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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 10, 2010

Frank Beamer

COACH BEAMER: Our football team has taken a hit here recently. I think when you take Dyrell Roberts and David Wilson out of the lineup, you lose some real skill and some guys that are very much competitors. So we've got to have some guys to step up for those fellas, for sure.
Hopefully, I think we've got some guys with the ability and hopefully that is going to be the case that they'll step up. I think Chris Drager on the other side, a guy that is very important to our defense. He's a consistent guy, steady guy, dependable guy. He's affected other people like that. So we're missing some really good folks there this week.
But we're facing a team that is really good. You know, I think the quarterback Yates has played exceptional. Jones and several of the receivers are going to get the ball. Defensively those linebackers are exceptional. Probably the best defense we've played all year. So tremendous challenge this week. Questions?

Q. I just wanted to ask you first and foremost why you feel this rivalry that it's become in the last few years is so evenly matched? This game goes down to the wire on almost an annual basis?
COACH BEAMER: I think we've both been very good. I think we've both got players that have made a lot of difference. I think just both teams compete, and for that reason (Indiscernible).

Q. I was just talking to James Hopper yesterday, and he told me that during spring practice his child was born the night before your spring game and he rushed back so he could be at the spring game and participate. I was wondering what that tells you about him and his dedication to your program that he would do something like that?
COACH BEAMER: Yeah, everything's right about James. He's a good player, very dedicated, very much committed to the football team. I think a good person. The kind of guys you like to have in your program.

Q. Were you aware of that situation and did you guys try to help him out and say, yeah, it's okay for you to go and to be there for the birth of your child?
COACH BEAMER: Well, I think he did that on his own. I think that was his -- he set his schedule on that one.

Q. I was just wondering what was said after the second time this season. How were you able to turn this thing around as quickly and as thoroughly as you have in the first two games?
COACH BEAMER: Well, I think it goes back to you've got to have good people. I think when you have two losses in a week's time as devastating as those two losses, that if you don't have good people you're probably done. Everybody's starting to blame and point fingers.
You know, we didn't have that. We had senior leadership. I think it told us that we better -- we had some nice things written about us before those two ballgames and we better get back to work to see if we can't get some good things written about us at the end of the year.
Then I do think that the relationships with our coaches and players is very important. I tell our coaches all the time that you work every day for the crisis, and that was a crisis around here, 0-2, and looking at our schedule.
But I think if you've got good, strong relationships and trust each other and care about each other, then you can overcome. I think that's what we have in our players and coaches and this football team is people that trust each other on, care about each other.
You know, we've worked out the problem and we've solved the problem so far. We've got another big problem this Saturday that's not going to be easy to solve. But I've been proud of what you're football team has been able to accomplish after two terrific or two really tough setbacks.

Q. What is it that's allowed you to come back from all these double digit deficits you've faced? I know ideally you wouldn't want to have faced them, but you've been able to overcome some of these double digits?
COACH BEAMER: I think it gets back to your quarterback. We have a quarterback that can make things happen and can keep you in the game, can bring you back. He's got some good people around you.
But I know for this op operation to work, you better have a quarterback that can do it. I think we've got a guy that can do it. It means a lot to our football team.

Q. I wanted to ask an a attendance question. What's been the secret at Virginia Tech to continue to sell out all the home games at a time when it seems the economy and maybe some other factors are taking at least a small toll, maybe a big toll in some other places, in some of the league's larger stadiums?
COACH BEAMER: I think we just have terrific fans. I think the game experience here in Blacksburg is terrific. I think they get here, they tailgate they get in that stadium by kickoff. They're not going to be late because they feel like they can help us win, and they do.
Our fans for sure help us win here at Virginia Tech. They're very much a part of the success of this program. We've had some good wins on the field, but they've been very much a part of that, and I think they feel that. As a result they know they need to be there on Saturday to help us out.

Q. I forgot to ask you, I wanted to talk to you about Jeron Gouveia-Winslow. How important is he on your punt unit? And just the way he's handled what's happened to him on defense, is he sort of emblematic of the unselfishness this team has sort of shown, especially since the first two games of this season?
COACH BEAMER: Yeah, absolutely. He took over for Cody Grimm as the personal protector there on the punt team, the pride team we call it. He's just been terrific. You know, he's the quarterback of that team. He's a smart guy. He understands football. He understands what we're trying to get done. He's just been terrific on that.
And, you're right, he's just an unselfish guy. I think our team's made up of a bunch of those guys. It's not what my stats, it's what can I do to help this football team win, and you certainly appreciate that.
That probably goes back to why we've been able to come back after two tough losses, too. I don't think we've got a selfish guy on our football team.

Q. I just was curious. There are a couple of different scenarios for you guys to clinch. Either win two of your last three or win this weekend plus help from Georgia Tech against Miami. But are your guys aware of that, or are they just -- are you all just focusing on just do it, just win, just keep winning?
COACH BEAMER: Yeah, I think if you start trying to figure everything out in your mind somewhere else, you're probably in the wrong spot. I firmly believe you better go play as hard as you can against North Carolina and as well as you can against North Carolina and hope to get a win. Then let everything else sort itself out.
We don't spend a lot of time talking about the ifs, ands and buts. We talk about we've got to play a great football game against North Carolina.

Q. Is there anything you can take away from the UNC-Florida State game that help you guys get the edge in the competition this weekend?
COACH BEAMER: Not other than they went into a great place, against a good football team and took it right to them. They're playing well. Their quarterback's playing well. They've got most of their guys back.
They're very, very talented, very good. And, like I said, starting the same thing, probably the best defense we're going to play -- or up to this time, I should say. So, you know, got to get ready to go.

Q. What are you doing to help your team focus on the one game at a time scenario versus the handful of conference games you have left and winning the conference -- I'm sorry, winning the division there?
COACH BEAMER: Well, again, it goes back to your leadership. We've got some smart kids that like to compete. I told them in the meeting this week, when you get into hoping somebody else loses or somebody else has got to do this or somebody else does that, you know. I think you better go play as hard as you can yourself and hopefully take care of business. So that's what we're going to try to do against a really good football team.

Q. I have a quick question as a follow-up from earlier. Given the way that your team lost to North Carolina in the last year, do you think that they want to exact some sort of revenge on the Tar Heels?
COACH BEAMER: Well, I think last year is last year. It was a tough loss two good football teams. Both of them played hard, and North Carolina played better. We had a tough play at the end and they capitalized.
I don't think that's got a lot to do with this year. I think this is a new year for both of us. I think every tough loss you certainly remember, and every great win you remember and all those things.
But I think if you start relying on what happened last year to help you this year, you're probably thinking wrong also. I think you better study the film and look at how good the players are, and how good they're playing and get ready to block them and tackle them.

End of FastScripts

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