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CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina defensive coordinator Jay Bateman met with the media Monday to discuss his unit, creating more pressure, becoming more consistent, the emergence of Cedric Gray, and much more.
Above is the full video of Bateman’s presser and below are some notes and pulled quotes from what he had to say:
*A stated goal for UNC’s defense was to create more pressure on the opposing quarterbacks. However, in its three losses, the Tar Heels have registered only two sacks. As a result, Bateman may need to simplify things to maximize his players' potential.
"I think, obviously, we had some issues with some pass rush game, lane integrity kind of stuff,” Bateman said. “I think the main thing we do is just look at it and say we gotta clean this up and try to make it a little bit user friendly at times and give our kids a chance to rush off the edge a little better.
“I think against Miami, some of them were some of the formations we were getting was kind of locking us into a certain pressure. So, I gotta do a better job of getting that one pressure a little bit better. But yeah, I think a lot of it honestly is just execution."
*Sophomore linebacker Cedric Gray is third on the team in tackles with 35. In addition, he's tied for first on the team in interceptions and forced fumbles. Among the lower-ranked prospects of the Tar Heels 2020 recruiting class, Gray has shown high school rankings don't matter once it's time to play.
"I think when you are a good football player, you find the ball, so he found the ball right,” Bateman said. “And I felt like he did a really good job in the run game when we asked him to get involved with the run. If you look at what we asked Cedric Gray to do against Miami, he's playing man on a slot receiver. Next play, he's defending the a- gap. Not many kids have that wide of a skill set. I think he's going to continue to be a good player for a long time, hopefully."
*After the Orange Bowl performance, many fans thought the defense was poised to take the next step in its development. But instead, the same things that have shocked the Tar Heel fanbase have also surprised Bateman about his defenses' performance so far.
"I thought we'd be a little more consistent,” Bateman said. “I thought some of the mistakes that we made a year ago we had ironed out when we made some of those. Some of it we changed with personnel, some of it is more like, ‘hey, look like we're better at this let's play this more.’ So, I think that's part of it too.
“Yeah, you know, obviously the corner situation hasn't been ideal with Storm (Duck) being injured, but yeah, I thought it would be a little bit better at corner thought we would be a little bit further ahead at corner."
*Carolina has had stretches of solid defensive play, like holding Virginia Tech to three second-half points, sacking the Duke quarterback five times and the overall performance there, and even the first halves versus Georgia Tech and Miami. Bateman wants his unit to be more consistent at practicing the traits of those positive spans of football.
"When we have played well, it's been we have communicated and handled things and played fundamental football like we're capable of,” Bateman said. “And I feel like when we have had bad stretches, it's been communication problems, it's been not anticipating things and it's been not playing fundamental football very well. It's really simple right when you take on blocks the right way, and you tackle the right way, you play better defense.
“So, it's pretty easy for them to watch it and see. I think we just gotta do better and get it, and demand more consistency in the fundamentals of playing defensive football."
*Though UNC hasn't played to expectations, Bateman will continue to compete and demand his players play up to the coaching staff's standard. That is what’s being communicated, especially in trying to have the unit connect the poor stretches to the positives ones, hoping it will escalate the learning process.
"I mean, everything we do every day is a challenge,” he said. “It's hard to play football. I think playing defensive football is hard. So like it's demanding and encouraging and showing them that when they do it right how successful they can be. So yeah, you don't throw your hands up and say, woe is me.
“Just go play right, and so that's the effort we're looking for, and the guys know it. They know when it's not going well, what the problems are, so then it becomes let's settle down and fix it."
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