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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 9, 2016

David Cutcliffe

Greensboro, North Carolina

COACH CUTCLIFFE: Obviously a really unique and great rivalry between two schools. Certainly we've tried to create something again in football. A lot of great tradition. We have great respect for their program. They're the defending Coastal Division champions for a reason, and they've had an outstanding season to this point again. We certainly know we have our work cut out for us.

With that, I will take any questions.

Q. Is there something you did particularly well on defense last week that you need to do just as well this week?
COACH CUTCLIFFE: Trying to minimize big plays. Certainly Virginia Tech was a team, very capable with the receivers, backs, the quarterback they have. Same thing's true again this week. Both of them have outstanding offensive lines. It just becomes a challenge. You just have to play every down as if that down is the down they're going after a big play, because that's kind of how they play offense.

Focus, line up well, avoid making mental errors, be as consistent as you can in your play. It's not a magic formula. It's what you should do every play, every game, but you better do it against teams like North Carolina.

Q. Do you feel like the last two games against North Carolina will serve as any added motivation? Did the performance in those add a little bit more?
COACH CUTCLIFFE: I mean, it should if you're a competitor, if you were a part of those teams. Obviously some of those guys are gone, so the flavor is not as strong.

If you're a competitor, when somebody beats you as badly as what they've beaten us, you're supposed to respond to that.

The emotion is not going to win the game. That's what coaches tell you. Win or lose, those games really don't bear into this one.

But I think all competitors have that feeling. You just better prepare well and back it up with outstanding play or the same thing's going to happen again.

Q. I asked Larry earlier on the call about this. What are your thoughts on the redesigned Victory Bell?
COACH CUTCLIFFE: I haven't seen it. I just heard about it for the first time yesterday. Isn't that crazy? My head's in the sand in that kind of stuff. I really just am trying to focus on that practice field. I'm sorry. I wish I had a better comment, but I really don't.

Q. Just didn't know if the coaches were involved in the decision-making process at all.
COACH CUTCLIFFE: It may have come across in an email. It probably went straight to that little trash can on that. That's probably what happened.

Q. Having just seen Virginia Tech, I was curious for your thoughts into how that team is different than it was last year, going back even further.
COACH CUTCLIFFE: We obviously have great respect for that program. Coach Beamer made it one of the greatest programs in all of college football. I think Coach Fuente has done an incredible job of blending together what they're doing.

Their defense has grown up. A lot of the same guys. They're outstanding. They're big. They're rangy. As long as they stay healthy, they're going to be tremendous on defense. Coach Foster is one of the best in the business.

The offense, that offensive line has grown up. They're different. Certainly the same can be said at receiver, runningback. These are the guys that have been playing. They get better and better and better. They're more physical. They're more consistent in the quarterback play. Coach Fuente has done a great job with them.

They've got an outstanding place kicker in the kicking game, an outstanding punter. They have athletes that are covering. They're just a really good football team. They've got all the qualities that it takes.

Sometimes that's what happens. We go through years that we're playing younger players or you have certain injuries or certain things occur. But that football team right now is a really good football team.

Q. Offensively speaking, are they a little more aggressive?
COACH CUTCLIFFE: Yeah, I don't think there's any question. They're using their weapons well is what I would say. That's one of Coach Fuente's trademarks. We coached against him when he was at Memphis. They take what they've got and they maximize it. That's what good football coaches do. He's a good football coach. They know what they're doing.

Q. Your defense has played very consistently throughout the season. Despite losing one of its better players earlier in the year in DeVon Edwards, can you talk about how that's come about, who have been your standouts?
COACH CUTCLIFFE: A.J. Wolf in the interior of our defensive line has played game after game like an All-American. He's one of our captains. He's a great leader. You would have to watch him play defense every down to understand what I'm talking about from an effort and leadership standpoint.

Ben Humphreys is one of our players, second-year player at linebacker. Coach on the field. Thrilled to have him with us.

Then you got Breon Borders. You got guys with experience. Deondre Singleton. We have players that have played a lot of snaps sprinkled in with some young folks.

Then Jim Knowles and the staff have stayed consistent, together. Ben Albert has come in with our defensive front and helped us. We're systematic on defense. Our people know what they're doing, and hopefully know why they're doing it.

I like where we're headed defensively. We certainly know we haven't arrived, but I like the direction we're going defensively. It's something I believe for some years to come we can build on.

Q. You're facing a pretty good quarterback this weekend from North Carolina. That's one of your areas of specialty. Talk about what you see with him.
COACH CUTCLIFFE: He is better than pretty good. His accuracy is incredible. All quarterbacking starts before the ball is ever snapped. Command of their offense, the tempo they can play at, his readiness, his consistency. He's very strong. He can make every throw. He is a really big-time decision maker. They run pass options. He gets really good presnap reads. He gets the ball out quickly, gets the ball out accurately. That's why you have a 70% completion percentage.

He doesn't make mistakes. Two interceptions, that's incredible. He right now is one of the better quarterbacks in the country is what he's playing. That's the level he's playing at. I think he's really, really had a special year.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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