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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 20, 2010

Frank Beamer

COACH BEAMER: We are facing a Duke football team that I think is extremely capable. I think any time you're averaging 400 yards on offense and can throw the ball the way they can throw it, I know the quarterbacks had a little trouble here lately. But you also see the talent he has and very, very capable.
Then you look at their defense, and the stat that gets me is they turned it over so many seven times last week, but Duke's defense only gave up 21 points to Miami on that many turnovers. So that says something about them.
So a team that we very much respect and a coaching staff we very much respect, and need to get ready to play another great football game and hopefully continue to improve. We really were pleased with how he played for the most part last week. But this is another week, and let's get ready to play.

Q. Can you help me explain to fans exactly how you guys lost to James Madison and have now gone on this winning streak as one of the best teams in the ACC?
COACH BEAMER: Well, I think it's just the fact that just about anybody can beat anybody on a given Saturday. I think first of all, you give James Madison credit, because they're a good football team and they came in here well prepared.
Then I think circumstances around the game just went the way they needed to go for James Madison to beat us. I think the weather, it was a wet day and that hurt our throwing a little bit. But, again, both teams played in it.
We turned the ball over a couple of times going in for scores. You know, I think it was James Madison's day, and give them credit. They played well, they were well prepared and got us.

Q. Are you guys, though, from what you see within the program, that much better of a team than you were that day?
COACH BEAMER: Oh, I think we're better. I think the facts are starting out the year we had two new offensive linemen. We had several new defensive personnel. We had two new kickers, some new people on our punt protection team which is, you know, a critical team, I think. All those things kind of got us a little bit.
I do think we're a better football team right now. After you've played a few games, you should be better. I credit our coaches and players for after having two disappointing losses to come back and continue to improve as a football team, that's what we're really stressing this week, is we've got to keep going in that direction.

Q. Despite their slow start of late, Duke has still got a really great aerial attack and some great receivers. Are there any adjustments that your defense is doing to prepare for this group of receivers?
COACH BEAMER: I think you always prepare for the team and what their strengths are. Certainly, like I said, I think they're a very capable, very dangerous throwing the football. Yeah, I think as you prepare during the week, you do what you need to, what you think to counter what their strength is.

Q. Also the country knows about the slow start, but the incredible turn around your team's had in the last four game. Have you taken on more of an outlook of a one game at a time, versus worrying about ACC standings or anything like that right now?
COACH BEAMER: We've done a good job of staying in the present. I think if you think about what's happened or what's going to happen, you're probably wasting your time. You better think about what's getting ready to happen.
There are five remaining games right now. All are against people in our division, so this is a critical football game here this Saturday. So that's what we're thinking about, Duke, and this Saturday.

Q. Quite an accomplishment this past weekend, career win moves you into the Top 10 all time major college football winningest coaches, tied with Bo Schembechler, and before the season is over, it looks like you could move by Woody Hayes and take over ninth all time. I haven't seen or read or heard any comments on that from you, and I'd like to know what you think about it?
COACH BEAMER: Well, I'm very honored. It all goes back to having good coaches. I've been fortunate to have a lot of good coaches with me and a lot of guys that stayed with me. I really feel like we've got a good organization here. Then you've got to have players. Certainly we've had some great players over the years.
I've been fortunate to be able to coach at some good places, and very honored to even be mentioned in the same fashion as these people that you're associated with right there.

Q. Harris's 241 yards against your defense that pride it's self against being outstanding against the run, does that send up a red flag? Do you treat it as an aberration where you go correct the mistakes especially when you're getting ready to play a team that you already mentioned is a good passing team? How do you work with that this week?
COACH BEAMER: Again, I think the Harris kid had a great day. He popped through there and we couldn't catch him a couple of times. I think that speaks to his ability.
You know, when you look at the game, it was about five or six plays and after that we played fairly well defensively. But those five plays will get you. I give them credit.
I think it's things that we've got to be better fitting in gaps. You get two guys in the same gap, you're wrong. Against a good back like that, a good, well-coached team like Wake Forest, they're going to get you. So I think it's making sure we're in the right gap and the long pass play, defending better, putting ourselves in position to make a tackle on a play. If it is completed, don't let a receiver turn into a running back too.
So there are things that we feel like we can correct, and we need to correct. You give up that many yards in about five plays, that's a lot of snaps that they didn't have to take. That's not the way we like to play defense.

Q. When you said just a minute ago that you had mentioned five or six plays with get you. Is that what you're speaking to when you talk about losing a game like the James Madison game where if you don't get away from a team, that five or six plays is all it takes?
COACH BEAMER: Yeah, I think that happens. I think how the game goes, when you play a team like James Madison and the longer it stays close, the tighter things are and the harder it is to break away.
So, yeah, I think a lot of times it's five or six plays that determine that end result, no question.

Q. What can you say about Billy Hite's work ethic in the face of this conditioning he's been dealing with?
COACH BEAMER: With his eyes?

Q. Yeah.
COACH BEAMER: He's hung right in there. He comes in wearing his sunglasses. He hasn't missed a minute of work, so, you appreciate that. I think there's been a lot of people going beyond the call of duty here this year and the way the season started out, the way we've been able to come back for right now. We've got a long ways to go. But Billy's effort has been right in the middle of it, so you appreciate that.

End of FastScripts

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