Tommy Bowden Press Conference Week Prior To North Carolina Game

Oct. 17, 2000

Head Coach Tommy Bowden’s comments on:

If he sees any signs of his players feeling the pressure of being 7-0

“We talked a little bit about that yesterday. Right now every mistackle, every misalignment, every poor snap, and every fumble are costly and the teams that can understand that but still go out on Saturday and play loose and with emotion are the ones that are successful. They understand the stakes are higher with every play but whether or not they can comprehend that and still play loose I really do not know.”

The North Carolina defense

“They are very impressive physically and they are very talented. They have four really good pass rushers up front but their linebackers also bring a great deal of pressure. Because they have more than one guy that can bring pressure they make it very difficult from an offensive design standpoint.”

If he expects North Carolina to come out fighting like crazy because their backs are against the wall

“I know they will. Just as was the case with Maryland I told our team that the North Carolina team that they see on film is not going to be the same team that will show up on Saturday. The team that they see on film was not playing the number three team in the country. We will see their “A” game and we will just have to wait and see if our team can respond to that.”

The intangibles Ronald Curry brings to the North Carolina team

“When you are able to play basketball at North Carolina, especially at the guard position, you have to have a great deal of quickness. He is every bit as quick, if not quicker, than Woody Dantzler. He is taller than Woody so he has a better sight line when he is throwing the ball. With his speed, quickness, and athleticism, our rush lanes are going to have to be very disciplined. Those intangibles demand respect and we really have to be aware of where he is at all times.”

Rod Gardner stepping up his play the last two games

“Rod really has stepped up the last couple of weeks. Early on this season he was not making the plays that he made last year but now he is. We discussed his play before the NC State and it is a credit to him how he has turned it around the last two games.”