At the press conference before the 2006 matchup with Rutgers"" then-North Carolina head coach John Bunting described Rutgers back Ray Rice as ""a freshman who can really"" really make some big plays for them.""
At this week's press conference" Rice was mentioned only once — and that was to mention Rutgers' game plan sans the player who scored three touchdowns on 201 yards against UNC in 2006.
This time around" North Carolina faces a Rutgers team that no longer claims Ray Rice on its roster — and so is finding itself re-examining its entire identity on the national stage.
""Yeah" I'd say Ray was pretty special" Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said in a teleconference Monday.
(Now) we have to kind of redefine who we are and what we are on offense.""
Rutgers' two current running backs" Kordell Young and Mason Robinson" combined for only 106 yards and one touchdown in the Sept. 1 opener against Fresno State. (That's the same rush yardage that wide receiver Brandon Tate recorded in his season opener last week.)
But Schiano said the program is not searching for the next Ray Rice.
""There's not probably going to be that one guy all the time — although there was Saturday" that's not our plan" he said.
Young took 26 of the 32 attempts last weekend, recording 94 of the total yards and scoring the Knights' sole touchdown of the game.
Last week I thought Kordell Young did a very good job rushing the football" Schiano said. I think we have some other guys as well that can play the position" and we need to probably get them some more touches and spread it around a little bit.""
UNC coach Butch Davis said he doesn't expect a larger focus on the pass from the program just because Rice has moved on.
""I think teams do what they believe in. You know" I think you can't have the success that Rutgers has had in the running game (with just one star back) because prior to Rice" they had other guys.""
And Schiano doesn't expect the running backs to score every touchdown in this year's game as Rice did in 2006.
""We're going to be a balanced attack" that's our goal" he said. So we're going to run it and throw it.""
Rutgers quarterback Mike Teel completed 20 of his 39 pass attempts with two interceptions and no touchdowns against Fresno State" but Schiano — and Davis — expect more from him against North Carolina.
After all Teel did manage 263 yards last week" and it was Teel who played alongside Rice in the 2006 game and went 14-20 then.
""I think we have some really fine receivers that we need to make sure we get them the football" and we have a quarterback that can do that Schiano said.
We didn't do it probably as well as we're capable last week" but there's a lot of things we didn't do as well as we're capable.
""We're hoping we get back on track.""
Ray Rice against UNC" Sept. 2 2006
201 yards on 31 carries
Three touchdowns
Long rush: 24 yards
13 yards on two receptions
Kordell Young against Fresno State
Sept. 1 2008
94 yards on 26 carries
One touchdown
Long rush: 13 yards
19 yards on two receptions
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
