Tar Heels Looking for Second Straight Win Tomorrow

TAR HEELS SEEK SECOND STRAIGHT VICTORYAfter earning its first victory of the season last weekend against archrival NC State, North Carolina steps out of conference to face Utah of the Mountain West Conference on Saturday, October 1 at Kenan Stadium.
Kickoff is set for 1:35 p.m. The game will be televised locally only in Salt Lake City by KJZZ. Last season, Utah beat the Tar Heels, 46-16, behind a potent offense that gained 669 total yards, the most ever by a UNC opponent. This is the second game of a two-game series between the Utes and Tar Heels.
Carolina enters Saturday's contest after an emotional come-from-behind victory over NC State in Raleigh. Carolina rallied from 10 points down to win after trailing 24-14 in the third quarter. Matt Baker rebounded from a first half that saw him complete just one pass (a touchdown) to complete 12 of 14 in the second period for 174 yards and another touchdown. Tailback Barrington Edwards rushed for a career-high 129 yards and scored a touchdown, while Carolina's receivers atoned for mistakes from the previous two weeks to made several big plays.
The Tar Heels are seeking their first victory over a non-conference opponent since opening the 2004 season with a 49-28 victory over William & Mary. Utah (3-1) has won 19 of its last 20, including last Thursday night's 38-35 victory over Air Force. The only blemish was a 23-20 loss to TCU in overtime earlier this year.

LAST TIME: UTAH 46, UTAH 16 - OCTOBER 16, 2004SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Alex Smith threw four touchdown passes and ran for another score to help No. 11 Utah rout North Carolina 46-16 on October 16, 2004. Smith wound up 29-for-37 and 341 yards as Utah (6-0) won its third game en route to an undefeated season.

• Madison Hedgecock scored his first career touchdown on a 1-yard carry on the Tar Heels' opening drive. He later scored again in the second half on another 1-yard carry.
• North Carolina sustained several injuries in the first half. OG Kyle Ralph (sprained left ankle), TB Ronnie McGill (sprained left ankle), DE Melik Brown (concussion), TB Jacque Lewis (back contusion), TE Justin Phillips (sprained left ankle) and QB Darian Durant (right elbow sprain) did not return. DT Kyndraus Guy bruised his quad, but did return later in the second half.
• Carolina surrendered a school-record 669 total yards of offense to the Utes. The previous record was 657 by Arizona State in 2002. Carolina won that game, 33-31.

CAROLINA NOTEBOOK
DEFENSE RANKED 50th: After finishing 100th or worse in each of the last three seasons, North Carolina's defensive unit is ranked 50th in the country, allowing 349.7 yards per game. That average includes the 475 yards allowed in the opening game of the season to Georgia Tech. In week two, Carolina held Wisconsin to 304 yards, and last week, NC State was limited to just 270 total yards. Last year, Carolina allowed 669 total yards of offense to Utah, the most ever by an opponent.

After Carolina's first three games in 2004, including one against an NCAA Division I-AA team, UNC had surrendered 107 points and 1,384 yards. This season, against a schedule some college football analysts rank the most difficult in the nation, Carolina has allowed 65 points and 1,049 yards.

MORE "D": Carolina limited NC State to just 13 rushing yards in a 31-24 victory over the Wolfpack. That is the fewest rushing yards Carolina has allowed under John Bunting and the fewest since holding Wake Forest to -2 yards rushing in a 35-14 victory in 2000.
SACK ATTACK: Through the first three games of the year, Carolina has 10 sacks, an average of 3.3 per game. The Tar Heels are second in the league in sacks per game. All 10 sacks have come in the last two games. After failing to record a sack in the season opener against Georgia Tech, Carolina had four sacks against Wisconsin and six against NC State. Last year, Carolina had just 20 sacks all season.

BARRINGTON BREAKS OUT: Sophomore tailback Barrington Edwards rushed for a career-high 129 yards on 25 carries and scored one touchdown in Carolina's 31-24 victory over NC State. He became the first Tar Heel to rush for 100 yards in a game against NC State since Jonathan Linton had 177 yards in 1997 (also in Raleigh).

Against the ACC's second-ranked defense, Edwards got Carolina started early with a career-best 62-yard run on the second play of the game. That was the longest run by a Tar Heel since 2003. Trailing by 10 in the third quarter vs. NC State, Carolina marched 80 yards and scored on a 2-yard run by Edwards, the first touchdown of his career. Late in the game as the Tar Heels attempted to run time off the clock on their final drive of the game, Edwards had a 16-yard run on 3rd and 8 to pick up a first down. Edwards ranks sixth in the league in rushing, averaging 62.7 yards per game.

RUNNING GAME GETS ON TRACK: Carolina entered the NC State game with 118 rushing yards in its first two games, but finished with 144 against NC State, including 114 in the first half. Tailback Barrington Edwards had a 62-yard run on the second play of the game, which was one yard more than Carolina rushed for against Georgia Tech (61) for the game and five more than the Tar Heels rushed for against Wisconsin (57) for the game.

BAKER'S BIG HALF: QB Matt Baker had a spectacular second-half in Carolina's victory over NC State, completing 12 of 14 attempts for 174 yards and a touchdown. In the first half, he completed just 1 of 9 attempts for three yards. However, that pass was a 3-yard scoring strike to Jarwarski Pollock.

RICHARDSON, DAVIS LEAD DEFENSIVE EFFORT VS. NC STATE: Outside linebacker Tommy Richardson led Carolina's defensive effort vs. NC State with nine tackles, including seven solo stops and two assists, two tackles for losses, one sack and one fumble recovery. He had two tackles for losses of 13 yards and recorded his first career sack on a 12-yard loss that forced an NC State punt. After recovering an NC State fumble at the two-yard line, Carolina scored on the next possession.

Defensive end Tommy Davis had what coach John Bunting called "his best game ever at Carolina," in Carolina's 31-24 victory over the Wolfpack. Davis was credited with two sacks for 24 yards and three quarterback pressures. He had the highest grade of any Tar Heel defensive lineman in the victory. Davis' first sack came on NC State's first drive of the game and was an 18-yard loss on 3rd and 6. His second sack came in the third quarter on 3rd and 7, forcing another Wolfpack punt.

WINNING AT CARTER-FINLEY: North Carolina's victory over NC State was its fifth in the last six games played against the Wolfpack at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh dating back to 1993. The Tar Heels have beaten the Pack on its home turf in 1993, 1995, 1997, 2001 and 2005. In 1999, Carolina beat NC State in Charlotte and in 2003, the Pack beat the Tar Heels in Raleigh. Carolina now leads the series, 62-27-6. Bunting improved to 3-2 as head coach against NC State.

Source-TarHeelBlue

Lady Tar Heels-Soccer

The top-ranked University of North Carolina women's soccer team will play at home for the first time in 26 days Friday night when the Tar Heels play host to the Clemson Tigers at 7 p.m. at Fetzer Field. The match will be the first of two this weekend as the Tar Heels will travel to College Park, Md., Sunday for a game against the Maryland Terrapins. Sunday's match will start at 2 p.m. at Ludwig Field.

North Carolina will carry a 17-1 all-time series advantage into its match Friday against Clemson. The game will be the first at home this year for Carolina against an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent.

Coach Anson Dorrance's Tar Heel enter Friday's match with a record of 10-0 and 2-0 in the ACC. Carolina is a unanimous No. 1 this week as the NSCAA, Soccer America, Soccer Buzz and Soccer Times all have the Tar Heels in the top spot this week.

Clemson comes to Chapel Hill with a record of 5-3-2 overall and 0-1-1 in the ACC. The Tigers played two ACC home matches last weekend, tying Maryland 0-0 and losing to Boston College 2-1.

After meeting the Tigers on Friday, UNC will travel to Maryland on Saturday and then play the Terrapins on Sunday. UNC's all-time record against the Terps is 25-0-1 but both matches last year went to double overtime before Carolina was able to prevail.
The Terps have played one of the most difficult schedules in the nation with matches already against Connecticut, Notre Dame and Penn State. The Terps are 2-5-2 overall and 0-0-1 in the ACC after tying Clemson 0-0 in their conference opener last Friday. The Terps will be in action Friday night at home against another nationally-ranked team, Wake Forest.

Source-TarheelBlue

Jawad Williams Signs with Spurs

San Antonio, Texas -- The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have signed guards Kyle Bailey, Stephen Graham and forwards Sharrod Ford, Melvin Sanders and Jawad Williams. Per club policy terms of the deal were not disclosed
Williams was a member of the North Carolina Tar Heels 2005 National Championship team. He averaged 13.1 points and 4.0 rebounds in 37 games. Over the summer he appeared with Golden State Warriors in the Reebok Vegas Summer League where he averaged 6.2 points and 2.2 rebounds in five games.

Source-TarHeelBlue

Tar Heels Donate $70,000 to Local Charities

CHAPEL HILL -- The University of North Carolina men's basketball program has contributed approximately $70,000 to four local organizations - the Interfaith Council Homeless Shelter on Rosemary Street, the Ronald McDonald House, Carolina's Student Aid Fund and the Pediatric Oncology/Hematology Department at UNC Hospitals.
The money was raised through the sale of approximately 1,000 basketballs, autographed by the Tar Heel players and coaches during the 2004-05 national championship season.
"We are blessed to have a way to make an absolute and positive impact on the lives of people who truly need assistance," says Tar Heel head coach Roy Williams. "Donating the proceeds from the autographed basketballs allows our players to feel a special bond with the community. Our players are pleased to know they have a hand in helping others who need it most."
The basketball team selects the local charities on an annual basis. The money for the student aid fund goes to needy North Carolina residents who attend the University. The team has delivered food to and spent time with the Interfaith Council and Ronald McDonald House during the holidays in recent years.
"It's a great opportunity to give back to our communities," says David Noel, a senior from Durham. "There are a lot of special things I associate with being a Carolina basketball player, but the chance to actually help people in need is one of the ones I feel strongest about."
The student-athletes chose to share a portion of the proceeds with the Pediatric Oncology/Hematology Department at UNC Hospitals in part because 3-year-old Reece Holbrook is receiving treatment there. Reece is the son of Jennifer and Chad Holbrook, an administrative assistant to Coach Williams and assistant baseball coach at Carolina, respectively.
"Our guys have seen first-hand with Reece the great work being done at UNC Hospitals," says Williams. "He gives them inspiration and they wanted to say thank you to UNC Hospitals on his behalf."
During the season, the Tar Heel men's basketball team also purchased toys and other items for underprivileged children and gave a clinic for North Carolina Special Olympics.
Last year, the Tar Heels donated a total of $36,000 from the sale of autographed balls.

Source-TarHeelBlue

UNC Football Has Momentum

It's amazing how in about four hours a season's outlook can change in college football.

North Carolina's upset -- please note that UNC quarterback Matt Baker and wide receiver Mike Mason didn't dare want to call it an upset -- at

N.C. State now leaves these Tar Heels looking better and better.

Utah is next, and the Utes, still good but not as good as last year, are vulnerable on defense. Baker could have some big numbers against that secondary. Then there's Louisville, which some thought belonged close behind teams like USC and Texas. Truth is that the Cardinals couldn't win at South Florida, so if South Florida can beat the Cards, can the Heels do it too?

Why not?

Two obvious factors abruptly have changed the outlook of John Bunting's 2005 team -- the running game and the defense.

Baker, who has completed 47 of 99 passes for 738 yards with four touchdowns and five interceptions, was good out of the gate in that six-point loss at Georgia Tech. He wasn't bad against Wisconsin, either, and those eight dropped passes in the first two games weren't his fault.

Baker's arm gives these Heels a chance in games that some figured they had no chance to win.

"We all know Baker can do a lot of good things, but it's hard for him to do anything on his back," Bunting said. "He can make things happen when we get him to hook up with the wide receivers."

Between games with Wisconsin and N.C. State, the challenge Bunting gave his offense was obvious -- block better, run better, catch better and the result could be better. And it was. UNC didn't just get a big win over an arch rival, it might have earned the kind of win that can turn a season into something special.

Naturally, it's speculation. One nice win doesn't mean an ACC championship or a bowl invititaion, but it can ignite something.

If these Heels can run the ball against future foes the way they did at N.C. State, against that highly publicized and highly respected defense, good things could happen for Bunting. Give Baker, a quality quarterback who has shown lots of poise and no panic in three career starts, a decent rushing attack and you've got a balanced offense that can control the clock.

And Connor Barth isn't likely to miss a couple of field goals -- such as he did Saturday -- in another game, either.

Defensively, here's what is most impressive about a segment of Bunting's team that many figured would doom the season: In its first two games, the Tar Heels allowed 14 fourth-quarter points. They gave up none in the fourth quarter to the Wolfpack, and while people like to point to certain factors that were instrumental in a victory, try this one -- UNC had the ball for 34:22 to N.C. State's 25:38.

Do that to future foes, and these Heels will win more games.

Most every UNC football observer felt the Tar Heels would be 0-3. Now some have done an about-face and are claiming UNC could be 3-0. And it's true.

Assuming Bunting's offensive line protects Baker, the receivers limit dropped passes and the running game provides similar success it enjoyed vs. N.C. State, these Tar Heels will be difficult to beat.

What Bunting's program has shown in three weeks is toughness, particularly late in games. Bunting's defense played very well against a Wisconsin team that is 4-0 and even better against N.C. State. That six-sack total really was impressive by the Tar Heels.

Last season, the Tar Heels went 4-2 at home, and wins over Miami and N.C. State were pivotal in their getting to a bowl game. This year's team gets Utah, Virginia, Boston College, Maryland and Duke in Chapel Hill.

After Saturday's result, who's to say UNC won't win those games?

Source-HeraldSun

Tar Heel Recruiting-Darrell Arthur & Alex Stephenson

Dallas (Texas) five-star power forward Darrell Arthur's recruiting process continues with an official visit to Chapel Hill this weekend. "Everything is going well," said Arthur's South Oak Cliff high school coach James Mays. "He is coming to North Carolina this weekend. Things have been going very smooth with the home visits." Read about it and see video of Arthur in action inside.



Studio City (Calif.) Harvard-Westlake power forward Alex Stepheson and his mother, Diane, toured the UConn campus this weekend and the California big man had a chance to play in a few pick-up games with the Huskies. Stepheson has already visited UConn, Georgia Tech and North Carolina. He is also expected to visit UCLA and Washington in the coming weeks. Read more inside about Stepheson's trip to UConn this past weekend.

Source-CarolinaBlue

Deon Thompson emerged onto the scene as this past summer's highest riser on Rivals Rankings. His progress was so impressive that he merited a scholarship offer from the defending national champions – North Carolina. The 6-foot-8, 250-pound post player from Torrance (Calif.) will be in Chapel Hill this weekend on an official visit.

Source-CarolinaBlue.com

From National Champ to ACC Player of the Week

What a week a win makes. Two weeks ago people were asking questions about the Tar Heel running game and today they are giving a key part of it an award.

North Carolina Barrington Edwards was named the the ACC offensive back of the week Monday after he rushed for 129 yards on 25 carries and scored one touchdown in the Tar Heels' 31-24 victory over NC State on Saturday. Against the ACC's second-ranked defense, Edwards got North Carolina started early with a career-best 62-yard run on the second play of the game. With North Carolina trailing by 10 in the third quarter, the sophomore from Bowie, Md., capped an 80-yard Tar Heel drive with a two-yard touchdown run.Edwards was quick to give praise to the offensive line, wide receivers and other backs for the strong blocking against State."They made me me today," Edwards said after the game.

Source-Carolinablue.com

Tar Heel Football-The Aftermath

The Tar Heels came into Saturday’s game as a double-digit underdog on the road against an angry NC State Wolfpack lusting for revenge for last year’s dramatic loss. Not many prognosticators gave the Tar Heels much chance to keep it close. But they did better than that. They won.

“We felt it was time for us to win,” senior defensive end Tommy Davis said following the game. “We knew we were close the past two weeks. We knew we were close and we just had to finish. Today we finished.”

Defense
There is no shortage of illustrations of how far off the mark pregame analysis can be. Seldom, however, are the experts proven as wrong they were on Saturday. The conventional wisdom going into Saturday’s game was that NC State’s herd of talented running backs would run wild over UNC’s run defense.

At the end of the day, the Wolfpack had netted only 13 yards rushing. That is not a typo. On 28 carries, N.C. State’s hyped collection of five running backs managed 13 yards.

Of course, that’s net yards. The Pack actually rushed for 91 yards. Once you factor in the negative 74 yards lost as a result of the six sacks notched by the Tar Heels, and a tackle for loss for 4 yards, you reach the bottom line of 13 net yards. Yes, you read that line correctly. Six sacks. The Tar Heels, through three games, already have half of the sack total they recorded in all twelve games in 2004.

It is hard to say which is the most impressive, the run defense or the six sacks, but they both lead to the same place – the defensive line. Some of the sacks did come as a result of excellent coverage in the secondary. On at least a couple of occasions, NCSU’s quarterback, Jay Davis, had the time to throw the ball; he just didn’t have an open receiver to throw it to. On occasion, a blitzing linebacker brought down Davis.

But the Tar Heel defensive line had the NC State offensive line visibly jumpy. You could actually see the Pack offensive line panic at times. The Tar Heels continue to liberally substitute players on the defensive front with no visible drop off in play. This is the type of defensive line the Tar Heels, and their fans, have been longing for since 2001.

It is often easy to point to a single player and acknowledge their accomplishments. If pressed to make that call, I’d have to name senior Tommy Davis. Not only his two sacks and determined play all afternoon deserve mention, but Davis’ leadership is noticeable on the field.
But while there are players who may emerge as All-ACC players during their careers, this Tar Heel defense is mostly made up of solid, determined players who are well-coached and disciplined. The “No Name” Tar Heel defense held the Pack to 270 yards of total offense.
Through three games, it is too soon to tell if this UNC football team has turned the corner, but it is pretty clear the UNC defense has. They are physical, aggressive, and play hard every down. Against three teams considered to be quality offensive football teams, the UNC defense has played solid defense every game thus far.

Against the Wolfpack, make that “outstanding” defense.

Offense

As for UNC’s running game versus NC State, none of the prognosticators got that one right either. The Tar Heels had been ineffective running the ball in their two prior games, and against NCSU’s vaunted defense, it was easy to predict that North Carolina would be stopped cold on the ground.

That didn’t happen. North Carolina didn’t dominate in the running game, but they got more out of their running game than anyone expected, and it kept them in the game during the first half. Barrington Edwards, James “Cooter” Arnold and Justin Warren gave North Carolina enough on the ground, 144 yards net, to prevent the offense from being one dimensional.

As Matt Baker acknowledged after the game, the offensive line seemed to fare better in run-blocking than pass protection in the first half. In the second half, offensive coordinator Gary Tranquill took a page out of Mark Trestman’s book, his opposite number on the Pack team who favor’s the West Coast offense. Tranquill called some quick pass plays that hit receivers in stride and allowed them to make yards after the catch. That strategy seemed to put Baker into a rhythm, something that had been a missing ingredient in previous games.

The receivers had some drops in the first half, but also seemed to take to the short passing game in the second half. Mike Mason, Jarwarski Pollock, and Jesse Holley all had impressive runs after catching the ball in stride.

More impressive than all of the above was the poise the offense demonstrated after going down 24-14 early in the second half. There was no panic, and every reason to expect that they might. The crowd was into the game, the Pack had the momentum, and it looked as though the double-digit NC State win prediction might hold up. The Tar Heels seized the momentum back and never relinquished it on their way to the win.

A lot of that credit has to go to Matt Baker himself. He never seems to get down, no matter how often he goes down, which again on Saturday, was a lot. He had to know that he had a great big target on his back; part of the Wolfpack strategy going in had to be to try and make UNC play with their No. 2 quarterback.
Through three games, this UNC offense has not played as well offensively as they will likely play at some point this season. Saturday had to be a big confidence boost for Baker and his offensive team mates. The running backs took a step forward, as well as the receivers.
Special Teams
Last week I described this area as a “mixed bag,” and it is more of the same this week. Snapping the ball over the head of the punter and missing two field goals are concerns, but those things, inexplicably, happen. Kickoff coverage teams continue to be a concern and seem to be more of an ongoing problem. The Tar Heels are yielding far too much yardage in that area of special teams.
"We did not play very well on special teams, and if you look at it, it could have cost us the football game,'' head coach John Bunting said. “We've got to really work at that this week. "Kickoff coverage is like defending the run; you've got to fit the play. We did not have proper fits. When we discussed it on the sideline, we were told one thing, and when we watched it on the tape, it was something else."
Brandon Tate continues to impress as a returner. Sort of makes you wonder what he will be like as a receiver, doesn’t it? End around, anyone?
The partially blocked punt and resulting touchdown, however, gets very close to redeeming the special teams for this week. That play was huge, and gave UNC the life it needed to make the win possible.
Bottom Line
With the defense playing the way they have through three games, how successful this season ultimately becomes is going to largely be a function of how much, and how soon, the Tar Heel offense begins to click.

If that happens, Carolina may make the experts look worse than they did on Saturday.

Source-InsideCarolina

North Carolina Tar Heels Host UNCG-Men's Soccer

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Off to its best start since 1991, the second-ranked North Carolina (6-0-1) men's soccer team aims for its third straight win over a nationally-ranked opponent when it hosts No. 22 UNC Greensboro (5-2-0) Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Fetzer Field. The unbeaten Tar Heels are coming off wins over No. 22 Old Dominion and No. 17 Clemson.

Carolina hopes to rebound from last season's 1-0 loss to the Spartans, who were ranked No. 2 at the time of the teams' last meeting. The Tar Heels own a 7-3-1 lead in the all-time series and have won two of the last three with the Spartans.

This season, UNC has six wins in its first seven outings, including two victories over teams that beat them in 2004 - VCU and ODU. Freshman midfielder Scott Campbell, who netted the game-winner against Clemson, leads the team with nine points on three goals and three assists. Junior forward Corey Ashe leads the squad with four goals.

The stout Carolina defense has allowed just three goals and has posted five shutouts in seven games. Senior goalkeeper Ford Williams owns a 0.42 goals against average and has made six saves in each of the last two wins.

UNC Greensboro has won three straight after a 2-0 loss at No. 3 UConn Sept. 11. Last time out the Spartans toppled William & Mary, 4-3, Sept. 24. Junior forward Randi Patterson leads the team with 18 points on eight goals and two assists, while junior midfielder Scott Jones has a team-high six assists.

Senior goalkeeper Jay Benfield has gone the distance in goal this season and sports a 1.25 GAA. The Spartans have outscored their opponents, 17-9, this season.

Following Tuesday's meeting with the Spartans, Carolina's tough stretch continues when it travels to Virginia for a 7 p.m. meeting Saturday.

Parker has found his niche in NFL

PITTSBURGH -- Where'd all of this come from? All of a sudden, Willie Parker is a rising star in the NFL, the starting running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the league's second-leading rusher after the first two weeks of the season.

Yes, that Willie Parker. The same player who could barely get on the field for North Carolina, the same guy who rushed for just 1,172 yards during a UNC career that ended in 2003.

So how come the flashy runner who has blazed through the NFL for 272 rushing yards this season wasn't a star at Carolina?

"You've got to be more than fast," said UNC coach John Bunting, who played linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles after starring at Carolina and later served as an assistant coach for several years in the league.

According to Bunting, Parker was the wrong fit for the Tar Heels at the wrong time.

Kansas City Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil "called me on the phone and asked, 'Didn't that guy play for you?' " Bunting said. "I said, 'Yes,' but he didn't play as much as he could have if the situation had been different. If you think back to where we were in 2002-2003, we had the worst defense in the country and we needed a running back who could catch, block and run all the routes.

"We're extremely proud [of Parker]. And I hope that we had a small piece of giving him some incentive or motivation of what's it's going to be like on that level."

But Parker said he didn't play much because of a personality conflict with Bunting and the coaching staff, leading several Steelers veterans to strongly question Bunting's ability to evaluate talent.

Parker, 5 feet 10 and 209 pounds, said playing so little inspired him once he reached the Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2004.

"What changed? I'm the same guy I was in college. It was always there. Always," Parker said. "I don't want to just sit here and bang on him [Bunting], but dude and me just didn't see eye to eye."

Parker's father, Willie Sr., said his son "got a raw deal" but added, "I can't blame anyone. It could have been his fault -- I don't know. But we knew if he just got a chance, he would succeed. It just took him to get to the NFL to get a chance. That's saying something."

Some of Parker's current teammates in Pittsburgh are pretty sure who was to blame.

"Tell [UNC athletics director Dick Baddour] to fire that coach," linebacker Larry Foote said. "He needs to be ashamed of himself. He doesn't know what he missed. He could could have created an all-time ACC leading rusher. They could have won national championships -- or at least the ACC -- with [Parker] running the ball.

"They need to really evaluate [Bunting] and take a good look at what he's doing to that program. It's obvious that he hurt [UNC] by sitting that boy on the bench. He doesn't know talent and eventually, that's got to show up in recruiting."

Pittsburgh running backs Jerome Bettis and Duce Staley said they could see Parker's potential when he joined the team.

"When I first saw him, I would have never thought he didn't play much in college," Bettis said. "He could run, catch, block -- all that. He needed coaching on this level to be an NFL player, but he had all of that when I first saw him."

Bunting said he's pleased Parker has succeeded.

"This guy is a great kid and he's worked extremely hard to live out his dream," Bunting said. "I think that there are things that he lacked that he has [now] because he's worked so doggone hard."

But Steelers assistant head coach Russ Grim said Parker didn't have that much to work on when he arrived with the Steelers.

"I didn't even know who Willie Parker was," Grimm said of when he first saw the running back in 2004. "But I don't think they played him enough to call him one-dimensional. He had a lot of tools coming in."

Parker has taken advantage of injuries to Staley (knee injury) and Bettis (calf) to become one of the major surprises of the early NFL season. Coach Bill Cowher has indicated Parker will remain the starter even when the other backs are available.

Parker, who starred at Clinton High School before going to UNC, and the Steelers take a 2-0 record into today's game with the New England Patriots, a rematch of last season's AFC title game.

While he is still disappointed with the way his UNC career turned out, Parker said if he had to do it all over again, he would be a Tar Heel.

"I mean, besides football, I met a lot of great people there. I loved my time there," Parker said. "It's just too bad for everybody that I couldn't show what I can do on the field. It all worked out.

"Now, I'm happy playing football for the first time since high school."

Source-News and Observer

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Tar Heel Defense Stands Strong

No longer is there cause for alarm at North Carolina when the defense takes the field.

The last two games have produced consecutive strong efforts, showing a significant improvement in performance over the last three seasons when UNC was one of the worst defensive teams in college football.

Saturday's play helped deliver a 31-24 win against N.C. State, when the Wolfpack was shut out for the final 25:39 and allowed across midfield only twice during that time.

After the first three games last season, UNC had surrendered 107 points and 1,384 yards. This season the totals are 65 points and 1,049 yards against a schedule that some college football analysts consider the toughest in the nation.

Coach John Bunting said that much more progress remains.

"I expect us to get better," Bunting said. "I don't expect us to go backward at all."

The defense will need another strong performance on Saturday against Utah at Kenan Stadium. Utah is missing Alex Smith, a quarterback who was the No. 1 pick in last spring's NFL Draft, but it can still pack a hard wallop. A year ago, in Salt Lake City, Utah hastened the process of UNC building its defense. Smith's dart-like passes led Utah to a 46-16 victory. Utah amassed 669 yards, the most UNC has allowed in a game.

"I just feel like that game represented the worst of the worst when it comes to doing your assignment, playing hard every single play, no matter what the score is and being mentally and physically tough to play the game," Bunting said.

Two important defensive changes have come on the coaching staff. Marvin Sanders is in his second season as the coordinator and the players have a clearer understanding of his scheme. Kenny Browning moved to coach the defensive tackles after coaching the tight ends. Browning's move allowed Brad Lawing to work exclusively with the ends after coaching the entire defensive line last season.

N.C. State was held to 13 yards rushing, the fewest UNC has allowed since 2000. Quarterback Jay Davis was sacked six times for losses totaling 50 yards. N.C. State was held to 186 yards below its average, 456 yards, which had led the ACC.

Bunting said that the defensive front has more talented players now than in previous seasons and that three years of solid recruiting are delivering results.

"We have a good rotation going now," Bunting said. "They're fresh when they're out there. They're playing about 30 or 35 snaps, and they're significant because they're good players. So that's really helping us a lot. We're fresh when we got out on the field."

The proper positions were found for linebackers Larry Edwards and Tommy Richardson. They switched positions, with Edwards moving to strong-side linebacker and Richardson going to the weak side. Depth has improved at linebacker also and allowed UNC to weather, at least for one game, the loss of Doug Justice, the middle linebacker. Victor Worsley took Justice's place at N.C. State and had seven tackles.

Bunting expects Utah to run a spread offense, and he said that UNC will probably remove one linebacker and insert an extra defensive back for pass coverage.

Richardson said that the UNC defensive players felt slighted, given the attention that N.C. State's defense has received, and used the perceived snub for motivation.

"It's just perseverance, man," Richardson said. "We just kept fighting in the offseason and we kept fighting in the spring. We kept fighting in the last half of last year. We're just trying to get better.

"We know we still have so many holes in our defense that we've got to take care of, as far as tackling and being where we need to be, but we're on the right path."

Source-JournalNow

Tar Heels North Carolina Tar Heels North Carolina Tar Heels North Carolina Tar Heels North Carolina Tar Heels North Carolina Tar Heels North Carolina

Tar Heels Beat Pack

RALEIGH -- North Carolina found its offense in the second half of a 31-24 victory over arch-rival N.C. State on Saturday at the Wolfpack's Carter-Finley Stadium.

The Tar Heels fell behind 24-14 early in the second half when N.C. State struck quick to score back-to-back touchdowns, but then Carolina quarterback Matt Baker and the offense began moving the ball and didn't stop until UNC walked off the field with an improbable victory.
"It's a great to come out and have your first victory as a starter against N.C. State," Baker said. "It's so much sweeter for the team. This offense has been so close, but close doesn't count in football.

"We came out against our biggest rival, in a hole, 0-2 and came out with a victory. That is big for this team."

Baker finished the day 13-of-23 for 177 yards, two touchdowns and one interception as the Tar Heels improved to 1-2 overall, 1-1 in the ACC.

The Wolfpack fell to 1-2, 0-2 in the conference.

When N.C. State took control with those two touchdowns to start the second half, it looked as if UNC might be done, particularly considering how ineffectively the Tar Heels had played on offense this season.

But neither the offense nor the defense panicked. The offense instead played in a way that it had not in the two previous games.

"We knew there would be a tremendous amount of emotion and a tremendous amount crowd noise so he had to manage it," Coach John Bunting said of Baker. "At this level, he's learning how to manage that. He handled that emotion, being behind by 10 points, and managed to come back and keep playing."

The players said that Baker took charge when they needed him.

"Baker is very, very calm," UNC center Steven Bell said. "He has a calm-but-firm demeanor. It really makes him a great leader. When he comes in there, no one gets too anxious. There is not a lot of anxiety."
The anxiety belonged to the Wolfpack and its supporters after the game. Fans booed the coaching staff at times and the referees as they walked off the field. Some fans also yelled at Coach Chuck Amato, questioning his job status.

"I take full responsibility for the game," Amato said afterward. "I'll get this stuff taken care of. The kids wanted this one really bad for the Wolfpack nation in this 150th meeting of these two rivals, in this stadium, and they wanted to do better for people.

"I'm embarrassed for our fans. This team is too good to stay down too long, though."
UNC's defense turned in its second consecutive strong performance. The Wolfpack had 13 net yards rushing on 28 attempts, which is the lowest production from a Carolina opponent since Wake Forest gained negative-2 yards rushing in 2000.

Sacks count against rushing yards, and UNC's six sacks of N.C. State quarterback Jay Davis accounted for 50 yards in losses.

"We couldn't run the football today," Amato said. "The number of sacks really set us back."
This was a new experience for the Tar Heels, who have struggled to get pressure on the quarterback since 2001.

"That was really an incredible effort by the guys up front," Bunting said. "Our defensive line is the best they've been since 2001. If we get them to play that way game in and game out, they will be great."

But this one would not have turned out as a Carolina victory had the offense not found itself. The Tar Heels struggled mightily against Wisconsin last week, but they exploded in the second half against State.

That burst also fueled the defense.

UNC finished with 321 yards of total offense against an N.C. State team known for having one of the best defenses in the country.

"It was the way it was supposed to be," Bell said. "We got it going. The defense has kept us in it and played their hearts out. We had to go out there and grind it out."
The Tar Heels did just that, scoring two touchdowns, on sustained drives of 80 and 82 yards, to answer the Wolfpack. This scoring burst allowed Carolina to seize control of the game in front a hostile crowd.

"That was a big help," UNC linebacker Tommy Richardson said of the two Carolina touchdowns. "We had been out there for a long time (on defense). It was outstanding for the offense to go down and score the way they did, so decisively.

"It gave the defense a chance to get revamped. It was great to see Matt Baker lead the team."

Source-TarHeelDaily

Tar Heels Tar Heels Tar Heels Tar Heels North Carolina North Carolina North Carolina

Tar Heels Stuck it to State

RALEIGH, N.C. – North Carolina got just what it needed to recharge its season on Saturday by smacking N.C. State, 31-24, in front of 57,100 howling, hostile and predominantly red-clad fans. In the meantime, the “perpetually up and coming” Wolfpack football program will have to wait yet another year to try and overtake its arch-rival.

All in one afternoon, the Tar Heels’ running game blossomed out of the depths of figurative desert dirt and its defense came of age demonstrating its best run-stoppage performance in half a decade.

“I knew that we would bounce back and that this group would keep on fighting,” John Bunting said. “We are doing a lot of the right things on both sides of the ball.”
Led by Barrington Edwards’ collegiate career-high of 129 yards, the Tar Heels rushing attack cracked its rusty cage and struck early and often for a cumulative 144 yards total on the day – easily eclipsing its previous total of 118 combined its first two games.
“He’s got a lot of skill running the football,” Bunting said of Edwards. “We just have to find ways to get him the football.”

With the win, UNC improved to 1-2 overall and 1-1 in the ACC. And once again, the man with the toughest chin among NCAA Division I coaches, Bunting picked his team and himself up off of the proverbial mat to engineer yet another improbable victory seemingly against all odds.
“I take full responsibility for this game,” N.C. State coach Chuck Amato said. “I’m embarrassed for our fans. This team is too good to stay down too long though.”
For N.C. State (1-2, 0-2), which entered the game with a 158.0 rushing yards per game average…well, the Carolina defensive front held Toney Baker, Derrell Blackmon and Co. to a meager 13 yards on the ground.

Not since yielding minus-two yards to Wake Forest in 2000 has the UNC run defense been so dominant.

And, the Carolina defense added six sacks to boot.

“We have experience and we have depth now,” said senior Tommy Davis. “We can roll our front four like any other team. We have a fresh set of guys in there every time. We have linebackers with experience, and we have corners who know their jobs.”

“That was really an incredible effort by the guys up front,” Bunting added. “Our defensive front is the best they’ve been since 2001, if we get them to play that way game in game out they will be great.”

But while the Tar Heels were able to establish the run early, as well as benefit from an 11-yard Quinton Person punt return for a touchdown to give them an early 7-0 lead, it was Matt Baker who rebounded from a shaky 1-of-8 passing performance in the first half to take over the game down the stretch.

The fifth-year senior connected on all but three pass attempts the rest of the way, and while battling back from a 10-point deficit in the third quarter. Baker finished with 177 yards and two touchdowns, including a 10-yard scoring connection to tight end Jon Hamlett as the Tar Heels retook the lead for good at 28-24.

“Baker can make things happen for us when we get him to hook up with the wide receivers,” Bunting said. “The receivers did a good job catching the ball and making big plays for us today to keep us moving the football.”
Receivers’ Jarwarski Pollock (five catches, 44 yards, TD), Mike Mason (3-61), Jesse Holley (1-16), Derrele Mitchell (1-13) and Hamlett (1-10, TD) all got into the action.
By the time the clock turned to the fourth quarter and the overcast skies continued to reverberate the audible sounds of a disgruntled spectator contingent, Carolina had complete control of the game.

Connor Barth, who missed from 38 and 41 yards earlier, hammered in one nail in State’s coffin with a 24-yard field goal gave UNC its final margin of victory with 5:53 showing on the game clock.

The Wolfpack managed two more possessions, but was reduced to one big Jay Davis desperation heave to try and force overtime. A sack by Larry Edwards and a forced hurry by Tommy Davis were instrumental in two more fourth quarter stops by the Carolina defense.
State jumped on the Tar Heels with lightning quickness to start the second half, buoyed by a 64-yard kickoff return by Blackman that led to a 2-yard touchdown run by Baker and a 39-yard scoring strike from Davis to tight end T.J. Williams minutes later. All of a sudden the Wolfpack had its first lead of the game and then some up 24-14 with 10:09 left in the third quarter.
Davis, who was far more effective in the first half than in the second, finished with 257 yards passing and a touchdown.

Source-InsideCarolina

North Carolina Tar Heels Tar Heels Heels Tarheels Tar heels North Carolina Tar heels

Tar Heel-Damion Grant's Career Over

Damion Grant, a 6-11, 260-pound center, will no longer be able to play basketball due to a right ankle injury he suffered in the summer, University of North Carolina head coach Roy Williams announced today.

He played in both of Carolina's exhibition games in the Bahamas in early September.
"Damion gave it a shot, but it was clear to him after three days of practice and two games that playing this season would be a real struggle," says basketball athletic trainer Marc Davis.
Grant, a senior from Portland, Jamaica, has battled injuries throughout his three-plus years at UNC. He played in 28 games -- 19 as a freshman in 2002-03, three as a sophomore in 2003-04 and six as a junior in 2004-05. He compiled 30 points, 28 rebounds and 15 blocked shots as a freshman, and added seven rebounds in action limited by injuries over the last two seasons.
He injured his thumb and knee as a sophomore and was unable to play in the second semester last year due to a stress fracture in his foot.

"I'm disappointed by the situation," says Grant. "I would've liked the opportunity to help my team this year, but it wasn't meant to be. I'll focus on graduating in May and try to get into law school. I'll stay involved with the program this year and help out in any way I can. Despite all of my injuries, I have no regrets being at Carolina. It's a great academic institution and a great basketball program. I want to thank the coaches, my teammates and my girlfriend, Amber Campbell, and her family for their continued support."

"I hate it for Damion because he was prepared to play this year and had an opportunity to help us," says Williams. "He never really got a chance to show me what he could do because he was never close to 100 percent healthy in the last two years. When he was on the court, he competed hard against Sean (May), Marvin (Williams) and the other big guys in practice. He's a bright young man who will do well in life after college even without basketball.


"From a basketball perspective, it certainly has an impact on our frontcourt depth. We didn't have much to start with and now we are losing our biggest low-post player."

Source-UNC Athletic Communications

Tar Heels vs NC State Football

Look at this week's Carolina-State game on paper, and the match-up may not be worth the tree that died to create the document.

UNC's offense, well, let's put it like this: So far it's a misnomer to call it an offense when Carolina has had the ball. It's been more of an unrelated series of plays with inconsistent results.
"The sum of the parts has not been what we expected," UNC coach John Bunting said.
Defensively, however, you've got to give it to the Tar Heels. Against Wisconsin, they played their finest game since a kid named Julius Peppers sacked quarterbacks from the defensive end position. Cornerback Cedrick Holt took the MVP honors for the defense, but there were plenty of other strong performances as well.

"(Linebacker) Larry Edwards had his best football game he's ever had the other day," Bunting said. "(Defensive lineman) Shelton Bynum played a good ball game. (Defensive end) Brian Rackley played a really good ball game. (Defensive tackle) Chase Page played his second consecutive good ball game.

"That's why we played better on defense. We had a number of players playing near the top of their potential."

But against an N.C. State defense that is being touted as just this side of the old Steel Curtain, how can UNC have a snowball's chance on a Carolina September afternoon? It's unlikely the Tar Heels can shut out the Wolfpack.

Nevertheless, the Tar Heels can and do have a shot, and the reason is the eternal X-factor when these two teams play. Many of the players on both teams are from the state of North Carolina and they do not fear one another. This isn't Florida State, Miami or even Virginia Tech. This is the guy from down the street, and if there is anyone none of us want to lose to, it's our buddies or the guy next door.

It's just too hard to live with the results.

So the Carolina-State game annually reveals the results that a week of heightened concentration and all the effort a team can muster on a Saturday afternoon can yield. Most of them wind up being thrilling, close and memorable games.

"It's what everybody looks for," N.C. State coach Chuck Amato said. "It means so much to everybody, and it's just gotten bigger and bigger and bigger as the universities get bigger and bigger."

The game lends itself to discussion year-round. Last year's controversial ending, when the Wolfpack appeared to score the winning touchdown only to have a referee rule the ball down on the one-inch line, fueled 12 months of arguments.

There is no telling what will happen on Saturday at Carter-Finely when these two kick off around noon. Whatever happens, it will almost certainly generate arguments and disagreements between fans across the state for weeks and months to come.

"We are going to prepare like we normally prepare for a game, but it's just that it's a little extra special come game day," Bunting said. "Carolina has a number of rival games, but this one is special, and in my mind it has always been, back to the days when I played here.
"It's great for our fans. It's great for their fans. It's something to talk about all during the off-season, all during the winter and in the weeks coming up. Here it is. I'm sure it's going to be packed house from the get-go. It's going to be loud. It's going to be a tremendous environment to play a football game."

It's going to be Carolina-State, and it will almost certainly be worth the wait since they did it the last time, particularly when you toss in the Tar Heels' desperation to win after losing the opening two games.

"To say we're starving for a win is an understatement," Bunting said.

Source-TarHeelDaily

Tar Heels Football-Big Time at Night Time

The UNC football team played like a house afire in night games at Kenan Stadium last fall, defeating Georgia Tech, N.C. State and Miami. When the Tar Heels meet Wisconsin this Saturday at 7 PM, however, head coach John Bunting will not be as concerned about the time of day as he is about how well his team applies the lessons learned this past weekend against Georgia Tech...

College students come to school to learn, and for the kids who wear Carolina football uniforms, those lessons extend into Saturday evenings.

Coach John Bunting said that he hopes his team took notes on what they did well and what they did wrong in a 27-21 loss to Georgia Tech on Saturday in Atlanta. Despite many ominous predictions in the preseason, the Tar Heels had a legitimate shot to win the game.

"I told them prior to the game, we've got to learn from this game, and hopefully we did because there were so many opportunities to win," Bunting said. "That's the next step for this football team. We're good enough to win. So we've got to learn how to win again in situations like that. As I said after the game, when you've got one, two or three situations where you can win, you need to win them to have a successful season.

"If you don't, you won't. There are just countless details — speed of the game and decision making type things — and sometimes it just wasn't being in position."

The position this coming Saturday for the Tar Heels will be against Wisconsin in a night game at Kenan Stadium, the first of this season. UNC (0-1) excelled at the late kickoffs a year ago, defeating Georgia Tech, N.C. State and Miami.

The crowd seems to get particularly rowdy and excited, and the players in turn respond.

"We look for a lot of excitement up under the lights and big crowds," said wide receiver Derrele Mitchell, who turned a short catch into an 87-yard touchdown run against the Yellow Jackets this past week. "That's about it as far as it being a night game. There's really no difference from a night game and a day game, except being up under the lights.

"Last year our crowd would be with us whether it was a day or a night game. But usually our students would be louder at night. It's just a better type of atmosphere at a night game."

Overall, the Carolina receivers did not have a great day last week against Tech. The Tar Heels dropped too many passes and also did not finish their blocks, according to Bunting.

Mitchell said he thinks the receivers will rally against Wisconsin (2-0).

"They play man a lot, with our size, our speed and our quickness," Mitchell said, "it will be a lot of one-on-one. I think we can go over the top."

Bunting said there is no doubt his receivers must play better if this team hopes to win.

"This is not high-school football," Bunting said. "I'm not putting down high-school ball. But it is big-time football in this conference. Receivers have got to step up and make plays. You saw what the Georgia Tech receivers did. They made some plays. It's incumbent on our receivers to step up and make some plays this week.

"Our quarterback can get the ball to them."

What the Tar Heels must do, Bunting said, is not talk about improving, but get on the practice field and do it this week. Meet the challenge Wisconsin presents and play with confidence and intelligence.

"We are playing a team not in our conference that we have to be absolutely totally and fully prepared for," Bunting said, "and then go out and play the way we can play. We can compete with them, be in the game and possibly win, if we play good football.

"Last year this team going into the last four weeks of the season was ranked fourth in the country," Bunting said. "They've beaten Ohio State four out of the last six years. So they're pretty doggone good. I don't want to scare anybody. I don't want to scare our players. But they're good, and we're going to have to be on the top of our game.

"We've got a game under our belt now, we should have learned from what we did wrong and we should play much better. My expectation is for us to be at the top of our game when we play this outstanding football team."

Who knows, maybe holding this dance under the lights will be enough for Carolina to surprise the Badgers and the doubters.

"We're playing at a time when we've had success in the past," Bunting said. "We're going to try to repeat what we did last year.

"It started with the fans, and then it was making some plays on special teams and some turnovers with defense. Then it grew at halftime. You need to be able to handle the adverse things that happen in a game, and we seemed to be able to handle them better in night games last year."

So there it is. Come 7 p.m. on Saturday, we will find out if the Tar Heels can continue to rule the night.

Source--TarHeelDaily

Tar Heels Running Game

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.--Ronnie McGill was expected to anchor the UNC Tar Heels' running game this season, but a torn pectoral muscle earlier in the year meant that true freshman James "Cooter" Arnold and transfer Barrington Edwards, who hadn't played in two years, had to carry the load against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the season opener.

The two combined for 50 yards on 16 carries to mixed results even though the 3.1 average was considerably lower than last season's average of almost five yards per carry. Each had carries of over 10 yards, but each one also missed some opportunities on the carries they had. "I think the runners, Barrington and Cooter, are going to be disappointed on a couple of different runs [when they see the tape]," John Bunting said shortly after the game in Atlanta. "They have to let that thing open up for them. When you get the zone pressures coming off the edge, sometimes things are going to open up if you are patient. You can't always cut back." "There were some opportunities where the backs were approaching a defender and they took an evasive maneuver, when actually there was somebody coming to block that guy," running backs coach Andre' Powell said. "But that's what young guys do." After watching the game film on Sunday, the coaches presented selected plays to the offense, and the precocious freshman immediately saw the error in his ways. "On a couple of plays, I could have slowed down and let them develop a little more," Arnold said. "It would have opened up... For certain plays you have a certain tempo, and in order for the play to work you have to be in the right tempo for the play to develop… "We've got an outside zone play where you go fast straight off the ball; there are other plays where you might have a pulling guard so you have to slow down a little bit to let them get in front of you. You have to give it time to develop and get behind your blockers." Edwards, who said that he had some first-game jitters, but has now put that behind him, also saw room for improvement. "I didn't have a whole bunch of carries," he said, "but from the ones that weren't that good, that were negative plays, there were one or two that I could have done some things right that could have led to a better outcome." The players spent time in meetings this week talking about what the line does, what the defense does, running options based on defensive alignments, things that they can anticipate, and then they performed drills on the field to reinforce what they learned in the film room. One area where the running backs did well was in pass protection. They didn't give up a single sack on the day. "Georgia Tech got me ready for a whole lot," Edwards said. "There wasn't a play where they didn't send two or three guys." Saturday night against the Wisconsin Badgers will provide an opportunity to show what they have learned. Source-InsideCarolina

Tar Heels vs Badgers

John Bunting was exaggerating just a bit when he discussed Wisconsin's production on offense.
"This team, as you know, has scored 1,000 points in the last two games," Bunting said.
There is a big difference between 1,000 and 121, but Bunting's point about North Carolina's next opponent is valid. Wisconsin ranks second nationally in scoring at 60.5 points per game, behind only defending national champion Southern California.

Granted, the Badgers haven't played against the best defenses in the nation. Bowling Green might be the Mid-American Conference's best team, but it lost 56-42 to Wisconsin, gave up 31 points last week to Ball State and is known for quarterback Omar Jacobs, not for defense.
Temple, which lost 65-0 last week at Wisconsin, is one of the worst teams in Division I-A.
"The defenses we've played are not the caliber of the ones that we're going to play," said Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez, whose team meets Michigan after North Carolina.

"So we don't have any misconceptions that we're a great offensive (team) by any stretch of the imagination, but I think we have a chance to be a very solid offense."

Alvarez's modesty aside, the 51 points Wisconsin scored in the first half are eye-catching, even against Temple.

Bunting called the Badgers' physical offensive line play "Bludgeon Ball." He said Wisconsin's Brian Calhoun is one of the best running backs he has seen in four-plus seasons as coach at North Carolina.

Calhoun has 300 yards on 54 carries. Center Donovan Raiola is the leader of an athletic, tough offensive line.

"It's ugly sometimes what they do to people," Bunting said. "Absolutely ugly. Just maul them, knock them on the ground or sometimes they will cut them onto the ground. They are coached well."

Wisconsin quarterback John Stocco said the Badgers also are balanced. After the Badgers physically overpowered Bowling Green for 388 rushing yards, Temple crowded the box in a determined effort to stop the run.

The Badgers still ran for 263 yards and bludgeoned Temple with their play-action game and four touchdown passes.

"A lot of the things we do complement each other," Stocco said. "If teams are going to load the box, we've got some things we can do down the field."

Stocco said he is impressed with North Carolina's speed on defense. But the Tar Heels (0-1) allowed 475 yards to Georgia Tech in their opener and might be facing a bigger challenge this week.

"They are big," Bunting said. "They are physical. They are athletic. And you throw in the back and it makes for a lot of yards, so we've got a lot of work to do."

Source-Charlotte.com

North Carolina Tar Heels-Men's Soccer

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Unscored upon in 2005, No. 2 North Carolina (4-0-0) opens the Atlantic Coast Conference portion of its schedule versus rival NC State (3-2-0) at 7 p.m. Wednesday at SAS Soccer Park in Cary. The Tar Heels are unbeaten in their last 10 meetings with the Wolfpack and posted a pair of 2-0 victories last season. Both teams are coming off impressive weekend performances, as the Tar Heels topped Rutgers and South Carolina, while NC State beat No. 7 St. John's and College of Charleston in Durham.

CAROLINA AT A GLANCE
• Following wins over Rutgers and South Carolina last weekend, the Tar Heels are 4-0 for the first time since 1987. Carolina advanced to the national semifinals that season and won its first eight matches under Anson Dorrance. This year's start marks the Tar Heels' best under Elmar Bolowich.
• Carolina has set a school record with four straight shutouts to open a season. The last time the Tar Heels blanked four straight opponents was the national championship season of 2001.
• Senior Ford Williams has played all 360 minutes in goal and has four consecutive shutouts. The school record for consecutive shutouts by a goalkeeper is six, set by Watson Jennison in 1992.
• The Tar Heels return seven starters and 17 letterwinners from last year's team that went 10-9-2 and tied for third in the ACC with a 4-3-0 league mark.
SCOUTING THE WOLFPACK

After opening the season with back-to-back losses, NC State brings a three-match winning streak into Wednesday's meeting. Senior forward Aaron King leads the way with five goals in five games, while Bryant Salter and Ronnie Bouemboue have also contributed offensively. Seniors Aaron Sanders and Jorge Gonzalez have split time in goal, as State owns a 1.34 goals against average.

SERIES WITH NC STATE
Carolina has a 44-19-10 lead in the all-time series with NC State, including an 8-0-2 record in the last 10 meetings. The Pack's last win in the series was a 3-1 victory at home in 1997. The Tar Heels posted two 2-0 wins a year ago, including a victory in the ACC quarterfinals at SAS Soccer Park.

DEFENSIVE DOMINANCE
In addition to not allowing a goal this season, the Tar Heel defense has suffocated opponents and allowed just 22 shots in four matches. Senior goalkeeper Ford Williams has had to make just six saves on the year, three of which came versus South Carolina. The Tar Heels own a 24-15 edge in corner kicks and a 65-22 advantage on the shot chart this season. Returnees Andre Sherad and Ted Odgers have steadied the center back positions, while Michael Harrington and David Boole moved to outside back to shore up the back line.

ASHE RESUMES SCORING PACE
Junior forward Corey Ashe led the Tar Heels with nine goals a year ago and he has picked up where he left off a year ago with goals in three straight games, including the game-winning scores versus both Richmond and Rutgers. For his efforts, he was named to College Soccer News' National Team of the Week. Ashe now has 16 career goals, including seven game-winners in just 39 career games.

SHUTOUT STREAK STILL ALIVE
After struggling on the defensive end to open last season, the Tar Heels have pitched a shutout through their first four matches and set a school record for consecutive shutouts to open a season. The UNC record for consecutive shutouts is six set in 1992.

CAMPBELL TOPS SCORING CHARTS
Freshman Scott Campbell leads the Tar Heels with seven points through four games. The attacking midfielder has two goals and three assists on the year and netted the game-winner versus South Carolina Sunday. Campbell scored four points last weekend with a pair of assists on Corey Ashe goals and a goal of his own versus South Carolina. Campbell and Michael Callahan have started all four matches as freshmen, while classmates Stephen Bickford and Brian Shriver have seen action in all four off the bench. Bickford earned the start versus Richmond and came through with his first collegiate goal.

POSITION SWITCH PAYS FOR BOOLE
Junior David Boole is playing outside back for the first time as a Tar Heel, and the switch is paying immediate dividends. He assisted on three of Carolina's first four goals of the season and has helped anchor a defense that has not allowed a goal yet this season. For his efforts, Boole was named the ACC Player of the Week and was chosen for College Soccer News' and Soccer America's national teams of the week on September 5. Junior Michael Harrington is also playing on the backline for the first time as a Tar Heel.

WILLIAMS CLIMBS SHUTOUT LIST
Senior Ford Williams has four shuouts this season and needs just one more to tie his single-season best of five set in each of the last three years. The Carolina record for career shutouts is 28.5 set by Michael Ueltschey from 1998-2001. The single-season record for shutouts is 12 set by Ueltschey in the national championship season of 2001.

TAR HEELS EARN HIGHEST RANKING SINCE 2002
After being ranked in the top 20 in both preseason polls, the Tar Heels currently are ranked No. 2 in the NSCAA/adidas Coaches' Poll and No. 3 by Soccer America after an impressive start. Carolina's No. 2 ranking by the NSCAA marks its highest since September 3, 2002, when it was ranked second in both polls.

BOLOWICH EARNS WIN NO. 200
In his 17th season in Chapel Hill, head coach Elmar Bolowich reached the 200-win plateau with the 3-0 win over Richmond September 4. Already the program's winningest coach, Bolowich owns a career mark of 202-112-20.

TV TIME FOR TAR HEELS
The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), Fox Soccer Channel and 12 Division I men's soccer programs - including North Carolina - have reached an agreement to broadcast a "College Soccer Game of the Week" on Friday nights this fall The Tar Heels will be televised twice this season - at Maryland October 14 and home versus Duke October 28. Both games will begin at 8 p.m. Fox Soccer Channel is channel 144 on Time Warner Digital Cable in the Triangle area.

BICKFORD, CAMPBELL HONORED AS TOP ROOKIES
After being rated as two of the nation's top prep talents a year ago, forward Stephen Bickford and midfielder Scott Campbell were honored by College Soccer News as two of the nation's "100 Freshmen to Watch in 2005." Bickford earned NSCAA/adidas High School Player of the Year honors in 2004, while Campbell was named Miami Herald Player of the Year. Ranked among the nation's top 15 recruits by StudentSportSoccer.com, both players enrolled at Carolina in January and spent the spring training with the Tar Heels. UNC's recruiting class was also rated as No. 5 by College Soccer News.

Press Release from www.TarHeelBlue.com-The Official Site for Carolina Athletics

Tar Heels Opening Game

By Buck Sanders - Inside CarolinaDate: Sep 12, 2005
North Carolina (0-1, 0-1 ACC) fell 27-21 to the 17th-ranked Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech (2-0, 1-0 ACC) in Atlanta on Saturday to begin their 2005 football season. “I believe that there were a lot of communication problems out there, both offensively and defensively, and that led to problems, and we’ve got to handle that,” head coach John Bunting said.
With a lot of new players in key positions, the Tar Heels began the season with a lot of question marks. While many questions remain, UNC fans can take a few observations away from the UNC opener, including the impact of those new key players.
Defense

It is no secret that defense has been the chief weakness for the UNC football program since Julius Peppers and several other Tar Heels took their skills to the NFL in 2001. Since that time, the Tar Heels have been near the bottom of the Division 1-A lists for total defense, scoring defense, rushing defense, and passing defense.

This was to be the year when experience and depth reversed that trend. The UNC defenses in the past had two major issues, both related to the defensive line. First, they could not stop the run. Second, they could bring little pressure on opposing quarterbacks, allowing them four and five seconds to survey the field and find an open man.

The Tar Heels were more successful against the run – much more successful. During the last visit UNC paid to Atlanta, Tech’s talented tailback, P.J. Daniels, gouged UNC’s rush defense for 240 yards. On Saturday, Daniels totaled only 103 yards on 21 carries, getting 42 on one run. In the other twenty carries, Daniels managed just over three yards a carry.

“Their front seven were strong and physical, and they did a better job at stopping the run as the game went on, especially in the second half,” said Georgia Tech head coach Chan Gailey. After the past three seasons, that’s hardly a quote you would expect to see from an opposing coach after playing UNC.

The Tar Heels, however, have not made progress pressuring opposing quarterbacks. The Tar Heels still had no sacks on Saturday and too often Georgia Tech’s quarterback, Reggie Ball, had the opportunity to go to second and third option receivers.

Ball, connected with nine different receivers on Saturday, completing 28-of-45 attempts for 353 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Ball was as mature and poised as you would expect a quarterback to be in his 26th start. Tech features one the best receivers in the ACC, if not the nation, in Calvin Johnson. Johnson had six catches for 114 yards, but the “other” Tech receiver, Demarius Bilbo, bested the talented Johnson with eight catches for 131 yards.

A cynic might conclude that Georgia Tech simply abandoned the run because moving the ball through the air was just easier. The key word in that sentence is “easier.’ In the past three seasons, the Tar Heels often just had too many problems on defense. It still remains to be seen, but perhaps now they have fewer problems to fix.

Offense
A huge unknown loomed over the preseason; replacing quarterback Darian Durant. The Tar Heels entered this season with a fifth-year senior, Matt Baker, who had never started a game.
Baker rushed some throws, didn’t manage the clock perhaps as well as a more experienced quarterback may have, and threw three interceptions. He did, however, account for three touchdowns, two by air and one by land. He also had several passes dropped and still managed to throw for 280 yards, completing 18-of-39 passes, against a very good Georgia Tech defense.
Baker’s initial experience as a starting quarterback may have some Tar Heels breathing a little easier. Baker showed toughness, a good arm, and solid leadership on the field. Bunting’s reference to “communication,” however, may have had an effect in a broader context with Baker and his receivers. The timing and speed on his throws is different than Durant’s, and the odds are that the inexplicable dropped passes may decrease as that non-verbal “communication” improves.

Communication, again of the non-verbal kind, might help explain the lackluster running game. The offensive line is experienced, but the new tailbacks often decided to take their own path instead of following their blocking. Both Barrington Edwards and James “Cooter” Arnold showed some flashes of ability, but the Tar Heels stat line of 61 yards on 21 attempts was disappointing for a team that likes to run “downhill.” Georgia Tech, it should be noted, may be as stout against the run as any team UNC faces this season.

The Tar Heel receivers, thought to be one of the strengths of the 2005 offense, had a mixed day. There were too many dropped passes, but there were also some remarkable performances, such as Derrele Mitchell’s 87-yard touchdown reception, with most of those yards gained after the catch.

The Tar Heels have to get more out of the running game, and “communication” has to improve, but if they can get just a few problems corrected, there is no reason why they can’t again field an efficient and effective offense.

Special Teams
The Tar Heels did a good job returning punts and covering kicks. On four punts, they averaged nearly 12 yards a punt return, while limiting Tech to a little over four yards per return. Kickoff coverage wasn’t quite as effective, as the Heels gave up 24 yards per return, but they averaged 23 per kickoff return themselves.

Connor Barth didn’t attempt a field goal, but was solid on kickoffs. David Woolridge seems to be an improved punter with better hang time without sacrificing distance.
There were no serious miscues for either Tech or UNC on special teams.

Conclusion
After a loss it is sometimes easy to forget that there were two teams on the field, both of whom had a role in the outcome. The Tar Heels opened their season on the road against a top 20 team. Both teams had a lot of experience returning on defense, but Tech had a seasoned quarterback, experienced and talented receivers, and seasoned running backs. The Tar Heels had a solid offensive line and a good corps of receivers, but not much else to hang their hats on offensively. The Tar Heels coaches were seeing, for the first time, how those key players responded in a real game. The Yellow Jackets were favored by nearly two touchdowns, and the Tar Heels still had a chance to win this game in the final two minutes.

A loss is a loss, but as possible outcomes go, this was far from the worst that could have happened.

By Buck Sanders - Inside Carolina

Tar Heels in the Bahamas

Two easy wins in exhibition games in the Bahamas last weekend capped an early week of work for North Carolina's basketball team, but didn't solve any problems or answer any of Coach Roy Williams' questions.

North Carolina beat Bahamian club teams by margins of 34 points and 21 points. Williams welcomed the games and four practices last week, but said that he saw nothing that he hasn't already anticipated.

The games, permitted under NCAA rules, were little better than pickup games, according to Williams.

"I do think it was beneficial to us," Williams said. "I think it gives the freshmen a little heads-up about what's going to be expected of them later on. The competition was not the greatest in the world by any means but they were teams that tried very hard. It was a pickup game. It wasn't like we were playing Magic and Stockton and people like that out there."

he freshmen were limited because of injuries. Marcus Ginyard, a 6-5 swingman, didn't play in either game because of a broken bone in his left wrist. Danny Green, another 6-5 swingman, suffered a thigh bruise in the first game that limited him to 10 minutes. He was held out of the second game. Bobby Frasor, a 6-3 guard, suffered a shoulder injury and was limited in both games.

Ginyard underwent surgery in Chapel Hill yesterday to repair the break. Trainer Marc Davis said that there were no problems during the surgery and that Ginyard should be ready when practice begins in the middle of October. Ginyard suffered the injury in Chapel Hill in a pickup game in July.

The only freshmen to play normal roles in both games were 6-9 forward Tyler Hansbrough and 6-7 forward Mike Copeland. Copeland, a Reynolds High School product, was a late addition to the program last week after qualifying academically. Copeland practiced Thursday and Friday after finally clearing admissions.

Copeland showed in the games that he should be able to help the Tar Heels rebound, but Williams said that Copeland has much improvement to make before becoming a consistent player. Copeland did extra work in an effort to make up for the practices he missed.

"Defensively, he couldn't guard his lunch," Williams said. "He was bad. He was just awful. But there is hope there. He's a wonderful kid. He's got a marvelous attitude. He looks right down into your soul when he's talking to you. And when you're talking to him, he's listening and trying to do exactly what you want him to do. If he doesn't help us with his rebounding I'll be surprised."

Junior forward Reyshawn Terry, another Reynolds graduate, led the Tar Heels in scoring with 20 points in the first game and 27 points in the second. Terry made 18 of 36 shots but still needs considerable improvement before Williams will put him in the starting lineup.

"If you shoot it 20 times you're going to score," Williams said. "He does have an ability to score. I think the biggest thing is Reyshawn got tired. As soon as he got tired, he got sloppy. You can't do that. And that's the thing he's got to get past. You can't just give in because all of a sudden oxygen is not getting to you as quickly as you want."

-Bill Cole, Journal Reporter

Tar Heel Football Update

CHAPEL HILL -- Quarterback Matt Baker was solid, and no one got injured. That amounted to a good scrimmage for the North Carolina football team Wednesday night at Kenan Stadium.
Baker completed 7 of 10 passes for 120 yards, including a 38-yarder to wide receiver Mike Mason, in his stint against UNC's first-team defense. Sophomore Justin Warren led the rushing attack with 34 yards on seven carries, and projected starting tailback Barrington Edwards rushed for 30 yards and a touchdown on seven carries.

"I think we got the run game going better, which was good for the offense and not so good for the defense," UNC coach John Bunting said.

The team still has several positions up for grabs, most notably on defense at linebacker and safety. Bunting wanted to watch tape of the scrimmage before saying whether any player separated himself from his competition as the Tar Heels draw closer to their season-opening game Sept. 10 at Georgia Tech.

"I'm anxious to watch the tape to see how those guys do in terms of the details," Bunting said. "It's hard to see right down there on the field. There's been tremendous competition there.
"After Saturday, we need to start making some decisions about where we're going with everything we're doing. I think we'll have a starting lineup when we start on Monday."

Injury update
The Tar Heels were without three defensive ends Wednesday. Tommy Davis rested his hamstrings, Brian Rackley had a virus and Melik Brown sat out with lower back pain. ... Arthur Smith, a backup offensive lineman who can play center and guard, was sick and also missed the scrimmage. ... Bunting said he would meet with doctors Friday to get an update about the status of tailback Ronnie McGill and quarterback Cam Sexton.

By NOLAN HAYES : The Herald-Sun