THI TV: Gene Chizik Miami Week Presser & Report
CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina defensive coordinator Gene Chizik met with the media Monday at the Kenan Football Center for his weekly press conference to discuss his unit’s performance from the 40-7 win over Syracuse, and to look ahead.
The Tar Heels held the Orange to 221 total yards and 11 first downs, and this week face one of the highest-rated offenses in the nation as Miami visits.
Among the things Chizik discussed were aspects of what went well against the Orange, the unit executing the gameplan at an exceptionally high level, the confidence the defense has, its depth, and the challenges in facing Tyler Van Dyke and Miami.
Above is video of Chizik’s press conference, and below are some notes from what he had to say:
*UNC Coach Mack Brown noted in his presser Monday that as UNC’s defensive coordinator, the Tar Heels are 33-8 overall and 21-5 in the ACC.
*Chizik couldn’t say enough positives about how his unit played versus Syracuse, especially containing QB Garrett Shrader. So the question was posed, how can he get the defense to replicate its performance in executing the game plan near flawlessly again.
“We made a big deal out of that yesterday in our team meeting because they executed the plan to the minute details,” Chizik said.
*With so much depth on defense, Chizik can use that as a form of motivation, but also to simply relieve a guy to give him rest or if he isn’t playing that well, someone new can go in and get the job done. It’s a luxury, and Chizik is using it.
“It always matters. Competition always brings out the best in everybody. Yes, we love that part of it. We love the fact that there’s competition pretty much at every position. There’s some clear-cut guys that are going to be the guys, and we know that. But ihe t’s twofold, and I said that last week.
“It’s one, that we are creating competition at different positions, and we have enough depth there to make the guy in front of you be extremely conscientious about how he plays and how he performs. And we talk about it all the time, ‘Is your presence felt in the game as a player. If they’re not feeling your presence in the game, then you’re really not being productive.
“So, we feel like now we’re starting to build enough depth where if your presence in the game is not being felt, maybe there’s somebody behind you who’s will.”
*Junior defensive tackle Kedrick Bingley-Jones had perhaps his best performance as a Tar Heel against the Cuse, playing 17 snaps and making a great play keeping Shrader from the edge and allowing Cedric Gray to make a sack and force a fumble.
KBJ has played only 101 snaps in his injury-riddled career with a high of 19 in a win over Virginia Tech last season. He played five snaps in the win at Pittsburgh last month, so has logged 22 snaps on the season.
Chizik said playing well in practice means opportunities in the game. And with KBJ earning a chance to get on the field, he stayed out there because he produced.
*Miami’s offense is ranked No. 7 nationally averaging 505.8 yards per game, and it has plenty of balance. The Hurricanes are No. 13 in rushing offense (211 ypg), and No. 22 in passing (294.8 ypg). They present by far the biggest test of the season to date for Carolina’s defense.
“This is a different offensive scheme, and I think it fits their personnel really well. And it all starts with their quarterback. The quarterback is extremely comfortable in the offense, you can tell. He gets the ball out fast, he’s got great receivers that he can distribute the ball to with a lot of speed. Some with a lot of size, some with a lot of speed, but there’s a good mixture in there.
“And then he’s got a stable of running backs that are really good… They run it for over 200 and they throw it for almost 300. They’re just really good at what they do (and) I think it’s the execution of the offense. They’re averaging close to 40 points a game, and that’s a lot of offense.”
*Canes QB Tyler Van Dyke is experienced and capable of carrying a team. His NFL rating is 120.9 on the season, averages 266 yards per game, and in a 48-33 romp over Texas A&M, TVD was 21-for-30 with 374 yards, five TDs, and no INTs.