CHAPEL HILL – UNC football coach Larry Fedora met with the media following a rare Monday practice to discuss Thursday’s game at rival Duke.
Normally, the Tar Heels practice on Sundays and have Mondays off. But the players had Sunday off so the staff could put together the Duke game plan, and the Heels dove right into Monday’s practice.
The session was limited to 15 periods when the Heels normally go 18-22 periods. The purpose was to allow the players to get and stay fresh physically and mentally during the short preparation week.
Monday was also the only time this week the No. 13 Tar Heels were in regular full pads. They will be on spiders Tuesday and helmets Wednesday. Those sessions will also be around 15 periods.
Also, the team will stay in hotel Wednesday night just like they do on Friday nights before Saturday games. The players will not, however, attend class Thursday.
Here are some highlights of what Fedora had to say:
“For us, short week, so I think we’ve got a good plan for short weeks and what we do with our guys trying to keep them fresh so they’re ready to go on Thursday. Everybody knows they’ve got to peak at 7:30 on Thursday. So, the clocks have to change in their heads.”
Is practicing on a Monday the biggest change to the schedule?
“We do a lot of things different than we do in a normal week because of time. We don’t have the amount of time, plus when you go into a short week, it’s more about making sure they’re mentally fresh and their bodies are ready to go on Thursday night. So, we can’t practice the way we would normally practice in a week.”
How much of it is recovery, rest and mental rest versus a normal week?
“I’d say 75 percent of it is that in our plan.”
Fedora was asked if the team is feeling any pressure trying to maintain pace in the Coastal Division.
“We haven’t talked about it. If they feel it they haven’t said anything to me. It’s about the next game, that’s the only thing we can control is what we do in this game on Thursday night. That’s where our focus has been: Lets get ready for this game.”
Duke may be 3-6 overall and 0-5 in the ACC, but the Blue Devils are very close to having a very different record. They’ve lost three very close games to quality-to-excellent teams Virginia Tech (this past weekend), Georgia Tech and Louisville.
It’s pretty clear Fedora doesn’t view the Devils as a 3-6 team.
“They could have very easily won all three of those games, there’s no doubt about that. We don’t really look at their record, that’s not something that we pay attention to. We know we’re going to get their best game and hopefully we’re going to give them our best game.”
Devils' Freshman Daniel Jones has been playing increasingly better for Duke in recent weeks and clearly is not the same player he was in a mistake-filled September and early October. How does Fedora and the staff view Jones heading into this contest?
“He’s doing a really nice job with it. He’s growing into himself, he’s pretty comfortable back there, he runs the ball very, very well.”
As banged up as the Tar Heels are and have been, Duke has been really ravaged by injuries. Fedora was asked if there’s a respectful way to say the Heels feel like they should go to Wallace Wade Stadium and handle business?
“The way I’m going to say it is if we prepare the way we’ve been preparing on a weekly basis, I think we’ll be fine. I know that (Duke coach) David (Cutcliffe) is going to have them prepared, I don’t doubt that, and they’re going to give us everything they’ve got. I hope that we’re prepared and we give them everything we’ve got.”
Duke and UNC announced that the Victory Bell, which annually goes to the school that wins the football game and is kept painted that school’s colors, will now share the colors and logos of both universities. Fedora was asked his thoughts about it.
“I don’t know, it’s new to me. I hadn’t seen it yet, I just heard about it from the players.”
There won’t be any painting regardless of who wins Thursday.
Senior center Lucas Crowley was honored Monday by the ACC as its Offensive Lineman of the Week for the third time this season. Why has he been such a valuable player for the Tar Heels?
“He’s probably been the most consistent guy (on the OL), first of all. He’s a senior, he’s got a lot of reps, he’s the quarterback of the offensive line. He’s really quiet now, he doesn’t ever talk, doesn’t say much, but you know he’s always going to take care of his business and do his job. It’s just the way he is, it’s his personality.”
