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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 11, 2017

Larry Fedora

Greensboro, North Carolina

LARRY FEDORA: We're busy preparing for a very well-coached, a team that is 4-1, a team that is coming in and playing with a lot of confidence. So we expect it to be a very, very competitive football game.

Q. Good morning, Coach. I'm curious, with the amount of personnel you lost from a year ago and the injuries you've dealt with, at this point in the season, would you say it's fair to say that you guys are still kind of finding your own identity? If so, how much of a challenge is that?
LARRY FEDORA: It's fair to say. We're still trying to discover who we are. I think defensively, we've identified who we are. I think our guys understand that. I think offensively we're still struggling to find that identity. We're trying to get some continuity going and still trying to just discover who we are.

I think it is difficult, especially at this point in the season to still be doing that, but it is what it is and it's where we're at right now.

Q. As you look at Virginia, on both sides of the football, really, they've excelled on third down this year. What do you see that is allowing them to be effective converting on third down and also effective getting stops on third down?
LARRY FEDORA: Well, I think what they're doing, offensively, they're running the ball effectively and it's putting them in manageable third down situations. So they've had great success doing that. And they're taking care of the football.

So defensively, they're doing a great job with it. Multiple fronts, multiple coverages, quite a bit of blitzing. So they've done a really good job with their pressures and really good job of keeping people off balance.

Q. I think you kind of answered this. I was going to ask you what you thought the difference was in Virginia's team this year. Anything else other than what you mentioned just now?
LARRY FEDORA: I think just watching them, I think their players are a lot more comfortable with what they're being asked to do. They understand the scheme now, and they've been coached very well and the guys have bought in and they're having success.

Q. Larry, do you see specific areas where they've made big leaps in the way they play?
LARRY FEDORA: I would say that Bronco's got them playing hard on both sides of the ball. They're taking care of the football. They're not turning the ball over. You do that, and then you're playing really good defense, that's a great philosophy and a great way to win football games. That's what they're showing that they can do.

I think they have a lot of confidence, and they're playing well right now together.

Q. What about your own team? Are you playing as well together as -- or have you seen improvement since the opening game of the season until now in the way that your team is playing together?
LARRY FEDORA: I do see areas of improvement, yes. Like I said, I think the defense has gotten better each and every week. I think that they're playing now with some confidence and feel good about what they're doing. I think offensively, we're still trying to find out who we are and what we're able to do.

We've got to really rely on the fundamentals and not keep shooting ourselves in the foot.

Q. Defensively, who are some of the guys who have made some strides for you?
LARRY FEDORA: Cayson Collins is a guy who has gotten better and better every week. Dajuan Drennon, you've seen Myles Dorn come on in the last few weeks. Cole Holcomb has been solid all the way through. M.J. Stewart has been great all the way, the whole time. I'm seeing quite a few guys step up.

Q. Larry, number 13 for them, the outside linebacker, I'm curious if you've taken note of him in preparation and what you see in general from their pass rush.
LARRY FEDORA: You see they do a lot of things with him. They'll drop him into coverage. They'll bring him. He's definitely a factor in everything that we do, because he's all over the place. And he's done a really good job of pressuring the quarterback. He's got quite a few moves that he used on offensive linemen. He'll beat them with speed off the edge, he's got a good spin move, and he does a good job with his hands.

Q. I know this season has been a tough season for you, with all the injuries and all that stuff. How are you keeping the team positive, knowing they can turn this thing around? 1-5, you could win the next five games and be Bowl eligible. How do you keep your players upbeat?
LARRY FEDORA: One thing is we've got a great group of seniors doing a good job of taking care of the locker room. We've had great energy at practice. Our guys are still focused, are still doing the things that we ask them.

That's the biggest deal. I mean, those guys have done a really good job and I think our staff has done a good job with the seniors. I think the way we practice has been good. It's staying positive and really not focusing on what we can accomplish in the big picture, but really focus on each and every day.

Tuesday, let's be the best that we can possibly be. Wednesday, let's be the best that we can possibly be. And eventually, stacking up those things together, we will be a good and productive football team.

Q. Talk about this rivalry game between you guys and Virginia. Nobody gives a lot of credit for it, the oldest rivalry in the ACC. Every year, nobody really talks about it. Talk about playing against Virginia and the rivalry.
LARRY FEDORA: Well, we've got a very strong conference opponent, and Virginia traditionally has been a good football team. It really hasn't mattered whether you've played at home or on the road. You know they're going to fight you and it's going to be a heck of a football game.

So we have a lot of respect for them.

Q. Good luck this week.
LARRY FEDORA: Thank you.

Q. Just wanted to see if you can size up your quarterback situation right now.
LARRY FEDORA: Yeah. We are continuing to grow at the position. We know we haven't arrived there. We've started Chaz Surratt the last few games. Brandon Harris is still competing and Nathan Elliott, and it's a lot of competition and we have not -- we haven't gotten the production that we want out of the position yet, but I think that's coming.

Q. How is your injury situation looking? Are you going to get a lot of these guys back?
LARRY FEDORA: No, no, we won't.

Q. Is that maybe the main thing that's put you in the spot you're in right now?
LARRY FEDORA: I'm really not going to use injuries as an excuse for anything that we do. We're going to put 11 guys out there, and our job is to put those guys in a position where they can be successful and coach 'em up and hopefully help them be successful.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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