football tab 2011

8/4/2019 Football Tab 2011

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The Daily Tar HeelFriday, September 2, 2011

PASSING THE TORCH


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Football 2011Friday, September 2, 2011 The Daily Tar Heel2


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Football 2011 Friday, September 2, 2011The Daily Tar Heel 3

Barth ready tomake big kicksBy Michael LanannaAssistant Sports Editor

Undermanned and inexperi-enced, the North Carolina special

teams squad entered last seasongravely weakened by the ongoingNCAA investigation.

But if Patrick Peterson feltany sympathy at all, he certainlydidnt show it.

On opening night, theLouisiana State kick returner

blew through UNCs depletedforces, chewing up 257 return

yards and scoring a touchdown inthe 30-24 Tigers win.

With the performance,Peterson exposed a weakness

that continued to plague UNCthroughout last season. The TarHeels net average of 40.6 yardsper kickoff last year placed themsecond to last in the ACC.

Last year, just because ofeverything that happened, we hada lot of young guys out there, and

we were kind of experimentinga little bit, senior place kickerCasey Barth said.

I think this year with thoseguys from last year on it and withsome other guys that couldnt

play last year, were really goingto put it together and do some bigthings.

Along with Barth, the TarHeels will return deep snapperMark House, holder Trase Jonesand starting punter C.J. Feagles,

who as a redshirt freshman aver-aged 37.5 yards per punt.

Barth, though, is the unitscornerstone, and hes coming off

what might be his finest seasonin Tar Heel blue. Last year, Barthconverted 19 of his 22 field goal

attempts, succeeded in all 38

extra point tries and, in a gameagainst rival N.C. State, set a newcareer high with a 49-yard fieldgoal.

But the kickers defining

moment undoubtedly came dur-ing the 30-27 Music City Bowlwin against Tennessee. Not onlydid Barth make the game-tyingfield goal late in the fourth quar-ter of that game, but he also deliv-ered the final blow in the secondround of overtime.

Casey has shown that he can(make a big kick late in the game),so I have nothing but confidencein him because Ive already seenhim do it, interim head coachEverett Withers said. Casey is

one of those guys that I believe wecan count on to do a lot of goodthings in the kicking game for us.

Barth has been counted on formuch of his Tar Heel career, asevidenced by the fact that he is fivefield goals away from passing theschool record of 54 a record his

brother Connor set four years ago.But even with that milestone in

sight, the kicker is intent on refin-ing his craft.

After making a 54-yard kick offthe upright during training camp,

Barth said hed like to extendhis field goal range to 50 yardsor more. He hopes to do that bykicking more aggressively, finish-ing through the ball for additionalpower.

I dont like missing right,Barth said. I leave my hips open,and I kind of feel like I hit it

weakly. And for me, if I do miss, Iwant to miss left and long. I wantto show I have some legs.

Contact the Sports Editor

at [email protected].

dth file photo

Kicker Casey Barth, who is only five field goals away from breaking the

UNC record, hit a career-high 49-yard field goal against N.C. State in 2010.

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4/19


By John LaMantiaStaff Writer

As redshirt sophomore BrynRenner prepares to take the reinsat quarterback this season, he willlean heavily upon a veteran offen-sive line that returns four startersand has the potential to be one ofthe best in the ACC.

Jonathan Cooper, a 6-foot-3,

310-pound left guard, is enteringhis third year as a starter on theoffensive line. Cooper is the mostexperienced lineman with 23 startsin his first two seasons.

I feel like all the older guyson the offensive line are leaders,Cooper said. James Hurst, hes justa rising sophomore, and hes one ofthe biggest leaders on the team.

Hurst, a freshman in 2010, sawplaying time in all 13 games atleft tackle and started the final 12games of the season.

The LSU game was the firsttime I got to play, and I was pretty

nervous going in, Hurst said.But this is what I wanted. I want-ed to come in and play early.

Cooper said Hurst is one ofhis best friends on the team, andafter playing beside each other allseason last year, the two linemenform an imposing left side of theline.

We are comfortable witheach other now, Hurst said. Wecan do our own thing and learn

blitzes and trust one anothercompletely.

Senior Cam Holland bringsexperience at the center position,making 19 starts during his soph-

omore and junior seasons.On the right side, juniors

Travis Bond and BrennanWilliams will likely start at rightguard and right tackle, respec-tively.

While experience is important,there is no substitute for size onthe offensive line and NorthCarolina has plenty of it. Thestarting offensive line averages319 pounds, a size that could betough for opponents to overcome.

The Tar Heels will have depth off

the bench with senior Carl Gaskinsand redshirt freshman Russell

Bodine expected to see significantplaying time. Cooper also praisedfreshman Landon Turner for his

drive on the field and in the filmroom.

We do have a lot of depth,and I think thats going to

be a huge advantage to us,Hurst said. I know that wasone of (coach Sam Pittmans)

big recruiting goals, to build a10-man offensive line.

Most importantly, Renner hasthe utmost confidence in the mencharged with keeping him out ofharms way.

In these first seven practices,

I have never seen an offensiveline like we have just explode offthe ball and create holes, Rennersaid. I cant say enough aboutthem.

Typically an under-the-radarpart of a team, the offensive linehas been vocal about their desireto lead the way on offense.

We want that pressure in orderto make our offense go, Hurst said.Were excited about it, and wereglad the people are seeing it now.

Contact the Sports Editorat [email protected].

UNC oensive linemen roll deepThe Tar Heel offensive

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dth file photo

Quarterback Bryn Renner throws a pass in practice. Renner has completed just one pass in a game for UNC.

Inexperienced Rennerhas big shoes to fill

By Jonathan JonesSenior Writer

In four years as NorthCarolinas starting quarterback,T.J. Yates passed for a schoolrecord 9,377 yards and 58 touch-downs.

Redshirt sophomore Bryn

Renner, his heir apparent for the2011 season, has a career stat lineof 1-for-2 for 14 yards.

Ive had a tremendous amountof reps over the past three yearsthat Ive been here, so I thinkthats helped me out a lot, Rennersaid.

Granted Ive only thrown twopasses, but I really think thosepractice reps really count to me,and they matter. I view themas game reps because I go fullspeed and everyone else does,

too.In hindsight, yes, I would have

liked to have gotten in, but sit-ting back these past two years, Ifeel like a veteran even though Ihavent played yet.

Practice reps are all Rennerhas to go on as he enters the sea-son as the most highly anticipat-ed North Carolina quarterbackto debut since Darian Durant in2001.

Former UNC football coachButch Davis bemoaned that

Renner didnt get enough snapsin games and admitted after the42-17 spanking of East Carolinathat he wished Renner got moreplaying time.

Nonetheless, Renner seemsready to assume the throne atquarterback this season. Healmost has to be.

Backing Renner up are juniorBraden Hanson and freshmanMarquise Williams. Hanson sawaction during Renners redshirtseason but had as many comple-tions (two) as interceptions.

Bryn Renner has been a guythat you can see him growingevery day. And not just football,

but just leadership skills withthe offense, with the defense,interim head coach Everett

Withers said.Hes just one of those guys

that everybody on the team likes.And were going to need that fromhim.

North Carolina fans will seea different style of quarterbackthan what they were acquainted

with for four years in Yates.Renner is faster and more agilethan Yates and will likely beable to create more outside thepocket.

But despite that difference, hetook a lot of notes while watching

Yates perform on the field.

Were still in contact rightnow. Hes just still helping me,

were talking each other throughthings, and hes a great friend,Renner said.

The things I learned fromhim most were how to prepare how to get your body and get

your mind ready for a 12-game

season. And its a long haul. Andeveryone knows that.

Senior wide receiver DwightJones will be Renners No. 1target this season after Jones

breakout junior year saw himfinish with 62 receptions for 946

yards.But Renner will be blessed

with several other threats atwide receiver, including juniorsErik Highsmith and Jhay Boyd.In 2010, Highsmith had 25catches for 348 yards and threetouchdowns.

When (Renner) first camehere, he was a very fiery guy. Butthats just his nature, his person-ality, Jones said.

I dont think its reallychanged, but I think its calmeddown a little bit, just his demean-or. But its good to have a fieryquarterback like that it pumpsme up too.


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6/19


By Kelly ParsonsSports Editor

North Carolina defensive endQuinton Coples might be one of

the best NFL prospects in thenation, a reputation that couldlimit his production this seasonif opponents gang up to shut himdown.

But with junior defensive endDonte Paige-Moss anchoring theUNC defensive line right along-side him, Coples doesnt mind

being the center of attention.Itll give each other a better

chance to make plays, Coplessaid. They just cant doubleteam me and leave (Paige-Moss)

open or double team him andleave me open. I feel like itsgreat and helps the defense outa lot.

The pair of projected first-round draft picks will headlinethe 2011 UNC defensive line,

which has been one of the mosttalked-about positions during theoffseason.

According to an ESPN.comreport, the NCAA returned toChapel Hill in May to questionCoples about his attendance at an

NFL draft party. But just morethan a month later, the NCAAcleared the Tar Heel of any

wrongdoing.Coples innocence was no

doubt a relief for interim headcoach Everett Withers, who saidhe expects the preseason All-

ACC selection to be a leader onthe North Carolina squad thisseason in whatever capacitythat may be.

He understands thatwhether his numbers increase,

decrease, stay the same, some-body else on our defensive line isgoing to have some production

because of his abilities, Witherssaid.

And to me, that shows alittle bit of maturity about whatQuinton Coples is about.

Last season Coples movedfrom defensive end to defensivetackle and he recorded 59 tacklesand a team-high 10 sacks anachievement which ranked inthe top five for defensive tackles

Coples grabs

defensive linespotlight

Be aware, thatswhat I would say. Beaware of the Carolina

defense.Quinton Coples,

UNC defensive end

nationally.In 2010, Paige-Moss was sec-

ond on the team in tackles forloss and sacks, and he recordeda season-high 10 tackles againstNorth Carolina State.

And through the pairsproven excellence, Coples andPaige-Moss have set the bar high

for the UNC defenders aroundthem.

When (Coples) goes downinside, hes very deceptive withhis hands and his speed, offen-sive lineman Jonathan Coopersaid. Donte Moss, hes justspeedy and powerful. I mean,those are two tough guys todefend against. You see them inpractice and they make us a lot

better.Between the bookends of

Coples and Paige-Moss, defensive

tackles Jordan Nix and TydrekePowell will bring both experienceand quickness to this seasonsdefensive line.

Powell, also a preseason All-ACC selection, was one of twodefensive players to start in all13 games in 2010.

Nix, a 2008 transfer fromNortheast Oklahoma A&MCollege, started just two gameslast season for the Tar Heels, butrecorded 18 tackles and recov-ered one fumble.

The outlook for the NorthCarolina defensive line is good,and expectations for the unit arehigh.

And to opponents, Coples hasbut one warning.

Be aware, thats what I wouldsay, Coples said. Be aware of theCarolina defense. Were definitelygoing to come and the objective isto punish.


Follow the Tar Heels at dailytarheel.com


7/19


By Brandon MoreeAssistant Sports Editor

New North Carolina startingquarterback Bryn Renner hasseen very limited game action,and similarly, many of his poten-tial targets dont have much expe-rience, either.

With a young receiving corp,Renner will likely lean heavily on

senior wide receiver Dwight Jonesin 2011.

Jones, who received honor-able mention All-ACC honors in2010, led North Carolina with62 receptions and 946 yards atotal good for fifth in UNC his-tory.

Also returning to the receiv-ing core will be juniors ErikHighsmith and Jheranie Boyd.Joshua Adams, a redshirt sopho-more from Cambridge, Mass.,is the only other wide receiver

on the roster who is not eithera transfer or a true or redshirtfreshman.

Highsmith had 25 catcheslast season and scored threetouchdowns, including a 39-yardtouchdown catch just before half-time in the Tar Heels win in theMusic City Bowl.

Boyd opened the season lastyear with a huge game againstLousiana State in which hehad 221 yards on 6 catches and a

touchdown. In that game he set

the North Carolina record forthe longest play from scrimmage,scoring on a play from its own3-yard line.

Boyd failed to keep up thatpace for the rest of the seasonand only had 89 receiving yardsin the other 12 games.

The new faces will be lookingto Jones and the other experi-enced receivers for leadership thisseason, and Jones already has agame plan in place.

We just got to come out and

make big plays every day andjust move the chains, Jonessaid. Thats our expectation. Weknow as receivers, we catch the

balls. We have to do big thingsfor our offense if we want to wingames.

As for helping the new quar-terback adjust, Jones knows thathis own performance on thefield can go a long way in help-ing Renner settle in as the newfacilitator of the North Carolina

offense.Coming in, this is going to be

Bryns first time at the collegiatelevel, Jones said. I know I haveto come in and make a lot of bigplays for Bryn to give him greatconfidence so he can come outevery night and do his thing.

Interim head coach EverettWithers knows that Jones expe-rience will be key to the success

of his new quarterback, and thenew coach said he likes the atti-tude that Jones comes to play

with.Surrounding Renner with

playmaking teammates on thefield on Saturdays, Withers said,is crucial.

Dwights a competitor. Hesone of those quiet guys thatcompetes, Withers said. Hes aconfident guy. Hes a talented guy.

Weve got to find ways to get theball to Dwight.

But the wide receivers arentthe only inexperienced unit forthe North Carolina squad.

With the departure of tight endZach Pianalto, senior Christian

Wilson and junior Nelson Hurstare the only tight ends with gameexperience.

Last season, Hurst and Wilsoncombined for only six catches.


Jones to lead squad

of young receiversHes a talented guy.Weve got to findways to get the ball toDwight.Everett Withers,

Interim head football coach

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8/19


By Mark ThompsonSenior Writer

Ryan Houston could very easilybecome Bryn Renners best friendthis season.

Houston, who is expected tolead the North Carolina backfieldthis season, was withheld from thefirst five games of the 2010 seasonuntil he was cleared in the NCAAsinvestigation into the UNC footballprogram. Houston then elected toredshirt to have a full senior year ofeligibility.

The decision followed abreakout junior season at NorthCarolina, in which the 245-poundpower back rushed for a career-

best 713 yards and nine touch-

downs, leading all UNC rushers inboth categories.But dont expect the same

Houston to take the field in 2011.In fact, dont expect any familiarfaces in the backfield.

Leading rushers ShaunDraughn and Johnny White grad-uated, and a new cast of running

backs has taken their place.Redshirt freshman Giovani

Bernard came to North Carolinain 2010 as the No. 12-ranked run-ning back in the nation by Rivals.

com, but he didnt play a down offootball after he tore his ACL on thethird day of fall practice.

Its a blessing just to be ableto come back out here and toknow that Im 100 percent andto be able to show everybodythat Im 100 percent. And toshow everybody that I am bet-ter than I was in high school,Bernard said.

In high school Bernard rushedfor 1,528 yards with 18 touch-downs on 160 carries as a junior

nearly 10 yards per carry.

Division I football might dwarfprep ball, but Renner seems tothink Bernard is prepared for agood year.

I think hes kind of like (NFLrunning back) Maurice Jones-

Drew, Renner said. Hes veryquick. He makes great jump cutsin the hole. I think thats what weneed.

Thats high praise for a playerwho hasnt taken a single handoff atNorth Carolina. But interim headcoach Everett Withers expresses thesame sentiments about Bernard.

I know as a coaching staffwe want to take care of himbecause we think hes going tobe exceptional, Withers said.He epitomizes to me what you

look for in a tailback and whatyou want as a student athlete onyour campus.

Bernards willing to do whateverthe team needs. Line him up in the

backfield or in the slot, he wontquestion it just as long as he getsthe chance to impact the game.

I see myself fitting in any-where, Bernard said. Whateverthey feel I need to do to help thisteam win, Im going to do it.

Another player who has alreadytried to fit in a few other positions

is A.J. Blue. Blue was a formerquarterback with whom the TarHeels attempted to run a Wildcatoffense in 2009.

In some respects, each ofUNCs backfield options hasstruggled to consistently contrib-ute in the past. Two are returningfrom a missed season, and Blueis looking to add what he can in anew position.

But all three are hungry.

Contact the Sports Editor

at [email protected].

dth file photo

Running back Ryan Houston carries the ball up the field. Houston, who red-

shirted last season, will return to Kenan Stadium on Saturday against JMU.

Returning running backsready to make an impact



9/19



10/19

Football 2011Friday, September 2, 2011 The Daily Tar Heel10 Football 2011 Friday, September 2, 2011The Daily Tar Heel 11

By Kelly ParsonsSportsEditor

When Bryn Renner learned that coachButch Davis had been fired, the quarter-

back had to let it all sink in a little bit.Even though Renner whose father

coaches Davis son Drew at East Chapel Hill High had yet to start a football game at North Carolina, heand Davis shared a close bond.

But while it was tough to see Davis go, Renner wasntgoing to let anything shake his focus less than six weeksaway from kickoff.

This was his year.So when defensive coordinator Everett Withers was

promoted to interim head football coach just days afterDavis dismissal, Renner paid him a visit.

Both Renner and Withers had the tall task beforethem of following in the footsteps of great success, butRenner wanted to let his new coach know they were inthis together.

I just went to his office and said Were ready to get

this thing going, Renner said. I let everything kindof settle down, and I just wanted to get back to playingfootball.

I think thats what the team wanted to do, so I justwanted to let him know we had his back and whateverhe needed, I was going to be there for him.

A leader emerges

On Dec. 30, 2010, four-year starting quarterbackT.J. Yates took his last snap as a Tar Heel in NorthCarolinas 30-27 overtime win against Tennessee in theMusic City Bowl.

For the Tar Heels, the first bowl win in nine yearswas a reason for celebration. But for Renner, it was alsohis cue to get back to work.

He had spent his first two seasons at North Carolina inthe shadow of Yates record-breaking college career. Buton that December night, the torch was passed.

I sent a text (to the team) just saying that weregoing to keep this going, and were going to do biggerthings than the Music City Bowl, Renner said. I sent itto all the underclassmen and had a little meeting withthem, just trying to get their mind right for this upcom-ing season.

Renner might only have two pass-attempts to hisname, but to those around him, hes a seasoned veteran.

Renner didnt get on the game field very often, but

during his season as backup quarterback, he relishedevery practice rep he could get.

And Renners determination even when nothingbut his own growth was on the line quickly caughtWithers eye.

I used to challenge Bryn every day when I was thedefensive coordinator to go down there and light usup on the scout team, Withers said. Some of thoseguys would really, truly get upset with him because he

would tear us up in practice. But he made us better.From that point, when I first had my association

with Bryn, I said, This is a special guy right here.

A last-minute change

Like Renner, Everett Withers had never been theguy.

For 24 years, the former Appalachian State defen-sive back had served in a variety of different coachingroles for multiple college and professional footballteams, but he always had someone on the squads toanswer to.

On July 28, all of that changed.

I want those guys to know me a littlebit better on the other side.Everett Withers,

Interimhead footballcoach

After spending three seasons as defensive coordinatorfor UNC, the opportunity for Withers to become a colle-giate head coach fell in his lap when he was promoted tofill the interim position.

With just six weeks to spare until kickoff, Withersknew he had a lot to learn. And the defensive-mindedcoach knew just where to start.

I spend a lot of time with (the offense), trying toget to know them and also encouraging them, Witherssaid. Ive been on that other side for so long, that I feelcomfortable now with whats going on on the defense.I want those guys to know me a little bit better on theother side.

But beyond learning the Xs and Os, Withers facedthe task of uniting a team that had just been blindsided

by change.

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dth fIle photo

Bryn Renner clutches the football at practice. The quarterback has attempted just two passes in games for North Carolina.

Davis had been known as a players coach, and manyof the North Carolina football team members were sadto see him go.

Davis brought in several top recruiting classesduring his four-year career at UNC, and the veterancoach helped put North Carolina football back on themap.

But much to safety Matt Merlettis delight andsurprise the coaching transition was much smootherthan he expected.

He obviously has a way bigger role than hes used to,and hes done a much better job than I think anybodyanticipated, Merletti said.

Its like hes always been the coach. With every-thing that happened a few weeks ago, with coachDavis leaving, nobodys even thinking about that.Everybodys just focused on the game.

In this together

As Renner took questions from reporters Mondayafter the first game-week press conference of the sea-son, he sat comfortably on a chair in front of a plaque

dth fIle photo

Renner hands off the ball at practice. The redshirt sophomore played backup quarter-

back to T.J. Yates in 2010 and will take his first snap as a starter against James Madison.

dth/ kelly parsons

Everett Withers speaks to the media at a press conference on Monday. At the conference,

Withers announced the team captains and talked about Saturdays game against JMU.

Wier n Renner g in2011 wi new eerip ren ig e i.

that read Butch Davis, head football coach.But from Renner, there was no utterance about his

former coach.That was all behind him.Instead, Renners Carolina blue eyes lit up as he talk-

ed about taking his first snap a s a starting quarterback.Saturdays game against James Madison will be a big

day for Renner, as he will finally get the opportunity toaccomplish what he came to Chapel Hill to do.

But while Renner thinks about hitting his own mile-stone, the selfless new leader knows its not just his spe-cial day its theirs.

Its going to be (Withers) first game as a headcoach, and my first game as a starting quarterback,Renner said. Weve always gotten along well since Ive

been recruited here, and I think we just got closer justbecause were both in the same situation and lookingforward to Saturday.

I know hes chomping at the bit for Saturday to kickoff, and I know I am, too.


dth/allIson russell

Everett Withers spent three years as North Carolinas

defensive coordinator before being promoted to interim

head coach in July. Withers, who played defensive back

at Appalachian State, is in his 24th season of coaching.


11/19


By Matt CoxStaff Writer

Despite bringing in a thirdconsecutive highly touted recruit-ing class, Clemson coach DaboSwinneys job depends on improv-ing last years 6-7 record theschools first losing season since1998.

Since taking over halfwaythrough the 2008 season, Swinneyhas compiled a 19-15 overall record

and led the Tigers to the 2009Atlantic Division title.But so far, he has failed to

overcome Clemsons reputation asa perennial underachiever.

We hear it, but were notfocused on that inside, said defen-sive lineman Brandon Thompsonabout the pressure on Swinney.

Were just focused on beinggreat players, being dominantplayers, and if we do that right...its all going to fall in line.

Thompson is one of five return-ing starters for a Clemson defensethat led the ACC in scoring defenselast season. But in 2011, the Tigershave the tall task of replacing last

years ACC Defensive Player of theYear DaQuan Bowers and leadingtackler DeAndre McDaniel.

Tony Steward, the nations top-rated linebacker in the class of 2011,

will attempt to help fill that void.We brought in a strong fresh-

man linebacker corps and I feellike all of them are going to come

together with the veterans,Thompson said. Im lookingforward to them getting on thefield.

The offense returns eight start-ers from the 2010 season, but willrely on inexperienced sophomoreTajh Boyd to replace Kyle Parkerat quarterback.

Swinney hired offensive coordi-nator Chad Morris, who coached

with Auburns Gus Malzahn atTulsa, to implement a style similarto that of Auburns.

I felt like this offense was goingto really feature the skill set ofBoyd, Swinney said. I want to

be one of the top offenses in thecountry. I felt like this was going toallow us to become that.

This season, Boyd will throwto last seasons leading receiverDeAndre Hopkins and widereceiver Jaron Brown, who hadmore than 100 receiving yardsand a touchdown against UNClast season.

The arrival of two top-five

receivers in the 2011 recruitingclass gives Boyd plenty of options inthe passing game.


By Chris Moore

Staff Writer

In many ways, the NorthCarolina offseason has been oneof turmoil.

And unfortunately for the TarHeels, it affected a position thatcould least afford adversity.

North Carolina graduated threesenior starters from last yearssecondary, leaving just three play-ers Jabari Price, Matt Merlettiand Charles Brown with signif-icant playing time in the defensive

backfield.Cornerback Mywan Jackson, a

promising freshman last year, leftthe program in early August.

Price, a projected starter atcornerback, injured his hand inpreseason practice and will likelymiss at least six weeks of action.

But despite the question marksthat surround the secondary,coach Everett Withers said thecorps has improved tremendouslyin a short time.

Some of those guys were

thrown into the mix, Withers said.I think one thing thats evidentout in practice so far is that weregoing to be a good secondary.

The unit will look to seniorsBrown and safety Jonathan Smithto be leaders for the secondary.

Brown, who sat out all of lastyear and will sit out the first gameof the 2011 season, brings themost experience as well as sixcareer interceptions to the field.

Smith, who was also sidelinedfor the entire 2010 season, has

embraced his chance to get backon the field and be a positive rolemodel for younger defensive backs.

Hes right now probably play-ing as good as anybody in thesecondary, Withers said. And we

expect him to lead.

Smith worked on the practicesquad to make the transition backto the games easier.

Ive seen a lot of football, beenin a lot of situations, so thats defi-nitely helped a lot, Smith said.Also, because I was doing scoutteam for the whole year, I wasnt

just sitting out and completely offthe field.

Sophomore Tre Boston, whowas moved from cornerback tosafety this offseason, has slid backto cornerback to fill the injured

Prices slot.Merletti, a proven special teams

player for the Tar Heels, will startat safety to begin the season.

With so many shake-ups, theunit has had to work hard to getready for the start of the season.

The biggest thing that weveactually seen improvement inourselves is just the chemistry,Smith said. Just getting back intothe groove of things and keepingchemistry and communication

with the younger guys.

But despite the confidenceSmith and Withers have displayedin the secondary, results still needto come on the field.

All four starters Brown,Smith, Merletti and Boston have just nine combined intercep-tions. But facing a Tar Heel offensethat should be proficient in passingthis year will undoubtedly help thesecondary prepare for game day.

Weve got a good offensivepassing system, Withers said.And if we can do well versus

those offensive passes in practice,then I think weve got a chance to

be really good on Saturdays.


UNC secondary aected byoseason shake-up

Tigers look to overcome lastyears losing season in 2011

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12/19


By Brandon MoreeAssistant Sports Editor

In his junior season, RussellWilson led N.C. State to an 8-4(5-3 in the ACC) season, an out-ing that was strong enough toland the Wolfpack in the ChampsSports Bowl in Orlando, Fla.

The Wolfpack beat WestVirginia 23-7 to win their firstbowl game since 2005, due large-ly to Wilsons 275 passing yardsand two touchdowns.

The win put N.C. State in thefinal top-25 rankings for the first

time since 2002.The quarterback turned sec-

ond baseman also played minorleague baseball with the single-A

Asheville Tourists. But as Wilsontried to split time between sports,head coach Tom OBrien decidedto make a change.

In April, OBrien releasedWilson from N.C. State, and theformer Wolfpack quarterback willplay at Wisconsin this season.

Taking the reins and the snapsfor the Wolfpack this season will

be Mike Glennon, a 6-foot-6-inch,225-pound graduate student fromCentreville, Va. Glennon has beenthe backup quarterback since he

was redshirted in 2008, but thatsno knock on Glennons talent.

Hes going to be awesome,redshirt senior tight end GeorgeBryan said.

I think everybodys going to bereally surprised and really pleasedabout how good he is. I can justtell when hes throwing the ball,the way he runs offense, the way

he knows defenses. I just knowhes going to be successful.

OBrien knows a little some-thing about quarterbacks, and heknew what he was getting withGlennon even before the youngsignal caller came to N.C. Statescampus.

As a senior, Rivals.com rankedGlennon as the third-best quar-terback in the nation. Stanfordquarterback and potential top

NFL draft pick Andrew Luck wasfourth on that list.

We knew coming out of highschool he was really a talentedindividual, OBrien said. Hecan make every throw on thefootball field, and of all the guys

weve coached at BC of whichfour have started in the NFL he has as much talent as any ofthem.

Wilson wasnt the only impactplayer to leave a void in the ros-ter this season, as linebackerNate Irving graduated and wasselected in the third round of this

years NFL draft by the DenverBroncos. Last season Irving ledthe Wolfpack in sacks.

Nate was a big playmaker, andhe always found himself in theright place, which made him agood player, redshirt senior line-

backer Audie Cole said.We probably wouldnt have

been as good last year withoutNate. But I think this year withTerrell (Manning) and my experi-

Glennon to lead Wolfpack in new role

Rutgers will lean ontop-rated recruit for revivalSix years ago, in his fifth season

as head coach at Rutgers, GregSchiano convinced a local highschool tailback to stay at homeand help reverse the fortunes ofRutgers football, a program look-

ing for its first winning season in12 years.Three seasons, three bowl

games and nearly 5000 rushingyards later, that tailback RayRice had taken the ScarletKnights from the Big East out-house to the league penthouse

before he departed for the NFLin 2007, entrenching the pro-gram as an annual BCS con-tender.

But after a 4-8 season in2010, and just four conference

wins in the past two seasons,Schiano finds himself countingon another homegrown halfbackin 2011.

Rutgers faithful have alreadybegun the comparisons betweenRice and freshman tailback SavonHuggins, hoping the latter canresurrect a rushing attack thatmustered just 1,200 yards all lastseason, good for 11th worst inDivision I.

Huggins was the nationsfourth-best high school running

back in 2011 according to bothESPN and Scout.com, makinghim the highest-ranked recruit inRutgers history.

That kind of forward momen-tum might be just the boost

required to transform a rathervanilla Scarlet Knight offenseinto something truly potent in2011.

Schiano has yet to anointHuggins the starting tailback forthe Scarlet Knights season open-er against North Carolina Central a week before Rutgers headsto Chapel Hill but Schiano hasmade it clear that the freshman isdefinitely in the running for thestarting job.

I think its gonna be a kind

of play-it-by-ear-type situation,Schiano told ESPN.com.

Savons definitely going toplay. I dont know -- dependingon what we run the first play ofthe game, will it be Savon, or willit be DeAntwan Williams, oreven (redshirt freshman) JawanJamison, I dont know how thatsgonna go.

In new offensive coordinatorFrank Cignettis pro-style system,a consistent rushing attack shouldtake some pressure off sophomore

quarterback Chas Dodd and allowhim to connect with a stable oftalented wideouts, led by juniorsMark Harrison and MohamedSanu.

The pair combined for nearly

1,250 yards and 11 touchdownslast year and will welcome thereturn of senior Tim Wright,

who was slated to start a year agobefore suffering a season-endingknee injury.

A higher-powered offensemay be needed in order to com-pensate for the Scarlet Knightsdefense, which must replace fourof its top six tacklers.

Huggins reminded the defensejust how far it must come in arecent intrasquad scrimmage,

torching the first-teamers for 168yards.

And though critical of his unitsperformance, middle linebackerSteve Beauharnais was able topoint to at least one bright spotfrom Huggins big day.

Obviously, its not good whenhe does it against us, Beauharnaistold the Newark Star-Ledger. Onthe good side, hes on our team.

From staff and wire reportsCompiled by Kevin Minogue

ence, and then D.J. (Green) beingas good of an athlete as he is, I

think were going to be just finefor another year.

After earning his 100th careerwin in the Champs Sports bowl,OBrien will have his hands full as

he pushes his team to come frombehind the shadows of Wilson

and Irving and develop their ownidentity behind Glennon.


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13/19


Blue Devils ready to

end postseason droughtBy Jonathan LaRoweStaff Writer

Duke hasnt qualified for a bowlgame since 1994 the longestpostseason drought in the ACC.

But dont tell that to seniorsafety Matt Daniels.

Matt Daniels expects a cham-pionship, just like the rest of theDuke community should expect,

just like the rest of my teammates

should expect, Daniels said.But before any talk of contend-

ing for a championship, Duke mustimprove upon a defense that ranked108th overall in the country in pointsallowed per game.

The defense was last in a lot ofcategories, and were just trying tofind ways where we can improvethat, Daniels said. Im really excitedabout this defense. We have a lot oftalent out there on the field.

While the defense still has a lotof work to do, the offense was much

more respectable in 2010. The Dukepassing attack finished 22nd in thecountry in passing yards per gamelast season.

But the running game was farbehind, ranking only 104th inrushing yards per game.

We didnt run the ball as effec-tively as we wanted to, quarterbackSean Renfree said. But the runninggame will certainly go up and as therunning game goes up, I think thepassing game will as well.

For the first time since he took

over as head coach in Dec. 2007,David Cutcliffe did not improveupon his teams win total from theprevious year.

After taking the reins from formerhead coach Ted Roof, who managed

dth file photo

Former UNC wide receiver Hakeem Nicks scores a touchdown against

Duke in Durham in 2008. Last season, UNC beat the Blue Devils 24-19.

only one win in 2007, Cutcliffe wonfour and five games respectively in2008 and 2009 before falling toonly three wins last year.

But Cutcliffe knows that he hasa quarterback that is capable of bigthings.

He has got to utilize his ath-leticism and do the things he wasdoing the last part of the year, andhes got the chance to be a greatplayer, Cutcliffe said. Not a goodplayer, but a great player.

In his first year as the starter,Renfree threw for 3,131 yards and14 touchdowns. But he also threw17 interceptions.

Renfree admits that he has to

take better care of the football.I can make smarter decisions,

thats going to help, Renfree said.You dont have to think you can

win games on every single drive.During ACC media day, Cutcliffe

preached about the importance ofcompetition within his team.

Old fashioned competition iswhat makes any business better,

he said.With five of the last six games

against UNC being decided byone score or less, Duke may

be poised to end a seven-yeardrought against the Tar Heels.

But if the Blue Devils are goingto qualify for a bowl game andcontend for a championship, it willmost likely be as an underdog.

And that is a role that the BlueDevils are happy to take on.

This years our year to be thatCinderella team, Daniels said.

You know that team that no oneexpects to do anything big. I thinkthis year is ours.


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14/19


ECU seeks improved

season with McNeillFactors are stacking in East

Carolinas favor as the team movesinto a far different role from theone it played just a year ago.

At the beginning of the 2010season, the ECU football programfaced several key changes.

After serving as an assistantcoach at Texas Tech for a decade,ECU alumnus Ruffin McNeill

accepted his first head coachingposition at his alma mater.

Eleven of the 20 football coach-es, including McNeill, were newto East Carolina in 2010, and thePirates lost more letterman play-ers at the end of the 2009 seasonthan any other college FBS teamin the country.

And after posting a 6-6 regu-lar season record in 2010 andlosing to Mayland 51-20 in theMilitary Bowl, the Pirates feltthe loss of their graduated play-

makers.But despite disappointments,

McNeill and his squad tried totake away positives from a lack-luster season.

We were able to do somethings that were overlooked attimes, McNeill said at ECUsmedia day. To be one of two first-

year staffs in the country to winfive or more conference games

was a third positive from a yearago.

Some of the failures from the

2010 season caused McNeill andhis coaching staff to move froma 4-3 defensive lineup to a 3-4scheme.

McNeill and his staff arewell-versed in the 3-4 system.But perhaps more importantthan the advantage ECU looks togain from the defensive switchis the presence of a more expe-rienced coaching staff on thesideline.

One of the things that helpsis keeping your staff together,

McNeill told ECUPirates.com.Continuity with the coaching

staff is key. If you look at some ofthe best programs in the country,theyve kept their staffs intact. We

were very fortunate to keep ourstaff together this year.

The continuity in staff and areturning starting quarterbackare two advantages the Pirates

will have against North Carolinawhen the two play this year.

North Carolina outscoredEast Carolina by 25 points in the

dth file photo

East Carolina defenders attempt to stop a Tar Heel football player at

Kenan Stadium. In 2010, ECU lost to North Carolina 42-17 in Chapel Hill.

second half of last seasons gameand the Tar Heels cruised to a42-17 win.

For the Pirates, pulling outa win in the Oct. 1 game would

serve as a measure of how fartheyve come in just one year.

But the ultimate goal is still aConference USA title.

We just have to give (theoffense) the chance to move

the ball up and down the field,linebacker Justin Dixon told theFayetteville Observer.

If we can do that, then wecould put two or three more wins

on the board. That would put usright up there in the conferencerace.

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15/19


Miami bogged down by ineligibilityBy Ryan Davis

Staff Writer

The University of Miami andits football program may be undermore scrutiny at the moment thanany other team in the nation, and

the Hurricanes will start its 2011campaign without key players.

The NCAA announced Tuesdaythat eight players, includingquarterback Jacory Harris andsecond-team All-ACC safety Ray-Ray Armstrong, will miss at least

one game and have to pay backbenefits before becoming eligibleagain.

When Miamis ineligible play-ers return to the the field, theHurricanes will return six offensivestarters from last seasons 7-6 cam-paign.

The majority of those returnersmake up the Hurricanes offen-sive line a position in whichMiami returns four of five startersfrom last season, including pre-season All-ACC selections centerTyler Horn and guard Brandon

Washington.At the ACC Football Kickoff

in Pinehurst, Horn said theresno question that new coach AlGolden is bringing a sense ofurgency back to Miami.

Fans can expect a new energy,Horn said. I know you hear thatall the time, but you can expect anew energy and players who areexcited to play for the Universityof Miami and win games.

The question marks start toshow up when you zoom out to

Miamis skill positions. Top 2010receiver Leonard Hankerson andrunning back Damien Berry must

be replaced, and senior quarter-back Jacory Harris has been bat-tling sophomore Stephen Morristhroughout the summer for thestarting job.

Harris, who will miss just onegame due to ineligiblity, wasdisappointing as often as he was

brilliant over the course of hisjunior campaign, throwing moreinterceptions (15) than touch-downs (14).

Morris, on the other hand,was impressive while starting thefinal four regular season gamesfor the Hurricanes earning a125.01 quarterback efficiency rat-ing and compiling 1,240 passing

yards.After Notre Dame defenders

intercepted three of Harris firstseven pass attempts in the 2010Sun Bowl, he was replaced byMorris, who impressed Miamifans yet again.

Although he threw an intercep-

tion of his own, Morris broughtlife to a stagnant Miami offense,completing 22 of his 33 passes for282 yards and two scores.

Miamis defense could return upto seven starters to a stingy groupthat allowed only 150.5 passing

yards per game last season. Itsa unit that boasts two preseason

All-ACC selections of its own inlinebacker Sean Spence and safetyRay-Ray Armstrong.

Armstrong will miss six gamesdue to ineligibility, while Spence

will miss just one.With a solid defense in place,

preparing a successful startingquarterback and replacing 2010

veterans will be at the top ofGoldens to-do list.

Its a tall task, but there areplenty of talented players inCoral Gables ready to step upand fill the void. The only ques-tion for Miami is whether or notthey will.


Georgia Tech getting thehang of defensive scheme

By Zach HamiltonStaff Writer

Georgia Tech enters its fourthseason under head coach PaulJohnson amid a myriad of highs

and lows surrounding the footballprogram.

A positive for Georgia Techis that Johnsons option-basedspread offense has been extremelyeffective in his first three seasonsin Atlanta, disproving punditsand dumbfounding defensivecoordinators.

Analysts may question its effec-tiveness, but the Georgia Techplayers have faith in Johnsonsflexbone offense.

We led the nation in rushing

(last year), senior halfback RoddyJones said. You can see that wemoved the ball, and we moved the

ball very well.The Yellow Jackets averaged an

NCAA-best 323.3 rushing yardsper game in 2010, including a372-yards rushing performancein Georgia Techs 30-24 victory inChapel Hill last season.

Another positive for GeorgiaTech is that players on the otherside of the ball are startingto grasp second-year defen-

sive coordinator Al Grohs 3-4scheme.

I feel like weve definitely got-ten over the hill, senior defensivetackle Logan Walls said.

The hardest part was learning

how the communication process(works), how we go from safetiesto linebackers down to the defen-sive line. I think the defensive lineand the defense is all on the samepage.

The Yellow Jackets have a lotgoing for them in 2011, but a

variety of on- and off-field issuescould prove to be crucial thisseason.

Off the field, Georgia Tech is inthe process of appealing NCAAsanctions that were passed down

in July.Georgia Tech faces the vacation

of its 2009 ACC championship, afine of $100,000 and four years ofprobation as sanctions for failureto cooperate with an NCAA inves-tigation into the Yellow Jacketsfootball and mens basketballteams.

It is what it is and you justmove forward, Johnson saidabout the sanctions. You go on.The administration will handle itfrom here.

On the field, the YellowJackets face the challenging taskof competing with a very youngsquad.

Johnson said his team willrely on leadership from the

more experienced players as theyounger players many of whomwere redshirted last season arebrought up to speed.

Jones and junior quarterbackTevin Washington will seek toeffectively replace departed start-ing duo of halfback Anthony

Allen and quarterback JoshuaNesbitt.

In 2010, Allen was the ACCsleading rusher with 1,316 yards,and the Allen-Nesbitt duo com-

bined for 2,222 total rushing

yards.In their second year of Grohs

3-4 scheme, the Yellow Jacketswill try to improve from last year when Georgia Tech finishedninth in the ACC in both scoringand total defense.

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17/19


Virginia Tech looks to

repeat ACC title runBy Pace SagesterStaff WriterSince joining the ACC in 2004,

Virginia Tech has won the confer-ence championship four times,including three of the last four.

The Hokies have appeared infour of the six ACC title games,twice as many as any other schoolin the conference. Virginia Tech

is also the only program in thecountry to win at least ten gamesin each of the past seven seasons.

This season, however, coachFrank Beamer will debut a verydifferent Virginia Tech squad.

The 2011 edition of the Hokieswill be without their entire start-ing backfield from a year ago, asquarterback Tyrod Taylor andrunning backs Darren Evans and

Ryan Williams bolted for the NFL.Defensively, Virginia Tech

returns a meager five start-ers from last seasons ACCChampionship team. With somuch turnover for the defendingchampions, it seems 2011 might

be the year a team can steal theHokies crown.

The league is getting strongerevery year, Beamer said. Theprograms are all getting better.

You have to be good but you alsohave to be lucky.Luckily for Virginia Tech, red-

shirt sophomore Logan Thomasand junior David Wilson are poisedto fill the void in the backfield.

Thomas is faced with the monu-mental task of filling Taylors shoesat quarterback. The two are verydifferent players, as Thomas ismuch more of a pocket passer thanTaylor and stands five inches taller.

But for Thomas, the compari-sons to Taylor are going to be hard

to avoid.There is no doubt that some ofTyrod has rubbed off on Logan,senior wide receiver Danny Coalesaid. He definitely learned somethings, but I think he is a natural

born quarterback. He takes a lotof pride in his position.

Like Thomas, Wilson will alsohave to outrun the shadow of hispredecessors, as Evans ran for over1,000 yards in 2008 and Williamsran for over 1,500 yards in 2009.

Wilson showed glimpses of

greatness as the third string backin 2010, running for five touch-downs with limited touches.

Defensively, the Hokies willhave to battle back from anuncharacteristically weak seasonin 2010. Virginia Tech ranked52nd in total defense a year ago.

Last year we were 52nd,preseason All-ACC safety Eddie

Whitley said. I dont even wantto say the number again. That wasoutrageously high. We need to do

better.

Led by All-American corner-back Jayron Hosley, who led thenation with nine interceptions lastseason, Beamer will try to right theship on defense in his twenty-fifthseason at Virginia Tech.

Despite Virginia Techs inex-perience on both sides of the ball,the Hokies are confident the roadto the ACC title still runs throughBlacksburg.


By Michael LanannaAssistant Sports Editor

For Virginia, 2010 was sup-posed to be a year of transition.On paper, though, very little actu-ally changed.

Under new coach Mike London,the Cavaliers once again finished atthe bottom of the Coastal Division,going 4-8 (1-7 in the ACC).

But London, who compiled a24-5 record during his two years asRichmonds head coach, remainscommitted to injecting life into thestruggling football program.

I talk about winning and the

attitude of winning, Londonsaid. The only way you developan attitude of winning is winninggames and thats a mindset anddevelopment thats been missingfor a while.

As the Cavaliers enter the 2011season, theyll have to find a wayto replace the 2,799 passing yardsand 14 touchdowns senior quar-terback Marc Verica supplied a

year ago.Sophomore quarterbacks Ross

Metheny and Michael Rocco were

the frontrunners to snag the start-ing spot, and London announcedMonday that Rocco will start

Virginias first game againstWilliam & Mary.

You dont want it to carry onand linger because you cant givefour guys or three guys the repsto try and find out who numberone is, London said. Were goingto find out early who one and twoare.

Rocco will be leading an aerialattack that was potent a year ago.

The Cavaliers finished third in theACC in passing offense with 265.5yards per game, and their leading

receiver, senior Kris Byrd, remainsin the fold.In total Virginia will return

17 starters, including senior cor-nerback Chase Minnifield an

ACC Preseason Team selection.Minnifield ranked fifth in thenation with six interceptions and

was a bright spot for a defensethat at times struggled to keeppoints off the board.

While much of the startinglineup will be returning on bothsides of the ball, London said he

wouldnt hesitate to dip into hisnewest recruiting class.

Its hard from the line posi-tion because its an issue of beingstrong enough and things likethat, London said.

But theres a lot of young menon this team of skill position thatcan run, catch, do things withthe ball, so were looking to see if

we can take advantage of that. Iftheyre ready, then were ready.

UVa. will get their first tasteof ACC action in Chapel Hill on

Sept. 17, and if the team hopes toimprove on last seasons 1-7 con-ference performance, itll need toplay cleaner games.

Virginia averaged the thirdmost penalty yards per game inthe NCAA last season, drawing 98flags. Avoiding penalties will bea key issue for London as he triesto lead a football renaissance inCharlottesville.


London promoteswinning attitude

dth file/allison russell

A UNC defender tackles a Virginia Tech player. UNC lost to the Hok ies26-10 in Chapel Hill in 2010, and the Hokies went on to win the ACC title.


18/19


SportS DeSk

StAff

Kelly ParsonsDTH SPORTS EDITOR

Leah CampbellMichael LanannaBrandon Moree

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITORS

Ariana Rodriguez-GitlerDESIGN EDITOR

Allie RussellDTH PHOTO EDITOR

Steven NortonDAILY TAR HEEL EDITOR

David Adler, Matt Cox,Ryan Davis, Henry Gargan,Zach Hamilton, Jonathan

Jones, Jonathan LaMantia,Jonathan LaRowe, Kevin

Minogue, Chris Moore,Brooke Pryor, Marilyn

Payne, Pace Sagester, BenStewart, Mark Thompson

STAFF WRITERS

Find the complete previews

of these teams online at

dailytarheel.com

Wake Forest

Following a lackluster 2010season in which his team fin-ished 3-9 with just one winin ACC play, Jim Grobe and

Wake Forest are ready to put

last season in the rearviewmirror.With a young, albeit expe-

rienced, offense in Winston-Salem, the turnaround

will start and end with thedefense.

Louisville

Complacency wont cut itfor Louisville this season.

Coach Charlie Strong,who is in his second year at

Louisville, refuses to let histeam relax despite last yearsunexpected 7-6 record and

bowl win.And being ranked seventh

in the eight-team Big EastConference, theres a lot toprove for the young squad led

by only 16 seniors.


GO HEELS!We have the largest selection of UNC prints around.

20% OFF

all dry mountingnow thru Sept. 5th!

Annual

DryMo

unt

Sale

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www.theprintshopchapelhill.com

TUESDAY1/2 Price Alcohol

* Except top shelf liquors

WING WEDNESDAYFree Wings

with purchase of a drink


19/19

THINK YOU KNOW

GRANVILLE TOWERS?

It's a new day at Granville Towers. We recently renovated

our rooms, lobbies and dining room and added new

amenities that improve student life. Granville Towers

residents enjoy multiple single room options, flexible

meal plans, parking pass availability, and amenities you

won't find elsewhere on or off campus.

125 W. FRANKLIN ST., DOWNTOWN CHAPEL HILL (800)332-3113 WWW.GRANVILLETOWERS.COM

TRANSFORMING STUDENT HOUSING AT UNC

THINK AGAIN!

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR FALL 2012


football tab 2011

Documents