Game Week Player Interviews: Austin Blaske & Khmori House

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — After what’s been a concerning opening third of their 2025 season, it was back to the normally scheduled programming on Tuesday for North Carolina football following the team’s first open week of the season. The Tar Heels have begun gearing up to welcome another struggling ACC team to Kenan Stadium on Saturday afternoon, when the Clemson Tigers make their first visit since 2019. Redshirt-senior offensive lineman Austin Blaske and redshirt-sophomore linebacker Khmori House spoke to the media ahead of Tuesday afternoon’s practice.

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Watch those complete interviews below and read some noteworthy excerpts…

Austin Blaske

“I’d say Moses and trainers did a good job getting me back to where I am right now. Those two weeks I was off, making sure I’m staying in shape. Staying in football shape, which is different than just running. I think they did a really good job of keeping me ready to go whenever my number was called…

“Yes and no (it was a reset week), right now we’re just taking it one week at a time, one game at a time, one practice at a time. But I think it did allow some guys to reset, and guys that have been hurt get healthy. So I would definitely say yes and no it was a reset week…

“I would just say it’s as simple as just getting to know the guy next to you. We’ve tried to start doing some O-line dinners and stuff to get to know everybody better and get to gel together. Because it is important on the field, but it’s also as important off the field, too, to know why a guy next to you is playing and have him know why you’re doing it, vice versa, just because it makes you play that much harder.”

Khmori House

“Just running to the ball, setting the edge, doing all the fundamentals. It’s no pinpoint of really anything. But we were just focused on just all the little things that each position group is taught. So I would say the D-line worked on their things, safeties worked on their fundamentals, and then linebackers, we worked on our own fundamentals. So everybody worked together, and we all gonna come together this Saturday…

“Just do our job. You know, if we do our job, take care of our fundamentals, do our job, everything’s gonna take take care of itself. If we just do our job and not too much worry about, like, who’s on the other side of the ball? It’s really more about us. I’m saying not too worried about Clemson, we’ve just got to take it personally, internally, and do our job…

“My relationship with Coach Collins is a great relationship. He coaches hard, he understands football. He played it for a long time in the league, so he understands the scheme and it’s a great relationship. He’s not gonna lie to me about anything. He’s gonna tell me the truth, and so it’s just an all around great relationship.”