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(11/23/08 5:00am)
Defensive end E.J. Wilson could offer no explanation. He had none for the way his North Carolina team had just gotten outplayed, out-hustled — out-everythinged, really — by a supposedly inferior N.C. State team.I really thought against our rivals that we'd come out a lot more enthused and we'd play a lot harder than we did" he said. From the looks of it" it seemed like they wanted it a lot more than we did.""In truth"" there are a lot of possible explanations for the 41-10 drubbing that the Wolfpack put on the Tar Heels Saturday — a game that ended UNC's hopes for the ACC Coastal Division title and prompted N.C. State coach Tom O'Brien to declare his program ""the best football program in the state"" without question.""There was the poor play of UNC's quarterbacks.And the secondary was frequently caught napping on key plays.And there was the ease with which N.C. State (5-6" 3-4 ACC) controlled the line of scrimmage.But according to UNC coach Butch Davis" none of those reasons mattered in comparison to the one telling stat from Saturday's stunner: six Tar Heel turnovers.""You can almost totally disregard all of the other stats"" he said.In North Carolina's three prior defeats this season, it lost the turnover battle by a combined six giveaways. But the Tar Heels (7-4, 3-4 ACC) coughed it up early and often Saturday with three interceptions and three lost fumbles — UNC's most total turnovers since 2002.There will never be a football game ever played that you can lose the turnover ratio as dramatically poorly as we did today and give yourself any chance to win"" Davis said.The turnover problems started right away, with two Shaun Draughn fumbles on the first two Tar Heel possessions.I have no clue what it was"" Draughn said. We try to hold onto it. It wasn't that I was careless with it; they just stripped the ball.""On the other end" the defense was unable to force any turnovers from the Wolfpack led by redshirt freshman quarterback Russell Wilson.Wilson was efficient with a career-high 279 passing yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 50 yards.N.C. State's compiled season highs in total yards (466)" passing yards (279) and rushing yards (187).""We knew he had a cannon and that he's an intelligent kid" defensive tackle Marvin Austin said of Wilson. So we knew he can be a nightmare" and he definitely became it — he was the grim reaper today.""North Carolina's offensive output of 203 total yards was the worst this season and the second-worst in Davis' time as head coach.""Nothing was in rhythm" nobody was in sync" said quarterback T.J. Yates, who was ineffective in his first start since fracturing his ankle in the third game of the season.For the first time this season, North Carolina lost back-to-back games. Just as troubling are the back-to-back defeats in the rivalry.If you play poorly" you're going to get beat Davis said. And if you turn it over six times" you're going to get beat badly.""And UNC got beat very badly. The margin of victory was N.C. State's largest against the Tar Heels since a 40-6 blowout in 1989. The Tar Heels will have to regroup quickly" though" as another rivalry contest is on the horizon. ""We can't throw away everything we've done this season and end the season with three losses in a row; we just can't do that" E.J. Wilson said.We've got to dig down deep inside" and we need to take this next 10 to 12 hours and do some real soul-searching.""Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(11/20/08 5:00am)
Everything about Ryan Houston is meant to intimidate.His size at 6 feet 2 inches 245 pounds is imposing. His powerful bulldozing running style is threatening.And yes" even his 26 tattoos are meant to bully.""I think it causes fear for other people" Houston says. They're like ‘Look at that dude he's a sophomore" and he's got all these tattoos.'""But Houston" who leads UNC with seven rushing touchdowns uses his many tattoos for more than just scaring would-be tacklers — he also honors family members and motivates himself on and off the field.Houston began getting ink when he was 15 years old. And with each new tattoo" a new idea was spawned for more body art.A tattoo was even born out of discouragement for the habit.""My mom said" ‘You're getting too many tattoos"'"" Houston says"" pointing to a name on his right wrist. ""So I got one of her name" Kim" here.""The ink multiplied"" and Houston now has shrines and reminders all over his body.A glance at his left shoulder reminds Houston to ""hold my own."" And it only takes a look farther down his arm to see that he is an ""MOB"" — a man of business.Other tattoos honor Houston's family members — both of his parents"" two sisters and a grandmother.The sophomore says he doesn't think all of his body art will limit any potential opportunities in his future.""Hopefully" football's going to be my job he says. If I don't make it" I'll just go to a corporation with long sleeves and a collared shirt.""And even though Houston put the tattoos on hold for football season"" he plans to continue getting more in January.Just don't ask what he has in store next.""I'm getting my whole back done" he says. But I don't like to tell people what tattoos I'm going to get" because then I don't get them if I tell people.""I'm going to keep it a surprise.""Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(11/16/08 5:00am)
COLLEGE PARK"" Md. — Cameron Sexton will have a lot to remember from his time stepping in as the starting quarterback for the 2008 North Carolina football team. But Saturday's stinker against Maryland is one he'd much rather forget. ""It was easily the worst football game I've played this year"" Sexton said. This'll go down as one of my worst."" Sexton appeared to be out of sync all day. If his passes weren't thrown over the heads of receivers" they were too low. Or too far behind.Or in the case of his last toss to someone wearing the wrong color jersey. Down 17-15 Sexton had one final chance to orchestrate a drive into field goal range. But when his third-down pass was intercepted by Maryland defensive back Jamari McCollough" the Terps sealed the victory. ""That wasn't a really good throw" to finish off not a very good day" Sexton said.That third-down play was indicative of Sexton's performance. The Tar Heels were faced with 11 third downs during the game. All 11 times, they put the ball in the hands of their quarterback. Sexton completed just one pass for first-down yardage in nine tries, and he came up short on two scrambles, coughing up the football on one. The final damage: 1-11 on third down (a 9 percent conversion rate), with two turnovers. We're 1-of-11 on third down conversions" we've got no chance UNC coach Butch Davis said. We got beat up on time of possession" so it makes it extraordinarily difficult to score."" After the game"" Sexton was unable to explain where he faltered. ""I don't have answers for you on that because I don't have answers for myself"" he said. I played poorly today. I didn't play well. ""We win and lose as a team" and it's a team effort but as the quarterback of this football team I have a little bit greater responsibility" I think. I left so much on the field."" North Carolina's offense as a unit left a lot of points on the field. It drove inside Maryland's 21-yard-line three times but came away with just six total points on those drives. Sexton and the offense even inherited the ball on Maryland's 33-yard-line after a Terrapin fumble. But three incomplete passes later"" UNC was punting again. ""We didn't take advantage of some great field position" Davis said. We had opportunities inside the 20- 25-yard-line where we had to settle for field goals. And by not converting the touchdowns" it's going to certainly come back to haunt you."" Sexton completed 10 passes for 166 yards in the game" including a 59-yard touchdown to Cooter Arnold on a deep pass that was tipped by a defender. But with T.J. Yates getting another week healthier on the sideline" it was the 14 incomplete throws and the pick that summed up Sexton's day. ""I never got into rhythm" he said with a sigh. I just" I was off. I don't know how to explain it — it just wasn't my day today.""Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(11/09/08 5:00am)
For nearly three full quarters Saturday an old-fashioned one-possession game sat at a stalemate with one big break on either side threatening to tip the balance of power in the ACC Coastal division.No. 19 North Carolina got that break late in the third quarter when Georgia Tech punt returner Roddy Jones muffed the catch turning the ball over to UNC.A few plays later UNC had a two-score lead and a shot of momentum in the race to Tampa Bay.Ryan Houston had a career game rushing the ball Hakeem Nicks broke a school record and the Tar Heels came away with a 28-7 win guaranteeing their first winning record in seven years.But until the Georgia Tech miscue" none of that was assured.""It really did give us a spark"" said Houston, UNC's sophomore short-yardage back. We thrive on our defense or special teams making a big play.""It seems like if you go back to all our wins" every time our special teams or defense gets an interception" we get hyped on that and we thrive off of it.""It was Houston that made the then-No. 22 Yellow Jackets (7-3" 4-3) pay for their mistakes. First he punched in from two yards out after the fumble recovery off the punt. Then after a second GT fumble" Houston ran the ball five times to score and give UNC a 21-0 lead.He finished with a career-high 74 yards and two touchdowns.""Ryan Houston gave us what he gives us every week — it's just solid" hard yards UNC quarterback Cameron Sexton said. He just doesn't get denied. Someway somehow he just finds a way to get it done" and it's been so key for us.""But Houston"" who wore the word ""thunder"" on his eye-black" was only half of UNC's ground game Saturday. Shaun Draughn" who sported ""lightning"" on his" complemented Houston's power game with 90 yards of his own.The North Carolina rushing attack was especially important to give the defense a chance to rest since Georgia Tech's run-heavy triple-option offense can wear defenders down.But with two weeks to prepare the Tar Heels were ready for the unconventional scheme. They gave up yardage and first downs but tightened up when necessary.Georgia Tech had three drives of 12 or more plays that resulted in no points and four possessions ended on either failed fourth down conversions or missed field goals.North Carolina nearly shut the Jackets out but the ACC's second-leading rusher Jonathan Dwyer finally broke an 85-yard touchdown — the longest rush UNC has ever given up — in the fourth quarter with the game already out of reach.With the win North Carolina showed its versatility. A week before it was the passing game that exploded for a blowout win. But against GT's physical style of play" UNC countered with its own running game.""Some weeks you might have to throw against Boston College for 200-and-something yards"" UNC coach Butch Davis said. Some weeks you may have to pound the rock a little bit. But you want to have both of those that you can call.""The pass game did garner the only score of the first three quarters" though on a Zack Pianalto grab. Pianalto broke his fibula on the catch" in only his first game back since a high ankle sprain against Notre Dame. Davis said Sunday there ""is no timetable"" for his return.That emphasis on running the football nearly prevented history" though. Nicks entered the game 47 yards shy of the all-time UNC career receiving yardage record set by Corey Holliday Class of '93. But after a catchless first half the milestone seemed in doubt.A late 31-yard touchdown reception brought him to the doorstep. Then with a large cushion quarterback T.J. Yates came into the game to get some reps as his broken ankle heals. His first pass gave Nicks his 2448th receiving yard enough to pass Holliday" who still works with the football program.""When I broke the record" (Holliday) came up to me Nicks said. He told me he'd rather it be me than anybody else. So that was good for me" and I feel good right now. Everybody's proud of me.""Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(11/06/08 5:00am)
A typical defensive strategy for a football team is to swarm to the ball bringing as many players as possible to gang-tackle a rusher and keep him from getting into the open field.North Carolina will not be doing much of that today.Instead" the Tar Heels will approach today's game with a novel idea: just tackle everyone wearing a Georgia Tech jersey.""You have to assume everyone has the ball and tackle everything you see" senior safety Trimane Goddard said.If everybody tackles everybody" then everybody's down.""UNC won't worry about who appears to be the ball-carrier" simply because they often won't be able to tell which Yellow Jacket has the pigskin.That's because Georgia Tech runs a triple-option offense — a seldom-used strategy in the college game. In this scheme there are three different players who might carry the ball" and who gets the call isn't decided until after the play begins.It can first go to the ""dive back"" on a quick running play through the line.Or the quarterback can read the defense and choose to keep the ball and run it himself.Or he can start to run and then pitch it backwards and toward the sideline to a third option"" the ""pitch back.""Confused yet?Lots of defenders are left scratching their heads"" too.""Their running back is really good" and they have the quarterback linebacker Quan Sturdivant said. So you never know which one is going to keep it" or he could hand it to the fullback or something.""The UNC defense has been working through the bye week and into this week to avoid such confusion after kickoff.Since most players have not seen a triple-option offense since high school" the UNC scout team has simulated the scheme in practice to mimic Georgia Tech's version.The biggest key UNC defenders are realizing" will be that each member of the defense sticks to his own specific assignment.""Playing this offense" you better be disciplined" coach Butch Davis said.Guys have got to read their keys; guys have got to know exactly what their responsibilities are because they will make you pay big-time.""If you're out of position" if you're cheating and leaning and trying to steal something" they're good enough to take advantage of it.""The efficiency with which Georgia Tech executes this offense makes it even more difficult to defend. The Yellow Jackets have the best ground game in the ACC.GT has rushed for 600 more yards and four more touchdowns than any other rushing attack in the conference.Tailback Jonathan Dwyer is the leading rusher" and he has racked up 899 yards on the ground this season.But the real key to the Yellow Jackets' offense is dual-threat quarterback Josh Nesbitt. His ability execute the triple option by faking the handoff and running with the ball forces defenses to avoid over-pursuit on either the dive back or the pitch back. Instead they are forced to stay in specific lanes.Nesbitt has also demonstrated a capability to throw off of play-action" making the GT offense even more dangerous by keeping safeties and linebackers back in pass coverage for an extra split-second.""Maybe if you're playing a traditional offense" if one person messes up you may have another person to cover up Goddard said. But against a triple option" you have to be very precise.""The goal of the triple option is to maximize the possibilities and diminish the number of defenders pursuing the actual ball-carrier.With fewer defenders to beat" a rusher could generate a big play simply by making one defender miss and then out-racing the rest.This has allowed GT backs especially Dwyer" to break off large chunks of yardage at a time this season.North Carolina defenders know they have less room for error this week.""If one person gets out of position" they can go for a touchdown" Sturdivant said. So everybody's got to play their responsibilities.""
(10/24/08 4:00am)
On Virginia Tech's first play from scrimmage in last week's game against Boston College the ball was snapped and handed off to running back Darren Evans.And that was about all the Hokies had time to do before Evans was swallowed up and dropped in the backfield by BC linebacker Mark Herzlich.The Hokies would get used to this result by the end of the game. Herzlich led Boston College with 13 tackles on the day including two tackles for loss.It was a performance that caught the eye of the ACC brass who named Herzlich the conference's Defensive Back of the Week.But it wasn't a performance that was out of the ordinary for the outside linebacker from Wayne Pa.Herzlich with his mix of size and athleticism has been camping out in opponents' backfields for three years now.He played in all 13 Boston College games as a true freshman in 2006 and received honorable mention for College Football News' Freshman All-America team.After stepping in last year as one of the Eagles' leading defenders Herzlich entered this season with lofty expectations.The junior linebacker was named to the 2008 Lott Trophy and Butkus Award watch lists both of which reward the nation's premier defenders.And he's lived up to the hype so far establishing himself as one of the leading tacklers in the conference. His 54 tackles are best in the Boston College locker room and his nine tackles per game place him in the top 35 in the nation and the top five in the ACC.Herzlich's physicality and skill set make him tailor-made to be an elite tackler. At 6-foot-4 238 pounds he's nearly big enough to play at the defensive end position and many scouts expected him to mature into a lineman.But he has good speed for a player of his size and he gets downhill quickly to plug holes in the run game.Combine that with good football instincts and a knack for wrapping up rushers and the result is a team-high 37 unassisted tackles.Herzlich also has demonstrated a nose for the football as he's picked off two passes and forced two fumbles this season for the Eagles.The Tar Heels might have a tough time moving the ball on Herzlich's side of the field today. But if there is any part of his game to exploit it could be through the air.Herzlich's footwork and natural instincts are better suited to pursuing ballcarriers.Still the junior has soft hands and can snatch an ill-advised pass thrown into his zone — a habit that UNC quarterback Cam Sexton can't seem to kick.Herzlich a big-time recruit out of Conestoga High School earned AP Class 4A All-State First Team honors as a prep senior.He led the Pioneers to back-to-back Central League titles and he even played both ways in the process lining up at fullback and scoring three offensive touchdowns.The Tar Heels likely will not see No. 94 join the offensive huddle today but he's sure to make enough appearances in the game plan on just one side of the ball.The emergence of Shaun Draughn as UNC's feature back and the injuries that have been blitzing the Tar Heels lately have led to more reliance on the running game and a more productive ground attack.But with Herzlich patrolling the strong side and filling gaps today this will be a tough trend for the Tar Heels to continue.
(10/10/08 4:00am)
A little after 3:30 p.m. Saturday a guy named Tate will jog out toward the end zone and wait for the opening kickoff.If it's sent his way he has the instincts and explosiveness to wind up in the other end zone before the play is over.Touchdown North Carolina.Well that or touchdown Notre Dame.In many ways the two teams that will square off Saturday in Kenan Stadium are mirror images of each other — right down to the names of their most explosive players.Brandon Tate the NCAA-record holder for career kick return yardage leads a UNC offense that can spread the field with its talented receiving core.And Golden Tate the up-and-coming sophomore Notre Dame receiver and return specialist" will provide the big plays for a dangerous Irish unit that is hitting its stride.""Well" we'll have to see who's gonna win the battle of the Tates then" Brandon said with a smile.But the similarities between these two squads go beyond one name on their rosters.Both teams have 4-1 records, which equal or surpass their respective win totals from a disappointing 2007.Both teams are still relatively young but are benefiting from an extra year within their systems.Both rely heavily on the passing game in their run-and-gun offenses — whether it's Jimmy Clausen or Cam Sexton at the helm — and both struggle at times to run the ball.The Tar Heels and the Irish each have three rushers totaling at least 84 yards but none topping 250.Wherever the quarterback throws it" there's somebody that can make a play on it Brandon Tate said Wednesday.And the running game's starting to come along. You know the first two weeks it was kind of rough but the coaches" they made some little slight changes.""Tate was talking about his North Carolina team when he said this" but he could just as easily have been summing up the Irish offense.The comparisons go further.Both teams thrive on kick returns and return coverage and they both feature high-profile coaches with NFL-rich resumes.A few years ago it might have seemed absurd to compare these two football programs as the Tar Heels floundered and the prestigious Fighting Irish flourished.But regardless of the drastically different historical paths the two programs have followed" they enter Saturday's contest on close to equal footing.""You go beat North Carolina at North Carolina" I'd say the odds are you'll be in the top 25 next week" Charlie Weis said.It's been a long time since a Notre Dame football coach would have said that about the Tar Heels, if ever.But as UNC and ND hover near the cusp of the national polls, they both are approaching Saturday's game as a means to validate their presence on the national level.We don't live in a bubble"" he said. We know that it's Notre Dame and that it's a big game.""Made bigger after UNC's 45-26 defeat the last time the teams played in 2006 — the first matchup between the two since 1975.""With a football team with a tradition like that" you know we went up there two years ago and got beat" Sexton said.And so we want to play well. We want to play well at home again and beat them.""Sophomore tailback Greg Little has toed the Notre Dame-North Carolina line as closely as anyone.As a high school senior"" Little verbally committed to the Fighting Irish before eventually deciding to remain closer to home at UNC.Now the tailback plays the leading role in a platoon of Tar Heel rushers that will try to control the clock and open the field for UNC's playmakers — much like ND's team of backs will attempt.And the sophomore back admitted that a contest with Notre Dame is a bit different than most others.""It is" he said. We know it's the biggest game but we want to look at it as it's our next game" and we've got to play.""An advantage to squaring off against a foe with so many similarities is that the defenses have had a chance to practice against the same kinds of playmakers throughout the season.Sophomore defensive tackle Marvin Austin said that the benefits of chasing around No. 87 in practice all year will show against Notre Dame.""I mean" we already face the real Tate in practice every week so I mean it's going to be just like facing those guys Austin said.He also offered a bold prediction on the winner of the battle of the Tates.(Brandon) already knows he's the real Tate" Austin said. We don't even have to talk about it."" Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(10/09/08 4:00am)
Before the start of training camp Shaun Draughn had something to prove.He was a sophomore safety buried on the depth chart" and it looked like he was headed for another year of thankless special teams play.Until he marched into head coach Butch Davis' office — high school highlight reel in hand — and asked to play running back.Draughn said he didn't know at the time whether Davis believed he could play the position at the college level.""But just having the confidence in my ability to know what I can do" I mean I just went up and asked" he said.Now fast-forward to last weekend. North Carolina was 3-1 and facing nationally ranked Connecticut.After consistently generating buzz from the coaching staff during training camp, Draughn had elevated himself to second on the running back depth chart.But that wasn't enough. There was more to show.I feel like before the game" I had something to prove" he said.Early and often against the Huskies, he got the chance to prove what he'd been lobbying for since the summer. And he did just that.Draughn rushed for 109 yards on 19 carries — an average of 5.7 yards per carry — including a 39-yard touchdown scamper in UNC's win.His work in the running game, for the first time this year, actually carried the offense — a fact that did not escape the notice of quarterback Cam Sexton.I was telling (Brandon) Tate and Brooks (Foster) and Hakeem (Nicks)" we've got points and we haven't really done anything" Sexton said of the passing game. I think we set up some of those things. I think we got some of the momentum going.""But I think the running game and the guys up front really drove us tonight.""Son of a preacherShaun Draughn is a momma's boy — he said so himself.Both of Draughn's parents are ministers in his tiny hometown of Tarboro" N.C. His father Kenneth started his own church" where his mother also preaches.So what was life like growing up as two preachers' son?""Everybody thinks it's strict" but it's not" Draughn said.I was the bad one. My sisters he didn't have to worry about.""Tarboro running backs should be familiar to Tar Heel football fans as former star Kelvin Bryant also hailed from the eastern N.C. town. Bryant rushed for three consecutive 1""000-yard seasons at UNC and was named one of the ACC's Top 50 players of all-time in 2002.And the former UNC great paid a compliment to his Tarboro heir apparent.""He watched me in high school and was like" ‘You remind me of me"'"" Draughn said.Another statement gameAfter Draughn's performance last weekend" he ranks second on the team with 213 rushing yards. Greg Little who began the season in the starting role has 240 yards — on 23 more carries.Draughn has used his explosiveness and a quick first step to hit holes in the line before they close up enabling him to find rushing lanes. The 6-foot 205-pounder has also shown an ability to run downhill and fall forward through tackles.Davis still isn't ready though" to put the entire weight of the rushing game on Draughn's shoulders.""We're going to play the guys at the time that gives us the best chance to win"" Davis said.What Davis does know, though, is that when a no-name safety entered his office during the offseason, the player he called an unknown commodity"" would become an essential part of his ground game.""If you would have asked me six weeks ago what kind of contribution Shaun Draughn was going to make" I don't know what I would have told you" Davis said.But sometimes you walk around and you find money lying on the ground. You get lucky.""Going into today's game against Notre Dame" Draughn will likely be trying to prove something to somebody. After all this silencing of doubters both real and imagined seems to drive him.There is always something to prove" always somebody to win over.""Every game is a statement game" Draughn said.But don't let that intensity be misleading. Draughn is still a small-town kid who just enjoys the game of football.I read a quote about it Draughn recalled. Coach Davis said I'm probably as happy as a kid at Christmas time" and I really feel like that.""Football is a passion of mine"" and I love doing it. I love playing.""
(10/02/08 4:00am)
Donald Brown torched Louisville last week for 124 rushing yards and a touchdown marking the fifth time in as many games he eclipsed the 100-yard mark.And those are just his stats in the first halves of football games.Add in the numbers from after intermission and you've got the nation's leading rusher.The redshirt junior arrived in Chapel Hill averaging 181.2 rushing yards per game. And if the Tar Heels hope to upend Brown's undefeated Connecticut team they'll need to slow him down.Granted this will be no small task. Brown boasts speed — the 5-foot-10 210-pounder was a track star in high school.And he's got power too most notably incredible lower body strength — he can out-squat most linemen — which makes him tough to drag down.He's so fitness-obsessed that he had his own speed and strength coaches in high school and he is rarely seen drinking anything but water.These tendencies quickly led to success in college football. Brown turned down offers from Tennessee and Nebraska to play defensive back instead opting for UConn because of its relative proximity to his home in Atlantic Highlands N.J.That and the fact that he wanted the ball in his hands.In his collegiate debut Brown ran for 118 yards and two scores on nine carries — all in the second half of a win against Rhode Island.In his first college start Brown rushed for 199 yards and two touchdowns. And he did it just 20 minutes from home against a nationally ranked Rutgers team that hadn't allowed a 100-yard rusher in two years.That start came because of an injury to then-starter Terry Caulley and it was followed by four more. In those five games Brown kept pace with Big East studs Ray Rice and Steve Slaton rushing for 100 or more yards three times.He was named second-team All-Big East in 2006 the only freshman to make the all-conference team.Now without having to split carries with another back Brown is turning those flashes of greatness into a consistent assault on opposing rush defenses.His 11 touchdowns is already tied for the seventh-highest single-season total in Connecticut history and his season total of 906 yards would rank 11th. And the Huskies have completed less than half of their schedule.Brown's career numbers are even more impressive. His 2623 rushing yards and 26 scores are both tied for third-best in Huskie history.None of this bodes well for a North Carolina defense that ranks eighth in the ACC in run defense and has worn down during the late stages of games this year.During the Virginia Tech game the best rushing team the Tar Heels have seen UNC contained the Hokie ground game for three quarters. But in the fourth the same seams that were sealed tight all game suddenly opened wide due to fatigue.The best bet for the Tar Heels to stop Brown and UConn's rushing attack is to try to take the ball out of Brown's hands and force the Huskies' backup quarterback Zach Frazer to throw the ball.Brown's prolific rushing numbers don't translate into the receiving game. He is not a big threat out of the backfield with a career high of 32 receiving yards.The goal for the Tar Heels will be to win the battle at the line of scrimmage and push into the backfield on early downs forcing the Huskies into obvious passing situations.But against the leading rusher in the nation this task will require the efforts of all three levels of the UNC defense to carry out.
(09/25/08 4:00am)
Redshirt freshman Mike Paulus will be North Carolina's quarterback this Saturday against Miami UNC coach Butch Davis said Wednesday.But so will junior Cam Sexton he added.Following the injury to starter T.J. Yates" both Paulus and Sexton will share quarterbacking duties in a repeat performance of this year's spring practices.""When T.J. had the surgery in the springtime and wasn't able to go through spring practice" it was just the two of them Davis said.At the time everybody was bemoaning the fact that T.J. wasn't here but in retrospect looking back" it was probably a little bit of a good thing.""We got a chance to watch them do things" and the guys in the huddle the other 10 guys" got a chance to have those guys step in the huddle with them.""The adjustment from a steady signal-caller to an unstable situation has left some Tar Heels uneasy.""This is like going back to when we started off" tailback Greg Little said. Guys are a lot more tense now rather than loose. And we're kind of getting the feel for both guys" knowing that they're both going to play.""But the instability also will provide both Paulus and Sexton with the chances to prove that they belong at the helm of an up-and-coming Bowl Championship Subdivision program.""Mike" this is going to be his first go-around out there so he has to prove what he can do senior wideout Brooks Foster said.Cam he's got a little experience. T.J. took his job" so he's got to go out there and work hard and try to get his job back. So it should be good — a lot of competition out there between the two.""Running game must improveAside from Little's 50-yard scamper in the third quarter of Saturday's game against Virginia Tech"" UNC has struggled through the season to put together any semblance of a consistent rushing attack.""It starts up front. We as running backs have to help the linemen out" Little said.We have to bring defenders to the blocks and then cut off there" and then run to daylight.""Little compiled 31 yards on his 17 other carries — an average of 1.8 yards per carry.Shaun Draughn" the second half of UNC's running back tandem rushed five times for 10 yards good for a 2.0 average per carry.Both also coughed up costly fumbles that led directly to VT scoring drives" which Little attributed to trying to stretch a run for too long.""It's fighting for the extra yardage" he said. And you have to know when the journey's over" and when you have to get down.""Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.