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2000 North Carolina Tarheels - 6-5/3-5 ACC (no bowl) Head Coach - John Bunting (1st season @ UNC, 38-14-2 overall) More than a few folks on the Hive consider Greg Gathers' interception in the first quarter of the UNC game THE turning point of the Yellow Jacket season. Already 0-2 in the ACC, Tech simply could not afford to lose that game. However, who could've known when Gathers stepped in front of that Ronald Curry pass, he would actually turn the season for two programs, not one. Tech of course ran off seven straight wins starting with that big victory in Chapel Hill. The 3-1 Tarheels went the other way losing their next four, and essentially sealing the fate of head coach Carl Torbush. Despite winning his last three to finish at 6-5, it was clear Torbush had worn out his welcome. 'Heel fans had been anxious about him from the moment he replaced Mack Brown...and he never really overcame his doubters after an 0-3 start in 1998. Enter UNC alum John Bunting, who promises to bring a new intensity to Keenan Stadium. Bunting has spent the better part of the last decade as an assistant to several NFL teams after coaching Division III Glassboro State from 1987-1992. Most of the early reports are good, with Bunting trying to improve team strength, conditioning, and maybe most importantly, chemistry. Rush Off. - 148 ypg/55th.....Pass Off. - 223 ypg/48th.....Total Off. - 371 ypg/21st Returning Starters OFFENSE - OC Gary Tranquill (1st season @ North Carolina) Quarterbacks Curry returns for the final season at North Carolina, still looking to fulfill the hype that made him one of the most coveted recruits in the nation four years ago. It's not that he's been bad...he hasn't. In his career he's passed for over 3,982 yards although last season is the only one he's played every game as a starter. In 2000, he established a single season record at North Carolina for total yards with 2,676. But what counts most is wins, and since Curry was forced into action in his very first season, UNC is 16-18 overall, 10-14 in the ACC. That's not exactly the kind of record 'Heel fans envisioned when they won Curry's services. The biggest area Curry can improve on his is decision making. His strong arm and outstanding mobility don't count for a thing when you're throwing to the other team. He's got 29 INT's in his career or, put another way, about 1 every 19 pass attempts. If he can fix that problem, then it would make his other numbers, 163 for 204, 2,325 yards, and 12 TD's last year, seem alot more impressive. Curry added 351 yards rushing on 119 attempts, and 6 more TD's, to his totals last season. Huard moves into the backup role all by himself with the departure of Antwon Black. Injuries to Curry got him on the playing field in 1999 as a freshman. That year, he completed 29 of 75 passes for 256 yards and a score before he was done in by injuries himself. He did not even attempt a pass in 2000. (In fact, I can't find where he played a game, but he is listed as a junior, not a redshirt-sophomore, so I'm assuming he did.) Aaron Leak was a highly regarded QB in the 2000 signing class that redshirted last season. He should get a chance to push Huard, but will probably see the field only on rare occassions. Running Backs Parker will try again to be the TB UNC needs him to be. After winning the starter's role in 2000, he was slowed by nagging injuries. He finally showed his potential in a hard fought 13-10 win over Maryland by rushing for 158 yards on 21 carries. (Although keep in mind Maryland's rush defense was just this side of terrible.) He ended his freshman campaign with 355 yards on 84 attempts and 4 TD's. He also showed he's something of a receiving threat, catching 10 passes for 106 yards. Parker will be backed up by last season's eventual starter, Brandon Russell. Like all-stars Curry and Peppers, Russell pulled double duty on the basketball team, so he missed most of spring drills. Still, he should beat out Andre Williams (6-0, 217 lb. So.) for the #2 spot because of his experience and better pass catching ability. With Parker struggling, Russell stepped in to start 8 games and rush for 508 yards on 145 carries. He also had 11 receptions for 75 yards. Williams managed 165 yards in relief last season. At fullback, 1st year starter James Faison takes over for Anthony Saunders. Although a little light for the position, Faison is a quality blocker. Plus, he's the only player on the team who's actually taken a snap at the position. In four games, he picked up 27 yards on 5 carries Wide Receivers Heading into 2000, this unit looked weak. Aiken caught all of 7 passes in 1999. Allen was recovering from major knee surgery. Only Bailey was a proven, dependable commodity. However, this unit really came through last season, turning an on-paper weakness into a team strength. Allen came back from tearing his LCL, ACL, and MCL torn in 1998 to return the deep threat to UNC's passing attack. After sitting out '99, Allen led the team in receptions (40), receiving yards (634) and receiving touchdowns. (4) That's incredible when you consider some doctors thought his playing days were done. He proved to be a nice compliment to Bailey who had 32 receptions for 550 yards and 2 scores. Aiken showed great improvement over his freshman season by catching 29 passes for 410 yards and 3 more TD's. Unfortunately for the '01 'Heels, that's really it for the receiving corps. Their 4th leading receiver (Algee Crumpler) graduated and their 5th leading receiver (Jamal Jones) was dismissed from the team for undisclosed reasons in late June. I've got Davis listed only because he had a better spring than a couple of other would be candidates. Chelsey Borders (6-0, 187 lb. Jr.) caught his only two passes of the season against GT. Isaiah Robinson (6-0, 190 lb. R-So.) played in 6 games last year, but did not catch a pass. Tight Ends There's no way UNC wasn't going to suffer some let down at the TE position. Afterall, they had one of the best in the country playing for them last year in Alge Crumpler. Often overlooked because of Crumpler was Daunte Finger who was also drafted in April. (by the Bucs) The drop-off from consistent All-ACC performer and a solid backup to a couple of players who've barely taken a snap at the position is going to be huge hit in Tranquill's first year. Niether Brown nor Hilton figured in the receiving stats last season, nor did they catch a pass in the spring game. Both saw most their playing time the last two seasons on special teams. Hilton held a slight edge for the starting role when drills ended in April, but nothing is set at this position. Richard Moore (6-2, 235 lb. R-Jr.) might also break into the rotation here. Offensive Line Adam Metts will lead a young and somewhat inexperienced line into the ACC wars this season. Metts was forced into the starting role way back in his freshman season because of injuries to other players and hasn't let go of the position since. Although his performance was inconsistent early on (to be expected of a player playing before he's ready), he came through as one of the few OL bright spots for UNC in 2000 and will get some attention as an All-ACC candidate this year. He's backed up by Isaac Morford (6-3, 285 lb. R-So.) who'll occasionally slide out to one of the guard spots and help out there. The rest of the line is extremely unsettled. Woofter and Wilson got plenty of reps as backups in 2000 playing in 10 and 7 games respectively. They'll need to develop into more consistent players this time around if UNC is going to do a better job of protecting Curry's blindside. The 'Heels let Curry get sacked 35 times last season, and hit countless more times. (Hmmm...might explain some of those INT's) Woofter and Wilson also better take full advantage of Bunting's challenge to improve strength and conditioning...they'll need it. Woofter is backed up by R-Fr. Willie McNeill (6-5, 280 lb.) while Wilson's relief is So. Riko Feemster. (6-4, 299 lb.) Torbush burned Feemster's redshirt by playing him for 17 snaps in the last game against Duke in 2000. It's worse on the right side. Marcus Wilson was expected to contend with David Stevenson (6-4, 328 lb. R-So.) for starting honors at RG, but Stevenson was suspended from the team this week (undisclosed reasons) and his status is unknown right now. Who'll back up Wilson is anyone's guess right now. Mine is that R-Fr. Skip Seagraves (6-5, 275 lb.- currently listed as #2 RT) moves back to the OG position if Stevenson doesn't return. Jeb Terry takes over at RT having never played the position at the collegiate level. He was a DT in 1999, broke his ankle late in the year, and red-shirted in 2000. He's backed up by Seagraves and redshirt freshman, Justin Barton (6-6, 315 lb.), who'll also be getting his first playing time. DEFENSE DC Jon Tenuta (1st season @ UNC) Defensive Line At North Carolina, the only debate about Julius Peppers is if he really is better than a certain LB who terrorized the ACC some 20 years ago and went on to an All-Pro career with the NY Giants. The guy is a consensus preseason All-American and some have even rated him the #1 defensive player in the country. In his sophomore season, Peppers led the nation with 15 sacks. In all, 24 of his 64 tackles were for a loss. He also registered 24 QB hits, intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble. That this is his last season for the 'Heels is almost a foregone conclusion. Peppers is on record as saying he wants to play so well this season, he'll be the #1 draft pick next April. Peppers linemates aren't half bad either. Ryan Sims (from my hometown of Spartanburg) has been a steady performer for 3 seasons now. He was an important backup for Torbush in his first season, and has started every game since the beginning of the 1999 season. Last year, Sims chipped in with 52 tackles and 6 sacks. At the other DE position, Joey Evans finally gets a chance to start. As the DL's top reserve in 2000, he had 38 tackles playing in every game. In fact, Evans actually finished 2nd on the team in sacks (8) while coming off the bench. The only real question mark is at the other DT position. That was caused by Anthony Perkins' (6-5, 260 lb. Sr.) season ending injury in spring practice. The coaches are counting on Chapman to fill that void. Last season he was a walk-on who contributed w/ 31 tackles and 2.5 sacks. It goes w/o saying that performance earned him a scholarship. Now he's a starter. Experienced depth is going to be something of an issue. Jermicus Banks (6-5, 247 lb. R-Fr.) is slated to backup Evans. Isaac Mooring will (6-3, 260 lb. So.) will play behind Peppers after playing in 7 games (3 tackles) as a freshman. Eric Davis (6-3, 263 lb. R-Jr.) should be the best of the backups. He played in all 11 games last year and had 14 tackles. Jonas Seawright (6-6, 305 lb.) at the other DT position is a redshirt freshman. Linebackers The linebacking corps will welcome back Perry after a one year absence due to injury. That's especially good news with the graduation of leading tacklers Brandon Spoon and Sedrick Hodge. In 1999, Perry was in on 83 tackles despite being hampered in the middle of that season with a shoulder injury. The shuffling around that occured in the wake of Perry's injury made Monk a starter in 2000. He responded with 76 tackles, including 2 sacks. Harris is another former walk-on who's played his into a scholarship. Last season he managed 16 tackles in a reserve role. Since Perry still took it easy in spring drills, backup LB David Thornton (6-2, 222 lb.) was able to get plenty of reps w/ the first team defense. The coaches are hoping that will benefit the R-Sr. who's spent most of his Carolina career playing on special teams. He did have 16 tackles a year ago. Sean Williams (6-1, 218 lb. R-Sr.; yet another walk-on- Bunting says he's "glad the walk-ons are playing so well, but it does say something about recruiting!") will relieve Harris, while Clarence Gaddy (6-4, 210 lb. R-Fr.) will look to make his impact on the two deep behind Monk. Defensive Backs The Tarheels appear to have one of the better secondaries in the conference. Waddell and Hood started all 11 games for UNC at cornerback last season, combing for 96 tackles. (54-Hood, 42 Waddell) Waddell also laid claim to one of Godsey's 6 interceptions in 2000. Hood has come back from some off-field issues to reclaim his starting spot. Coach Tenuta has challenged him to step up his level of play in his final season. A pleasant surprise in spring for the new staff was the re-emergence of Billy Dee Greenwood at the SS position. He started every game in 1999, but inconsistency put him on the bench last year. After leading the team with 118 tackles two years ago, his production fell to 40 tackles in just 8 games. However, he has responded well to the change in coaches, who feel his knowledge of the game will be a tremendous asset. Although Dexter Reid is not a returning starter, he brings 11 games worth of experience and 69 tackles (5th on the team) into his 2nd season in Chapel Hill. The 'Heels aren't hurting for depth either. Kevin Knight (CB - 5-8, 175 lb. Jr.), Derrick Johnson (CB- 5-9, 187 lb. So.) and DeFonte Coleman (FS- 6-1, 193 lb. R-Jr.) all had significant playing time in 2000. In fact, it was Coleman who unseated Greenwood for the starting role. Right now, he's slotted in behind Reid and should push for a great deal of action. Only R-Fr. JoVon Bush (6-1, 181 lb.), playing behind Greenwood, is new to the position. Special Teams In a situation similar to what Tech faced two years ago, a potential weakness on the team exceeded everyone's expectations. Reed replaced Josh McGee in 2000. While McGee never was that great a kicker, at least he was a known quantity. All Reed did was come in and lead the ACC in FG kicking (16) and accuracy (80%) He also was perfect on 30 PAT's. Although not as strong legged as our own Luke Manget, at least the 'Heels can count on points from 40 yards in. Ferguson still needs to work on his game a little. As a true freshman, he averaged a league low 36.9 yards/kick. If he fails to improve, the staff can always give John Lafferty (5-10, 180 lb. Jr.) another crack at the job. However, he wasn't any more effective in 2000 averaging 35.7 yards/kick. Sam Aiken was the primary kick-off return man a year ago, averaging 20.3 yards/attempt. Bosley Allen was handled the majority of punt returns, finishing 2nd in the ACC (and 14th in the nation) with a 15.0 yard average. He took 2 of his 28 returns all the way back for touchdowns. Coaching The fact that it took so long for UNC to finally make a decision on Torbush's replacement (after courting VT's Frank Beamer for what seemed like an eternity) looked as if it would hamper Bunting's ability to assemble a decent staff. While I don't think every position coach is a perfect fit for this team (there were a couple of holdovers plus former GT assistant Dave Huxtable handles the LB's), Bunting did well when he grabbed Jon Tenuta off the dismissed Ohio State staff. Tenuta is a UVa alum that coached there as well as Maryland. The Buckeyes defenses the last few years have been outstanding. Tranquill is also well versed in the ACC battles having coached at UVa twice. He was OC in Charlottesville from 1987 to 1990, and then again in 1999-2000. He's also been OC at Michigan State and Virginia Tech. Schedule The Tarheels get the weekend off before facing GT too. It comes at a good time for them because they will play 9 straight games ahead of that break. And what a brutal schedule it is. 3 straight games on the road to open the season. 3 preseason top 10 teams before the month of September is over with. If UNC is better than 2-4 heading into their first showdown w/ ECU in 20 years, Bunting might be in line for COY honors. What this means for us... What concerns me about UNC is that will put a great deal of pressure on their defense to stop the Jackets, and it looks as if they got some talent to do just that. North Carolina was nearly Tech's equal in stopping the run last season, and was much better at defending the pass. With 8 returning starters, combined with Bunting's new confrontational style, look for the 'Heel defense to remain near the top of the ACC. This will be real test for Coach O'Brien as OC because it's propable that some of his initial plans are not going to work well. The Jackets will have to be patient and stick with that game plan and hope that our depth on offense outlast UNC's D. Everyone seems to searching for that one game that "worries" them. Well, this is it for me. It's more than likely that North Carolina will be, at best, struggling to make a minor bowl. (It's more likely that they'll be out of bowl contention.) That would make them a team w/ nothing to lose playing on national TV. They have a solid defense, so a couple of mistakes (read: turnovers) here and there, and all of a sudden you've got a visitor believing in miracles. Coming off our own break, it's going to be very important that Tech dispatch any of those notions early. I'll feel much better if we don't let these boys hang around. Whew! 9 down...3 to go. Somebody buy Chiliman a beer for putting up those kewl links on the sidebar
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