CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina defensive coordinator Jay Bateman met with the media Monday afternoon in advance of Saturday’s game versus No. 5 Texas A&M in the Orange Bowl.
Bateman spent plenty of time fielding questions about linebacker Eugene Asante, who is tasked with replacing Chazz Surratt, who opted out, Texas A&m's offense, and about how his defense has come along since before the Notre Dame game.
Above of the full Q&A session and below are some notes and pulled quotes from what Bateman had to say:
*Texas A&M is ranked No. 33 in total offense averaging 437 yards per game, including No. 27 averaging 203 rushing yards, No. 57 averaging 234 passing yards and is No. 41 averaging 31.7 points per game. What is Bateman’s scouting report on the Aggies?
“They’re a really good offense,” he said. “They’re an offense you would think a top two or three team in our country would have. They’re number two in the country on third downs, I think (quarterback) Kellen Mond is a terrific football player, really, really smart, doesn’t get fooled. I’m really impressed with him.
“I think the offensive line is one of the best if not the best offensive line we’ve played since we’ve been here. I think the two running backs, 28 (Isaiah Spiller) is a tremendous player, All-SEC as a sophomore. You can look back, I pulled this up for the DBs, last week when they announced the All-SEC, the last 10 years of All-SEC tailbacks are pretty well known guys.
“And then the kid who I think is a tremendous football player is number zero (Ainias Smith). He plays running back, he plays slot receiver, he plays outside receiver. So we’ve got a real challenge on our hands. Obviously, we’re going to have to do a really good job up front, and that’s where, that’s where it all starts. And from there, we’ll have to cover them. They’re going to force you to play competitive coverage, and that’s going to be the key to the game, I think.”
*So, the Texas A&M-Notre Dame comparisons came up a lot Monday, first initiated by UNC Coach Mack Brown, who said the teams are eerily similar. Bateman obviously agreed, but there are some differences.
“I think Notre Dame was a little bit more committed to the 12 personnel with two tight ends in the game,” he said. “Notre Dame’s tight ends are great players, I think Texas A&M’s tight end is a first-round pick. They’re a little bit more in the three-wide receiver world. I guess number zero is kind of a running back, kind of a receiver.
“Texas A&M does a lot more schematic-wise in the passing game, a lot more formation-wise. They’re going to make you defend a little bit more of the pass game than Notre Dame. But a very similar commitment to the run game. And where Notre Dame was more play-actions and quarterback runs, Texas A&M is going to say, ‘Okay, if you’re going to insist on taking the run away, we’ll spread you out and throw it.
“I think the two quarterbacks are very similar, both really veteran guys that can hurt you with their feet.”
*Surratt led UNC with 91 tackles this season and had 206 over the last two campaigns, earning him first-team All-ACC both years. You don’t just replace Chazz Surratt, but Asante has that responsibility, and while he hasn’t played much on defense, he has been on the field some. Asante has played 151 snaps at linebacker the last two seasons as well as 304 special teams plays, meaning he’s been on the field for 455 plays.
Bateman has expressed plenty of confidence in the redshirt sophomore since August, when he said Asante was ready if needed. But Surratt was so good the staff just didn’t pull the trigger getting Asante out there more often. He's now the starter.
“Eugene is a terrific football player. We’ve said all along we want to play him more, well now is his chance,” Bateman said. “Eugene can really run, he’s really athletic, I think a lot of the things Chazz does for us in coverage, I think a lot of the things Chazz does for us being the extra run defender Eugene will do a great job with.
“I’m looking forward to seeing him play. Chazz is a tremendous player, I wish I had them both. But Eugene will do a great job. Everybody on our defense and our defensive staff is extremely confident in Eugene. Not just in this game, but for however many years we have him.”
Bateman said while Asante wasn’t getting on the field, he was ready any time. He prepared for this moment, and now it’s here.
“I think Eugene prepared each week knowing he could be an injury away from playing,” Bateman said. “Every time Chazz has come out, we’ve stuck him right in. I think Khadry Jackson has done the same thing behind Jeremiah Gemmel. We have said all along we have a lot of confidence in those kids.
“Has he prepared differently because he’s absolutely the starter and taking all the reps, yeah. Eugene has worked really, really hard every week he’s been here to play. The great thing about coaching is you get a kid like this and you give him a chance to go play. I could not be more excite to watch him play, and I think he’s going to play great.”
*So, what happens in Asante is injured or has to go out of the game, who then steps in?
“Khadry Jackson has played Mike and Will and he can go in, and we’ve got a freshman named Cedric Gray who I think is a dynamite young football player,” Bateman replied. “One of those two would go in and we’d feel pretty confident about those two guys, also.”
