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UVA football coach Bronco Mendenhall on win over North Carolina

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bronco mendenhallOpening Statement:
“I’m just thrilled for our team. I’m thrilled that the new standard is being fulfilled, and part of that, again, is that we expect to win football games. We expect to play in the post-season. It’s not something to wonder or marvel about, it’s something that is real and it does happen. And that this team is doing that and has done it now back to back is a significant accomplishment and it’s worth pausing to consider what that means for Virginia Football. I think there are roots being established, I think there’s momentum that’s been generated and I think the expectation has shifted now to winning football at Virginia. I’m really excited for my team, my coaches, and thrilled for a moment to just enjoy that.”

On [Olamide Zaccheaus’s] performance and development:
“The growth and development I’ve seen with [Olamide Zaccheaus], the capability has always been there, but his drive for excellence keeps accelerating to a higher level. He’s hungrier to be better. He also knows, and we’ve talked really bluntly, that if he doesn’t play well, we don’t have a great chance to win. He’s able to shoulder that, and I put him in a place where he can still focus on his game and production and help our team without it now being that he’s the reason.  It’s now how can he contribute. He’s hungrier for the team’s success than I think he is his own and that comes with maturity and that’s what’s happened with him.”

On [Bryce Perkins’s] contributions to the programs progress:
“[He] certainly has. I’ve mentioned a number of times, and it’s relevant now and looking back, but it was our intent when we decided to head this way with a dynamic type of quarterback. When you consider now the significant change of style in play in eight games, it’s now our third year together, it’s eight games with [Bryce Perkins]. The previous two years were a completely different style, so [Bryce Perkins’s] ability to not only take on content, but then perform and allow us to expand each with just this poise and just kind of solid week in and week out and day in and day out mentality. It’s just so nice not to have the wild ups and wild downs, and he keeps getting better. So certainly, I would say he is exceeding expectations and just a joy to have on our team.”

On splitting the rock:
“So today, I acknowledged [Olamide Zaccheaus] becoming the all-time reception leader, but then I said ‘none of that happens without [Bryce Perkins].’ And so, it was kind of a cumulative effect that [Bryce Perkins] had too. And I couldn’t remember if he’d done it yet or not.  I didn’t think he had so decided ‘okay, it’s gotta be [Bryce Perkins].’ There is no more rational to it than that.”

On the game’s first two possessions:
It was huge because, our opinion was we were concerned about the tempo and momentum and playmaking ability of North Carolina, and we just needed to widen the gap. To be able to then address it right off the bat generated more confidence with everybody that what was said was then carried out. Football programs start advancing when what is being taught and what is being adjusted to in real time is being executed, rather than the next week. And so that is what started to happen, so our coaches are doing nice adjustments. The harder part is with the players taking the adjustments and then applying them in real time.”

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