is going to give an inch. You recognize that both programs and teams are going to fight all the way to the end and you know, it's going take a full 60 minutes worth of playmaking and maybe even more for somebody to walk out of there with the bell."
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(Ref.: On the matchup between one of the top defenses in the country against one of the top offenses in the country)
"Rise up to the challenge. It's certainly a clash of strengths. We've been really good on defense this year. I think we're number one in the ACC in scoring defense. I think we're in the top 10 in the country. I think they're number two in the league in scoring offense and they're top 10 in the country. When you have a lot of really talented players on the field, it's one heck of a battle. So, we have a lot of respect for them. They're certainly dangerous and they certainly can hurt us, but we also have a lot of confidence in who we are. I think it's a challenge that we're excited to take on."
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(Ref.: On winning the proverbial 'Big Four' championship and if it's talked about internally)
"I don't know that we talked about it in terms of a championship, but these in-state games mean something and obviously we're fortunate that we play all three of them every year, and we'll continue to do so for the foreseeable future. That adds a little bit more to it on our end because we get to play all these teams and there's such crossover in terms of, we see these guys out all year. These schools are also close us, State, and Carolina in particular and even to some degree the Wake kids. So, you get bragging rights in that regard. In terms of recruiting, I think every kid in the state is looking at these games as they're trying to identify who are the schools they're interested in and who do they want to check out and who do they want to consider, so I think it has value from a recruiting standpoint. Certainly, for us to ultimately get where we want to go and certainly the way the schedule sets up, these games are going to be critical for us as we talk about trying to get into Charlotte and trying to get into the playoff and trying to do those types of things moving forward as we build our program. Winning these three games will go a long way in our ability to do that. So, as much meaning as there is in them, I think there's even more when you play them every single year."
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#GoDuke
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Duke travels to North Carolina on Saturday for another ACC matchup. The game will be broadcast on ACC Network with kickoff slated for 8 p.m. The contest can also be heard on the Blue Devils Sports Network from LEARFIELD through the varsity app or goduke.com.
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Mike Elko Duke Football Head Coach
(Ref.: Opening Statement)
"Thank you everybody for coming. Obviously wrapping up Wake Forest, it kind of played out like I thought it was going to. It was just a really gritty win. I thought our kids showed a lot of fight, a lot of spirit, a lot stick-to-itiveness to find a way to keep fighting and making enough plays to be in position to win the game in the fourth quarter. I thought the fourth quarter was by far the best quarter we played. I thought we caused two turnovers, forced a couple of 3-and-outs, put ourselves in position to have the ball in a tie game with a chance to win it. We were able to get down the field and then make the field goal to win it. For our players of the game – our scout team players of the week were Donald Tomlin on offense, which is pretty timely for him to be playing well, Semaj Turner on defense and Nick Lampert on special teams. Our lineman of the week, I thought Maurice McIntyre played his best game of the year. It was great to see him bounce back and have a great effort. And then Ryan Smith was our defensive lineman of the week and congratulations to Ryan as he was also the ACC lineman of the week this week. Our offensive players of the game were co between Jordan Moore and Jordan Waters. Both of those guys made plays to help us win. Defensively, it was Nick Morris Jr., who I thought stepped in for Dorian Mausi and played one heck of a game by starting at the middle linebacker position and then on special teams, it was Michael Reese. We actually inserted Michael Reese on special teams this week for the first time. Felt like it was something schematically that could give us a little bit of an advantage and he actually made three tackles on kickoff this week and so really happy with the way he played. Now on to North Carolina.
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Everybody knows what this game means and what this game is about around here. It's an opportunity for our seniors to go and compete and try to get the bell and bring the bell back here to Durham and so that's not something that we take lightly. We understand how important that is to our fans, our alumni, and all the people associated with Duke football. When you look at them, they are an extremely talented football team on offense. They're first or second in basically every category in the ACC. I think it all starts with a quarterback Drake Maye, who's an extremely talented young man and plays the game really well. He's extremely competitive, he's athletic and can throw the ball all over the place. He's got a plethora of weapons on the outside. Tez Walker and J.J. Jones do a really good job of creating separation and making big plays down the field and Nate McCollum has been a really explosive slot. We saw him last year against Georgia Tech and he's certainly doing a really nice job. I think the thing that makes them a lot different this year than where they were last year is what they're doing in the running game. Omarion Hampton is one of the best backs in the country. He's an extremely physical runner. He's got the ability to break tackles and also hit home runs. I think one of the most impressive stats we saw on him is he's got about seven or eight lost yards on the year as a running back. He gets his pads downhill and he runs downhill and he's playing really well. They got a bunch of tight ends. The offensive line is really talented. So, this is the most complete offense we've seen all year. It'll be a huge challenge. Defensively, I just think it's an extremely athletic talented group. I think when you look at them, certainly there's talent everywhere at every level of this defense up front. A lot of length, a lot of size, a lot of athleticism, a lot of ability. You know, the second level [Power] Echols and [Cedric] Gray have been at the top of the ACC in tackles since I've been here. They both go sideline to sideline and make a ton of plays. Then they've kind of revamped their secondary and I think their secondary is playing at a much higher level than it did last year. This will be a huge challenge for us going over there, night game, senior night for them, and certainly a challenge that we're looking forward to."
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(Ref.: On the play of Grayson Loftis in his first career start)
"Certainly, up and down like you would expect in a first start, but I thought he battled. I thought he made some really big throws down the stretch. The seam ball he threw to [Jalon] Calhoun in the fourth quarter was a big time throw. I thought the post he threw to Jordan Moore was a really big-time throw. I thought the out route, the one that I think I've kind of slipped under the radar a little bit, was the out route he threw to Samir Hagans right before the penalty. So that was a 2nd-and-8 and we ran a 10-yard field out that he ripped in there and then the penalty pushes it all the way down, but that throw and catch got us all the way down in field goal range before the penalty happened. I thought he got his feet underneath him and obviously gives us a sample size to try to figure out what he does well and how we can try to utilize him in a way that he's most comfortable. You never really know those things until you get out there in ACC play. It's really tough to figure some of that stuff out midyear going against the scout team on what he's really comfortable doing. I thought Kevin [Johns] and the staff did a good job of adjusting as the game went on to try to find things and find rhythm things that he was good with. I think he'll be a better version of himself this week."
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(Ref.: On how much Grayson Loftis can handle now that he's had a game as the main signal caller)
"It's not a volume thing. What you just have to be careful of is what you're asking him to do. He can handle volume, that's just study and preparation, and he does that really well. It's trying to find the things that you know he's going to be able to go out there and execute comfortably and you're not asking him to go across the field in a five-man prepared progression. Depending on coverage, he could be throwing this to any one of five people, right? You've got to try to do the best you can to keep the game moving a little bit slower. No different than what we did with Riley [Leonard] last year. You just don't want to expose him in really awkward, difficult situations and force him to try to make plays or challenge him to make plays that are difficult. That's what you're trying to do as a play caller. That's what we're trying to do as a staff is figure out where those easy access throws are and where are the opportunities for him to use his arm talent and maybe not have to mentally progress through a huge part of the game plan."
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(Ref.: On Porter Wilson's ability to flip the field in Duke's favor with his punting)
"Yeah, he's having a tremendous year. I think we're second in the country right now in net punting and that's field position and that's yardage. I don't know that it's the most attractive thing to talk about, is how good of a team is and net punting, but it's certainly something that plays a role when you talk about how you control field position, how you have a really good scoring defense, how you put yourself in position to be successful on offense. Porter has been extremely consistent week in and week out. We've won the net punting battle. He did a really good job on Thursday night. I thought it was his best game. I think we had four net punts of 45 or higher. I think we had two – one was a 51 yarder; one was a 53 yarder, that he hit so well that they fair caught it. So, I think he's doing a really good job. He's become a weapon for us."
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(Ref.: On if the neutral zone penalties were mental mistakes or schematic issues)
"I think we tried to crowd the line of scrimmage. I think one of them I looked at on film and I thought it was egregious. I thought one of them I was like, 'oh my God, what are we doing?' The other two I was kind of like, eh, really? So, I think what we did a poor job of was adjusting. I think what you try to do as a defensive line is you try to take as much as they're going to give you and then at some point there's an okay, hey they're warning us, we've got to get back or they threw one we have to get back. I think we didn't adjust well enough. That was probably the most frustrating thing. I thought that's where there was a little bit of a lack of discipline on our part of not adjusting the right way. That's a mental thing for sure. Any pre snap penalties, that's a mental thing, and we've got to fix and get better at."
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(Ref.: On Maurice McIntyre's impact stepping into multiple roles with guys being out or limited)
"I mean, it's not ideal, but it is what it is. Guys have to step up and Mo [Maurice McIntyre] has played a lot of football and so he's been in there for us a lot. I think he's battling through health and all of those things like every offensive lineman is nine weeks into the season. I don't think Mo is as fit or healthy as he would love to be coming back from last year. I think he just keeps getting better and closer to the old Mo prior to the injury he suffered last year. I think it was just great for him to step up knowing that Jacob [Monk] was down, knowing that Graham [Barton] was down, he was really the most experienced guy that we had out there, and he went out and played really well."
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(Ref.: On if the stockpile of injuries is just bad luck or a product of physical football)
"I don't think it's a product of anything. I just think it's football and I think it's probably no more than you normally deal with. I just think it the magnitude of who it is probably over emphasizes it a little bit. I'm sure being down five or six players due to injury nine weeks into a season is not an overly large number, but I think that given the magnitude of who it is, I think it probably feels a little different."
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(Ref. On Jalon Calhoun shaking off a few drops in Thursday's win over Wake Forest)
"We've got a ton of confidence in him, and he's made an awful lot of plays since we've been here. I grabbed him after the one he dropped and told him 'you're going to go back out in the fourth quarter and have to make a big catch for us to win this football game'. I thought he did on the one that Grayson [Loftis] squeezed in, but I think sometimes with kids you worry a little bit more about them pressing. I don't think there's anything Jalon is not doing. He's on the jugs every day. He's working his tail off. He's practicing well. I think maybe you dropped a ball and you want to step up so bad as the veteran leader and make plays for your new quarterback, and you maybe overdo it and you maybe press a little bit too hard. He just needs to relax and play his game and we're certainly going to go back to him. He's our guy and so will continue to target him and I know he'll step up for us."
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(Ref.: On how Ryan Smith has been able to develop throughout his time at Duke)
"I think that's our team. I think when you look at who we are, that's who we are at our core to some degree, is a bunch of guys that just continue to work and get better. You never really know who's going to impact the game for us. Ryan's a kid who, since he's been here has really worked and impacted the game tremendously last year on special teams. This year is playing a bigger role on defense and still having an impact on special teams. VJ Anthony has been kind of battling an illness and so that kind of forced Ryan Smith to even play more of an elevated role and he goes out there and he's able to play at a really high level."
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(Ref.: On if Ryan Smith's play can send a message to the younger players that sometimes your best way to the field is through special teams)
"I think all of it is a message. I think special teams is a part of it, because I think going out on special teams and making plays shows us that you're capable of making plays in a game. To us there's no less value in you being able to run down the field on kickoff and make a tackle than there is lining up on defensive and doing it. From that perspective, for sure, and then I think it's this constant development of being ready and talking to guys and pointing out all these examples of guys who were ready when their number was called. Whether it's Brian Parker II, whether it's Henry Belin IV, whether it's Grayson Loftus, whether it's Ryan Smith, whether it's Nick Morris Jr., whether it's Joshua Pickett. I mean you can go on and on and on with the amount of guys that have had to step in and play big roles for us this year. Those guys aren't ready, we don't wait. If Nick Morris Jr. isn't ready to go out and play middle linebacker this week, we lose, and it just is what it is. It's hard sometimes when you're not getting the reps that you need or want or maybe even earn to some degree, because the guy in front of you is just playing a little bit better. But you know, those guys are as critical to anything we do from a success standpoint."
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(Ref.: On how Brian Parker II has elevated his game since stepping into an elevated role along the line)
"He's now played three full games with Graham [Barton] out and I think in all three of them, you certainly haven't called his name much. We've been really happy with him. I think he stepped in and really done a nice job. Whether or not we have Graham back this week, I don't know we'll kind of figure it out as the week goes on, but certainly very confident in Brian and the job he's done. We have him for three more years and so certainly excited for his future."
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(Ref.: On the maturity of Jaylen Coleman to step into the game late in the fourth quarter and produce yards at running back)
"I thought he went out there and had a burst of energy about him and how he ran those three runs. So, I've said this in here before, we have a lot of confidence in the kid and sometimes it's unfortunate because there's just not enough snaps. There's one thing to have confidence in the kid but he's also got to beat out the guys in front of him. Sometimes the opportunities don't present themselves and I think at that point in the game, we felt like Jordan and Jaquez were maybe worn down a little bit and we had really relied heavily on the running game in the second half, and it was the right time and we put him in and off he went. He ripped off three runs for 14 yards I think and those were critical 14 yards in setting up that field goal drive. I think it's maturity and togetherness. I think it's culture. I think it's all of those things that he has that allows him to put himself in position go out and do that for the team."
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(Ref.: On entering his second game of the Duke-North Carolina rivalry and what he learned from last season)
"Yeah, to be nice to the refs for sure. No, I mean, obviously listen, there's a ton of emotion that goes into this game. You know, it's an interesting rivalry. I actually heard Mack [Brown] talking about this earlier today, there is mutual respect, even though it's a rivalry and it's intense, and it's all of those things. At the end of the day, this game means an awful lot. It means an awful lot to us. It means an awful lot to them. Anytime that's the case and there's such proximity between the schools, that just adds a level of intensity to it. So, I think going through it you recognize the intensity, you recognize that neither program is going to give an inch. You recognize that both programs and teams are going to fight all the way to the end and you know, it's going take a full 60 minutes worth of playmaking and maybe even more for somebody to walk out of there with the bell."
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(Ref.: On the matchup between one of the top defenses in the country against one of the top offenses in the country)
"Rise up to the challenge. It's certainly a clash of strengths. We've been really good on defense this year. I think we're number one in the ACC in scoring defense. I think we're in the top 10 in the country. I think they're number two in the league in scoring offense and they're top 10 in the country. When you have a lot of really talented players on the field, it's one heck of a battle. So, we have a lot of respect for them. They're certainly dangerous and they certainly can hurt us, but we also have a lot of confidence in who we are. I think it's a challenge that we're excited to take on."
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(Ref.: On winning the proverbial 'Big Four' championship and if it's talked about internally)
"I don't know that we talked about it in terms of a championship, but these in-state games mean something and obviously we're fortunate that we play all three of them every year, and we'll continue to do so for the foreseeable future. That adds a little bit more to it on our end because we get to play all these teams and there's such crossover in terms of, we see these guys out all year. These schools are also close us, State, and Carolina in particular and even to some degree the Wake kids. So, you get bragging rights in that regard. In terms of recruiting, I think every kid in the state is looking at these games as they're trying to identify who are the schools they're interested in and who do they want to check out and who do they want to consider, so I think it has value from a recruiting standpoint. Certainly, for us to ultimately get where we want to go and certainly the way the schedule sets up, these games are going to be critical for us as we talk about trying to get into Charlotte and trying to get into the playoff and trying to do those types of things moving forward as we build our program. Winning these three games will go a long way in our ability to do that. So, as much meaning as there is in them, I think there's even more when you play them every single year."
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P
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