Up next in 10
#UNC players Jalani Thurman, Xavier Lewis and Billy Edwards Jr.
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0:00
Xavier Lewis and we've got tight end
0:01
Galani Thurman here. You want to raise
0:03
your hand? We'll get to as many
0:04
questions as we can. We'll start with
0:05
Andrew Hill in front.
0:06
>> Xavier, what was working for you
0:08
tonight?
0:10
>> Uh just, you know, get off for me. Um
0:13
our coaches put together a great game
0:15
plan um against TCU. So, you know, we
0:18
really just stick stuck with it and was
0:20
able to uh be good for me. I say that.
0:24
>> Was part of that just kind of moving you
0:25
around like you were doing lots of work?
0:28
Uh yeah, you know, just based off, you
0:30
know, the uh their like scheme and
0:32
everything, uh movement is something
0:34
that they struggle with. So, we're able
0:36
to attack that.
0:38
>> Galani, tight end is a position that
0:40
Carolina didn't get a lot of production
0:41
from last season and then you with 94
0:43
yards today. What what can you say about
0:45
what you can bring to this this Carolina
0:47
offense and as well as, you know, just
0:49
your position as a whole?
0:50
>> I feel like the tight end position is
0:52
just a great position overall. Uh
0:54
Carolina just bringing me in. They just
0:56
showed us. They just showed everybody
0:57
like how the tight ends can work. I feel
1:00
like this year we just executing, the
1:02
whole team executing, offense executing.
1:04
So, it should be a good year.
1:06
>> Rock, Billy, how do you describe the
1:08
feeling of being able to end that game
1:10
with a victory formation and then
1:12
looking over there at at Bill with a
1:14
first down celebration.
1:15
>> Yeah, it feels really good. Um,
1:17
obviously to start the year 1 and0 is is
1:19
huge. you know, to be able to step away
1:22
from a game like this, kind of knowing
1:23
how we performed offensively, especially
1:25
in the second half, and that starts with
1:26
me. Um, it always feels a lot better to
1:28
know that you can come back, sit in the
1:29
classroom, watch the film, and do it
1:31
with, you know, a win in the column. Um,
1:33
so it was it was really rewarding, I
1:34
think. Hats off to our offensive line,
1:36
tight ends, whatever personnel was out
1:37
there, receivers. gave it, you
1:39
know, brought himself in motion on the
1:41
last play when we got him the jump on
1:42
the fourth and two. It was it was a a
1:44
hold team effort there at the end. And
1:45
that, you know, that's what we preached
1:47
of what it was going to take. Um, and to
1:48
be to get to be able to do it on the
1:50
first game of the year was pretty
1:51
special.
1:51
>> And then the emotion from Coach Bel kind
1:53
of throughout the night with you guys.
1:55
>> Yeah. Yeah, it was good. You know, he he
1:57
challenged us in the locker room. Um,
1:59
and you know, I've heard it from the
2:01
past. Obviously, I wasn't here last
2:02
year. This is my first year. But the
2:04
guy's always said kind of the stuff he
2:05
preaches pregame, right? He's coached a
2:07
lot of football games. He's pretty much
2:08
always head- on. He preached about ball
2:09
security, tackling, whether we were on
2:11
defense having to wrap up or running,
2:13
you know, be able to keep our feet in.
2:14
Pretty much everything he challenges
2:16
with, I think we did a great job
2:17
responding for. We weren't perfect by
2:18
any means, but that's, you know, the
2:19
game of football. I think there were up
2:21
and downs, but at the end of the day, we
2:22
finished on a high note.
2:25
>> Sorry, apologies. Um, yeah, really tough
2:27
conditions today, even if you were in
2:29
America. Been tough conditions. How much
2:30
do you have to adjust your play style
2:33
and your um your mechanics when you come
2:35
up in conditions like this?
2:36
>> Yeah, you try not to want to adjust your
2:39
mechanics a whole lot. I mean,
2:40
obviously, right, you saw me have the
2:41
glove on my left hand. And I don't
2:42
think, you know, maybe I did that one
2:43
time in practice back in Chapel Hill and
2:45
then once we got a little bit closer to
2:46
game time knowing that it was going to
2:47
rain, I started bringing that out the
2:49
last couple days. But coach Bich does a
2:50
great job of really putting us in almost
2:53
every situation that can happen, right?
2:55
He's sitting there, whether it's field
2:56
goal or I'm out there two-minute drive.
2:58
Kristo's, you know, trying to snap the
2:59
ball to me. He is just literally taking
3:01
a Gatorade bottle of time and pouring
3:02
water on it to try and emulate what it's
3:04
going to be like in a game. So, I think
3:06
our coaches do a great job of preparing
3:07
us for pretty much every scenario and
3:09
trying to make sure they cover all the
3:11
different options that could happen. And
3:12
then when we go out there, you just try
3:13
to treat it like practice. There's a
3:14
reason he doesn't practice so we can go
3:16
through it, you know, work out the kinks
3:18
and gain confidence in it. That way when
3:19
we come to the game, you try not to
3:20
think about it too much. Just do your
3:21
job.
3:23
>> Really similar question about the bigger
3:24
formation. When you get the jump, I
3:26
guess, what's the first emotion you
3:27
have? What's sort of comes to your mind?
3:29
>> Yeah, I was it was awesome. I was I was
3:31
screaming probably every some bad words
3:34
out there just just emotional just hype.
3:36
Um you know as an offense as a whole I
3:40
obviously right not our best game and
3:41
that starts with me but to get to to
3:44
finish the game that way. I think we got
3:45
the ball with maybe 420 or 340 or
3:47
somewhere right around 4 minutes. Um and
3:49
we had talked about this is exactly what
3:51
you know what we would have wanted at
3:52
four-minute drive to go down there get
3:54
two or three first downs uh and close
3:56
the game out with the ball. was awesome
3:57
and great job to our coaches, right? We
3:58
had that I think uh maybe they called
4:00
their last time out or they measured to
4:01
see if Juju got the first down and we
4:03
went over it in there. Ship knew he was
4:05
going to motion. Christo knew he wasn't
4:06
sapping the ball. It was just a great
4:08
execution to go out there and you know
4:09
there was a lot of emotion after that
4:10
one worked
4:12
>> Xavier the other guys on the defensive
4:14
line. How much easier do they make your
4:15
job?
4:16
>> Uh they make it they make it great. You
4:18
know it was a great uh team effort from
4:20
the defensive line from uh guys like
4:22
Leroy Jackson, Isaiah Johnson, uh Trey
4:24
Giddens. you know, they um they also had
4:27
a great game as well. Um like it wasn't
4:29
just me, you know, it was like uh like I
4:31
I had a little bit uh to do with it, but
4:33
they they uh helped me out a lot um
4:37
through their performance as well.
4:38
>> What goes through your head when you
4:39
break through the line of scrimmage
4:40
right away and it's just you and the
4:41
running back in the back field.
4:43
>> Get them.
4:46
>> All right,
4:48
>> what was the difference in the second
4:49
half? It seemed like the defense really
4:52
um started to find the rhythm. What was
4:54
the difference?
4:55
>> Uh, we just came out with, you know,
4:57
more intensity. Uh, and had a great
5:00
halftime talk. Say that.
5:02
>> What brought all the what was some of
5:04
the things said?
5:06
>> Uh, just go out there, you know, stick
5:08
to your fundamentals. Um, you know, we
5:11
practice uh the stuff that they're
5:13
running. So, let's do it harder.
5:17
>> He's giving you the PG-13.
5:18
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
5:21
>> So, the second row right here.
5:22
>> Hi. I feel like this whole thing, I
5:25
mean, it says it right behind you, much
5:26
more than just a game. And I'm sure a
5:28
lot of players, it was their first time
5:29
traveling outside the country. I'm just
5:31
curious, what was the energy like on the
5:33
plane? Was it nervousness? Was it
5:34
excitement?
5:36
>> Uh,
5:37
>> I'll let you start. You want me to
5:38
start?
5:39
>> I I was excited to uh come over here, of
5:41
course. Uh, new experience, new uh new
5:44
territories, going to go play the great
5:46
game of football. Uh, mostly on the
5:49
plane though, I was trying to get as
5:50
much rest as possible. trying to get
5:53
ready for uh the game, but it was a lot
5:55
of uh emotions going on, I could say.
5:59
>> Yeah. I mean, I was excited as this was
6:01
the first time I was out of the country.
6:02
Obviously, you know, I have a little bit
6:04
of Irish somewhere in my, you know,
6:05
family and I couldn't think of a better
6:07
place to come where, you know, they
6:09
embrace us redheads around here. But it
6:10
was a lot of fun. It was, you know,
6:12
Coach Belich did a great job of
6:13
balancing the, hey, you know, this is a
6:15
really cool opportunity. This is, you
6:16
know, really once in a lifetime for a
6:18
lot of guys on the team, but at the same
6:19
time, it's a business trip. So, I think
6:21
we did a great job as a team, you know,
6:22
kind of teetering that line, per se.
6:24
Yeah, we want to enjoy ourselves, but we
6:26
also are coming here to try and win a
6:27
football game. So, it was a lot of fun.
6:28
It was a lot of excitement and yeah,
6:30
what Lonnie said, we were all trying to
6:31
get sleep because we were coming in here
6:33
and pretty much going right to practice.
6:35
>> AJ,
6:37
>> Billy, to get that completion in Gelani
6:39
for for the first down, the final
6:41
possession, you run over to CJ and give
6:43
him some love on that play. He made a
6:45
huge block on the play. What is it about
6:47
5'9 freshman is in the game that
6:49
situation to do a lay a guy out or not
6:51
lay him out
6:53
by
6:54
>> No, absolutely. I mean, we we preached
6:56
it in there of, you know, it's
6:57
four-minute drive, we need a couple
6:58
first downs. We can't have stupid
7:00
penalties and we got to just smack him
7:02
in the mouth. And I think I said it the
7:03
other day speaking to somebody. I don't
7:05
know, you know, whatever they throw CJ's
7:07
height on there. If he's 5'8, 5'9, the
7:09
kid plays like he's 5'11, 510, he plays,
7:11
you know, bigger than he is. and you
7:12
know he likes to be the aggressor
7:13
whether he's running to catch the ball
7:15
or you know when he knows we got 45
7:17
coming behind him or a run's coming
7:18
behind him he's going to go put his face
7:20
mask in a guy's chin. So I had to show
7:21
him love cuz you know to be a true
7:23
freshman to come out here in that you
7:25
know situation with basically we need
7:28
one maybe two first downs to finish a
7:29
game and come up with that block. I mean
7:31
that shows a lot about the kid, a lot
7:32
about his heart and a lot about his
7:33
fight.
7:34
>> Can you get Joel to comment on that
7:35
block too and what you saw? Oh. Uh,
7:38
after getting the ball, it was really
7:40
green grass, but I saw my two blockers
7:42
out in front of me. I was really just
7:43
trying to stay in bounds so we can keep
7:45
the clock running and keep the game
7:47
going, get the game over with.
7:50
>> Philly, congratulations on the victory.
7:52
Obviously, led the team in receiving
7:54
yards, but you mentioned Jordan a couple
7:56
of times. He had plenty as well. Um, how
7:59
do you find the whole offense as a unit?
8:01
While you're connecting well with them,
8:02
and are you happy with the weapons that
8:04
you've got here?
8:05
>> Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. I think, you
8:06
know, you saw flashes today and I think
8:08
that's going to be the challenge that,
8:09
you know, I'll start with myself as the
8:11
quarterback of the offense of just being
8:12
consistent cuz, you know, you saw I
8:14
don't know how many different receivers
8:15
I threw the ball to today, but you saw
8:17
flashes of 45 making plays, one making
8:19
plays, two making plays. You got 14 in
8:21
there involved. So, just trying to
8:22
spread the ball around um knowing that,
8:24
hey, there's going to be times where,
8:26
you know, defenses want to come in and
8:27
take away a certain guy or a certain
8:29
receiver and, you know, we have a deep
8:31
enough skill room to be able to, you
8:33
know, handle and make those adjustments.
8:34
So, it was good. Like I said, it's it's
8:36
great to have a first game like this and
8:38
to come out victorious knowing that,
8:40
hey, you know, we left a lot of meat on
8:41
the bone. So, now the challenge is going
8:42
to be coming back. Everybody's got to
8:44
look at themselves starting with me and
8:45
figure out what we can do better so that
8:47
way, you know, we don't put ourselves in
8:49
a close game like this again.
8:50
>> Got time for a few more. Let's go.
8:52
>> Xavier, you played 11 games last season,
8:54
but do you feel like this was kind of
8:56
your, you know, kind of coming out
8:57
party, announcing yourself on the
8:58
national stage?
9:00
>> Uh, yes. Uh, I feel like, you know, um,
9:03
last year, you know, was just a a a
9:05
start for me, you know, just to get out
9:07
on the field. I was a third down, you
9:09
know, passing, uh, situational guy, um,
9:12
last year. And then, you know, just to
9:13
be able, uh, to come out here and have
9:15
the staff put their trust in me to, you
9:17
know, play on all downs, become like an
9:19
all down guy. Um, so, you know, I just
9:22
embraced the role, you know, to come out
9:24
and, uh, you know, ball out. You know, I
9:25
feel like, you know, uh, everything that
9:27
I put on one display was something that,
9:29
like, you know, I could have been doing,
9:32
but yeah.
9:33
>> N,
9:33
>> I know the focus for y'all was obviously
9:35
the game, but I know you had the clinic
9:37
yesterday as well as fun pep rally
9:39
festivities. What are some things that
9:40
you guys enjoyed about your experience
9:42
here in Ireland?
9:43
>> Gay football.
9:46
I like it.
9:47
>> That's a good Yeah, you kind of talked
9:50
about last year we really only saw you
9:51
as a on third downs basically. Um on the
9:54
fourth down run stuff, it looked like
9:56
you made the important play. Can you
9:57
kind of talk us through that play and
9:59
like what you've really learned this
10:01
year?
10:02
>> Uh truly, you know, what I've learned is
10:04
um just, you know, attack more, just be
10:06
more aggressive, uh like in the run, you
10:09
know, like I didn't really get a lot of
10:11
run or, you know, short yardage uh snaps
10:14
last year. Um so, you know, like I said,
10:16
the coaching staff put their trust in me
10:17
for that. Um and, you know, I was able
10:20
to uh tag their line. I mean, it's
10:23
fourth and one or something like that.
10:24
Like, we know we know what they're
10:25
doing. You know, they know what we're
10:27
doing. Uh, so, you know, it's just beat
10:29
them off the ball and make the play on
10:32
the top.
10:33
>> Yeah, Billy, I know it's a team win, but
10:34
for you personally, what does it mean to
10:36
put the pads on again, win this game,
10:38
you know, going all the way back week
10:40
one at Wisconsin to hear now all the
10:43
rehab. What does this win mean to you
10:44
personally?
10:45
>> Yeah, it means a lot. I think uh I think
10:47
it was a year ago yesterday or today
10:49
that I hurt my knee last year. So, you
10:52
know, I try not to think about that too
10:53
much um going into the game, but also
10:56
just knowing like, you know, I'm an
10:57
older guy. I've obviously been around,
10:59
you know, the block relative to college
11:00
football. So, try not to make it bigger
11:01
than it is. But, you know, it was
11:03
definitely a special, you know, two
11:05
after the game, before the game,
11:06
getting, you know, texts from my
11:07
Wisconsin trainers and people that I
11:09
still have good relationships over there
11:10
with um just cuz it was, you know, it
11:12
was a lot of up and down the last 12
11:14
months trying to get back um from the
11:16
injury. So to come out here with a group
11:17
of guys like this and to really have the
11:19
game that we did and finish the way we
11:20
did, it means a lot.
11:23
>> Uh Galani, you transferred down from
11:25
Ohio State. Um you got the jump place
11:28
tonight, big yardage and you had a few
11:31
more targets that were broken up before
11:32
they got to you. Um is it gratifying to
11:35
feel like you fitted in such a key part
11:37
of the offense so quickly? And um yeah,
11:39
what does that mean to be part of this
11:41
new setup versus being
11:43
>> Yeah, I'm truly grateful, man. uh being
11:45
able to come in here and fend the
11:46
offense, be able to be a key player in
11:48
the offense, be able to be a highlighted
11:50
player in offense, being able to uh
11:52
catch some balls from Billy, man, you
11:54
know, be coached by one of some of the
11:56
best coaches in the game. I mean, I
11:58
can't complain. This is good football.
12:00
I'm ready to play. Y Savior, how much
12:04
pride does the defensive line take and
12:06
maybe some of these holding penalties
12:08
that TC were that were called on and
12:10
then they moved behind the chains, but
12:12
do you feel like it's a lot because of
12:13
the pressure you guys have been putting
12:14
on the offensive line?
12:15
>> Oh, you know, we like to take a lot of
12:17
pride in just, you know, stopping the
12:20
offense from doing anything. Um, you
12:22
know,
12:24
uh, like, you know, it starts at the D
12:26
line, it starts with the line, um, you
12:28
know, on both sides of the ball. Uh so
12:30
you know for us to make a play or make
12:32
them make a mistake uh we just you know
12:34
like to thrive off that and you know we
12:37
just keep coming harder.
12:39
>> Two more. Let's go to Michael and then
12:41
Rock.
12:42
>> What did you see on that last four that
12:44
you guys forced? Is there any reason why
12:46
you kept the full pads on?
12:48
>> Oh I was in the I was in the locker room
12:51
talking. Uh
12:55
um but you know it was fourth down. I
12:59
don't remember if it was like short or
13:00
anything, but you know, they had a they
13:02
booted out. Uh, and then, you know, they
13:05
booted out to our right and, you know,
13:07
our corners, you know, was locking them
13:09
down. Corners had a great game as well,
13:10
allowing us to, uh, all get there, all
13:13
get in the back field and everything all
13:15
game. And, um, just, you know, seeing
13:18
them throw it and then they hit the
13:19
ground. I'm like, let's freaking go.
13:23
>> Ryan, close us out.
13:24
>> Xavier, obviously, you were a part of
13:25
this game last year. What do you think
13:28
you guys were able to prove tonight with
13:30
that performance?
13:31
>> Uh, you know, I think that, you know, we
13:33
just was playing this game. Weren't
13:35
really worried about last year. Uh, we
13:37
were worried about, you know, ourselves
13:38
and truly coming out and starting the
13:40
season strong. Uh, making it a team
13:42
game. Um, and just being the best us we
13:45
could be, the best UNCC.
13:47
>> Perfect. Thanks so much, everyone. is
13:49
not.
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