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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 14, 2011

Frank Spaziani

THE MODERATOR: We will start Coach Spaziani.
COACH SPAZIANI: We are anxious to get back back home in the friendly confines of alumni stadium. We obviously need a victory. This game takes on some added significance because it's obviously a conference game, and the way that conference games are a little bit different, even though they all count the same.
So with that, I'll turn it over with any questions.

Q. What's Montel's status for this week and as far as offense in general, just how concerned are you at this point in the season?
COACH SPAZIANI: Well, we are concerned on offense. Obviously we have not been as successful as we would like to for a number of reasons, and Montel's status is day-to-day.

Q. How do you get improvement from last week to this week in the offensive area?
COACH SPAZIANI: We know where the areas are that are of concern and we have addressed them and once again, we focus on the positive of our guys, and that's how we'll get some improvement.

Q. When you say addressed them, what do you mean by that?
COACH SPAZIANI: Well, once again, every -- wins and losses magnify or minimize the problems. The problems are always there and help our guys schematically and certainly help our guy fundamentally.

Q. Duke's going to come in throwing the ball, so what kind of preparation do you put in for that?
COACH SPAZIANI: Well, one of the things, again, as always, we have to make sure we are set up to stop the run. They have run the ball a lot in their history. And David is a very good football coach and we certainly know they have a prolific offense. We are going to have our hands full making sure that we are in the right spots and understanding what they do.
But our situation is we have got to make sure we are taking care of ourselves and play as hard as we possibly can. But it's a difficult task.

Q. Just your impressions of Sean Renfree?
COACH SPAZIANI: Well, Sean I think is an excellent quarterback. You know, I've been impressed with him ever since I've been watching him on tape. He does a great job, delivers the ball where they want it delivered, and has an understanding of their offense. And once again, they have great concepts and great coaching and I think he understands it. I think he's exactly what they want there, and we are going to have to deal with it.

Q. They have also got some of the best receivers in the conference, Vernon and Varner --
COACH SPAZIANI: Vernon, Varner, Braxston, yeah, they have -- once again, their offense is set up to deliver the ball to the open man, and they get it to him. They do a good job in reading coverages and knowing where they have to go and protecting.
They have been able to throw the ball on everybody in all of the tapes that I have watched. So make no mistake about it, they understand how to do it.

Q. Can you talk about the logistics that go into changing over an offensive coordinator at this point in the season? How much of a change in job description is this for Dave Brock?
COACH SPAZIANI: Well, it's a big change in job description. But a lot of what -- how we are organized and how we put everything into place is that we can move on, we can move on forward here. We are all speaking the same language. He's done it before and understands these subtleties that go about doing it, and it's a family and a team game. The coaching staff is no different.

Q. I don't know if you have these sort of contingency plans, but do you have the sort of thing that you know who your backup guy is so to speak and if a coach has to leave or has something like this happen, did you know for example immediately Dave is going to be the guy?
COACH SPAZIANI: Well, when we organized the staff over here -- and yes, there are always -- expect the unexpected, and obviously you can't think of everything, but you know, certainly something like that is -- can happen.
And when we organize the staff, we have three guys that had been offensive coordinators. Brock had been an offensive coordinator, Sean Devine had been an offensive coordinator and Ryan Day has been a quarterback and was offered a coordinator's job. So you know, we have got enough brainpower.

Q. Kevin Rogers is pretty well known down in this area, is there any chance he returns this season?
COACH SPAZIANI: Well, I don't know. That's up to -- I'm not sure what the status of that is right now.

Q. Has it been an issue up until this week at all? Obviously --
COACH SPAZIANI: Well, what are you talking about, his health?

Q. In terms of his availability or the offense obviously has not been --
COACH SPAZIANI: No, no, he's been on the job every day.

Q. Would you take a minute to assess how BC's move to the ACC years ago, how that's played out, how it has met or not met expectations. If you could just offer your thoughts on that event.
COACH SPAZIANI: Well, as far as expectations, you would have to ask the people who had expectations. Once again, they gave us a schedule and we go play. But I figure it's been good for our football program, it's been good for our players and it's been good for our coaching staff. I think overall, I have nothing but positive things to say about the move.

Q. I know you're not in charge of the expectations but when you look at the conference as a whole, and the original intent in terms of getting more power into the conference, increasing prestige, have those expectations been met?
COACH SPAZIANI: Once again, I think we have a prestigious conference. I think we have tremendous coaches in the conference. We have tremendous national recognition. You go through NFL draftees and rank teams; I don't think we take a back seat to anybody.
Now, once again, does it run in some cycles and whatever? I guess it does. But you know, a lot of powerful things are going on in our conference.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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