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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 4, 2017

Larry Fedora

Greensboro, North Carolina

LARRY FEDORA: We're looking forward to our next ACC opponent in Notre Dame and really happy to have them here at home in front of a great crowd. Our team is preparing as we go.

Q. How often do you hear from coaches about anything regarding the targeting rule?
LARRY FEDORA: As far as the targeting rule itself, I haven't heard anything this year, and I haven't been called this season at all about the targeting rule.

Q. How do you feel like it's been applied in the sport?
LARRY FEDORA: Well, I think first of all, the intention of it is for the health and safety of the players and so that's No. 1. I think if they are going to -- if there's going to be an error in judgment, it's going to be an error in judgment for the safety of the player.

I think that when we first started with it, I think the rule, you still had the 15-yard penalty even if the targeting was waved off, but I think we are getting a lot closer to where it needs to be.

Q. How would you feel about if somebody came to the rules committee with a rules change suggesting that you safe objections for particularly egregious or malicious hits?
LARRY FEDORA: Would you restate that?

Q. How would you feel about the possibility of a rule change if you saved player ejections for hits that were malicious in nature or very clearly intent to harm another player?
LARRY FEDORA: Well, I think that would be good, but I think you're still -- I mean, we've talked about having different tiers on the rules committee as far as the targeting. The tough part is there's a lot of judgment involved, and so I don't -- you know, it's just we would have to put a lot of thought into it.

Q. Good morning. What concern does Notre Dame pose for you as you look at them on film?
LARRY FEDORA: The front seven, they are athletic. They are big. They run to the ball really well. They are not real exotic in their pressures and everything but when they do decide to come, they come after you. They are doing a really good job stopping the run and we've got -- we're going to have to do a great job to have -- to be able to run the ball efficiently.

Q. There's an uncertainty of whether their No. 1 quarterback will start the game. Do you know anything about their backup, and does that kind of uncertainty affect your preparations?
LARRY FEDORA: Well, the only thing I do know, he's thrown the ball eight times. I think he's run it for about five times or so for about 40 yards. We don't know a whole lot about him and so therefore, you know, we'll prepare as if their starting quarterback is in there and we'll have to adjust to whatever we do, game plan, if he's not.

Q. What are the biggest differences that you see between this Notre Dame team and coming off of what was a not very good year for them?
LARRY FEDORA: Well, I don't -- you know, I didn't see much of Notre Dame last year because we didn't play them. So I couldn't be able to answer that, you know, very well. I can just tell you that they are a very sound football team that is running the ball really well. They have got a big back that can really go with it and they are doing a great job with their play-action passes. They are extremely sound on everything they are doing defensively, not giving up big, explosive, catastrophic play, and making you play error-free football.

Q. Talk about Notre Dame's running game with Adams and McIntosh; if Wimbush is healthy, the other third runner, how do you control both of them on Saturday?
LARRY FEDORA: Well, you're going to have to do the best job we can. We're going to have to be very disciplined in our gaps and our guys are going to have to get off the blocks and our guys are going to have to get multiple hats to the ball. We need to create turnovers and limit their possessions.

Q. I know you're struggling right now; how are you going to turn it back into the win column?
LARRY FEDORA: We're going to keep practicing hard. We're going to keep having positive attitudes and keep believing in the guy lined up next to you and know that he's going to do his job, and you be accountable to him.

Q. Chazz Surratt is obviously most likely to face a lot of pressure this week. How has he handled that so far this year, and what will he have to watch out for in particular against Notre Dame?
LARRY FEDORA: Really, he's handled the pressure fine. He's a pretty even-keeled kid. You know, the things that he's got to do this week is No. 1, he's got to take care of the football. He's got to stay within the system, you know, and believe in it. You know, if he does that, he gives himself a chance to be successful and he gives this team a chance to be successful.

What we've got to do is make sure the guys surrounding him do a great job of stepping up and making plays and doing some things to take some of that pressure off of him.

Q. I didn't state that very clearly. What I should have asked was: He'll be under heavy pressure from Notre Dame's defensive line pass rush and so on. How has he handled those situations this year, and particularly, against Notre Dame, what will he be facing there?
LARRY FEDORA: Yeah, again, I think pressure in a game is something that he's dealt with. It's not -- he's going to have to continue to grow. He has not reached his potential as a quarterback, so he'll continue to get better and he'll continue to grow when teams do pressure him, knowing where to go, and again, keeping his eyes down the field and staying within the system.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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