Quote:Q&A With John Bunting


Q. How much do you think the defense is already improved?

A. Based on what I saw this spring, we're faster. Our pursuit lines are defined better. Effort and toughness are being rewarded in a way that the players are responding extremely positively. Both new (assistant) coaches are extremely upbeat and have wiped any slates clean. ... This is a new defense. This is a new defensive concept. We have a new defensive reward system that I think our players have bought into.

Q. Is Ronnie McGill ready to become a 1,000-yard rusher?

A. It's important to run the football. And whether it's one guy or three guys has yet to be defined. I'm anxious to see how Ronnie goes through training camp. Last year toward the end of camp he started to suffer cramps toward the end of practice. He missed several days or several practices or parts of practices. As he builds his base of conditioning, particularly early in the season, it will determine how many times he carries the ball.

When he does carry the ball, he carries it well. He's the kind of guy that I think could be a 1,000-yard rusher. I also believe that Chad Scott and Jacque Lewis, two very experienced players, have a lot to contribute to our team.

Q. Is this a team that needs momentum, that needs to win a couple of games early to build on?

A. That's true for most teams. Now is it more true for us? Do we need to get some confidence early? Yeah. Of course. But I want to build confidence throughout the training camp situation. We're on the right track. We've got the right kids. As people say, we've got the right people on the bus. Now we've got to put them in the right seats, and we're close to getting that done, and it's very important that we have a training camp where we accomplish a lot of our training camp goals.

Q. You've talked about the need to force more turnovers. How do you go about doing that?

A. It's more people to the ball, because it's better defined and you have better talent and more speed. That's what it's all about. It's getting there. Tearing the ball loose. Getting the second or third guy in on the hit. And getting that tipped ball in the air and somebody's pursuing because they're faster and have better definition of their plan to get there.

Q. Funny how you schedule nonconference games, and Louisville and Utah combined for 19 wins last year.

A. Those schedules were done far in advance. They were done far in advance of me coming here. What I did when I took over was try to toughen our schedule even more. I didn't necessarily think we were going to expand and have Miami on our schedule every year. I think it always makes your team better to play a tough nonconference schedule.

Q. Does this seem to be, not to state the obvious, a critical year for the program? Do you feel you have to have a winning record this year?

A. I feel we need to show progress that is significant in my eyes and everybody else's eyes that's important to the football program. I really think we can do that. Since the end of the season, that's been our focus. I think we have a tremendous opportunity to do that, based on a whole bunch of factors -- good recruiting, good offseason, great spring, good summer, doing all the things right.

Q. How often do you wear your (Super Bowl) ring?

A. Not very much. Ten, 15, 20 times a year. I wear my North Carolina ACC championship ring. It's much more comfortable, and I'm very proud of what we accomplished here with Bill Dooley and winning an ACC championship, and all of my players can see that ring on my hand.

North Carolina

COACH: John Bunting (13-24 at North Carolina, 3 years; 51-38-2 overall)

LAST SEASON: 2-10

RETURNING STARTERS:

8 offense, 7 defense.

SCHEDULE

Sept. 4 William & Mary

Sept. 11 at Virginia

Sept. 18 Georgia Tech

Sept. 25 Louisville

Oct. 2 at Florida State

Oct. 9 N.C. State

Oct. 16 at Utah

Oct. 30 Miami

Nov. 6 Virginia Tech

Nov. 13 at Wake Forest

Nov. 20 at Duke