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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 19, 2011

Mike London

COACH LONDON: It's another home game for us and another opportunity because it's a conference game. Another televised game. So the guys are excited about the opportunity to play once again, particularly at home, just the way the schedule fell.
So we're to have a very, very good talented N.C. State coming in. Defensively, some All-Star players. I know they have injury situations, but at the same time they've got a great corner. Probably one of the best corners in the country. Leads the country in interceptions, team defense, tackle for losses, and sacks.
They've done a tremendous job. Offensively having a guy like Mike Glennon who's got a tremendous arm and has an ability to make it down field and make difficult throws. So changing from an assignment-oriented football game against Georgia Tech now into, again, another assignment oriented football game, but now as a team that has traditional formations and personnel groups.

Q. Mike mentioned that you're pass defense is eighth and you're tenth in pass efficiency defense. How much more difficult of a challenge do you face this week? I'm not sure whether some of those stats may have come from the past, going against a team that threw eight passes last week?
COACH LONDON: Well, I guess the accumulation of six games all average into that but I would think a team like N.C. State that does a great job throwing the ball and diversifying it with running the ball with the talented running backs they have, I think it's a matter of they seem like a lot of teams find out whatever's working for them in that particular game and they accentuate that.
I did have a great opportunity to coach with Dana Bible at Boston College, and I know coach O'Brien. And I look at their offensive teams that Dana's been in and responsible for at BC and N.C. State, and he does a great job of taking whatever the defense gives him, but at the same time moving the ball vertically down the field.
So whatever we are ranked defensively it all has to do with what we need to do is take care of the football this game, and all the rankings and things like that don't mean much when whatever team you're playing may try to find something they can hurt you on. So we'll have to be ready for defensively on the ground, but also through the air because they do a great job with both.

Q. You referenced in your opening statement, but Amerson, the cornerback that's leading the nation in interceptions. From what you've seen of him on film, what's stood out to you so far in particularly about the way he's playing right now and what's enabled him to get off to the start he's gotten off to this season?
COACH LONDON: Well, I tell you what, he anticipates and breaks on the long arm or separation or the throwing indicator of the quarterbacks very well. I can only imagine that through film study and things like that, that he really watches the quarterback, the quarterback's eyes and the separation of the ball, and the tendencies and things like that, because he has a tremendous jump on and plays aggressively.
Plays aggressively on balls like that. You're talking about a guy that's 6'3", 194 pounds. That's all the tools and can run. He had those physical tools already. Now because he anticipates so well, I see why he's playing as well as he is.

Q. For the quarterback, for your quarterback's then, for Michael and David, do you guys have self-scout a little bit more this week to make sure that they're not giving away anything with their tendencies or what not that Amerson anticipates so well?
COACH LONDON: You try to self scout all the time. You try to do things with quarterbacks, young quarterbacks, old quarterbacks, whatever it is. Particularly an experienced secondary about looking off your targets, about not being fixated on one particular target. About the kind of routes that the receivers have to run based on the alignments of the corners and safeties.
So there are several things that coincide, particularly a really good corner, that you're going to have to bring your A-game part of it. We always talk about those things. But you're going against a guy that is one of the best in the country, so there is a height and awareness to it.

Q. I wanted to ask you about the stress of the job right now in the coastal division. It's a pretty tight race. How do you go about just not -- as a coach, not even worried about your players, how do you handle being in the mix right now? Just how critical every game is?
COACH LONDON: Well, first you handle it by making sure the other role that you play, father and husband and things like that, are the most important. Then you handle the aspects of the season and the games that are presented by one game at a time.
This challenge with N.C. State, again, I think athletically and just the fire power and particularly the kicking game with T.J. Graham, they're as dynamic as anybody that you see on film that we play.
I just think that you can put undue stress by thinking about a lot of things that you can't control. And really the only thing we can control is trying to play well for the second week in a row at home, because of the way the schedule falls for us. So that's probably the most important thing that we're thinking about right now. Then you'll deal with all the other things after that.

Q. As for your players, are you happy with the work ethic and the attitude that they've had so far this week coming off that win?
COACH LONDON: I think so. I think, again, you need to here, if you're going to go another level or have another opportunity to play well again, that the preparation that it took and the detail, attention to detail with an extended week versus Georgia Tech. Now you're back to a regular week, where all those things have to be condensed. You have to be sharper; you have to be more detailed. You have to prepare yourself and get ready because now we're back into the regular flow of a regular week.
I throw the challenges out to the guys. Had a good practice today. We've got another one tomorrow, Thursday morning, and you had the last Friday practice at home. Since we're not traveling, we have an extended amount of time on Friday. So we'll see. But I think the guys are ready for the challenge.

Q. I wanted to ask you about your defense handling a couple of North Carolina State's players. You mentioned Graham at wide receiver and George Brian at tight end. What is the challenge of keeping both of those guys under wraps?
COACH LONDON: Well, I don't know if you ever keep somebody under wraps because they do require that you pay attention to them because of the skillset. Obviously everybody knows about T.J., and the 10, 400 meters, and his explosiveness, not only in the kicking game but as a receiver, as you mentioned.
And then Bryan, a big, tall target, 6'5, 265, senior, been around, smart player. So you have to play the defense, and tough rely on -- you know, the corner can't just rely on his individual skills, you have to rely on the underneath coverage and the safety.
The safeties, when dealing with the tight ends, have to rely on outside linebackers that sometimes have to reroute a tight end as he gets into the pass pattern. So there is a focus on a lot of things, but you definitely have to pay attention to the people that you just mentioned because they're playing really well.

Q. You were so successful last week coming off open day. Are you apprehensive about the opponent that's had an open date of its own and might put in some new stuff?
COACH LONDON: You're always susceptible to things you haven't seen on tape of a team, particularly when they've had an open week. The biggest thing for us was the opportunity to get some guys that have been playing back because sometimes they change the dynamic of how you play offensively and defensively, And sometimes players do make a difference.
And I know they've had an opportunity to get some of those guys that have been hurt to get them back and get them reps, so that is the biggest thing. Then you just have to rely on what you do defensively. You might not have seen a particular play that may be in the repertoire, but at the same time to the accumulated amount of reps that you've had and the different things you've seen, you'll just have to be ready to react to them when it happens in the game and hopefully make the adjustment if it happens more than once.

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