What to know from UNC football's weekly press conference

Following the North Carolina football team's bye week, Coach Larry Fedora and redshirt seniors Marquise Williams and Jeff Schoettmer took to the podium inside Kenan Football Center on Monday to discuss the team's win against Georgia Tech, the bye week and UNC's upcoming game against Wake Forest. 

Here are some things to know from Monday's press conference. 

1. Looking back

If the Tar Heels take down the Demon Deacons on Saturday night, it will mark the first time North Carolina has started 2-0 in the ACC in 18 years. During the 1997 season, UNC started 5-0 in ACC play and went on to finish the season as a top-10 team nationally. 

But Fedora said those numbers simply don't matter. He said the 2015 team is not only different from the 1997 team, but it is different than any other team to ever play a season at North Carolina. To Fedora, looking into the past is counterproductive. 

"Everybody made a big deal about we hadn't won in Atlanta for 15 years," he said. "Well, so what? We don't talk about everything that's happened in the past. We talk about where we're going, what we need to do and how do we get to this point."

2. Maintaining a hot start

The Tar Heels have been riding high since their 38-31 win against Georgia Tech on Oct. 3. A few days after the comeback victory, ESPN's Football Power Index named UNC as the new favorite to win the ACC Coastal Division. 

But North Carolina has had trouble sustaining success before. A year ago, UNC followed up big wins over Virginia and Duke with embarrassing losses against Miami and N.C. State, respectively. How will the Tar Heels handle things differently in 2015? 

According to Schoettmer, learning from past mistakes will be the key to maintaining momentum.

"It's up to the leadership of this team to get us ready for a great week of practice," he said. "We're not worried about getting too high coming off a win. We're just excited for another ACC opportunity, especially coming back to the Tar Pit and playing in front of out home fans."

3. What to expect from the Demon Deacons

Wake Forest, who comes into Saturday's game ranked No. 15 nationally in total defense, presents a different challenge to North Carolina. 

While the Tar Heels have faced powerful offenses in Georgia Tech and Illinois, Fedora said the Demon Deacons are one of the most defensively physical teams UNC has faced in 2015.

To understand what North Carolina will be in for Saturday, fans just need to look at Wake Forest's past game — a 3-0 victory against Boston College. 

In that contest, the Demon Deacons held the Eagles to just 270 yards of total offense while forcing four turnovers. Through six games, Wake Forest has limited its opponents to an average of 296 offensive yards per game. The Tar Heels have averaged 471 yards per game so far this season, which ranks 23rd nationally. 

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