Sam Howell threw for three touchdowns in the blowout win over Duke. The quarterback discusses the game, his running backs and line and the feeling of keeping the Victory Bell
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00:00Yeah, I mean, it feels good.
00:02I mean, we know how important this game is, and just how much it means to our fans and
00:07how much it means to people in this state.
00:09So that's something we definitely want to accomplish every year is keeping that bell
00:12on Chapel Hill.
00:13So I mean, I definitely feel good about the way we played today.
00:17Yeah, we're really lucky on I think that's one way where both those guys have really
00:21improved from last year's in the passing game.
00:23They've been really big, a really big part of our passing game this year.
00:27So that's something both of those guys put a lot of time into, and I feel really comfortable
00:30throwing to both of those guys.
00:31You know, a lot of times on third down, people just kind of drop and they're worried about
00:35our receivers and our backs are wide open underneath and then they have a lot of space
00:39with catch and run.
00:40So we're definitely blessed to have those guys as a part of our passing game.
00:43They've done a really good job with it this year.
00:45Yeah, I mean, pretty much the same as always.
00:49They were, like you said, they were stacking the box pretty early.
00:53So we had like some RPO type stuff on.
00:55So they weren't technically pass play calls, to answer your question.
00:59But yeah, I mean, they were just loading the box up, trying to take the runaway and just
01:02left some space for the receivers to make some plays.
01:07I'm 100% behind that movement.
01:10He definitely should be in the top for the Heisman Trophy.
01:13He's a tremendous player.
01:16He's played probably the best season running back has played this year so far.
01:19So we're definitely blessed to have Javante on this team.
01:21And yeah, I'm 100% behind the Javante for Heisman movement.
01:25I just think overall, I mean, every single aspect of his game, he's just gotten better.
01:31I mean, he just, I think he sees the game a little bit better.
01:35His vision's gotten better.
01:36I think he has a lot more balance than he does last year.
01:39He was still tracking guys and went through guys last year.
01:41But I think this year, he's really taking that to another level.
01:44And another way is in the passing game as well.
01:48He's been a really big factor there.
01:49So he's really, he really has done a really good job.
01:53He's turned to a complete back.
01:54And there's really no bad part of his game.
01:57He has it all, he can do it all.
02:00I would say the O-line, they were creating movement in the run game.
02:04And we were hitting on some fast plays.
02:06So just having that balance early on,
02:09it's how we were able to be so successful in that first quarter.
02:12The defense didn't really know what they really wanted to take away.
02:15And they didn't know what was coming every snap.
02:17So just having that balance and the way our O-line played,
02:20not only in the run game, but in the passing game as well.
02:22I think we had one sack a day, which was really on a run play,
02:25where it was an RPO type deal, that was 100% my fault.
02:28So we're really proud of the way the O-line played.
02:30And I think when the O-line plays like that, you see the results on the scoreboard.