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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 26, 2016

Larry Fedora

Greensboro, North Carolina

LARRY FEDORA: Yeah, we're into our open week, a very much needed open week for us to get healed up, get healthy and get fresh as we make a run here in the last month of the conference play.

Q. Coach, Syracuse football gets off every play every 20 seconds or so, one of the faster offenses in the country, but as games have been long, pushing to four hours because of that no-huddle. What are your thoughts on those longer games, 3:30, four hours, and will you prepare differently for a game that might push four hours?
LARRY FEDORA: Yeah, I mean, I think it's something that we've been dealing with in college football, you know, since people started going tempo. We were in our first couple years here the same type of situation where we were running 80 something snaps a game. It does put some wear and tear on the guys on both sides of the ball, but as far as preparing any differently, no, I mean, we wouldn't prepare any differently. Your defense has to be -- they have to be -- they have to prepare for a tempo team differently than they do a huddle team, so common sense wise, those things would be different, yes.

Q. How about a pregame meal? I think Air Force has experimented with eating closer to kick just because players are eating three hours before and the game is four hours, that's obviously a long time without food.
LARRY FEDORA: Yeah, well, we give our guys stuff at halftime, also, so our guys are able to get some nourishment at halftime. We eat our pregame meal three and a half hours before we kick it off, and we've been pretty consistent with that.

I haven't thought about moving it any closer, you know, and haven't talked to our nutritionist about it, but it would be something worth looking into.

Q. Aside from healing up, what are some other keys that you're hoping to work on here during the bye?
LARRY FEDORA: Yeah, yesterday was all fundamental work for everybody, then we got a lot of scrimmage type reps with all of our younger guys, the redshirt guys, and the guys that are maybe backups that haven't gotten many reps in games. So really a lot of fundamental work, just going back to the basics and working on fundamentals, and then we will do a little bit of that today and start working towards some Georgia Tech game plan things to try to pick up two to three extra days of practice on Georgia Tech.

But the main objective really is to come out of this week as fresh as we can, both mentally and physically.

Q. Obviously Bug had a big performance last week wearing Mack's number. Is he going to need to have performances like that for you now down the stretch with Mack not available?
LARRY FEDORA: You bet. I mean, we need it out of him. We need it out of Proehl, we need it out of Switzer. We need it out of all those guys, and not only for those guys but also for the guys on special teams that are stepping into Mack's role because Mack was a phenomenal special teams player, also.

Q. And obviously you've had some injuries on the offensive line that you've had to deal with this season; how do you feel about the overall performance last week now with another new face having to step in there?
LARRY FEDORA: Well, I would say we got the job done. I thought the kids overcame the adversity that was created by that situation. You know, what you're lacking is consistency and continuity, and those things always make it tough on you offensively.

But I mean, if I was -- we got the job done, and that's all that really matters is that we get the win, however we need to do it, and then hopefully we'll be healthier as we go into the rest of the season.

Q. You guys have played eight straight weeks; what kind of a toll does that take? These guys are young and they probably recuperate fairly well, but how difficult is it to play that stretch without an off week both physically and mentally?
LARRY FEDORA: Yeah, it's definitely a -- it takes a toll on them, there's no doubt. It's not just eight straight weeks, you go four weeks of camp and then you're in, so you're 12 straight weeks of getting after it. Along with what they have to do as a student at the University, it makes it very difficult for them, and it takes a toll on their bodies and their minds, and that's why probably this late with the open week, I mean, I'm taking a little bit different approach, and it's more about making sure we're fresh mentally and physically at the end of this week.

Q. The last two games have been your best two defensively, at least in terms of points allowed. What have you seen as the progress of the defense, particularly in the last two weeks?
LARRY FEDORA: I think, you know, first of all, there have been some just small incremental improvements as we've gone, from the very first game and each and every week, and it might be just by a position group or it might be the way a guy is seeing things, but I think our guys have seen multiple types of offensive football in the eight weeks that we've played, and so our guys do a pretty good job of once they've seen something, being able to as something comes up new in a game, a coach is able to relate it to something they've seen, and they go, okay, I've got it.

I think what they're starting to do is see the ball better, see what's happening better, and also just play within the scheme and do their job within the scheme, and when they do that, good things happen.

Q. Your offensive line, you've had to shuffle some people in there, but who have been the linchpins there for you who have played well for your offense this season?
LARRY FEDORA: Well, I mean, Lucas Crowley up front, our center, has been the -- him and Bentley Spain have been the two guys that have been consistent throughout the entire season, and so those guys have done a really good job because every new guy that's stepped up there with them, I mean, they're the ones having to communicate and make sure that those guys get the job done. So I'd have to put it on those two guys.

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