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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE MEDIA CONFERENCENovember 6, 2013Mike LondonQ. What's made Anthony Harris so effective at being able to pick off passes this year? MIKE LONDON: I kind of think it's been the reps that he's gotten over the course of the season, getting acclimated to the new system that Coach Tenuta has guys playing, being a veteran player, being a guy that's very‑‑ has a high football IQ, and it's great to see Anthony being able to not only play the middle of the field, but he's also a guy that is a down safety that's involved in the running game. So his learning curve, the way he's played, whether it's deep zone coverage, man coverage or where he run fits when he's involved, he's gotten really good at it, and he continues to get better. But it's just great to see that he's definitely one of the leaders on our team and on our defense, and having a nose for the ball now and going up and getting and competing for it is something that we need to continue to keep doing, and Anthony provides that leadership. Q. I think you guys only had something like four total interceptions last year. He's already passed that number by himself. I imagine trying to get more interceptions is something that you all emphasize in the off‑season, in the spring? MIKE LONDON: Not only that, just turnovers or being alert and aware to the different things that can occur to allow you to get in position to make those type of plays. And when the ball is thrown in the air and you have a guy that's a pretty good center fielder and he can go up and get it, then that's an added bonus. It's always important, turnovers, whether it it's to cause fumbles or the interceptions or the fumble recoveries, is to have an awareness, and I think there's a heightened, a better awareness particularly with Anthony because of what we ask him to do there in the middle. Q. Informed sources are telling us that the music returned to practice today, and I know there's been some music over the years, and what went into the decision to restore that? MIKE LONDON: Informed sources (laughing). Again, it's one of those things that it's just a practice decision. It wasn't anything that needs to be reinstated. Our guys have practiced well the last couple days, and what's been striking is that there's about six seniors on our team that are playing their last couple games here, and the younger guys, everyone else, their aspect, their mindset is we've got a chance to get better, we've got a chance to win, we've got a chance to go into next season getting better as football players. You have guys that still have the mindset of still being able to get ready, to prepare and get better every week as they play. It was just, like I said, just one of those decisions to lighten the mood a little bit, and because we have been practicing, we've been practicing well over this past week. As I said, it was something just kind of added to the rest of the practice atmosphere. Q. And how was it received? MIKE LONDON: It was received well. I mean, you know, like I said, we're trying to focus on the upcoming game, focusing on‑‑ less focus on negativity and more focus on productivity, attitudes, possibilities, all the positive things that have to go into planning and getting ready for a very talented North Carolina team. Q. I wanted to ask you about your relationship with Al Golden and your thoughts on what he's been able to do at Miami, just share I guess some of your impressions there? MIKE LONDON: Well, it's no secret I've known Al for a long time. We were both assistants here at Virginia on Coach Grobe's staff. We were also assistants on Coach O'Brien's staff at Boston College. It's one of those over the years a coaching relationship that you have a personal relationship. Our families know each other well, and we know each other's careers and where we've been and what we've done. Al has done a nice job at Miami getting the‑‑ weathering the issues that have been there since he's been there, and getting acclimated to the culture there and the type of guys that they recruit, the type of program that he's looking for and taking advantage of the recruiting hotbed down there in the Miami area. Obviously you're happy for the success of guys that are close friends of yours until you play them, but other than that, Al has done a nice job. Q. Is he a guy that you talk to during the season, or because you're rival coaches you can't really get into that? MIKE LONDON: Well, I mean, we talk when we play each other, and we meet each other on several occasions during the ACC head coaches' meetings at Amelia Island and different places, so we have those moments, those private moments where we talk about families and how each other is doing. But during the course of the season because of the obligations that all of us have as head coaches, it points us in other directions. But we're still very much in tune to what each other is doing, we follow each other, but we live the lifestyle of being a head coach. There's several obligations that you have, but not forgotten, but at the same time you know that he's busy, we're busy, I'm busy, and we'll reminisce when we see each other in a week or so. Q. In the category of records you probably don't want to celebrate, Alec Vozenilek had an amazing day the other day, setting the punting record by like 80 yards over the most yards punting in one game. Can you talk about him, though, as a developing weapon or tool, and to have a punter like that, what it brings to the table? MIKE LONDON: Well, Alec, the story of him, he was a true walk‑on when he came here and just kind of worked and worked at it and was awarded a scholarship because his work ethic was truly remarkable. And during the course of the season he's done some things in terms of leadership, in terms of the expectations of off the field, in terms of what we're asking for a punter to do on the field. Alec has been able to do that and do it with confidence and do it with a level of maturity that he brings to that position and to the special teams. He's athletic enough that he's also kicking field goals right now, and I believe that those are some of the things that when you have a guy who's been a competitor, played multiple sports in high school, that that type of young man, outside of just being just a kicker, is a guy that's up for challenges, for competitive challenges. There's been games where there's been several punts in a game, and this game was one as far as yardage is concerned, hang time and things like that, he did a nice job. Since the kicking game is an integral part of success for any team, having a guy with a leg that can handle his portion of it, particularly the punting and now here recently the field goal, that when you have guys that are capable, that gives you opportunities to win, and definitely Alec is a positive force in the special teams aspect. Q. I guess you know by now that you could be in a position to have the schedule ranked the toughest at the end of the FBS year. What do you make of that? MIKE LONDON: Well, obviously you play the schedule because those are the games you've scheduled to play, and the teams that we're playing have done a nice job. They were doing a nice job before we came in, I believe, all of them, outside of our FCS opponent were bowl participants last season. It's one of those things that the challenges of where you are and what you have to overcome and the competitiveness that playing good teams like that on a week in, week out basis is something that we want to ascend to. We want to be in the conversation of playing good teams like that and having wins within schedules that have been identified as amongst some of the toughest. It is what it is right now, and as we finish up the latter three games here, the focus becomes on a Carolina team that still I'm quite sure has aspects of the six‑win plateau, the South's oldest rivalry, that there's a commonality between the type of young men that we recruit. They have players from Virginia on their team, we have players from North Carolina on our team. The schedule is, as we all know, very competitive, particularly with the group that we have playing this year, but at the same time it's something that young recruits, guys that are out there that look at it and allow you to perhaps have a measure of success, they're young men that want to get involved with that. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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