November 8, 2001

1. I got a little carried away by the Tar Heels' performance against FSU and greatly overestimated them. Hey, mistakes happen. I was impressed by a lot of the things Tech did in the North Carolina game, but if I had to pick out one person to give the game ball to, it would be offensive line coach Mac McWhorter. Mac is one of the best assistant coaches in the game today, and he's done a superb job with Tech's young guys for two seasons running. And this really is a young offensive line. On any one play, there will be at least three and sometimes four offensive linemen on the field who are sophomores or freshmen. It concerned me that they were going up against a defensive line with two players who will likely be first round picks in the NFL draft next spring. I shouldn't have worried - McWhorter had them ready to play. Oddly enough, the last time Tech faced a team with two future NFL first rounders in the defensive line, they whipped Georgia in Athens.

   The offensive line has had some rough going this year, but the guys definitely played their best game of the season against the baby blues. They opened enough holes for the running backs to gain 237 yards rushing and, with the exception of one sack, they kept Ryan Sims and Julius Peppers off George Godsey's back. The sterling effort by the offensive line enabled Tech to control the ball for almost 37 minutes. Tech was able to grind the ball out with Joe Frank "Harris" Burns running inside and outside tackle, and wore North Carolina down by the fourth quarter (just as they wore down Syracuse in the season opener). When Tech got the ball with more than four minutes left in the fourth quarter, they kept Carolina from getting it back because Burns just kept pounding and pounding away. This was the kind of game George O'Leary loves, and for once it played out just the way he planned it.

   I thought it was an excellent strategic move to run the ball and keep running it (even Godsey busted a few moves running the option and scored a touchdown). Tech had drives in the first and third quarters that lasted for more than eight minutes apiece, crucial factors in wearing out the Carolina defense. Much of the credit should go to Burns, who blasted through the Heels for 198 yards rushing. O'Brien called as good a game as I've ever seen him call, with the exception of the final seconds of the first half when Tech got confused and let the clock run down instead of calling its final two timeouts (I guess they can donate those unused timeouts to the relief fund for victims of the World Trade Center attacks). The offense looked better in the red zone, although there's still room for improvement there.

   Rather than sit around and wait for Peppers to wreak havoc from his defensive end position on passing plays, Tech ran the ball right at him. Peppers was a non-factor for the whole game, finishing with a grand total of three tackles and zero sacks. A lot of Peppers' ineffectiveness can be credited to young Nat Dorsey, who for my money was the player of the game. This 18-year-old freshman went head to head with Peppers most of the night and kept him out of the pocket. Every time Peppers tried to bull his way inside, Dorsey would ride the bull into the dirt like a professional rodeo wrangler. This was the kind of game that can define a player's whole college career, much like John "The Refrigerator Mover" Davis' classic performance against William Perry in the 1984 Clemson game. Like Davis, Dorsey stood up to the biggest bully on the block, smacked him in the mouth, and rendered him useless. It was a great, great game for a kid who's going to get some All-American mentions before he's through at Tech. Dorsey didn't do it all by himself, of course. Sometimes Russ Matvay helped him out with a double-team on Peppers. On one memorable play, Hugh Reilly pulled from his right guard position and knocked Peppers flat. A lot of us were sitting around waiting for Peppers to blow up Tech's offense, but it never happened. It's probably a good thing that Peppers is going to turn pro a year early. If he stayed at Carolina next year, he'd merely be known as Nat Dorsey's butt-boy.

   I loved seeing Daryl Smith back in action. He was basically playing with one arm, because his left one was wrapped so bulkily he couldn't really tackle with it. But on a crucial third down play in the fourth quarter, Smith took down Darian Durant for a four-yard loss when Durant tried to pull a Woody Dantzler and run a quarterback draw. Carolina was forced to punt the ball away, and that defensive stop essentially wrapped up the game.

   The magnitude of Tech's performance can't be understated. Carolina rang up 41 points on FSU and 38 points on Clemson. Even with Marvious Hester getting torched on two touchdown passes, they only scored 21 points on Tech. FSU and Clemson were held to a combined total of 12 points by Carolina's defense. Tech scored 28 points on the Heels, more than twice as many as those two teams combined. Carolina gained a total of 13 yards rushing against Tech - their running backs had a net total of one yard on 12 carries. It doesn't get much better than that.

   Let's not overlook the special teams play either. Kelley Rhino was called "the best special teams player in college football" by the ESPN crew broadcasting the game, and I wouldn't argue with that assessment. Four punt returns for 111 yards equates to an impressive 27.8 yards per return, and Rhino really made John Bunting look like an idiot when he fielded that pooch punt off a fake field goal and ran it back down Carolina's throat for 50 yards. Some of the sadly deluded fans from other schools have sneered that Rhino "couldn't make our scout team" and only got a scholarship because his father and grandfather had played at Tech. What ignorant fools those people are. Kelley is going to bust a touchdown one day on a punt return, and it would be very fitting indeed for it to happen against the Athens Correctional Institute.

1. There were several predictions by mutt fans of a Tar Heel victory, and the leader of the pack was, of course, that guy with the stanky bait, Bulldog. On the day of the game he posted these words of wisdom: "Guys, I just keep going back and forth. Don't have a strong feeling either way. In the Clemson pounding I saw UNC just line up and overpower the Tigers. Nothing fancy. Can GT physically hang with UNC? Can Godsey avoid the pass rush? . . . UNC has pulled together and become a solid team. They went before 84,000 at Clemson and just SHOWED UP. Silenced them. Don't know who to pick. That close. I originally said GT and then switched to UNC. Let's flip a coin and it comes up UNC, close. I say 31-27."

   Then there was Dawg Byte, who predicted: "UNC 31 GT 17 . . . I think overall, the UNC defense is vastly improved and will be very tough against Burns & company, forcing Godsey to have to throw a lot. I also think Durant poses big problems for your D."

   And finally, CPA dawg's pick: "Tech needs 20 points to win this game and that is easier said than done. Can't put the ball on the ground like you all have been doing. Luke Skywalker must make his kicks also. Should be a good game but the Heels win it 24-10."

   Not even close, guys.

1. Dave Braine got reamed by the powers-that-be at ESPN and I can't figure out why he has been such a total wuss about it. If it were me in the athletic director's job, I'd be on the phone with the head of programming at ESPN reminding him of all the entertaining games Tech has provided over the years for their Thursday night broadcasts. I'd also remind him that he's going to need Tech's cooperation on future Thursday night telecasts, and he's not going to get it by pulling cheap stunts like that. Tech is doing ESPN a big favor by moving their games to Thursday because Tech's fans, particularly the out-of-town ones, would much rather have the team play on Saturday afternoons. A lot of schools won't even play on Thursday nights for ESPN, including Florida, Tennessee and Georgia. Tech has answered the bell every time ESPN has requested their help - and this is how they get paid back? That sucks. If Dave Braine had any cojones, he'd tell ESPN the next time they propose a Thursday night game: "We're busy. Why don't you call Vince Dooley or Jeremy Foley?"

1. I agree with you about Alabama - that is one sorry bunch of rednecked cousin-humpers. I think a lot of their problems stem from the strict discipline instilled by Coach Dennis Franchione - ever since he forbade players to sleep with their sisters, team morale has suffered. With the NCAA about to stomp down on them, Crimson Tiders can look forward to another four or five years of 3-8 records. Sorry, boys, but the Bear is still dead and, unlike Elvis, he ain't coming back.

   I would disagree with you about Auburn, however. They don't throw the ball very well, but they've got some good young talent - Carnell "Cadillac" Williams is the most impressive freshman running back I've seen this year. I also think the Plain-Tigers have a good chance of beating Georgia this weekend in Fred Sanford Stadium, particularly with all the injuries the mutts have had on their defensive line. The Cadillac should be able to drive through a lot of open lanes. Auburn will at least go to one of the minor bowls this year - which is more than you can say for the good folks at Bammer.

1. I've cheered for and admired so many Jackets over the years that it would be impossible for me to pick just one favorite player. Among non-Tech players, however, my all-time favorite is Big Jim Slade, tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs.

1. . The Tiggers have the same problem as several NFL franchises - they've never been able to adjust to the salary cap. Their decline also illustrates the drawbacks of running a "fast break, no huddle" offense - opposing defenses eventually adjust to it and neutralize it, and it wears out your own defense because it's difficult to mount a clock-eating scoring drive with a junk offense like that. There seems to be a growing discontent with Baby Bowden among the Clemson faithful. It'll be interesting to see if he's still there after next season.

1. It's called a sense of humor. You might want to go to Blockbuster's and rent one.