Oct. 25, 2000
By: Joe Bray
TarHeelBlue.com
TarHeelBlue:
Talk to me, Terry. How are you doing after this three-game stretch?
Coach Lewis:
"After the N.C. State game, I felt about as bad as I've felt since I've been
back here in January of '98. That game beat me down, it really did.
"Our kids won't forget the way they jumped around on our field after the game.
Our kids won't forget that, I know I won't. But hey, it was their right,
they'd lost a bunch of games to us, and they were overcome with jubilation.
"If you line up everyone on their team against everyone on our team, there's
no way they're more talented than we are. So what is it? It's execution
and confidence. It just shows you the power of what young people think.
"If you can get them to buy into what you're doing to the nth degree, it's
amazing the turnaround. It's amazing what the psyche can do, particularly
with programs that haven't turned the corner.
"It's the same with those guys down in South Carolina (Clemson), they're buying
into the fact that they're a pretty doggone good football team. We thought
that they were good, but we thought that we could move the ball on them.
If Bosley hangs onto that long pass when we're up 17-0, and Alge hangs onto
the one he drops, and he could have run 20 or 30 yards, then maybe it's a
different ball game.
"Clemson was ranked third or fourth in the nation in the defense, but we
moved the ball well on them.
"I really think right now that it's between our kid's ears. Until we can
put together four straight quarters, these things are going to happen.
"I know our fans don't want to hear this, but I always speak candidly to you.
We're playing with too many guys who came in here as walkons. We're playing
with a freshman tailback. If we don't have Ronald Currry, what would the
quarterback situation be?
"Even though I think we have some great talent, much of it is young.
Now you say, 'what about the kid (Philip Rivers) at N.C. State?'
That kid has done a remarkable job. My hat's off to him.
"We've had too many kids get their battle experience in the heat of action
against some teams that want to beat our butts badly.
"Those guys (N.C. State) wanted to whip our butts so badly, because we'd been beating
them for a long time. They put it together, played a good game, and whipped our butts.
We got off to a bad start, came back, then just couldn't get it done.
"Then, this past week (Clemson), you couldn't ask for a better start.
That stadium was electric, it was rocking.
The fans were into it, we were playing well, but because we haven't had the
kind of success we want, rather than playing like we were going to win, we
played like, 'when is the wheel going to come off?'
"It's like that little train going up the hill. If you think you can, you can.
If you think you can't, you can't. It doesn't have anything to do with the
desire, it's a matter of whether or not you think you can get it done.
The desire is there, the confidence is not.
"What we have to do as coaches is be psychoanalysts, to get them to believe in
themselves, particularly when things aren't going well. We have to get into
their heads, to get them to believe in themselves and the coaches.
We did it at the beginning of the Clemson game."
TarHeelBlue:
You mentioned State's players buying into what they are doing. Do you think our
players are buying into what the coaching staff is asking them to do?
Coach Lewis:
"I don't think there's any question our kids have bought into both the
offensive and defensive schemes. We haven't had enough success for an
extended period of time, so that at critical points in a game, there's too
many links in the chain who don't have enough confidence, and the chain
breaks. We'll miss a critical block, or drop a critical pass.
"It has nothing to do with schemes or desire. It has to do with being young, and
as coaches we have to get them over this psychological block they have.
We have to be able to do to the other teams at the end of the games what they
have been doing to us. We have to be able to impose our will on them at the end
of the game.
"Having spent my entire life as a coach, there's no question we have talent here.
But, what a lot of people don't pay attention to, is that there have been a lot
of gaps in the talent here. Just think, we have Ronald Curry at quarterback,
then we have a defensive back backing him up.
"There's a gap on the offensive line. Almost all of the backups are freshmen.
If there wasn't that gap, these young guys would still probably be waiting their
turn.
"Now the tight end position is in good shape. We've got a great young guy in
Zach Hilton who's still waiting a for a chance to play. Too many other positions
can't say that.
"For our program to turn the corner, there shouldn't be those gaps, especially in
the critical positions.
"We've lost two or three quarterbacks who were supposed to be good, such as
Deas and Carty. When I came here, I was told those guys were supposed to be really good.
I was told we had three of the best tailbacks in the country when I came here.
"Still, the biggest problem is that in critical points in the game, too many of
our guys question whether or not they can get it done.
"It's a two way street. The players have to do their job, but it's up to the coaches
to help them get over that hump.
"Part of a coach's job is to get inside a kid's head. We totally take responsibility
for having to do that.
"I'll ask our fans to not loose faith in the players. Those guys are going to give it
all they have. We just find the darndest time to make mistakes.
"Fans, love the university, love the players. It's up to the coaches to get the players
to play up to their potential, regardless of how young they are.
"It's not always X's and O's or schemes that cause you not to be successful.
"We haven't had any kid quit believing in what we're trying to do. We just all
have to get it done.
"Now I was really down after the State game, but I was encouraged after last week.
What we have to do is, when something bad happens, forget about it. Our problem
is we get consumed with it. Doubt feeds off itself.
"The bottom line is to get those young people to realize how close they are
to being outstanding. We've got to get them to play four quarters of football.
"The talent is here, the core support has always been here. The school here
is second to none. The fans may not be the loudest, but they back us up with
their pocketbooks.
"This group of coaches has got to get these kids to be sold
on themselves, because we're sure sold on them.
"They've teased themselves as to how good they can be over the past three
weeks. They'll make a great play, then turn right around and make a blunder.
It's a lack of deep-rooted self confidence. It's happened in three straight
games, all fourth quarter disappointments.
"It's not talent, it's not effort, it's not conditioning. We're at a point where
the psychoanalyst part of coaching is what we're confronted with right now.
People want to point to a lot of different things, but I'm telling you,
I'm telling the fans, it's not effort, it's not schemes, it's not
conditioning.
"The one thing we coaches have to do is get into our kid's heads.
There's no way those kids, who put in countless hours in the heat this summer
getting ready for the season, want to make the mistakes they've been making at
critical times in the games.
"Right now, it's psychological. We've been knocking on the door the last three
weeks, but we couldn't knock it down.
"I hope that the rest of the year, we start out each game as well as we did
last Saturday, then play well for four quarters. We've got to come out
with guns blazing. If we do, I don't think we'll let up like we did last week.
"When we lose, we hurt twice as much as our most loyal fans hurt. It's been a rough
few weeks. I'm glad they weren't the last few weeks of the season.
"We've got four more opportunities left. We're ready to see if we can get over the
scars that have been left by these last three home games."
