Tarheel Report

The Tar Heel Report

Welcome to the Tar Heel Report, your source for the latest UNC basketball and football news with analysis. Feel free to comment and state your opinion about Tar Heel sports. There is a basketball and football page so check out all of the posts on both, or follow the latest articles on the front page. Thanks for visiting the Tar Heel Report!

 

Duke vs. UNC: The Rivalry Continues

Here is my third and final article in the series featuring Duke vs. UNC: the rivalry. We have looked at the two respectable coaches, and looked at the players the teams have sent to the NBA. Now let us take a look at the current teams in preparation for another season and two big rivalry games.

The Heels lost four very good players to the NBA draft. All four of those players are irreplaceable, but Roy has found very capable players to fill their shoes. Duke lost key players in Gerald Henderson who went to the NBA, Greg Paulus who graduated, and Eliot Williams who transferred to Memphis. Coach K has no depth at the guard positions, and must find a way to deal with that, and to stay injury free.
Now we will take a look at the teams position by position.

Point Guard- At Chapel Hill, Ty Lawson will leave the reins of point guard to sophomore Larry Drew III. Drew will be an efficient point guard, but not as quick as Lawson nor as much of a scoring threat. Freshman Dexter Strickland will be the primary backup for Drew.

Duke lost both Greg Paulus and Eliot Williams at point guard. Now, Jon Scheyer and Andre Dawkins (who is supposed to be a senior in high school) will be the generals on the court. Duke only has three guards so you will see both of these guys at the two guard, and you may see Nolan Smith at point guard as well.

Shooting Guard-Roy Williams has some decisions to make for his starters, but his choices will be between fifth year senior Marcus Ginyard, Will Graves, Dexter Strickland, and Leslie McDonald. If John Henson starts at small forward you will definitely see Marcus Ginyard starting at shooting guard. If not Will Graves may start if he gets is act together this year, and if he is eligible to play come season time.

As mentioned above, you will see Scheyer, Dawkins, and Smith as shooting guards at Duke. Duke’s backcourt has three very good players, but they have no depth. The Blue Devils need an injury free season in the backcourt, or it could be a long year.

Small Forward- If John Henson lives up to the hype, he may very well start at small forward. Marcus Ginyard and Will Graves will also receive playing time at small forward this season when the Heels go with a shorter lineup.

At Duke, I see Kyle Singler starting at the small forward which would create matchup problems since he is big. Nolan Smith will probably see some time as another big, small forward. Expect Coach K to try different things and different lineups since he only has three players under 6’5” that will receive much playing time.

Power Forward-The power forward position is one that both teams have an abundance of players at. In Chapel Hill, Deon Thompson will be the starter as a senior. He will have John Henson, David Wear, Travis Wear, and Tyler Zeller all whom are excellent players to back him up. The first three are all talented freshmen while Zeller is a sophomore, but he did not receive much playing time last year due to an injury.

At Duke, Nolan Smith, Miles Plumlee, Mason Plumlee, Ryan Kelly, and Oleg Czyk will all see playing time. Coach K is very high on the versatile Mason Plumlee who should get some quality playing time. Nolan Smith should be the starter, and you may also see Kyle Singler playing some at the power forward.

Center- Both teams will see many of the players above play at center, but both have only one true center. Ed Davis will be a defensive beast in the lane for the Heels. He was a shot blocking machine last year in limited playing time, and he will have many more opportunities this season.
The Blue Devils have 7'’1"” Brian Zoubek to start at center. He has never been a star, but he will fill the lane up. Mason Plumlee will also see some playing time at center.

Conclusion- The matchup between Duke and Carolina will be as good as always, and the rivalry will not see any decline. Both teams have yet to see how their backcourt will be, but on the other hand both teams have a plethora of excellent players in the frontcourt.

There will be a battle between the big boys, but the games will most likely be won by which team has the best guards. Duke must stay injury free, and UNC must have good play out of their freshmen. An exciting year is in store for both schools, and the rivalry will be fueled this year as both teams will be fighting for the conference title.

Preview: UNC vs Connecticut

Coming off an important first win blowout, the Heels now have to face a tougher opponent in Connecticut at their home field. The game will be 12 o’clock Saturday and will be televised by ESPNU.

Deunta Williams (two interceptions), Shaun Draughn (118 yards), and Ryan Houston (two touchdowns) all performed very well last weekend against the Citadel. These performances are exactly what the Heels need to see all year.

It would be great to see Da’Norris Searcy return another punt for a touchdown against Connecticut. If players can perform well in the special teams it would be a big step for the Heels to win the Coastal Division

Give credit to quarterback T.J. Yates as well. He was able to hit open guys with some consistency, and to spread the ball around the field. The only problem was dropped passes by receivers.
Both Greg Little and newly converted running back Johnny White caught touchdowns. Freshman Joshua Adams also had two receptions. All of these guys need to perform well against Connecticut so that the Heels can get another blowout victory before playing an in-state matchup against ECU.

Connecticut is coming off of a win against Ohio University in which they had a very balanced attack.
UConn Quarterback Zach Fraser threw for 127 yards and two touchdowns, and he spread those yards out to many different receivers. UNC’s secondary must not allow the ball to be spread around this much if they want to beat the Huskies. It would be huge if Deunta Williams could come up with an interception, and more importantly limit the big play.

The North Carolina rush defense must stop the rushing attack. Last week, the Huskies combined to rush for 259 yards. Jordan Todman and Andre Dixon proved to be two very good running backs. If the Heels defense performs like they did against the Citadel this will be no problem. Connecticut will not be an overly tough team this season, but the Heels need another statement game with East Carolina and Georgia Tech coming up on the schedule. If the Heels can get another 30 point victory their confidence will be high, and the possibilities are endless for such a talented team.

Coach Davis will continue to work them hard in practice to correct their mistakes, and the team will be ready to prove that they deserve being ranked in the top-25. For the freshmen, their first game is over, and now they can relax and play football. The rest of the season should be very interesting as these freshmen (particularly the wide receivers) will start showing their true talent.

The noon game should be a great one to watch in a Big East vs. ACC battle.

All stats are from ESPN.com

Roy Williams keeps bringing the

Five Players Who Will Have to Make a Difference for the Heels

The Heels have several very good starters, and some who will be vying for conference and even national honors. Let us take a look at five of those players who will have to play well if the Heels are to contend for an ACC Championship.

5. Deunta Williams- It is very important that Deunta Williams perform in the Carolina secondary. Deunta will be the starting free safety, and will be in control of an inexperienced secondary. He will have to clean up the mistakes of the cornerbacks, and if the Heels are to win he will have to do his part to improve the pass defense.

4. Quan Sturdivant- Quan is a 6’2” 230 lb. middle linebacker with very good speed to compliment his strong tackling ability. He led the nation last season in solo tackles with 87; a very impressive stat. Sturdivant will be the leader of a talented defense that much is expected from if the Heels are to win this season. Sturdivant needs to play well enough to get national attention if the Heels are to contend for the ACC championship.

3. Marvin Austin- Austin is quite simply a beast. He will play defensive tackle, and anchor a defensive line that needs to pressure all of the quarterbacks they play. If the defensive line can pressure the opponents and the linebackers fill the holes the UNC defense will not give up many points. Austin will be a key component in maintaining the opposing team’s quarterbacks. Austin needs to perform like the star he is supposed to become if the Heels are going to win many games.

2. Greg Little-The only wide receiver with experience (howbeit very little) is Greg Little. A converted running back, Little has speed and talent, but he was prone to drop passes last season. It goes without saying that the only returning wide receiver must play well, and catch the ball. Coach Davis will never know what he is going to get in the other receivers, but he needs to know that Greg Little will make the big plays. Furthermore, Little must train the other young receivers to have them ready for this season and for the future.

1. T.J. Yates-I know that it is cliché to say that the quarterback is the most important player on the team, but in this case it is true. T.J. Yates has to play smart, and make good passes for a very inexperienced offense to score points. The Heels will not win many games if they do not put points on the board even with an outstanding defense. The good teams in the ACC will score points. Yates has a good running back to hand the ball off to in Shaun Draughn, but he must make smart decisions with his young receivers. If Yates can do that the Heels will be thinking about the ACC Championship game.

There are my five players who must perform if the Heels are to win in 2009. While all of the players on a football field are important, these five will be Coach Davis’ leaders on the field. In a tough Coastal Division of the ACC, Davis will have to have good play from each and every one of these players to have a prayer at playing in the ACC Championship.

High Expectations for Butch Davis

He is supposed to be the next Mack Brown, the Roy Williams of UNC football, and the savior of a dead program. Can we really expect all of this from one man?

The answer is yes.

Butch Davis can do all three of these things. He has the talent, and the experience to become a top coach in college football.

He learned from a great coach, Jimmy Johnson, under whom he won a national championship as an assistant coach at Miami.

Davis has also learned how to pick up the broken pieces of a football team. After a terrible scandal preceded him to the helm of the University of Miami, he was able to put together a 51-20 record. He then took Miami to a No. 2 national ranking only to be snubbed from the National Championship game in a BCS system that never has worked and never will.

Although Davis does not quite have the same pieces to pick up in Chapel Hill, he has still been put in a difficult situation. Not only has he had to pick up the pieces left over from John Bunting, he is expected to win and win now.

The former Cleveland Browns coach has put UNC football back on the map.

Critics have questioned Davis’ coaching ability. The answer to that attack is that bad coaches do not win games, and Davis has proved that he does indeed win games. He proved that at Miami, and he proved that last season in one of the best season’s Tar Heel fans have seen in a long time.

On top of that, he is one of the best recruiters in the country. He has pulled some very good classes in his short time in Chapel Hill. This year he continues to work hard on the recruiting trail, and has already received commitments from some very good prospects.

In his third season, the expectations are high. Maybe they are too high, but fans have realized what Butch can do. He has the talent on the field, he has the knowledge, and he has the drive to win. Butch Davis has the ingredients needed to win; now the players must perform on the field.

With Butch Davis as coach, the Tar Heel faithful can look forward to many years of winning football.

Tar Heels' Starting Wide Receiver Injured

A tough break for the Heels today as Dwight Jones will miss the opening game Saturday vs. the Citadel. He will have arthroscopic surgery, and it is yet to be determined when he will be available.

This is a tough break for the Heels because Jones needed some game time against an easy opponent before the tough part of the schedule starts.

The injury will give a chance for others to receive more playing time than they already would have received.

Joshua Adams would presumably be the starter in the place of Dwight Jones. Adams is a freshman who is very talented. It will be interesting to see Adams' start, and get much playing time.

The outcome of the game will not be affected, but Butch Davis will have to get an already inexperienced group of wide receivers ready.

Saturday's UNC vs. Citadel game will be interesting for Heels fans to watch as they get to watch many new players perform on the field.

Preview of the Tar Heels Season:Part III

It is finally here, the third and final part in my breakdown of the Tar Heels season. This last part of the season will be easier for the Heels than the second part was, and my prediction for the Heels is very good.

Duke-Nov. 7 at Chapel Hill

A Duke vs. Carolina game is always exciting even in football. It is hard to tell whether or not Duke will be up to the challenge this year, but one thing is for sure Duke is very much improved this year.

Coach David Cutcliffe who is in his second season with the Blue Devils has gotten them on the right track. We will have to see whether or not the team will produce.

The star on offense will be senior quarterback Thaddeus Lewis who will be one of the better quarterbacks in the ACC this season.  He threw for 2,171 yards and 15 touchdowns last season, but 693 of those yards went to Eron Riley who went to the NFL. He still has some good receivers, but nobody as good as Riley.

The Blue Devils running attack will have Re’quan Boyette back after missing 2008, but it has yet to be determined how good he will be.

A big question for Cutcliffe this year will be whether or not his defense will perform. The defense is not very deep, and it has several holes in it.

The defensive line is the strong part of their offense with DT Vince Oghobaase anchoring it.

The glaring weakness is the secondary. If UNC can find some receivers to step up they can get some big yardage off of the secondary.

The UNC running game should be able to exploit Duke’s defense. Draughn will be the key to UNC taking control of this game.

I predict UNC to win this game, but Duke will give them a battle. Duke will have a few wins this year including some upsets, but they will not upset the Tar Heels this season.

Miami- Nov. 14 at Chapel Hill

Miami, yet another Coastal foe, will present Butch Davis with a challenge, but this will be another home game for the Heels.

There is no doubt that this will be a very good game. Miami has some very good players on offense and on defense.

On offense, Miami has finally solved the quarterback situation and Jacoby Harris will be the starter. He threw for 1,195 yards and 12 touchdowns while splitting time with Robert Marve. Harris is looking like he could be a star, and Miami will be in good hands with Harris at the helm.

Miami has two very good running backs in Craig Cooper and Javarris James. Craig Cooper has the potential to be a star, but he recently suffered an injury that may or may not affect him the rest of the season. Expect the Miami running game to be very good.

The receivers are very talented, but also very young. UNC’s backfield will have to keep them in check.

On defense, former UNC special teams’ coordinator John Lovett will be coaching a talented group. Miami is in a similar situation as Duke. They will struggle against the run and will also have an inexperienced secondary.

As in the Duke game, Draughn must also perform big in this game. He needs to have two big games in a row.

With the defense containing a good Miami offense, and the offense getting big plays out of the receivers, UNC will win this game. I expect a very close game, but the Heels get the edge since the game is played in Chapel Hill.

Boston College-Nov. 21 at Chestnut Hill

After two straight home games the Heels will have to go to Massachusetts. I do not expect a Boston Massacre here though; the Heels should take care of a depleted Eagles team.

Coach Frank Spaziani has an uphill to climb in his first year. He lost a lot of talent, and still has to decide who his quarterback will be.

Boston College has no experience at quarterback, and this will be a problem for BC all year.

At running back, they have some experience and talent in sophomores Montel Harris and Josh Haden. The running game will have its ups and downs, but it will not be their biggest concern as that is quarterback.

The Eagles only return six starters on offense and six more on defense. They have many positions to fill, and will have to find players to do that.

As in the last two games, Draughn will play a huge role in beating Boston College. Coach Spaziani has holes up the middle that he will have to fill to beat UNC.

The Eagles defensive backs are good, and will limit the Heels young receivers.

This may be a tougher game than some expect, but the Heels should prove better than the Eagles and win this one in big fashion.

NC State-Nov. 28 at Raleigh

If my predictions hold true, the Heels will be riding a three-game winning streak going into Raleigh. This will be one of the most anticipated games for the Heels after the embarrassing defeat they had last year against their rivals. It is also the last game of the season, and both teams will be looking to get in a bowl game.

The unquestionable star for North Carolina State is quarterback Russell Wilson. Just a sophomore, Wilson will have a stellar season, and much riding on his shoulders. He threw for almost 2,000 yards and 18 touchdowns last season, and anything less in 2009 will be a disappointment.

What else does NC State have?

They have a solid runner in Jamelle Eugene. He will be the starter, but has experienced injuries in the past so expect the backups to be ready.

All of Coach Tom O’Brien’s receivers return. They will need more production out of this group this year, and expect them to get plenty of catch opportunities from Russell Wilson.

The Wolfpack defense returns seven players, but it is a team that the Heels can hurt with the pass.

The UNC defense will be able to get pressure on Wilson this season. If they can do that the Tar Heels will be able to shut the State offense down.

This will be another tough road game, but I expect the Heels to win this one against their rivals.

Conclusion

As I conclude this series, let may say that it is possible that UNC beat either Florida State or Virginia Tech and then loses one of these last four games. The most likely possibilities would be NC State or Miami.  I do believe the Heels will go 9-3 and make a decent bowl game.

At any rate, the Heels are prepared for a great season, and now Tar Heel fans just have to wait until Sep. 5 to get the season started.

Preview of the Tar Heels Season:Part II

Part II is here as I break down the Tar Heels 2009 football season. In this part, I will break down games 5-8 of this important year in UNC football.

After a predicted 3-1 start, the Heels play two fairly easy games that should include their first ACC win, and then they have to play the toughest two games of the season. 

A fairly confident Tar Heel team will start October in Chapel Hill taking on the Virginia Cavaliers.

Virginia Cavaliers-Oct. 3 at Chapel Hill

If the Heels do lose to Georgia Tech they will be hungry for a win and more importantly their first ACC win.

They will face a Virginia team that lost much talent, and eleven starters: six on offense, and five on defense. That many starters would be hard for anybody to replace.

Al Groh will have his work cut out for him this season. He has Jameel Sewell returning to quarterback after missing 2008, but it is questionable whether he or Vic Hall, a cornerback for part of his time at UVA, will start.

The best word to describe the stats the Virginia quarterbacks put up last year is horrid. Marc Verica threw 16 interceptions to just 8 touchdowns, and Peter Lalich threw 3 interception and no touchdowns.

Neither Sewell nor Hall should be as bad as the quarterback situation last year, but I would not expect a lot of production from the quarterback position.

Running back is also a hard position to predict for Virginia, and on top of that they lost their top three receivers putting them in a similar predicament to North Carolina.

The North Carolina defense should be able to shut down this Cavalier offense which is not sure who is going to play at very important positions.

The Virginia defense will be better than their offense, but they lost three good linebackers that will need to be replaced.

One plus for Virginia is their very good secondary which will be able to limit the catches UNC’s inexperienced receivers will have. On the other hand, this could open the door up for Shaun Draughn to show what he can do.

My prediction is that this will be an easy win for the Heels at home, and give them their first ACC win.

Georgia Southern-Oct. 10 at Chapel Hill

Georgia Southern is another FCS team the Heels have scheduled this year. Unless this turns into an Appalachian State vs. Michigan game, the Heels should easily handle this team.

Quarterback Lee Chapple returns after throwing for 787 yards and five touchdowns last season when he took over the starting job. Six more starters return on offense including receiver Leander Barney (209 yards receiving) and running back Adam Urbano (304 rushing yards).

The Eagles return seven starters of a shaky defense from last year. They have some good young defensive players, and are expected to be good in the future.

Georgia Southern will have a good season in the Southern Conference, but UNC will handedly take care of them in this game.

Florida State-Oct. 22 at Chapel Hill

Next on the schedule is a storied Florida State program that has struggled the last few years, but looks to be back on track. FSU is predicted by most preseason sources to win the Atlantic Division of the ACC.

This will be the first game in tough back-to-back weeks for the Heels.

Bobby Bowden’s Seminoles will be tough this season with returning quarterback Christian Ponder (2006 YDs, 14 TDs, and 13 INTs in 2008). Ponder has lost two of his top receivers, but he has more talent that will be lining up in the receiver positions.

The passing game will be good, but the most promise is in the running game. Sophomore Jermaine Thomas is expected to have a stellar year after accumulating 482 yards rushing as a freshman.

The key to this FSU vs. UNC matchup will be the defense, and the best defense will win this game.

Senior linebacker Dakoda Watson is poised to be the leader of this FSU defense that only returns three starters. The Seminole defense will be still good even without a lot of returning starters because they still have many upperclassmen and players with game experience.

At cornerback they have a very good NFL prospect in Patrick Robinson, and he will make it tough to get much going in the passing game.

Will UNC be able to shut down all of the Seminoles attacks? It is tough to tell. Bobby Bowden’s offense could be very good, or it may struggle again.

This is a very tough game to make a prediction on. These teams seem to match up so well. Both have offenses that nobody is sure about, and defenses that could be very good; although, the Heels have more returning starters on defense.

This game will be played in Chapel Hill, and by this time expectations will be high with Kenan Stadium packed out. If T.J. Yates can find chemistry with his young receivers by this time in the year, and if UNC’s defense plays up to expectations they will win this game.

If not, Florida State will win. My early prediction would have to be a Florida State victory.

Virginia Tech-Oct. 29 at Blacksburg

For the last game in this series of games, North Carolina faces their toughest opponent of the season at their home place that is sure to be rocking.

I expect the Hokies to be thinking about a BCS bowl by this time, and to be ready to play.

Junior Tyrod Taylor will lead the offense after throwing for 1,036 yards last season. Taylor will step up and be a star this year. (For more on Taylor, check out this article)

The running game took a big hit when starter Darren Evans went down with a season-ending injury. While nobody can replace somebody like Evans, the Hokies still have plenty of firepower at running back. Josh Oglesby, Ryan Williams, and David Wilson will see plenty of playing time.

Virginia Tech is still inexperienced at receiver, but still has plenty of talent there.

The defense will be good as always. They return seven starters and much talent.  DE Jason Worilds will have to be stopped or T.J. Yates will have a terrible day.

Frank Beamer will have his team ready, and with his awesome defense and good offense he will beat UNC, effectively winning the Coastal Division.

Conclusion

The middle part of the season includes the two hardest games of the season for the Heels. They could easily lose two games or win three games. How well the Heels play against Florida State and Virginia Tech will let the rest of the country know how good they are.

At any rate, it will be important that they do not get discouraged, and go into the next four games, that are all ACC action, very confident and ready to play.

Preview of the Tar Heels Season:Part I

I’m ready for some tailgating, big helmet rattling hits, and New Year’s Day Bowl Games. I’m ready for some college football!  You just have to love it, but any fan will tell you the season is not as fun if your team is not winning.

Butch Davis has put together a team that can win, and that is shown by their No. 20 ranking in the preseason USA Today Coaches’ Poll. Which games should the Heels win this year, and which ones would be a disappointment for them to lose? Here is a quick glance at the first four games of the UNC season.

The Citadel

The Bulldogs are members of the Southern Conference which is a Football Championship Series Conference, and they have been picked to finish sixth in the conference.

This should be an easy win for the Heels to start out the season.

The Citadel has a very proficient starting quarterback in Bart Blanchard. Blanchard threw for 2,436 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2008, but he also threw 11 picks.

More than half of those passing yards went to wide receiver Andre Roberts who in 2008 accumulated 1,334 yards with 14 touchdowns. Look for Blanchard to go to Roberts many times since he has much more experience and catches than anybody else on the team.

Overall, the Heels should dominate this game. It was put on the schedule to get an easy, early win, and that is exactly what the Heels should do.

Connecticut

The second game of the season will be tougher for the Heels, but they were able to beat a better Connecticut team last year (starting quarterback Tyler Lorenzen was injured though) cruising to victory by a score of 38-12. With UNC looking improved this year they should win this game in similar fashion.

The Huskies only return six starters on defense and six more on offense. Randy Edsall lost much talent; including, running back Donald Brown who was selected No. 27 overall by the Colts.

Brown led the running game to be nationally ranked at No. 13 in yards, but this season Brown is playing on Sunday’s so they will have to use a more balanced attack on offense.

Quarterback Zack Fraser should be taking over the starting job since Tyler Lorenzen graduated. Fraser started last year against UNC due to Lorenzen’s injury. He threw for 210 yards, no touchdowns, and three interceptions. 

His receivers will be inexperienced since they ran the ball so much last year, and I believe the Heels can exploit this causing havoc for the Connecticut offense.

If the UNC defense can get the defensive line and their fast linebackers pressuring Fraser he will not be able to find open targets down the field.  As long as they keep the running game in check, the UNC defense should be able to keep the Connecticut score low.

The Connecticut defense should have another solid year after finishing sixth nationally in yards allowed last season with 287 yards per game. Although, the Heels were able to put up 38 points last year against that defense, scoring a variety of ways.

In short, the Tar Heels should win this game with their strong defense, and an offense that will put up some points even against a strong Connecticut defense.

East Carolina

The season continues to get tougher for the Heels on September 19 when they matchup with another good North Carolina team.  This game will be a true test for Butch Davis and his team.

Skip Holtz had a very good team last year as they were ranked as high as No. 14 at one point. While not in the preseason top 25 this year, they will still be a solid team.

Returning will be Quarterback Patrick Pinkney (2,675 yards, 13 TDs) a senior bringing with him some experience. It is tough to face a good senior quarterback, but just like with Connecticut the Heels need to bring the pressure forcing him to get rid of the ball fast.

The Pirates have not settled on a running back yet, but they have two seniors (Dominique Lindsay and J.R. Rogers) vying for the spot with sophomore Brandon Jackson.

East Carolina has eight returning starters on offense and eight more on defense. This experience will be huge, but UNC can exploit positions such as running back.

The Pirates’ defense will be very good. They have juniors or seniors projected to start at every position except for strong safety, and they have a senior that could start there.

The bottom line is that this will be a tough game for the Heels, but I believe they will pull it out to start the season 3-0. 

Georgia Tech

September 26 takes the Heels to Atlanta for their ACC opener. The games continue to get tougher as this road game against Georgia Tech will be a big test for the Heels. 

On top of all of that, this game is pivotal since it is a game that pits two contenders for the ACC Coastal Division title. They will be the top two teams trying to knock Virginia Tech, Miami will also be in the mix, off the top of the tough Coastal Division.

In this game, we will see two very good teams hitting the gridiron. In the preseason USA Today Coaches’ Poll, Georgia Tech is ranked No. 15 while North Carolina is ranked at No. 20. Providing that both teams keep this ranking or move up the rankings this game will receive some much desired national attention.

Georgia Tech will have a very good offense with them in Atlanta. It starts with Tailback Jonathan Dwyer, the ACC Offensive Player of the Year in 2008, who will be bringing his play-making ability right into the heart of the North Carolina team, the defense.

I perceive that this will be a good battle, and what the defense needs to do is keep him from getting the big yardage on any single carry. Dwyer rushed for 157 yards and one touchdown in this game last year, and the Heels need to get those numbers way down from that to win this game.

They also bring back their starting quarterback, Josh Nesbitt, who threw for 808 yards and two touchdowns last season. Quarterback is the position that UNC can exploit and get the upper hand.

Just like against Connecticut and East Carolina, if they can pressure Nesbitt they will take the passing game away, and then basically the main part of offense they will have to stop will be Dwyer. The Heels will have to keep him from taking over the game.

The Yellow Jackets return 17 starters, but have some key guys on the defensive line to replace. If the defensive line can be maintained by the Heels offensive line, Yates should be able to find open targets, and Draughn should be able to find plenty of open spaces.

Scoring points will be the way to beat this Georgia Tech team. They have some weaknesses up front on defense, and the Heels need to take advantage of that.

I predict this will be North Carolina’s first loss, but it will be a very close game. I will give the Yellow Jackets the upper hand because they are at home. This game could go either way though with a few big plays on either side.

Conclusion

After the first four games, I predict UNC will be 3-1 overall and 0-1 in the ACC. This record would not be cause to panic about their chances in the ACC because Georgia Tech will lose some games giving the Heels a chance with some big wins to finish second in the Coastal Division.

Most likely, they will need to beat Georgia Tech to have a shot at winning the Coastal Division.  The Heels would have two good win against Connecticut and East Carolina, and take those wins into the middle part of the season as positive wins to look back on. This will be an exciting start to the season, and it is time to play some football!

 

Roy Williams vs. Coach K:Two Schools, Two Coaches, One Result

Roy Williams and Coach K: two names seemingly at the opposite end of the spectrum from each other. The ironic thing is they represent schools separated by only eight miles, yet almost everybody either hates one or the other.

They are seen so differently because they coach at schools that are at odds (maybe I should just say hate) with each other.

The Duke-UNC rivalry is the biggest rivalry in college basketball, and these two coaches have made the rivalry even more heated.

Everybody wants to watch winners play each other, and now that Ol’ Roy is in town, the rivalry is as intense as ever. Although the Heels have won three straight games (something Roy can brag about to Coach K, that is, if they ever talk) the UNC vs. Duke Game is still the most watched game of the season.

The question begs to be asked: Why is this rivalry so intense? Of course, it does not help that the schools are only eight miles apart, but a big part of the answer is that both teams and both coaches are nothing but winners.

It is human nature to hate a winner unless it is your team that is the winner. That is why when you ask non-UNC or Duke fans whether or not they like either team; most will say that they hate both teams.

I am a Tar Heel fan, and I do not like Coach K or the Blue Devils. But I also have to say, I would not hate Duke near as much if they did not win so many games. After all, it is hard to hate a loser.

Coach K has accumulated 833 wins and three national titles coupled with an Olympic gold medal. There is no doubt he knows how to win.

Eight miles down the road, Coach Williams has 589 career wins (171 at UNC), and two national championships in the last five years. The Tar Heel faithful love Roy Williams because he has put Carolina on the top of the basketball world once again.

The question I am sure many coaches ask is how does Coach K and Coach Williams win so many games?

For one, it is their style of play. Both have mastered the style they want to play, and they execute their game plan to perfection.

In Durham, Coach K lives and dies by the three, and he recruits for players who will fit into that system. Do players such as Jason Williams, J.J. Redick, and Mike Dunleavy ring a bell? If it does not, let me tell you that I know very well what these players could do. They could flat out shoot the three.

Roy Williams, on the other hand, likes to push the ball up the court and score easy points. At Carolina he has let point guards Raymond Felton and Ty Lawson, both speed demons, be the generals of the fast break. Coach Williams knew what talent he had in these two, and he utilized that talent to the sound of two national championships.

Secondly and equally as important, both men recruit well. Granted, nearly all of the best players in the country will list either UNC or Duke, sometimes both, as their top choices.

At any rate, they both know how to recruit the absolute best players.

The funny thing is they battle each other for the best players, yet they both come out with McDonald’s All-Americans every year. The well of talent they find these players in never runs dry. In the end, a team can only be consistently good if they have talent, and these two geniuses recruit talent.

Everybody has differences, and Coach K and Roy Williams definitely have those; after all, they coach at two schools that hate each other.

Just do not forget, the main thing these two have in common is their remarkable ability to win.