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Opening statement:
“Well first of all, disappointed in how we performed this
past weekend, particularly on offense where we turned the ball over way too many
times and gave up too many opportunities in the red zone and in positive
territory. That is something that we have to learn from, and we have always been
a team that has protected the ball pretty well—hopefully we can get to where we
were in the past as far as holding onto the football.
“This week we play a very athletic North Carolina team. A
team that really presents a lot of problems with its speed and athleticism. It
is led by a really outstanding quarterback in Darian Durant. I didn’t know much
about him until I started watching film, but he is very impressive and he
creates a lot of problems for your defense because of his mobility and his
ability to throw the ball. He kind of reminds me a little bit of (Antwaan)
Randle El, and I see that one of his coaches there (former Indiana offensive
coordinator Hal Hunter, currently UNC’s offensive line coach), coached Randle
El. We really are impressed with this North Carolina team.”
How do you feel the ACC stacks up as a football
conference, especially with Virginia Tech and Miami coming in next year?
“Well I think it is a very strong league right now. I think
the league has been getting stronger yearly. Then you throw two of the premier
teams in the country into the mix next season or whenever they are coming in and
it even strengthens them more. I think it is a very good league.”
How would you compare and contrast the style of play in
the ACC in terms of the Big Ten. I know the Big Ten is more of a ‘smash-mouth’,
run-the-ball type league?
“I don’t think you probably watched a lot of Big Ten games,
but I think that is a misconception about our league. I think we have been more
of a spread ‘em out league—we do run the all and we do play physical
football—but a lot of teams in our league—even going back into the early ‘80s
with Hayden Frye and Mike White, guys at Purdue and all those places—we have
thrown the ball around. So we are not the old Woody Hayes, three yards and a
cloud of dust, as it was, back in the ‘60s.”
How is Anthony Davis doing?
“Well he is improving every day. We don’t know exactly his
status yet. We would like to get him on the field, but it is a day-to-day
thing.”
Sorgi had a rough game last game, how is he handling the
pressure there and what does he have to do to improve for this game?
“Hopefully he can handle it. He is the first one that would
tell you he didn’t play very well; wasn’t very accurate. The first two games he
did some very good things. I guess that happens sometimes at quarterback
particularly when you lose your top running back right out of the shoot—a lot of
the pressure landed on him. I guess you wait till game time and see how he
responds.”
Barry, what our your thoughts about Vanderbilt
eliminating its athletics department and I guess in some ways trying to bridge
the gap between the rest of the university and athletics.
“I have to plead ignorance. I really don’t know much about
it. I haven’t been keeping up with that or know enough to feel as though I can
even comment on it. I am sorry.”
Considering some of the success some of the non-BCS
schools have had against BCS schools, do you think the BCS Bowl Series should
open up a slot every year for the top-ranked non-BCS school or should it just
have the bigger, BCS teams?
“I really don’t know. I think you could probably have a
case, if you have a team that has a tremendous year and I think back a couple
years ago when Fresno (State) started off so strong and played some very good
schools and defeated them, on the rode. If you have a situation like that,
someone is able to run the table. I think it would be a mistake if they didn’t
have an opportunity to play in one of those games.”
I know a lot of schools are changing their policy on
releasing specifics on injuries and I’m curious what your policy was there and
how you arrived at that.
“Well, I release as little as possible to be honest with
you. I will verse an injury if a person is out for the most part, if he is going
to miss and be out for an extended period of time I normally release that. For
the most part I give out as little information as possible. You know it was just
the way I’ve been trained I guess. I worked for Hayden Frye (at Iowa) and Hayden
wouldn’t tell anybody anything. So I guess that is where I picked it up.”
Do you feel like that gives the other team an advantage
if they know who is going to play?
“I’ve always felt that the least amount of information you
can give your opponent the better.”
Barry, would you like to see the whole field used for
overtime in college football or do you like the format the way it is now?
“You are talking about like the pro game.”
Yeah, not necessarily where only one team gets a chance
to have the ball, but kicking off and punting and things like that.
“I haven’t put a lot of thought into it. I think (our
system) is fair. We’ve been in several of them and I think as long as you know
the rules before hand and have a chance to practice it, then it is fair. I
really haven’t seen any or heard of any other solutions that I would like better
than what we have right now.”
Also, I wanted to get your impressions of the Big Ten so
far. Their winning percentage against teams in other BCS leagues and ranked
opponents is about the same as it was last year when it was the best in the
country. From what you have seen what has made an impression on you?
“Well, I haven’t had a chance to watch any film. I just
actually see the scores and some clips. I did have a chance to see Michigan play
Notre Dame the other day—I was very impressed. I have been able to see parts of
some Ohio State games—they are an excellent team and a team much like last
year’s team where they find ways to win and they believe they are going to win.
Iowa has been strong—you can go right down the list. I think our league is very
similar to where it was a year ago where we have a number of football teams that
can beat anybody on a given Saturday and some teams that are going to get better
as we move through the season. So I think our league is strong again.”
If Anthony Davis does not play does that change what you
think you can accomplish offensively and maybe consequently put more pressure on
Jim and the passing game?
“Well, we have a couple young backs that have played
though. We are not going to alter our game plan a whole lot. We are not afraid
to throw the football. You don’t want to put all the pressure on one guy. We
have always been a team that has liked to run the football and we won’t depart
from that too much. But the quarterback is the quarterback and he is the one
that has got to make plays for you to move the chains.”