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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 21, 2016

Larry Fedora

Greensboro, North Carolina

COACH FEDORA: We're looking forward to starting conference play. We've got a great team coming in in the University of Pitt. They're extremely good in all three phases of the game, offensively, defensively and on their special teams. It should be a hard-fought battle.

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Coach Fedora.

Q. As far as going up against Pitt, what can you say about James Conner, not only what he's been able to do on the field, the threat he is offensively, but also just his story and his ability to get back on the field.
COACH FEDORA: First of all, it's a tremendous tribute to him for him to even be on the football field at this time, what he's overcome, and also to be playing at an extremely high level like he is. I mean, there's nothing that's different from when he was the Player of the Year two years ago. I mean, the guy has picked up right where he left off, running very, very physical. He's very difficult to bring down. He's just a heck of a player.

Q. As far as going up against their offense as a whole, just what you've been able to take away from them on film and what you see outside of James Conner?
COACH FEDORA: Well, they do a great job with all their speed sweep series, which will pull the defense apart, then they hit you inside with big James Conner that is extremely tough to bring down.

It definitely is challenging with all the shifting and motioning, all the different things that they do.

Q. I think that Gene told some of the reporters after practice yesterday he felt the defense was soft, and wasn't happy with the performance last week. Now you're facing obviously a team that can run the ball really well. Just curious what the key is going to be to be able to be better there and to slow down what Pittsburgh does.
COACH FEDORA: Well, I think the biggest part is having an attitude adjustment and making sure that we come out with the type of energy that we need to play with. If you play with the type of energy we have, you're going to play soft, be slow, do all those things that aren't going to enable you to be a good football team. I think we'll make sure we'll get that corrected.

Q. Why do you think that has been an issue?
COACH FEDORA: Well, I only felt like that was an issue in this last game. That's where I felt like there was an issue.

In the previous two games, the issue was early on just making adjustments to what they were going to do, you know. You go back to the first game, you had a really good runningback, and he did a great job against us.

Q. Have you seen any change in Pitt's offense, what they do, with the addition of Matt Canada as their offensive coordinator?
COACH FEDORA: No doubt. The shifting and movement and all those things are pretty much the same. But the jet sweep series that he has, all the bells and whistles off of it, are the things that make it really tough for you.

Q. Obviously week one was not the ideal performance for Mitch in terms of his passing downfield, kind of stretching the field. What kind of went into that and what has been different for him the last couple weeks?
COACH FEDORA: I think he was anxious in that first one. I think he tried to do too much. He tried to meet everybody's expectations that were out there. He doesn't need to do that. He just needs to play within the system.

I think in the last couple of weeks, you've seen him start doing that and become the guy that he really is.

Q. What is the health status for some of those guys that have been dinged up on the offensive line? Are you expecting to be more 100% for Pitt?
COACH FEDORA: I'm expecting for whoever plays to play hard. That's what I'm expecting. It was a good try, though.

Q. Pitt tries very hard to stop the run. You're averaging six yards a carry on an experienced offensive line, two experienced rushers. Do you consider that to be a key matchup this week, to be able to run the ball?
COACH FEDORA: I believe both teams believe they got to run the ball to be successful. We've always believed that we need to be able to run the ball effectively to be successful. That doesn't necessarily mean we got to rush for 200, 300 yards a game for us to be effective.

But, you know, I know that they hang their hat on it. We believe the same thing, that you got to be able to run the ball to be successful. So I would say it should be a pretty good matchup.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about the impact Ryan Switzer has made on and off the field not just in this season but in previous seasons he's been at North Carolina.
COACH FEDORA: Yeah, first of all, he's a great young man. He does everything that we ask him to do. He does well in the classroom. He's a great ambassador of our program. He's well-loved.

On the field, his actions speak for itself. He makes plays for us in the special teams. He makes plays us for us as a receiver. He really is a lot of fun to coach, he really is.

It's hard to believe that he's in his senior year and a quarter of his season is over with and it will be over with before we know it. I'm hoping he's cherishing each and every moment.

Q. What, if anything, have you talked to the team about this week on the issue of penalties to try to reduce those as the season goes forward?
COACH FEDORA: I mean, yeah, personal fouls are not acceptable. We're not going to have 'em. All that is is being selfish. There's no doubt about it. We're not going to have personal fouls.

Yes, we did have a very extensive conversation about it.

THE MODERATOR: Coach, thank you for being with us.

COACH FEDORA: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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