UVA players Jackson Matteo, Taquan Mizzell, Kurt Benkert, Micah Kiser and Matt Johns talk with reporters after a 35-14 Cavs loss to North Carolina.
Senior center Jackson Matteo
On what worked and what didn’t on opportunities for run game: “I think we did some good things on the run, and I think as a unit we can always get tighter. There were some errors, but we had a really good week of practice and a really good week of preparation. We were focused and locked in, and studying their defense. They have pretty athletic guys and if we wanted to really pound it up there we could have. I think we got away from that and there were some other mental errors and unfinished blocks, so there is always room for improvement. Going into this week we just have to stay the same. Every team in college football is beatable, so we just have to wait until the next one.”
On getting better at third downs: “Something we really stress is first down and third down efficiency, and we aim for about 45 percent of the third downs. Obviously, we didn’t get that today. I think it is the same thing- cohesiveness. We always have room to improve. Kurt is such a talented player and as an offensive line we have to make him feel comfortable back there, and if we don’t then he is going to want to get on the pocket and want to throw it early because he doesn’t want to take hits, and I completely understand him. We have to get better in pass protections and better on first down.”
Senior tailback Taquan Mizzell
On the likes and dislikes of the run game: “Just our offensive line did a great job at blocking guys. It is our job as backs once we get to that second level to make a man miss and get positive yards. We felt confident in the run game. Just the way the game started going we had to go away from it for a little while and then we got back to it.”
On the botched handoff: “It is a run pass where you can run it or throw it and I think he decided he wanted to throw it from a jump but in the last minute he wanted to hurry up and get it in there, so it was just a mistake.”
On positives of the game and his playing: “The only thing I can think of is to keep the confidence of my offensive line up. They did a great job of run blocking and we have to keep pushing from there. We have a great opportunity next week and we are looking to shock the world.”
Junior Quarterback Kurt Benkert
On the offensive struggles: “I think we hit a little bit of a lull. We haven’t been as good on third down and it starts with me. I have to distribute the ball better.”
On the first possession of the third quarter: “It was a big letdown. We were moving the ball just off a turnover, and when we get a turnover, we need to score. It starts with me. I have to move us down the field and we just weren’t able to do that.”
On how he felt after coming out for the fourth: “I was frustrated just because I’m a competitor and I wanted to finish the game and try to win the game, but I understand why the coaches did it.”
Junior Linebacker Micah Kiser
On where the defense struggled: “We had trouble stopping the stretch play. That was a really big play for them. I think Hood probably had 100 yards just on the stretch play alone. We had struggles stopping that and then passes in the boundary and big plays. That was the story of the game in my opinion.”
On how he felt when his fumble recovery was taken back: “I thought that was going to be the game changer, a momentum play – a big, forced fumble in the middle of the field and you get it at the 50-yard line. But it didn’t work out that way. We could have played a lot better on defense to help our offense, but there’s nothing we can do now.”
Senior Quarterback Matt Johns
On his sneak touchdown play: “We’ve had it in for a couple weeks now. Coach Mendenhall walked by me on the sidelines and he had a paper over his mouth and he was talking, and I didn’t even know he was talking to me. The play was called ‘Butts’ and he said ‘We’re going Butts and it’s field goal,’ because Butts was the snapper. So I was like, ‘Oh, we’re going Butts!’ And then we walked out and spread out in the formation we were in and number 23 (Cayson Collins) was pointing at Butts, and I was thinking in my head, ‘Well now, the play isn’t going to work.’ And so Sam ran to the sideline and 23 ran with him and then Butts was wide open. It was a really well-executed and thought-out play and credit goes to Coach Poppinga.”
On where the team is right now: “We’re a very close team. We’re at a point in the season where I’ve been through this almost every single year. The only year I didn’t was when we were 4-2 going into the bye week and then we hit that lull at the end of the season. It’s about keeping the guys together and keeping them close. This quarterback group is the closest group I’ve been around – me, Kurt [Benkert], Connor [Brewer], Joe Spaziani and Jacob Rainey, we’re all best friends. We hang out almost every day of the week and it’s going to stay like that the whole season.
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