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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 15, 2010

Mike London

THE MODERATOR: We welcome Virginia head coach. Questions for Coach London.
COACH LONDON: Thank you. We've got an open week this week, and obviously we're looking forward to kind of correcting some things from all aspects of our contest that we had Saturday against UFC. Also looking for an opportunity to get some guys healed up and get them an opportunity to play and contribute.
So it's a great time. And some of times you wonder how your bye weeks fall, but for us right now it happens to be in a pretty good situation for us. So we're looking forward to getting better and also getting guys healthy and then moving forward for the season.
THE MODERATOR: Questions for coach.

Q. Jared Detrick is a guy who I think during spring practice spent some time running with the first team at outside linebacker. Now that he's back from that ankle injury, how do you envision using him going forward.
COACH LONDON: Well, I mean, he had one of those high ankle sprains, which is always one of those things that when you're a linebacker and you've got to cut and plant and drive and tackle, it just kind of hampered him. He's now gotten back to the point where he's out there running around at full speed.
So I envision him having an opportunity to compete for linebacker play but also being involved with our special teams. He's a run-and-hit guy. We like to designate guys like himself who can run and hit and make plays. So he's got a role that he can come and help us right away. So we're happy to have him back.

Q. A lot was made heading into this season about the success that you had in recruitment. Considering how well you played on the road against UFC, how do you see that affecting your further recruiting heading into 2011?
COACH LONDON: I think any young man coming in off our situation where there's change, and coming off a situation where the record was what it was they always want to see. Well, I hear the new message about what you want to be and what you want to do. But until you play games and until you're competitive and competing against another team, that is another aspect of it.
So I'm hoping that at least the message out there is we can play. We've only played two games. There's not -- there's a long season to go. But the message that they see so far is that we're being competitive on the field, trying to put ourselves in the chance to win games. When you get better players and continue to recruit and recruit the profile players that are going to do well here at Virginia, then you have opportunities to win games like that in those venues.
So, it affects every program, every college football program is affected by how you play on the field and we're no different from the standpoint of that. But from trying to establish a new culture and just trying to establish a new identity, how you perform on the field with some of these players that are looking at you is very important to them.

Q. I was wondering, despite the loss, I was wondering what positives you took from the game against UFC?
COACH LONDON: Well, obviously we go down there, and you don't travel that far just to hang in there. You want to try to win the game. But I think there are things that the players can see if you play on a consistent level and if you eliminate the things that can cause you to lose -- and we had over 100 yards in penalties. We got in the red zone and we missed two field goals. We got in the red zone on the 5-yard line, and threw an interception.
So I think what they understand is you have to bring your A-game all the time. You have to be able to perform and execute. I think a lot of coaches would tell you have to be able to execute. But I think with the caliber of talent that was there that we played against in a venue with the crowd, and the travel, and all those things like that, it boils down to execution whether you're home or away.
And I just think the players saw that if you can execute the game plan, that you have a chance to put yourself in a position to win the game and have a chance. So that was probably the main thing we got out of that.

Q. Have you done a review of the kicking from the game Saturday and particularly on the second field goal attempt, what happened?
COACH LONDON: Yeah, we've looked at it, and everybody wants to scrutinize it to the end degree. But I think where it lies is in all three. We've got to get the snap. The snap has to be direct to the holder. Couple snaps were up and high and tight and inside, so it required the holder to raise his hands up and kind of disrupt the rhythm of the kicker when he's getting ready to kick the ball.
So there is one when the holder brought the ball down that kind of brushed against his thigh, so he had to adjust the ball a little bit, and it disrupted the kicker. So I think all three phases have to work together. It's not just one individual that is the culprit here.
So this open week we're going to spend a sufficient amount of time to make sure that all three phases are working well together the only thing you can't do is you can't simulate that in a game situation with crowds yelling and people rushing over you in a game.
But we're going to try to do all we can to make it that way with live rush, with noise, with timeouts before the guy gets ready to kick it. But just different things than I've used in the past. We've got to get that squared away, and hopefully this week will be the one we can get it done.

Q. So it doesn't seem like I'm just asking negative questions. Can you talk about Jimmy Howell's performance out there?
COACH LONDON: Jimmy did a great job for us. I think Jimmy averaged over 43 yards per punt. And the thing that was most impressive for us is two of those were inside the 20. He's a young man that is a team player.
Lot of times punter wants the averages to be out of the world. But when you're punting and you're punting inside the 20, and you kind of hang a punt up for field position then he does that and he's not a selfish player. He's a team player. So he's punting the ball where we need to get it punted.
They had a dynamic punt returner, and Jimmy did a great job placing the ball where we needed to get it placed. So he's been a very bright element for us in the kicking game.

End of FastScripts

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