CHAPEL HILL – As the North Carolina Tar Heels gear up for a first-time meeting with the Minnesota Golden Gophers, the team's focus remains on maintaining their winning streak and fine-tuning their performance.

Both teams enter the game with a 2-0 record, setting the stage for an exciting showdown at Kenan Memorial Stadium. In a mid-week Q&A session, graduate offensive tackle Spencer Rolland met with the media via zoom following practice Wednesday morning.

Rolland is from Burnsville, MN, and attended Apple Valley High School. He spent four years at Harvard, but transferred to UNC after graduating in 2022 with two years of eligibility remaining due to a redshirt year and Covid year.

Above is video of our conversation with Rolland, and below are some notes from what he had to say:

Offensive Line's Role in Success Senior offensive lineman Spencer Rolland, a Minnesota native, spoke to the media about the team's recent success in the running game.

"It's really just a change in mindset," Rolland said. "We're going to be a running, physical team."

Rolland also praised the tight ends for their role in blocking, stating that their contribution has been "critical" to the team's success.

He also embraces the phrase, "Run The Damn Ball," for which the o-line has tee-shirts. They also call themselves the "Trench Mob."

Minnesota Connection For Rolland, the upcoming game holds special significance. Although he didn't grow up as a die-hard Gophers fan, he acknowledged the importance of representing Minnesota in North Carolina.

"It's one of my prides, being from Minnesota," Rolland said. "To have that opportunity to bring my team together and play against a team from Minnesota will be amazing."

Rolland noted he only knows one current player on the Minnesota team. He said most of the players he knew that went there have moved on.

Coaching Changes and Team Dynamics When asked about the impact of new coaching staff, Rolland expressed optimism.

"It's always great to get new coaches, new opinions, new techniques," he said. "They've been a huge part of putting our offense in a position to be successful”