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