Fedora Talks Moving On From Cal & Prepping For Lamar Jackson
CHAPEL HILL – UNC football coach Larry Fedora met with the media following his team’s practice Wednesday in preparation for No. 17 Louisville’s visit to Kenan Stadium on Saturday at noon.
Here are a few things the head coach was asked about and addressed:
*Nothing new at quarterback. He said Brandon Harris and Chazz Surratt are both learning the game plan and getting ready. He said he wanted to see Wednesday’s practice tape, so no decision whatsoever has been made about that spot.
*A lot of questions were about Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson, who won the Heisman Trophy a year ago. Jackson is supremely athletic but can also pass well. He accounted for 92.6 percent of Louisville’s total yards in its win this past weekend over Purdue. So how can UNC try to prepare for perhaps the best athlete in the nation who is also a skilled overall quarterback?
“We don’t have a Lamar Jackson on our football team, but those guys are doing the best job they can, we’re giving them the best look (we) can. It’s not just him, there’s a lot of good football players on that team… We know that we’re not going to be able to provide the speed of the game that they’re going to actually see in the game, but we’ll have to make the adjustments to the speed of the game as we go.”
*Fedora was impressed with how Jackson sat in the pocket and threw the ball against Purdue. He said Jackson felt pressure well and made a lot of good decisions. Jackson was 30-46 passing with 378 yards and 2 TDs.
*Regarding defensive discipline when facing Jackson, it’s important that players don’t try to overcompensate for teammates. Yet, as Fedora noted, with that said, doing everything right won’t always stop Jackson.
“We still have to play disciplined on defense. Our guys have to be in their gaps. And the thing is, you can be where you’re supposed to be and he can make you look foolish. He’s got that kind of ability, he’s pretty special.”
*As an offensive guy, Fedora has always respected what Louisville coach Bobby Petrino’s teams do.
“He does a great job of scheming, he’s very multiple and does a lot of different things. And he’s got a new toy now. He’s probably never had one like this, so he’s doing things that he’s never done before in taking advantage of Lamar’s skills.”
*On a different topic, the Tar Heels started the season similarly two years ago when they lost to South Carolina in the opener and then reeled off 11 consecutive wins. A big reason they responded so well was their leadership. How has this team responded?
“Our guys came out Sunday, and they were down just like I expected them to be. By the end of the practice we’d put it to bed and we moved on. We came out here Tuesday and had a great practice and today their energy level was great, their attitude’s been good. They’re doing exactly what I expected them to do.”