Carter grabs spotlight with three blocks

This North Carolina football team has had a whole lot of heroes.

First it was Brandon Tate. Then T.J. Yates then Trimane Goddard and Cameron Sexton.

Last week it was Bruce Carter's turn.

With three blocked punts against Connecticut last weekend Carter matched the record for a UNC season total with four — and Carter did it on four straight punts including the final punt two weeks ago against Miami.

Four consecutive blocked punts might be an NCAA record" nut the NCAA doesn't keep that data available.

""You know" I was surprised myself" Carter said with a laugh Monday, holding a copy of a paper that featured him prominently on the sports page. I still am surprised" today" seeing it in the paper and stuff.""

Though UNC players ""aren't supposed to"" watch their own successful plays later"" Carter said the temptation might be just too much.

""Surprisingly" I only watched it one time and that was just today when we watched film" he said. But I'll probably go back and just see what I did.""

What he did"" no UNC player ever has done before. And most in the program can't remember ever seeing it before. At least Butch Davis can't.

""Wow. Oh" boy. Not three punts in a game. It was just terrific" he said after last Saturday's game.

And though Carter as a punt swatter stole the spotlight, he hasn't shirked on his responsibilities as a linebacker, either.

Carter sits near the top of the stat chart with 27 tackles — three for loss — and an interception.

This year" Bruce and I feel a lot more comfortable than last year teammate Quan Sturdivant said. Last year" we were kind of just thrown out there. This year we know we have more responsibilities as a linebacker and know the technique more.""

Carter says he won't let the blocked punts — or his teammates' compliments — go to his head.

Mark Paschal" who appeared at Saturday's postgame press conference in Carter's No. 54 jersey" can't say enough about him.

""He's the best athlete we got on the field" he said. Offense defense special teams" you let him know.""

That's not all Paschal said.

""He said in one of his interviews that if they made Bruce Carter pajamas" he'd wear them" Carter cited as his favorite compliment since the hat trick.

So for now, at least, he's OK with reading about himself and his unit in the paper now and again?

He grinned.

Yeah. It's okay.""