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CHARLOTTE - On the eve of North Carolina's bowl game against South Carolina, Jeremiah Gemmel, Sam Howell, Ty Chandler, and Tomon Fox fielded questions from the media. With this presumably the last time these players put on a UNC jersey, they touched on their experiences at UNC, bowl game activities, and looked ahead to the challenges presented by South Carolina.
Here are the full videos, along with notes and pulled quotes from what they had to say:
Jeremiah Gemmel
*Traditionally, the festive nature of bowl games is a part of what gives them such allure to the players. However, due to COVID-19, players got a much different bowl game experience last year. Senior linebacker Jeremiah Gemmel is enjoying watching his younger teammates get a proper bowl experience for the first time.
"It's been really fun," said Gemmel. "Especially to see some of the freshmen and sophomores faces when they get to really endure a bowl game. The freshmen last year didn't get to endure the Orange Bowl, so them as sophomores coming up this year, seeing all the activities we're doing like, dang, why didn't we do this last year? Why weren't we going around?
“It's like, ‘bro, we had COVID.’ We couldn't do all this like we're able to do this year. It's been fun to go on the shopping spree. I feel like the funnest time I've had was getting in the NASCAR the other day, and I think the whole team had a ball. Even the staff members had a ball out of that."
*With Gemmel being a Georgia native, he was on the then-South Carolina's coaching staff's radar as a high school prospect, but according to Gemmel, the Gamecocks were a little too late to join the race. So now the senior linebacker is assigned to help stop a unique South Carolina attack that emphasizes NFL concepts, and he knows the key will be communication.
"South Carolina was a team that recruited me out of high school, but they kinda got to me at the end of my high school career," Gemmel explained. "I think they offered either at the end of my senior year or when my senior year was over. They got to me a little bit later in recruiting.
"But on their offense, I think what makes their offense really good is their route concept. They have an NFL-based route concept. We really have to sit down in position meetings and really talk about all our coverage and how you're gonna play every single problem concept out of your coverages. Then you know, with Coach Bateman being our defensive coordinator, we like to heat up the pressure. That's just another conversation you have to have with the route concepts, and they run a lot of bunch squeeze concepts in the boundary into the field. That's another conversation you got to have is when they're playing in a bunch set instead of just playing normal spread.
“I think what makes them different than a lot of teams that we play this year is that they're really base NFL route concept team. The only other team we faced this year that had an NFNFL-based route concept was Notre Dame, and they did a really good job. So this week's really been focusing on their route concepts. Then have a really good back in in the backfield who likes to run hard between the tackles, so stopping to run and then being able to stop the route concepts they have is a big key."
Tomon Fox
*With the NCAA granting an extra year of eligibility to all athletes, linebacker Tomon Fox returned to Chapel Hill for a fifth year of football and sixth overall. And, with the Tar Heels playing South Carolina in his last game with the program, Fox thinks it's fitting to end his college career with a victory over Gamecocks.
"Yeah, our last bowl game, I thought that was my last game, but this time it's, for real, my last game," said Fox. "I think it's just pretty cool that my time here with Mack Brown started off playing South Carolina, and now it ends with South Carolina. I hope we get the same result. I know the boys want the same result and end this thing on a good note."
*With North Carolina underachieving this season, Fox still sees the value gained in returning to school and believes he made the right decision.
"I decided to come back because I didn't l like the way we ended the year last year," Fox said. "But I feel like I still agree with my decision to come back. I feel like I became a better player, became a better leader, and I helped this team become who they are now."
Ty Chandler
*In his single year in Chapel Hill, running back Ty Chandler has developed meaningful relationships, which he says will last a lifetime.
"Overall, it's been a great experience; it's been nothing but love here,” Chandler said. I've enjoyed my time just developing relationships with these guys, and when people say brothers for life, I really mean that, and I've connected with a lot of these guys, and it's exciting to play with them."
*When running back, Ty Chandler decided to come to Chapel Hill; he said a big part of that choice came when he saw what Michael Carter and Jevonte Williams could do in UNC's offense. With Carolina's growing reputation of developing running backs, Chandler, who has run for 1,063 yards and 13 touchdowns this season, is happy with the improvements made during his time in Chapel Hill.
"One thing I will say is I patience,” said Chandler. "Developing a sense of patience and not being so quick to make a decision and just react, and that's what I would say I improved the most."
Sam Howell
*Last year, during the Orange Bowl, college football fans everywhere saw wide receiver Josh Downs burst onto the scene when he caught four passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns. Relatively unknown players making an impact is a part of what makes bowl games so exciting for fans, so who does Howell think will have a significant role in tomorrow's game?
"I think one guy is Justin Olson," Howell said. "He had that touchdown in the State game, and he's only gotten better every week throughout the year, and he's a phenomenal player. Like I said, he's made so much improvement throughout the season, and I expect him out of no pretty big role tomorrow."
*Playing a bowl game in your hometown naturally comes with many distractions. However, for Howell, he appreciates playing the game in Charlotte, but he is still laser-focused on beating South Carolina.
“Yeah, I mean, it hasn't been much of a challenge, honestly," Howell said. "Like I said, I'm excited to be here in Charlotte. I'm still focused on the game and stuff like that, but it is cool, but it hasn't really been a distraction for me. I'm just trying to make sure I make the most of it and try to take advantage of the moment I have."
