UNC Football: QB Conner Harrell & PK Noah Burnette Post-Minnesota Press Conference

all right gang we got Noah brette on my side and Conor har Harold on the far side start with Connor real fast Connor What did Coach tell you uh when Max went down and and you were going to the game just play confidently I worked for it and um I know what to do uh I know the guys and guys have confidence in me so just go in there and play what is the challenge mentally when a guy goes down like that and look like a pretty bad injury but you have to clear that from your mind and be ready to go out there and and lead the team yeah obviously prayers and Ma doing well haven't talked to him yet but prayers to him I know he's he's super strong he'll get through it um but yeah just got to go out there and do what I know what I know to do and win the game for the guys you everybody's you know when that happens and me and so I I got to kind of muscle up and do what I got to do what did you what did you see on that play uh to JJ it was like that read option you kind of lofted it over what can you kind of break break down what you saw yes sir it was kind of a a Zone read fing block into a go R Corner came to tackle me and kind of saw a little late but got it up to him did you have any Jitters going into the game you know after Max went down and can you explain like that moment how you felt yeah I mean a little Jitters but I mean our defense was playing really well kicking game was awesome and I mean at the end of day I just had to had to go and play that pass just kind of to follow up were you planning to run and you just kind of look up and say oh wow you might open well I know it's there um I didn't know if it was if it was going to be there I know I have that the option like kind of last second and he he's supposed to shut him off at the last second so um I know I have the option I kind of was in running mode and then I was like I've kind of the last second what is the confidence that you have on that last possession knowing just don't turn it over and you can give it to him and he can kick you guys into a win yeah I mean that's huge um protecting the ball I I didn't do a great job the drive the drive before and you know that you want to our team in a bad situation so I know get as many yards we can but protect the ball um know a chance to to win the game did amarian recover that fumble did yes question for Noah the 52 y That's a career high for you what were you uh basically just hit my ball um a lot of people questioned uh sort of my distance my range um so it felt good to get that one under the belt um and just continue to work to just hit the same ball every time I go out there what's your confident range right now it's pretty high after that game um but I mean how how long can you hit one oh so in my range after that I say like 50 55 with a little bit of win in the back maybe 57 so no your leg's gotten stronger right Rec I mean the last couple years um career long tonight the I wouldn't say it's it's gotten stronger I'd say definitely started hitting the ball a lot better um which allows me to to truly maximize the distance that I have got when you go back when you go back to the close of the season two years ago and you struggled a little bit late to where you are now what has been the biggest difference psychologically for you to the point where you can make all these I think you made eight in a row in the 40 40 to 49 range yeah it's definitely just experience definitely getting those reps under my belt sort of pressure situations I don't let get to my head as much as I did that first year um just continue to build on the experience and just getting those ingame reps and being there for how's your how's your heart rate when you have those big kicks like that is it is it routine for you now or you still get kind of butterflies you can get some butterflies before you get out there but when you get set sort of everything goes away gets get quiet and it's just shooting the ball um and that's another thing just working on not letting your heartbeat get up too high um that's definitely something I've been working on and those first few field goals seem to just you know your composure weren really celebrating anything after but that final one saw you kind take off your helmet and really let the emotions out just what were you feeling after that um that was the result of just a bunch of couple Minnesota fans just saying some things on the sideline uh sort of reaction to that but also just the reaction to to getting into that position again and making it um I don't want people to just think that it was a fluke in the Duke game I wanted it to be something that people trust me to to go out there and make those KS con take us through the the the before the Minnesota dude kicks the ball at the end that could have been a game winner what you're feeling what you're watching if you're watching and then what happens after that when he misses it just take us through that whole scene pre post what's going on oh man I'm just just praying the whole drive you know at that point looking at the clock you're seeing if there's going to be time for us to maybe go down and have another chance maybe help Mar or something so thinking preparing but also just praying and and you know hoping the defense makes a stop and hoping he misses the kick just giving all to God because they got far enough to where it was nothing we could do anymore it was not enough time so you just know leave all in God's hands and whatever happens happens did you in any way woring you guys had left too much time after you took the lead um a little bit but also you you want be you want to be looking Ser protect the ball but also you want to you know do what you can to to try to get the first down we were still trying to get the first down and might lost a little bit a little too much time but we were also trust our defense so the initial start kind of on the sideline how do you stay locking that moment and get prepared the worst out yeah I mean I feel like I still have a even not starting still have a big rolling team so you know Max come on the Seline and him he's asking me questions and kind of get feedback on what I think what I see and so just staying locked into the game you know being ready keep staying warm and and just the feel right now with it you guys fa a lot of adversity I mean you're coming you you got people left the program you know in the NFL you've also got you know an hour delay you're on the road and the rain and against a big 10 team what what's kind of your fulfillment at this point based on what you just went through I'm so happy we we we pulled out the win um it's going to be adversity having some flows as our chap says but you know we came out on top you know I'm so proud of our team proud of everybody we worked hard proud of our defense they put awesome game I'm just you know I'm proud ready to celebrate with the team Conor when when you go on the field and you've got you got a true freshman at left guard you got a guy at left tackle that's not really played much before a center never started before right tackle never started before but you have Old Reliable in Omarian H how valuable is it having a guy that the whole the slightest hole there he's going to get through it he's going to shake one or two people almost every time it's extremely valuable he had a great game um having him back there they they have so much to worry about he can do so much he can he can catch he can run break tackles I mean they have it's it's a hard trying to trying to stop Mar so it's great having him back there but also have you know faith in our own line I know we got some young guys but I know that you know they can get the job done I'm have Supreme confidence in them going going the future Conor uh you talked about obviously staying ready the process of doing that when did Matt kind of have that conversation with you and M as far as you know you and Max as far as who would go out there first and just what was that uh you know conversation like when was that when was that decided yeah uh I kind of like last week or week and a half ago had conversation with Coach with Coach lindsy about you know matx going start the first game to be ready we don't know what could happen and um quarterback coach always says don't be a fort and Teller you know you don't know what's going to happen tomorrow just keep keep keep trucking keep pushing and just getting better just want to see if you had the chance to check your phone I saw that Drake May posted on X showing some love have you have you seen that uh I haven't really scrolled just texted the family and seeing how they're doing and that's about it all right he threw he threw in a goat said any surprise a shout out Drake no what were you hearing from the fans chiring around you uh just the typical kicker chirps about how you're not a football player all that stuff like that is what it is did it fuel you a little bit Yeah I try not to listen to it but they were they were getting my ear a little bit the there did you say anything back after that last one or just uh no comment you can comment it's we're all friends don't let you mean yes you know what did you did you say anything the first drive you guys got down to I think 31 and they decided to go for it on like fourth and three or something which 48 yard 49 yard field goal for you did you say anything like hey you know I can make that like after they decid to go for it I didn't get it I guess yeah with it being the the first drive I'm sure we were just trying to to get the moment FL so I completely understand it um Coach Brown makes those decisions and I trust his decision making and he put me out there for four more and that's all I can ask for and just for' seen the work that put in over the past few years from that NC State game to against Duke and now just what have you seen in terms of his work cons I mean it's it's great I've also uh like holding a little bit just with back up case um and I see how much the kickers work and how much they do it's awesome um also I'm not really sure but the struggles last year where is one of the best kickers in in in the nation last year too so I mean it's got amazing I know what was the discussion like at halftime where you know you taken a seven nothing in league but then you guys started backsliding a little bit on offense I mean wasn't going great uh what was just the discussion on offense about trying to get things in some sort of a rhythm and was anybody yelling in there I mean you know like was it a frustrating time I think it that's I'm I'm I'm so glad of how our guys handled it because everybody knew like we're going to go through adversity we we didn't we came into the game came to the season know there's going to be time where things aren't going to go our way and so there's no Y in in the locker room at half time there was nobody panicking all staying calm all just trying to figure out how to uh how to attack the next the next half I thought it was really good all right we good with these two one more quick for both of you guys what was that hour extra hour you know kind of like I know that's not a ton of time but how' you guys you know pass the time did you take an extra nap like what was the you know kind of the the one hour delay uh like you guys uh my my parents were up here and so I just got to talk to them for another 45 minutes so that was good yeah it was definitely a little frustrating but I mean that hour flew by it really it really felt like we didn't have a delay at all um so yeah just starting at 800 p.m. it might seem a little weird but we got adjusted to the new schedule so you had to change meal or anything back hour everything is back hour yeah nothing was food still hot was great all right thanks guys appreciate