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(09/04/09 2:40am)
It didn’t take running back Shaun Draughn very long into training camp to notice something was different about the unit in front of him.After all, losing five players and more than 1500 pounds from one’s offensive line is pretty hard to miss.“They started off, I wouldn’t say shaky, but as far as depth-wise, we didn’t have a lot of depth,” Draughn said. “But the freshmen have stepped up. Brennan Williams and Travis Bond are doing a good job of taking coaching and getting better every day.”The raid on UNC’s offensive line began last winter when starters Garrett Reynolds and Calvin Darity, old hands at right tackle and right guard, finally exhausted their eligibility.Then Aaron Stahl, penciled in after spring practice as UNC’s starting left guard for 2009, opted to forgo his final season of eligibility and graduate early.And when it became clear early in training camp that reserves Kevin Bryant (who left the team after a misdemeanor) and Carl Gaskins (who tore his ACL) wouldn’t be contributing to the Tar Heels this season, North Carolina was officially thin at the game’s biggest position.“It's one of those things. You know it happens but you try not to think about it,” starting left tackle Kyle Jolly said. “But then you just have to realize that it happens and you just have to get the young guys ready to play those roles that the guys that are injured were going to play.” But the departures of those aforementioned players haven’t tremendously affected the wealth of experience UNC will have in its starting linemen. Four out of the five starters rank as upperclassmen, with redshirt freshman Jonathan Cooper as the only outlier. It’s in the backups to these starters, however, that inexperience at the position shows itself. True freshmen Bond and Williams are backups at right guard and right tackle, respectively, and junior Greg Elleby, who converted to offense after playing defensive line for two seasons, backs up Jolly at left tackle. Butch Davis said he would like to redshirt Bond and Williams this season to get them more experience at the position, but he might not have a choice should an injury situation arise in a game. “They may be kids that we may travel,” Davis said. “If something happens, and if they have to go into the game then they’ll lose the redshirt year, and then if they didn’t have to play in a game maybe they won’t. "A lot of it will be dictated by injuries and things that are out of our control.” If Bond and Williams are forced to play, they won’t be entirely unprepared for the situation.North Carolina as a team has known about its depth issue on the offensive line for most of training camp, and third-year starting left end E.J. Wilson said the defensive line has been doing its best to offer pointers and teach their young teammates the ropes.“We give them pointers. When we go out there in pass rush we’re not going out there just beating up on our guys. That’s not making them better,” Wilson said. “And if we’re not making them better, we’re not making the team better so we’ll give them pointers, and every day you’ll see them start to take those pointers.” As for Elleby, his conversion for attacking the quarterback to protecting him is progressing rapidly. Elleby is already learning to play both tackle and guard because of the depth issue, and Jolly said his backup has flourished in his new role.Wilson, who has both played with Elleby on the defensive line and now watches Elleby practice at left tackle and guard, had similar sentiments. “I’ve been watching him and Greg is doing really, really good,” Wilson said. “He’s way ahead of the learning curb of where we thought he’d be.“I think he’s going to be a great addition to the offensive line.”
(08/26/09 3:43am)
When asked about his hopes for UNC’s defensive line this season, coach Butch Davis said he’s a firm believer that the personality of an entire football team is reflected in that team’s defensive front four.
(08/25/09 2:36am)
For the second straight season, Greg Little is wrapping up training camp at a No. 1 spot on UNC’s depth chart — just at a different position this year.While he entered last season with a lion’s share of expectations as North Carolina’s young-gun starting running back, he’s now back to working full time with wide receivers.He’s also found himself in a different position in terms of experience. Little, a junior, returns as the elder statesman of a stable of young wideouts, and has found himself the de facto leader of a group trying to replace a trio of NFL draft picks.But Butch Davis isn’t ready to cede that title to him after Little’s less-than-spectacular 2008 — at least not yet.“Greg Little has got to take care of Greg Little. He can be a great role model. He can go out and practice hard,” Davis said. “But I’m not too concerned about him being a mentor and being a coach on the field. If you want to set a great example for all those young wide receivers, go out and perform.”Quarterback T.J. Yates said Little has heard the criticism after a 2008 that saw him relinquish his hold on the running back position after just four games and struggle to make an impact after he switched positions to wide receiver.To remedy the negative connotations that accompany a disappointing year, Little devoted himself this offseason to refining his skills and improving his chemistry with Yates.“We spent a lot of time together in the offseason, and building a rapport with him and developing camaraderie has put us over the top,” Little said. “Just knowing where he’s going to throw it and him knowing where I’m going to be and giving me that time to get open.”So far, reports from training camp suggest Little’s offseason work is producing dividends. Yates answered without hesitation that Little is the receiver he is most comfortable with on the field and has given glowing reports of his athleticism.“You can kind of get away with making mistakes, because he’s such a good athlete, he can make up for it,” Yates said. “He can catch the balls you’re not supposed to.“He’s got all the tools to do pretty much anything out there on the field.”One development Yates has noticed is that Little isn’t trying to do too much after catching the football. Rather than trying to race a defender to the sidelines and turn the corner every play, Little puts his head down and gets the sure yardage.Time will tell if his work in practice will translate to Saturdays, but Little said he is poised to fill the void at receiver.“We’ve been left some pretty big shoes to fill,” Little said. “I’ve been putting a lot of pressure on myself. I feel like I’ve got to step up to the plate, and the bar’s been set pretty high.”Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(08/23/09 6:48pm)
Carl Gaskins. Kevin Bryant. Aaron Stahl.Not exactly the trio of offensive players that fans and coaches of the North Carolina football team were worried about replacing this training camp.And while these three certainly don’t have the star power of departed wide receivers and NFL draftees Hakeem Nicks, Brandon Tate and Brooks Foster, their absence this season leaves the Tar Heels’ offensive line decidedly thin. That’s a problem at a position crucial to protecting quarterback T.J. Yates and opening up holes for UNC’s running backs.“We’re going to have to develop some depth,” head coach Butch Davis said. “We’re playing some true freshman on the offensive line in the second and third group, getting challenged.“To be honest with you, we’ve given them more reps than we normally would have given players a year ago. In a typical period drill where they might get six, sometimes they’re getting seven and sometimes they’re getting eight.”The dominos began to fall when Stahl choose to graduate and leave the program rather than using his final year of eligibility. Then Bryant opted not to return for his sophomore year after a summer in which he was charged with misdemeanor assault. Gaskins tore his ACL in his left knee during training camp to finish the battering of UNC’s depth chart.While Stahl was the only player penciled in for a starting position, Bryant and Gaskins were second team players on a unit that already lost two starters from 2008 to graduation: right tackle Garrett Reynolds and right guard Calvin Darity.But for all the missing faces, at least one offensive lineman, Greg Elleby, said the unit is not fazed going into the season.Elleby, who converted to offense after playing defensive end for UNC last season, said the entire offensive line, particularly the freshmen who will be counted on to provide insurance behind UNC’s starters, has come “a long, long way” from the start of camp.“We don’t worry about depth at all,” Elleby said. “We just play with the guys that are here because we can’t win with somebody that isn’t here.”As for replacing that “other” trio of Nicks, Tate and Foster, the depth chart remains flexible. No receiver has risen head and shoulders above the others during training camp, but Davis said that is by design.“Receivers by nature during training camp, they run their legs off,” he said. “We can almost not have enough receivers for training camp because the nature of how much they to run in the course of a practice — it’s literally measurable in miles.”Junior Greg Little returns this season as the most experienced player of the group and probably will emerge from camp as the No. 1 receiver. As quarterback Yates said, he’s the receiver he’s been most comfortable with on the field.But beyond Little, the position remains an unknown quantity. Sophomore Dwight Jones was listed as the other starter after spring practice, but six to seven players are still in the mix.Freshman Jheranie Boyd has stood out in drills with impressive speed, but Davis said the competition might stretch into the season, with results on the field having the final say.“Those first three or four games is going to give them something we can’t give them. It doesn’t matter how much we challenge them,” Davis said. “It won’t be the same as the speed, the adrenaline rush, all the excitement playing in front of 65,000 people.“That’s when we’ll start to find out if they’re truly ready to play.”Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(11/21/08 5:00am)
Going into its 2008 campaign the largest question mark for N.C. State's football team was the quarterback perhaps the most important position on any team.The Wolfpack had two players on its roster with extensive experience leading an offense but both had turned in mediocre performances in their time at the helm of the offense last season.Coach Tom O'Brien had a quartet of quarterbacks — Daniel Evans Mike Glennon Harrison Beck and Russell Wilson — to choose from. He ended up taking a chance with an inexperienced newbie the redshirt freshman Wilson.It turned out to be a risk worth taking.Wilson has blossomed in N.C. State's offense this season growing into a potent dual-threat quarterback as the season has progressed. After struggling in the early season against South Carolina and Clemson he has thrown a touchdown in every game he has appeared in and has been careful to limit his turnovers.Wilson arrives in Chapel Hill fresh off of his best game of the season. He earned the ACC Rookie of the Week award for helping spark N.C. State's upset of Wake Forest a game in which he gained 221 yards of total offense threw for two scores and rushed for a touchdown.The signal-caller also kept alive an impressive streak of 175 passing attempts without an interception last week. And he did all of that in just his first collegiate season behind center.Freshman quarterbacks are supposed to be plagued by interceptions not immune to them.Add leading late-game touchdown drives to the list of things Wilson's doing that freshman signal-callers just aren't supposed to do.Against then-No. 15 East Carolina and Boston College the third and fourth starts of his career Wilson played with the poise of an upperclassman in calmly directing game-tying drives with the game in the balance. He finished both off with scores through the air.Wilson possesses the full array of tools necessary to be a successful college quarterback. His arm is strong enough to rifle balls across the field his footwork in the pocket is solid and his speed forces defenses to account for him on the ground. A scouting service measured his 40-yard dash at 4.69 in high school.For the season Wilson has 1270 passing yards and 234 rushing yards good for third best on the Wolfpack. He also has scored three rushing touchdowns.But Wilson isn't just a one-trick pony. He also plays second base on NC State's baseball team hitting .296 in 32 appearances notching two home runs a triple and a pair of doubles.He also showed off his speed on the basepaths stealing six bases on seven attempts.North Carolina's defense has plenty of experience stopping dual-threat quarterbacks this season having already shut down Virginia Tech's Tyrod Taylor and Georgia Tech's Josh Nesbitt in conference action.The Tar Heels' linebackers Mark Paschal Quan Sturdivant and Bruce Carter as well as the rest of the defense will need to put together a repeat effort on Wilson in order to stifle the Wolfpack offense.It will also be interesting to see if North Carolina's ball-hawking secondary can nab any picks off of Wilson. UNC's defense checks is tied for second in the FBS in interceptions but Wilson hasn't thrown one since Sept. 13 against Clemson.Wilson won't pile up huge yardage against the Tar Heels but he also won't hand the defense many gifts. UNC will have to earn its way off the field with third down stops.
(11/21/08 5:00am)
The end-of-season clash for all the gridiron bragging rights in North Carolina has finally arrived.No other football game between teams in the Tar Heel state matters more than today's North Carolina-N.C. State grudge match. It's the one sport where UNC's other primary rival Duke hasn't made an impact in a long time.While the game might not mean much on the national level it's marked off on the schedule for the rabid fans at both schools. No matter what either team's record is countless numbers of partisan supporters are quick to point out just how much spite they have for their rival.Even someone with no knowledge of the rivalry can see that the players feel the same way — the amount of hard-hitting pushing" shoving and trash-talking always seems to pick up for this physical battle. ""If you're not ready for this one" you don't deserve to be in the state rivalry UNC cornerback Kendric Burney said. When the schedule comes out" you get this game in your head. You know when you play N.C. State.""Everyone comes with their A-game"" nobody wants to be shown up.""Though N.C. State sits at two games below .500"" the Wolfpack would like nothing more than to knock UNC out of the conference title race and push them to a lower-tiered bowl game.""It's like the Super Bowl for them"" Tar Heel safety Deunta Williams said. I know they're going to be coming hard.""But the game also has implications beyond offseason bragging rights and conference standings — an impressive performance can give the victorious school a leg up in recruiting" especially among waffling in-state players. And with big-name coaches and noted recruiters Butch Davis and Tom O'Brien now leading the two N.C. powers this advantage could be powerful ammunition as they try to persuade the top preps to enroll at their schools.The matchup has become a traditional showcase of sorts for what are clearly the top two recruiting powers in North Carolina.Wake Forest Duke and East Carolina have made inroads in recent seasons but UNC and N.C. State still lock down the state's best players.Williams was one player who considered both schools before choosing North Carolina.He said that while watching the game didn't make or break his decision" seeing UNC squeak out an exciting win against N.C. State before he committed in 2004 definitely made him raise an eyebrow.""I saw something in North Carolina I didn't see before"" Williams said.The reputation they had for being soft — I had thought that before. When I came to the game they were physical. They were really pounding State around.""The ending to the game Williams watched that year was a doozy. UNC's Khalif Mitchell recovered Wolfpack running back T.A. McLendon's fumble just short of the goal line on the game's final play" preserving the 30-24 UNC upset.The final play underscored what had happened in the game as a plucky underdog UNC squad managed to out-physical its rival a team loaded with a number of NFL draft picks.Williams said he still remembers most of the details from it and how his perception of UNC football changed illustrating just how much of an effect this matchup can have on an undecided player.In 2004 N.C. State was in the position in which North Carolina now finds itself. With a win UNC will have twice as many victories this year as its rival. But a loss could give the Wolfpack some momentum heading into the offseason.UNC also has two top recruits linebacker Hawatha Bell and safety Donavan Tate visiting this weekend" so the Tar Heels would like a strong showing.""This weekend will definitely be a big plus for us if we can pull this out" as far as in-state recruits go" Burney said. Hopefully we can just go out there and do our responsibilities and get the job done.""Defensive tackle Cam Thomas" who will be battling in the trenches reinforced the importance of the rivalry contest.The Wolfpack has beaten Duke Wake Forest and East Carolina this season" so a win would make them the de facto state champions.""They beat us last year" so they got the bragging rights" Thomas said. Now it's time to make a change.""
(11/06/08 5:00am)
When North Carolina's football team reached the six-win mark two weeks ago against Boston College a trip to college football's cash cow also known as bowl season became a near-certainty.Since the ACC has affiliations with nine bowl games it would be a major shock not to see the Tar Heels playing in December even if they lose the rest of their games.The payouts for the games UNC could potentially be involved in vary considerably. A $17 million payout was given to teams for an appearance in last year's FedEx Orange Bowl the BCS bowl with which the ACC has an official tie-in. The payouts decrease sharply from there but UNC could still stand to earn around $5.56 million for being selected to the Chick-fil-A Bowl.So the question is how many games does UNC need to win to reap a large payout from this year's bowl season?Stop before you even start the speculation. It's a trick question.The truth is even if UNC doesn't make it to a bowl this season" it would stand to benefit the same as every other ACC team.""All receipts from postseason football games will be divided equally among all 12 member institutions" UNC senior associate athletic director Larry Gallo said. So basically if you go to a game and there is a certain payout" that money goes to the conference.""All the bowl payouts go into a conference pool and then are distributed to every school" even those that don't make a bowl.And if UNC isn't careful with its travel budget" it could end up losing money.""You're living" if you will with a travel party of 100 to 150 people if you include everybody Gallo said. Housing them feeding them" transporting them becomes a rather large expense.""For lower-tier bowls" ACC teams are given a travel budget of $1 million by the conference. As the quality of the bowl goes up teams receive more travel money all the way up to $1.6 million for a BCS bowl.Gallo said other expenses such as renting practice fields and locker rooms during the week before the game can also add up. These amenities are not always provided by the bowls or their sponsors.Texas Tech found that out the hard way at last year's Gator Bowl. It lost more than $200000 for spending more than its allotted budget.Selling tickets is also an issue. If North Carolina makes a bowl it is responsible for selling a certain number of tickets by the bowl game that selects it. It has to reimburse the bowl for unsold tickets.One example would be the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl which pits an ACC team against an SEC foe. Scott Ramsey the president of the bowl said that the ACC team is given 10000 tickets to sell.Whatever bowl it lands in UNC will be on its own to sell the first 6000 tickets but after that the conference begins to split some of the cost.Gallo said the Tar Heels should have no trouble selling their allotment of tickets unless they land at bowls in Boise Idaho or San Francisco Calif. — cities far away from Chapel Hill.Of course there are more than just negatives of going to a bowl. ACC bowl schools make their experience worthwhile through less-measurable benefits.The national exposure and increased prestige of reaching a bowl usually sends fans shopping" which means increasing merchandising opportunities.""When you look at the universities in the country that are No. 1 in merchandising sales as far as the percentage of profit they get" it's all spurred by a lot of success particularly if you go to a bowl game" Gallo said. Bowls also typically give out goodie bags"" to every player and coach on the team"" and these bags can have up to a value of $500 under NCAA rules. They usually select items to cater to the 18-22 age group.""We'll typically have some version of an electronics piece" some apparel and a watch and try to load up on the electronics piece" Ramsey said.And with 105 players on the sideline, as well as the entire coaching staff, simple math brings the cost of these to around $60,000 paid by the bowl.UNC coach Butch Davis said bowls also have a tremendous value in serving as an end-of-season reward and a recruiting tool. He said it justifies all the conditioning, weight room work and difficult practices this season.They've worked extraordinarily hard just to win these six games"" he said. It validates that we're moving the program in the right direction.""
(10/24/08 4:00am)
There isn't much that can stir up more groans and grumblings from fans than the switch to the prevent defense by their favorite team in the closing minutes of a close football game.A team's once-stout defense can appear to transform into a completion-allowing machine and most people wonder why the opposing offense can pile up so much yardage so effortlessly with the game hanging in the balance.That strategy drew skepticism this week after Virginia's offense sliced through UNC's version of the prevent last Saturday to tie the game at 10 with less than a minute to go in the game.North Carolina used a cover-two at the end of the game and dropped eight defenders into coverage for the drive. The downside of the increased amount of bodies in the secondary was a lack of pressure on the quarterback.Coach Butch Davis a man with plenty of football experience" defended the defensive call.""After 34 years I could sit here and tell you that we won three Super Bowls with the Cowboys doing a lot of the same things" he said.Davis said sending several blitzers creates greater potential for the big play because it leads to one-on-one situations between defensive backs and receivers.They hit one play for 87 yards and the fans are like" ‘Are you crazy? Why would you put it all on one guy?'""Cornerback Jordan Hemby said his job in the scheme is to jam or ""re-route"" the receiver at the line and force him to run a pattern toward the middle of the field" where UNC's safeties lurk. The safeties set up deep between the hash marks where they can break up or intercept passes that sail over a receiver's head.And with a Tar Heel cornerback barely trailing the receiver after forcing him inward" the opposing quarterback must make a near-perfect throw on long pass to keep the defense from making a play on the ball.Hemby said he is also supposed to ""sink"" or position himself in front of the receiver if possible to create a more difficult throw. That way, a quarterback would have to throw it over the cornerback but still underneath the safety.Short routes are easier to complete on this defense, but long passes should be nearly impossible. And at the end of games, long passes are what a prevent defense is trying to stop.We do it a lot more than you think" safety Deunta Williams said. It just so happens we got hurt this time. Everybody critiques it" but in some situations it has worked.""Hemby said one problem that led to Virginia's success was that he didn't always properly position himself to force his man to the middle.""I didn't do as good of a re-route as I should have" so I didn't force the receiver to where I needed him to go" he said.In breaking Hemby's jam, Viriginia also exploited a hole in the cover-two — the soft spot on the side of the field behind the cornerback and just out of reach of the safety.Since Williams is set up in the middle of the field, he can't speed to the sidelines quickly enough to break up a pass to that area.Hemby said he's been working on his positioning this week so there won't be a repeat performance of last Saturday.I'm just focusing on the receiver more when I get my jam" looking at their outside hip so they don't get outside of me and I can jam him inside" he said.Williams said the entire defense can do better at tightening up the soft spots in the cover-two by being more aggressive, using better technique and disguising the coverage before the play.He said that the team worked hard on the cover-two in practice this week after the loss and that it will be better prepared the next time it has a chance to close out a game.I don't think that they're going to complete deep balls like they have in the past" Williams said. I'm thinking our corners are going to do a much better job of staying outside and sinking" and I'll do a much better job of reading the quarterback and playing technique.""
(10/09/08 4:00am)
A quick look at a college football statistics page during breakfast might shock some unsuspecting eaters enough to cough up their Lucky Charms.Here's a quick recap of what went through those people's minds.""Let's see" who's leading the country in team interceptions? Wait" North Carolina's No. 1? Really?""Believe it.In a season when everything's been turned upside down in Chapel Hill" the ball-hawking defense is leading the charge. Eight different Tar Heels have picked off at least one pass and as a team they have totaled 12 on the season. Even defensive tackle Marvin Austin has joined the party grabbing a pick — rare for a defensive lineman — last week against UConn.Pretty good for a unit that notched a mere 11 all of last year which ranked 73rd in the nation.The most prolific thief for the Tar Heels has been senior Trimane Goddard who came into the season with five career interceptions. This season he's transformed into a nightmare for quarterbacks" nabbing four of their passes in five games to tie the national lead in picks.So what's the explanation for the change? How has UNC shot up 72 spots in the national rankings in less than one season?Goddard credits the defense's increased awareness of the offensive schemes of UNC's opponents.""I feel like this year we got a lot smarter because we recognize route drop-steps a lot better" he said. So instead of doing a drop in a spot" you actually read what an offense is doing and you can adjust your drop based off what they're doing.""He said the younger players have absorbed the information coaches and game experience gave them last season" and that a big reason for UNC's success has been their improvement.It also helps to face off against arguably the most talented receiving corps in the ACC every practice. Hakeem Nicks and Brandon Tate are No. 1 and No. 2 respectively in the conference in receiving yards" and Brooks Foster has made big plays in his career.Defensive back Kendric Burney said working against the group has paid huge dividends for the secondary. ""Guarding our receivers is pretty much like studying for a test. We study hard — we guard them hard every week. We go into the game Saturday night. We're prepared for anything"" he said. We're ready for the deep routes. we're ready for the short routes. It's just unbelievable the things we go through with them that prepares us for the week.""But it hasn't just been the secondary doing all the work. UNC's linebackers have picked up their play" swarming to the ball on tipped passes and playing solid coverage on tight ends and running backs. Every starting linebacker has registered an interception and Mark Paschal leads the unit with two.But perhaps the single biggest reason UNC leads the nation in picks has been the uncharacteristically soft hands of the defensive players.In interception situations their hands have responded this season as if they were covered in Stickum" bucking the trend that defensive players can't catch the football.""There's an old adage that if you catch the ones that they throw to you" you'll probably have a chance to lead the nation in interceptions coach Butch Davis said. And fortunately it's hit our hands and they stuck" instead of just knocking the ball down and batting them down.""The increased number of interceptions has helped flip what usually has been an ugly statistic for the Tar Heels: turnover margin.UNC is an impressive plus-six so far in 2008" a far cry from the subpar minus-six it posted in 2007.This positive number has played no small part in helping North Carolina already win as many games this season as it did all of last year.
(10/02/08 4:00am)
Game and Time: Connecticut at North Carolina. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. today.Site: Kenan StadiumTV/Radio: TV coverage: ESPN2. Radio coverage: WCHL 1360 AM WRDU 106.1 FM.Records: Connecticut is 5-0. North Carolina is 3-1.The Key Matchup: UConn's rushing attack vs. North Carolina's front seven.The Huskies roll into Chapel Hill today with an unblemished record and look to defend their new AP Top 25 ranking with a road victory against North Carolina. Though this matchup means nothing for the two teams' conference records more than pride will be on the line in this one as both teams are jockeying for bowl bids.UConn running back Donald Brown leads the nation in rushing with 906 yards and he should have his way against a UNC defense that has allowed 138.5 ypg on the ground 65th-best in the Football Bowl Subdivision.UNC's front seven has not shown it can shut down the run so far this year and the game could swing on how much they are able to slow down the Huskies' running game.One question mark for the Huskies is at quarterback. Regular starter Tyler Lorenzen broke his foot last week against Louisville so sophomore Zach Frazer will line up behind center.Frazer will need to establish the passing game early to prevent the Tar Heels from stacking the box to contain Brown.On the offensive side of the ball for North Carolina quarterback Cam Sexton will start following his late-game heroics during UNC's victory at Miami. Sexton and the rest of the offense should roll against a struggling UConn defense that allowed more than 500 yards to Louisville last weekend.More than 250 of those yards came on the ground so UNC running backs Greg Little and Shaun Draughn should establish themselves early. Wideouts Brandon Tate and Hakeem Nicks should also be salivating to face this unit as it also allowed almost 250 yards through the air to the Cardinals.The game should be an offensive showcase but count on Frazer to make a few mistakes in his first start. Coupled with UConn's road woes — they won their first two road games against .500 or worse teams by a combined eight points — UNC should come out victorious.Prediction: UNC 38 UConn 31.
(09/18/08 4:00am)
Every once in a while when UNC coach Butch Davis looks down at the linebacker section of UNC's depth chart he feels like a brand new father.A whopping 10 underclassmen fill the list" and two sophomores even occupy the starting positions. That's quite a few bundles of joy to take on all at once.""Sometimes you feel like you have to go to K-Mart and get Pampers"" Davis said.Davis can laugh now, but last year this joke was a little too close to reality. Due to injuries at the position, he was forced to start two freshmen.Bruce Carter and Quan Sturdivant" who didn't even play linebacker in high school were thrust into ‘Oh my God" you mean I've got to actually start the next twelve games and play on this team?'"" he said. ""It was baptism under fire every single week. There were so many things that you knew they didn't know.""The result was a season full of growing pains. Davis said the linebackers struggled facing exotic new offensive alignments every week" and this young North Carolina team finished with a mediocre 4-8 record.But this season players like Carter and Sturdivant are no longer infants in the Tar Heels' defensive scheme. And Davis will look to reap the dividends of his recruiting emphasis on bringing in speedier and more athletic playmakers.The veteran of the group senior Mark Paschal" said he can see this young group taking in more and more information every day and getting better on the field every week.Paschal said they still don't read and reacted to offenses like they should but that improvements will show up as the season progresses. ""They've been here for a little bit of time now so they understand what we're trying to do defensively" Paschal said. It's something that didn't happen overnight" but they're getting better. And it's fun to see those guys pick up little things they wouldn't have picked up six months or a year ago.""Rutgers found that out first-hand last week as starters Paschal" Carter and Sturdivant combined for an impressive statline: 17 tackles and two interceptions" one returned for a touchdown.Carter and Sturdivant even have the athleticism to make a cornerback envious.""They've got so much speed" both of them are pretty much faster than I am if we had to get in a footrace from A to B" defensive back Kendric Burney said.And at 6-3, 225, and 6-2, 230, respectively, these two should give opposing offensive players fits as they develop as linebackers.Paschal said the integration of this speed and size with more awareness of the football field will take UNC's linebacking core to the next level.If you run a 4.4 on the track and a 4.8 on the field because you don't know what's going on or you don't know where you're supposed to be at the right time" then the speed doesn't really help you Paschal said.When you have good speed like they do and you understand where you're supposed to be and what you need to do" I think that's when you become very successful as a linebacker.""Sturdivant said what has allowed him to make a jump this season was learning which area to cover.""I think from the biggest standpoint" just knowing my responsibility like last year I just kind of got my feet wet a little bit but this year more responsibility has allowed me to play better he said.Sturdivant also said having Paschal as a mentor has helped him and all the other young linebackers develop.Mark he's just the general out there" he makes all the calls and gets us lined up and everything. He just basically tells everybody what to do.""Behind these three are a bevy of young athletes hungry to prove themselves. Players like freshman Zach Brown have impressed in practice" and Davis said he wants to get this group experience" even if just on special teams.""We think we have improved the athleticism of that overall group and as they continue to grow. … We hope to force-feed some of those guys into game situations.""
(05/22/08 4:00am)
The doubles point didn't provide enough momentum for No. 12 North Carolina (21-6) to sneak past No. 5 Mississippi in the round of 16 in the NCAA men's tennis tournament Friday.
The Rebels (24-4) dominated singles play, winning four out of the first five singles matches to come back against the Tar Heels and advance to the quarterfinals. The final score was 4-2 in favor of Ole Miss.
UNC seniors David Stone and Tristan Heinrich started off their last match in their respective college careers well for the Tar Heels with an 8-5 doubles victory. Sophomores Clay Donato and Stefan Hardy clinched the doubles point shortly thereafter with an 8-6 win to put UNC up 1-0.
Singles looked to be a dogfight early, with each team claiming three first set wins, but Mississippi slowly began to pull away during the second sets. The Rebels registered three straight set victories in a row at No. 1, 3 and 6 singles to pull ahead 3-1.
The three Tar Heels who had won their first sets all lost in their second sets, setting up a scenario in which UNC would have to win all of the three remaining sets to claim victory.
Donato broke through to snap Mississippi's run and cut the Rebels' lead to 3-2, but Hardy could not hold off Ole Miss' Matthias Wellermann, ranked No. 31 in the country, at No. 2 singles, and Mississippi clinched the match 4-2.
"You have to congratulate Ole Miss," coach Sam Paul told tarheelblue.com after the match. "This was a great match. Ole Miss just played better in the bigger points. I'm just so proud of my team. There were a lot of tears talking to those guys."
The loss concludes a highly successful year for the Tar Heels, who finished the season ranked in the top 12 for the third consecutive season. The team will lose eight seniors, but returns four out of six starters in both singles and doubles.
The senior starters that will depart are No. 1 singles player Benjamin Carlotti, No. 6 singles player Stone and the No. 3 doubles team of Stone and Heinrich.
The 2008 season saw the Tar Heels compile an impressive 11-match winning streak that stretched close to two months and a near-perfect 9-1 ACC conference regular-season mark that allowed North Carolina to host a regional NCAA match for the fourth time in five years and third consecutive time.
Three UNC players were honored with spots on the All-ACC team: Hardy, Donato, and Chris Kearney. They combine for the most selections UNC has had on the team since 2004.
A victory over rival Duke boosted UNC into the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament for the second time in three years, prompting senior David Stone to call that victory "probably the greatest feeling I've ever had in my life," according to tarheelblue.com
UNC's only regular season conference loss was to No. 1 Virginia. They also tied a school record with nine ACC regular season wins for the second year in a row.
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(05/15/08 4:00am)
One mistake was all North Carolina State's Lindsay Campana needed to end No. 13 North Carolina's run through the ACC softball tournament in the semifinals.
Campana guided Saturday's upset of the top-seeded Tar Heels (50-11-1) with dominant pitching, allowing only three hits and zero runs while striking out seven in seven innings of work. N.C. State (31-26) won the game 1-0.
"She's a very good pitcher; she has a drop ball that she places really well inside and out," UNC sophomore Danielle Spaulding said. "But I think we were pressing and that we didn't really play our game. We were chasing balls that we shouldn't have, and I think we helped her out a lot."
UNC pitcher Lisa Norris nearly matched Campana's elite performance, giving up just four hits in six innings. But one mistake, a change-up that N.C. State sophomore Kristine Bechtholdt hit over the fence in the second inning, marred her otherwise masterful game.
North Carolina threatened to score in the sixth and seventh, but ultimately UNC hitters could not capitalize against Campana with runners on base.
The loss came as a shock and major disappointment for a team that posted an 18-2 conference mark, the best conference record in ACC history, and swept the Wolfpack during the regular season.
Spaulding said the team is already looking forward to the NCAAs.
"Although it meant a lot, we're over it, and we're ready to move on," she said. "It's not the end of the world."
UNC started off its ACC tournament weekend on a roll, getting a perfect game from Spaulding in a 6-0 victory in quarterfinal action Thursday against Virginia. But then showers in College Park, Md., washed out all of Friday's games and delayed Saturday's contests.
The rain forced tournament officials to rework its double elimination format into a single elimination bracket due to time constraints.
Coach Donna Papa said the format change hurt the Tar Heels because it eliminated their advantages in pitching depth and overall consistency. UNC lost two games in a row only once this season.
"I really feel like we had the pitching to handle a tournament like that, and when it changed it changes the whole complexity of it and makes it a different tournament," she said.
The semifinal exit put a damper on a week full of individual awards for the ACC regular season champions. Spaulding took home ACC Player of the Year, Papa earned ACC Coach of the Year and five other Tar Heels garnered all-ACC nods.
UNC's season will continue next week in the NCAA tournament, where they will compete in a region with No. 15 national seed Georgia.
Papa said that although they were not able to complete their goal of winning the ACC tournament, they hope to accomplish their other main goal of making the College World Series by doing all the little things right they did not do against N.C. State.
"We've got to execute and look at the things you need to do and the things we've been doing all year to be successful," Papa said. "If you don't do those things, any team can beat us; it doesn't matter on paper what you've done."
North Carolina will host Brigham Young (42-18) on Thursday in the opening game of regional play in the NCAA tournament.
Regional play consists of a double elimination tournament between four teams assigned to a specific regional site. The other two teams in the Chapel Hill regional are No. 15 national seed Georgia and Campbell (41-23).
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(03/31/08 4:00am)
The North Carolina bullpen did its best Jekyll and Hyde impression against N.C. State in a series split with the in-state rival this weekend.
In Friday's game, UNC relief pitchers looked unhittable as they held the Wolfpack lineup scoreless and allowed only one hit in 3.1 innings, striking out six in the process.
But they couldn't continue their dominance Saturday. N.C. State bats shelled the UNC bullpen for six runs in four innings, blowing a 6-2 advantage the Tar Heels built up during the first five.
The defense didn't do the pitching staff any favors, making three errors during the comeback, but Tar Heel pitches just weren't fooling N.C. State batters as they had a day earlier.
Sophomore Brian Moran said the difference between the effective outing in game one and the bullpen's blown lead Saturday was pitching placement.
"We just weren't locating our pitches all that well, and they were just getting hits," he said of game two.
Moran was able to shut down the Wolfpack in his relief appearance Friday, striking out all four hitters he faced.
But Moran didn't get a chance to make his mark Saturday, pitching to only one batter after UNC coach Mike Fox used other members of his staff for matchups with the Wolfpack sluggers.
Fox said normal human inconsistency accounted for the lapses in game two.
"You're not going to strike every one of them out every time," he said.
"They're not robots; they're trying as hard as they can. They're trying to make big pitches, and yesterday it just didn't happen for us."
And the bullpen did not get a chance to redeem itself in the series' final game after rain cancelled Sunday's rubber match.
Fox said he will depend on a combination of seven relievers - led by Moran, senior Rob Wooten, and redshirt freshman Colin Bates - to carry the Tar Heels' bullpen down the stretch of the season.
"We like the depth of our pitching staff," he said. "From the beginning we thought that was going to be one of the strengths of our team."
Moran said it won't be too difficult for the bullpen to shake off its rough outing. All they need to do is remember their success this season in making good pitches in crucial situations, he said.
"We're just going to keep working hard in the weight room and working hard in the bullpen to keep our pitches sharp," he said. "We'll be ready."
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(03/27/08 4:00am)
The No. 19 North Carolina softball team defeated Longwood 8-0 and 3-1 in a pair of games Wednesday, extending its unbeaten streak to 16 games.
The doubleheader was dominated by Tar Heel pitching, as sophomore Danielle Spaulding and junior Amber Johnson limited their opponents to only one run in 12 innings of work.
Spaulding took care of the Lancers (17-12) in game one with a near perfect effort, allowing only one hit in five innings to lower her team leading era to a microscopic 0.77. Spaulding struck out the side in four of five innings and also registered two RBIs in the rout.
"Her spin and movement on the ball - plus she's a lefty - I think really gives her an advantage over some right-handed hitters," UNC coach Donna Papa said. "I would have liked to see her go more than five innings just to see what she could have done."
Spaulding said she got into a zone on the mound during her dominant performance.
"I was getting to a point out there - it's not that I was cocky, but I was just very confident in my pitches," she said. "My pitches were moving really well today, and I just knew they were going to work."
Game two turned out to be much closer. The Tar Heels (30-6-1) struggled to get hits off of Longwood pitcher Briana Wells, and they registered only two in six innings.
"She had a really good change-up," Papa said of the Lancer hurler.
"Usually we're pretty good at picking it up and making adjustments to it, but she seemed to throw that 75 percent of the time mixed in with her other pitches, and our hitters just had trouble making that adjustment."
UNC was able to generate three runs off of these two hits, however, due to three Longwood errors.
And Johnson responded to the strong effort by Wells with a gem of her own.
After a rough start in which she allowed one run and four other base runners in the first two innings, Johnson shut the door on the Lancers and only gave up three hits during the final five innings.
Though she finished the day yielding only one run, Johnson said her pitches were a little bit off, and she had to stick almost exclusively with one pitch.
"My drop ball was my go-to today," she said. "It was working off the plate, and they were kind of fetching for it."
Up next for the Tar Heels is a series against Georgia Tech at home, where UNC is 16-0 this season.
Papa said UNC must play seven solid innings to keep its streak going against a strong Yellow Jacket lineup.
"Our pitchers are really going to have to be on, because if you miss with one pitch it's going over the fence."
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(03/24/08 4:00am)
Katrina Tsang watched her opponent's ball sail long and let out a yell of excitement before running to the net to shake hands.
She had just clinched victory for the UNC women's tennis team against Clemson, its first victory against the Tigers in seven tries.
Tsang won her singles match after losing the first set, a common theme for the Tar Heels, who needed three come-from-behind victories to complete the win Saturday.
Tsang said she had to re-evaluate her strategy after falling behind.
"I really had to start over a new set and really focus on grinding out the points," she said.
Tar Heel coach Brian Kalbas said Tsang was able to overcome the deficit by playing smarter and working her opponent deep into the court before going for winners.
The doubles team of Tsang and junior Austin Smith also registered a comeback victory, falling behind 4-6 before streaking to a 9-7 win to clinch the point for UNC (12-5, 3-1 ACC).
Playing the last of the three doubles matches to finish, they found themselves as the center of attention. Both teams surrounded the court, cheering their side on as the Tar Heels and Tigers (5-9, 1-3) fought for a pivotal point.
"It's kind of exciting to be the last match out there, being the deciding match, you kind of know it's all on you," Smith said.
Saturday's 4-3 win ended the weekend on a high note for the Tar Heels, who lost Friday to No. 2 Georgia Tech 5-2. The match's lone highlight was sophomore Sanaz Marand defeating the fourth-ranked Amanda McDowell in straight sets.
Kalbas said he was proud the team adjusted from the loss to Georgia Tech (11-3, 3-0).
"Yesterday we competed hard and kind of wore down in the rallies," he said Saturday. "Today we didn't wear down and were strong at the end of points and of the game, and obviously the end of sets and matches."
Tsang said the comeback gives the team momentum for next week's matches against highly ranked Florida State and Miami.
"Actually sealing the deal in a match like this speaks volumes for the team and really helps bring us together. There was just so much heart into this match, and that's what really made the difference."
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(02/25/08 5:00am)
When freshman Jelena Durisic tore her ACL on Feb. 17 against Florida, a major wrench was thrown into the North Carolina women's tennis team's plans.
With one false plant of her foot, UNC's No. 4 singles player was out for the season, and coach Brian Kalbas was forced to significantly alter his singles lineup.
"My initial thought was how disappointing it was for Jelena, who is an incredible individual and has been such an inspiration for our team," he said.
"I'm disappointed for her this year, and it's disappointing for the team because she was a real strong point for us."
Durisic was 6-1 before her season was cut short.
Kalbas placed junior Laura Reichert in Durisic's position, and juniors Meg Fanjoy and Sophie Grabinski alternated between position Nos. 5 and 6 this weekend.
Reichert lost her first match at No. 4 to 42nd-ranked Lauren Lui of Northwestern, but she rebounded Sunday with a straight-set victory against Notre Dame opponent Colleen Rielley.
Reichert said Sunday after her match that she is ready to take Durisic's place.
"I definitely was a little nervous to move up," she said. "Mentally it takes a little bit of adjusting, but other than that, it's pretty much the same. You just have to play with confidence."
Along with Reichert, Grabinski also has helped fill in for Durisic.
Kalbas said Grabinski has impressed him by coming back strong this season from three surgeries which ended her last two seasons.
"For her to get in there and get some confidence and her feet under herself is really good for her and the team," he said. "Sophie is getting the opportunity, and it's good to see her moving up the lineup."
Team matches without Durisic got off to a rough start for positions four, five and six, as they went a combined 0-3 against No. 2 Northwestern on Friday. They fared better against No. 15 Notre Dame, posting a 2-1 mark.
Reichert said the success the trio had against Notre Dame will give them confidence in the future.
The singles play was not the only part of the Tar Heels lineup to get shaken up. Kalbas changed all three doubles lineups for the weekend, including breaking up his seventh-ranked pairing of Grabinski and Sanaz Marand.
Kalbas paired together his top-two singles players, Marand and Katrina Tsang, and put Grabinski with Austin Smith.
"Before this weekend, we'd only won the doubles point one time against the top teams, and that's not going to get it done," he said.
"We're going to find some combinations that will give us the opportunity to win the doubles point."
UNC won both doubles points in its matches this weekend, but Kalbas said the lineup is always subject to change.
"I try not to hamstring things because I do think that if people are playing well, they should have a chance to move up," he said.
"Everybody's kind of young and inexperienced to a point, so I want to give the players that are playing well higher."
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(02/25/08 5:00am)
When freshman Jelena Durisic tore her ACL on Feb. 17 against Florida a major wrench was thrown into the North Carolina women's tennis team's plans.With one false plant of her foot UNC's No. 4 singles player was out for the season" and coach Brian Kalbas was forced to significantly alter his singles lineup.""My initial thought was how disappointing it was for Jelena" who is an incredible individual and has been such an inspiration for our team he said. I'm disappointed for her this year" and it's disappointing for the team because she was a real strong point for us.""Durisic was 6-1 before her season was cut short.Kalbas placed junior Laura Reichert in Durisic's position" and juniors Meg Fanjoy and Sophie Grabinski alternated between position Nos. 5 and 6 this weekend.Reichert lost her first match at No. 4 to 42nd-ranked Lauren Lui of Northwestern" but she rebounded Sunday with a straight-set victory against Notre Dame opponent Colleen Rielley. Reichert said Sunday after her match that she is ready to take Durisic's place.""I definitely was a little nervous to move up" she said. Mentally it takes a little bit of adjusting but other than that" it's pretty much the same. You just have to play with confidence.""Along with Reichert"" Grabinski also has helped fill in for Durisic.Kalbas said Grabinski has impressed him by coming back strong this season from three surgeries which ended her last two seasons.""For her to get in there and get some confidence and her feet under herself is really good for her and the team" he said. Sophie is getting the opportunity" and it's good to see her moving up the lineup.""Team matches without Durisic got off to a rough start for positions four" five and six as they went a combined 0-3 against No. 2 Northwestern on Friday. They fared better against No. 15 Notre Dame posting a 2-1 mark.Reichert said the success the trio had against Notre Dame will give them confidence in the future.The singles play was not the only part of the Tar Heels lineup to get shaken up. Kalbas changed all three doubles lineups for the weekend including breaking up his seventh-ranked pairing of Grabinski and Sanaz Marand. Kalbas paired together his top-two singles players Marand and Katrina Tsang" and put Grabinski with Austin Smith.""Before this weekend" we'd only won the doubles point one time against the top teams and that's not going to get it done" he said.We're going to find some combinations that will give us the opportunity to win the doubles point.""UNC won both doubles points in its matches this weekend"" but Kalbas said the lineup is always subject to change.""I try not to hamstring things because I do think that if people are playing well" they should have a chance to move up he said.Everybody's kind of young and inexperienced to a point" so I want to give the players that are playing well higher.""Contact the Sports Editorat sports@unc.edu
(02/18/08 5:00am)
The North Carolina women's tennis team didn't have enough to pull out another win against a highly ranked squad.
Facing its fourth top-10 opponent in a row, UNC (6-3) fell decisively to No. 6 Florida 6-1 Sunday.
The No. 5 Tar Heels were outmatched at nearly every position, with its only win coming from sophomore Sanaz Marand at No. 2 singles.
"Anything bad today that could have happened, happened," UNC coach Brian Kalbas said.
"I thought our energy level wasn't there. We were waiting for things good to happen instead of making things happen."
Florida (4-1) seized the momentum by taking the doubles point and never looked back, taking the first four singles points before Marand put the Tar Heels on the board.
Kalbas said the loss of the doubles point and an injury to freshman Jelena Durisic were the match's turning points. He said that the doubles point loss deflated the team members' attitudes and that Durisic had a good chance of winning her singles match if not for injury.
The Torrance, Calif.-native appeared to hurt her knee during the first set of her match, and she limped off the court after being unable to continue.
Kalbas said that she is scheduled to have an MRI on her knee today and that they will know more information at that time.
Meg Fanjoy was also injured. She had her ankle tended to during the first set of her singles match, but she played through the injury the rest of the way.
Marand and doubles partner Sophie Grabinski said the team's mental preparations affected the way the Tar Heels came out against Florida.
"We were all really motivated and everyone wanted to win really bad," Grabinski said. "I think that's a hard mentality to keep up for hour upon hour. Maybe we should have been more even keel as opposed to quite as hyped up as we were."
Marand put it more bluntly.
"Everyone really wasn't quite there today," she said.
"We started off well, and then when the other team kept fighting and coming back, we played back a little bit and then calmed down and looked flat. We weren't as hyped up as we were before going into the match."
North Carolina's difficult nonconference schedule continues next weekend when No. 2 Northwestern and No. 14 Notre Dame come to Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels will be looking for revenge against Northwestern after last weekend's loss in the semifinals of ITA Indoor Nationals.
Kalbas said that despite the loss to Florida, last weekend's victories against then-No. 2 UCLA and then-No. 8 USC raised expectations.
"Ultimately, if we're going to be a championship caliber team, we have to play this kind of schedule."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(02/18/08 5:00am)
The North Carolina women's tennis team didn't have enough to pull out another win against a highly ranked squad.Facing its fourth top-10 opponent in a row UNC (6-3) fell decisively to No. 6 Florida 6-1 Sunday.The No. 5 Tar Heels were outmatched at nearly every position" with its only win coming from sophomore Sanaz Marand at No. 2 singles.""Anything bad today that could have happened" happened" UNC coach Brian Kalbas said. I thought our energy level wasn't there. We were waiting for things good to happen instead of making things happen.""Florida (4-1) seized the momentum by taking the doubles point and never looked back" taking the first four singles points before Marand put the Tar Heels on the board.Kalbas said the loss of the doubles point and an injury to freshman Jelena Durisic were the match's turning points. He said that the doubles point loss deflated the team members' attitudes and that Durisic had a good chance of winning her singles match if not for injury.The Torrance Calif.-native appeared to hurt her knee during the first set of her match and she limped off the court after being unable to continue.Kalbas said that she is scheduled to have an MRI on her knee today and that they will know more information at that time.Meg Fanjoy was also injured. She had her ankle tended to during the first set of her singles match" but she played through the injury the rest of the way.Marand and doubles partner Sophie Grabinski said the team's mental preparations affected the way the Tar Heels came out against Florida.""We were all really motivated and everyone wanted to win really bad"" Grabinski said. I think that's a hard mentality to keep up for hour upon hour. Maybe we should have been more even keel as opposed to quite as hyped up as we were.""Marand put it more bluntly.""Everyone really wasn't quite there today" she said.We started off well and then when the other team kept fighting and coming back" we played back a little bit and then calmed down and looked flat. We weren't as hyped up as we were before going into the match.""North Carolina's difficult nonconference schedule continues next weekend when No. 2 Northwestern and No. 14 Notre Dame come to Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels will be looking for revenge against Northwestern after last weekend's loss in the semifinals of ITA Indoor Nationals.Kalbas said that despite the loss to Florida"" last weekend's victories against then-No. 2 UCLA and then-No. 8 USC raised expectations.""Ultimately" if we're going to be a championship caliber team" we have to play this kind of schedule."" Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.