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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE MEDIA CONFERENCENovember 27, 2013Al GoldenCOACH GOLDEN: We're in the middle of our preparation, getting ready to go to Pittsburgh, first time seeing them as a coastal opponent. Great challenge for us, great opportunity. With that I'll open it up to any questions that you have. Q. Obviously major weather issues on the East Coast today. I know it's 48 hours before you play. I know the Miami Dolphins were famous for not performing well in cold weather. Have you seen your team in adverse weather conditions before? Probably going to be cold Friday. Is that a concern going up there in these conditions? COACH GOLDEN: I think more than a concern, I think it's a challenge. It's a challenge to the way we want to operate. It's a challenge to our mindset. I don't think there's any question. It's a challenge to everything that we want to be as a football program. We want to be a team that's process‑oriented. We want to be a team that focuses on two‑acres and a ball and blocks out everything externally. In this case the weather is one of those external challenges. It's going to be a great challenge to our team's mindset, mentality and their commitment to each other for four hours on Friday. Q. I know the passing game is very important to you guys. If it's tough conditions like that, how big an adjustment do you have to make offensively to perform? COACH GOLDEN: Well, again, I think we all know it's going to be tough conditions. It's going to be tough conditions for both sides. We just cannot allow any excuses to come into the game. We got to make sure we're throwing the ball well. We got to make sure we're catching the ball well. We have to protect the ball when we're running it. I don't think there's any question that we cannot allow an excuse mentality to creep in here because at the end of the day it's going to come down to protecting the ball well and finding a running game against obviously the great Pitt defensive front and connecting on the passes that you throw. We can't have a lot of incomplete balls because it's cold, windy, whatever the case may be. We know there's going to be elements that are going to be a challenge on Friday. We have to accept the challenge and execute regardless. Q. You started out 7‑0, ranked 7. Things haven't gone well since then. Has it been a product of better competition or things you're not doing now that you were doing earlier? COACH GOLDEN: Again, it's always a function of us. Some of the things perhaps we were doing better earlier in the year, like taking the ball away, playing better red zone defense. Certainly we did that better against Virginia this past week. Hopefully we'll be able to continue to do those things. It can't be about the opponent ever. It's got to be about the things that we're doing and what we're not doing. We haven't converted as well as we needed to on offense or third down. That's really hurt our time of possession and left our defense out there. All three units are responsible. We have to continue to play better. Hopefully we'll play better than we played last week, as well. Q. Last week there was talk about Dorsett possibly playing. Are you still holding out hope he'll be able to play Friday? COACH GOLDEN: I still am holding out hope. Can I say right now definitively? I can't. I wish I could. He'll be practicing today. I think the biggest thing is that he feels comfortable and confident. If we see that today, we'll move forward. Ultimately it will be the young man's decision because medically he's cleared. Q. Their guy Aaron Donald is one of the best. Can you talk about the problem he presents. COACH GOLDEN: Again, when you see players like this, you admire them. Obviously you have to deal with them on game day, which you have to find ways to do that. You just admire players like this because he's just not a talented kid, he's a skilled kid. He's a young man that knows how to play double‑teams really well and he plays with a motor, of course. They move him around to get him in the right position to rush the passer. He's got excellent pass‑rush skills, as well. Again, I think this young man has really worked hard at his craft. I think that's the thing I admire about him. He's taken his talent and cultivated it into skill. The result is a heck of a football player, one that's going to be a great challenge for our offensive line. Q. We have to pick the All‑ACC team. We have to pick three offensive linemen. COACH GOLDEN: I can't. Q. Tell me about your guys. Make a case for a couple of your guys. COACH GOLDEN: Again, you always hear about who you leave out. I think I'm on record as saying that Linder is playing at a really, really high level right now. I'll leave it at that. The rest of it, you guys have to sort it out and evaluate it. I'm record on that one, so I stand behind that one. I think Brandon Linder is playing an elite level of football right now at offensive line. Q. I know you play Friday, your fate in the Coastal Division will be up in the air. If you win the game, you still have a chance. I guess you become a UNC and Virginia fan on Saturday. COACH GOLDEN: Again, we're just trying to prepare and execute today and get better tomorrow, obviously play well against Pitt. The rest of it will take care of itself, will sort itself out. It's really important for us to play well this week and try to get win number nine, then we'll move forward as a program. If we have the good fortune on Saturday, we'll go forward from there. For us to speculate on any of that is just premature. It's really about playing better this week than we did last week and getting ready for a Pitt team on the road. Q. If Duke wins, that game is at noon, are you worried your kids might drop off a little bit, put their heads down a little bit because they can't win the coastal? COACH GOLDEN: Duke's game is Saturday. Q. I apologize. COACH GOLDEN: We'll be there Friday, too. Q. I apologize. COACH GOLDEN: You're good. I thought I was going to play a doubleheader (laughter). Everybody have a great Thanksgiving. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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