Defensive Players Report: Vohasek, Boykins, and Biggers

CHAPEL HILL – Tuesday is players’ day at the Kenan Football Center, when a handful of Tar Heels are available for their weekly interviews. And this week, three defensive Heels met with the media to discuss what was learned from the win over Florida A&M and look ahead to Saturday’s game at Appalachian State.

Below are videos of interviews with graduate defensive lineman Ray Vohasek, sophomore defensive back DeAndre Boykins, and senior safety Gio Biggers, as well as some notes and pulled quotes from what they had to say:

*UNC defensive coordinator Gene Chizik said Monday there were plenty of lessons for his unit when they reviewed the film from Saturday’s win over Florida A&M. He highlighted pass coverage in some instances, and wanted to see more from his other groups. A veteran, Vohasek offered his takeaway from the unit’s performance in the opener.

“I think we played well,” he said. “I think they did a good job of getting the ball out quick. There was some fits that we have to work on, and that’s the great thing about game one. It’s what did we do well, what did we not do well, and the big point of emphasis on Sunday was, ‘Let’s fix every mistake we made on (Saturday). Let’s go over it, let’s review it, let’s go on the field and break it down what happened in the film room, take it to the field and fix it on the field.’

“I think as a d-line, I think we played well. But there’s obviously things we needed to fix. We reviewed them and are ready for App State.”

*Coaches and players talk a lot about making their fits, so Vohasek went into some detail about exactly what that means.

“In terms of when, like for me playing a 2-I, I have the A-gap, and there’s a play where I shot up the field, hit the guard, kind of popped my gap a little bit, ball hit the A-gap and squeezed out of there,” he explained. “For me, 3-tech is I’ve gotta have that B-gap. Whatever fit you have can be different on any play.

“Whatever your job is, you’ve got to do it, because if you don’t, it’s going to hurt the defense. You’ve gotta do your 1-11th, and that’s what we were focused on.”

By 1-11th, he means each of the 11 players on the field doing their part, which is what makes for a successful snap for the defense on that play.

*In addition, Vohasek discussed the advantage of having played a game and seeing mistakes on film, thus allowing for an important week of improvement, as opposed to App State, which did not play last weekend, so this will be the Mountaineers’ first time on the field in a game.

*Vohasek got a lot of questions about App State, much of which we will go more into detail later in the week as the game draws near. App’s running backs, the environment at Kidd Brewer Stadium, and the importance of quieting the crowd early were also topics for Vohasek.

*Sophomore DeAndre Boykins played the most snaps of any UNC defensive player in the win over FAMU with 68, and for his efforts, he got banged up some. Boykins was wearing a wrap on his left wrist during the interview, though he said he’d be fine. He actually played it off as if it was nothing.

Keep in mind, UNC Coach Mack Brown says there is a difference from being hurt an actually being injured. Boykins might be slightly hurt, but he isn’t injured.

“Just a little dinged up,” he said, smiling. “But I’m gonna be good.”

*Boykins was pleased with his performance in the first start of his Carolina career. He registered four tackles in the game, though each were big plays, plus he recovered a fumble.

“I thought my individual performance was pretty good,” Boykins said. “I left a couple of plays on the field that I could have really gotten some turnovers, but I thought I played pretty well.”

*Boykins played just 40 defensive snaps last season, so this was his first extended action. He was supposed to split reps with Storm Duck at star, but when Tony Grimes left the game for good on the second series, Duck stayed at corner and Boykins played most of the game at star. He says being ready for such a big role began long before Saturday’s game.

“I just think it starts in practice,” Boykins said. “Throughout the week, we do situations, and third-down situations, goal line situations, so I think the reps in practice really got me ready for the game.”

*And as a result, his confidence literally grew as the game wore on. First, that the staff trusts him, but second, he saw his work come into fruition on the field.

“My confidence definitely did grow throughout the game,” Boykins said. “I think I caused an incompletion early, and after that, it was up from there. I was just in it after that.”

*In addition, Boykins discussed his fumble recovery versus FAMU, the App State game, the atmosphere the Tar Heels will face there, and about facing his cousin in the game Saturday. Jordan Heilig is a junior linebacker from Concord, so he and DeAndre have talked some about the matchup this weekend.

“I grew up playing ball with him,” Boykins said. “His dad was my coach… We had discussions before the season, and he just said, ‘I’ll see you when I see you.’’

*Biggers is one of the communicators on UNC’s defense, a player Gene Chizik and Charlton Warren are counting on to play consistently well each week from physical and cerebral perspectives. Biggers was solid in the win over the Rattlers, but regardless of his performance, he's one of the go-to guys on that side of the ball from a media perspective.

Biggers said after looking at the film of the game, the message from Warren was for the defense, and certainly the secondary, to “look in the mirror.’

What does that mean?

How they prepare, how they go into a game, and “just kind of look at ourselves and wonder what we can do this week to get better.”

*Bigger said the offense bailed them out and even the “d-line and linebackers bailed us out of some situations.” So, what did Biggers see from the unit collectively that he didn’t like when he looked into the mirror?

“Guys are going to get beat, it’s football (and) the other team practices, too,” Biggers said. “But when you bust or when you don’t know your assignment or you line up in the wrong leverage, I think that’s when it’s not good. Being able to know where you’re supposed to be lined up, know what you’re supposed to do, know your technique, know where your help is; I think that’s some of the things we’ve got to fix.”

*In addition, Biggers was asked quite a few questions about App State, its QB Chase Brice, whom UNC faced at Duke two years ago, the advantage he thinks the Tar Heels have already having played a game, and much more.

*Staying on that, Biggers offered some interesting insight into Brice as App State’s QB as opposed to when he was at Duke. Clearly, Biggers thinks the Mountaineers are much better, and especially have a better run game, which helps Brice. Biggers offered some really good perspective on this.