Press Conference: Virginia Cavaliers football coach Mike London

Highlights from the postgame press conference with Virginia Cavaliers football coach Mike London after UVA’s 28-27 loss to North Carolina on Saturday in Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, Va.

 

Opening statement:

“Obviously this was a disappointing loss. We coached poorly at the end and played poorly. We did not recognize things that we should have. It is disappointing to have an opportunity to win a game down the stretch and to have all the miscues that occurred. North Carolina did what they needed to do to win the game, so congratulations to them. But we beat ourselves today and played poorly in the last few minutes of the game.”

 

On the substitution penalty:

“There was an extra guy on the field who should not have been there. When we make those switches, one guy comes in and one guy comes out. It was not caught or noticed. That is coaching, that is us on the sideline watching what’s going on.”

 

On UNC’s final touchdown:

“It’s a route that we practice and practice and practice and practice. It was not anything that we have not seen before. But we did not have guys in position to make the play. And that is what’s disappointing. You practice those things to put yourself in position to make plays and be there, to do the things necessary to win football games, and in that moment it did not happen.”

 

On the UNC onside kick:

“There is always an opportunity for it to happen. The thing you teach your guys is that you need to always be alert and aware. And obviously we were not alert and aware, and they got away with it. That was execution on their end and a lack of execution by us.”

 

On Greyson Lambert’s fourth quarter interception:

“It was a screen pass to KP [Kevin Parks] and obviously the big lineman stepped in front of it and made the play. If it’s not there, throw the ball in the ground and live to see another day. I need to go back and look at the film to see what he was trying to do, but it was not successful and they got a crucial and costly turnover.”

 

On the difficult loss:

“Every loss eats at me. I want to win football games. What is disappointing is the way this game unfolded, with a team that has shown progress and execution. Today we were not good enough. I did not do a good enough job coaching. Coaches didn’t do a good enough job coaching their players. And the result is a loss. Now we have to regroup and get ready for Georgia Tech.”