The Texas Free Throw Massacre

Every one seems to have an answer for the Tsrheels Free Throw shooting woes. 24-47 against Texas in an 86-83 loss to Texas the other night. If they would have hit their season average of slightly over 60% they would have won the game. The fact that the Tarheels got killed on the boards mostly got lost in the shuffle. They were outrebounded 51-42 for the game and 29-15 in the first half. Roy Williams was not happy with the "effort" and scheduled a 5 AM practice the next morning. That should get some players' attention. The Tarheels had 3 players in double figures- Marcus Paige with 23, Leslie McDonald with 15, and James Michael McAdoo with 11. Leslie McDonald got reinstated by the NCAA before the game and came off the bench and hit 4-9 three pointers. The word on the street is that P.J. Hairston will miss the entire season. That is for an entirely different post. The "heels take on an always tough Davidson team on Saturday night.

A Bluegrass Beat Down

I do not like Kentucky. Plain and simple. I was really nervous about the game yesterday because Kentucky keeps bringing size at you from the Guards on up. The 'Heels Guards barely hit six feet tall. Statistically, the 'Tarheels should not have won this game. They got killed on the boards (44-32), they only went 26-45 from the free throw line, and one of the few statistical categories they did win was in Turnovers (9-17). As Jim Bouton once said in his Baseball epic Ball Four "tell my statistics to shut up." The ultimate stat that is the only one that counts is the final score and that one the 'Heels had an advantage of 82-77. That improves their record to 7-2 on the season with three wins over top tier teams. Marcus Paige's Alley Oop to Brice Johnson brought back memories of Ed Cota to Vince Carter, James Michael McAdoo got back on track with 20 points and led the team with 4 assists and more importantly,drove to the basket hard and shot 19 free throws. He did not settle for the jump shot and took a very aggressive offensive approach. Marcus Paige led the way with 23 points and J.P. Tokoto scored a career high 15 points on 7-10 shooting and displayed the athleticism that will only become more prominent as his basketball skill set grows.

Brice Johnson And Kennedy Meeks

Brice Johnson and Kennedy Meeks may not start for the Tarheels but they are turning into the two most valuable big men the 'Heels have. Johnson provides that offensive punch off the bench as well as providing a few highlight worthy Blocked Shots that go sailing into the third row of the Dean E. Smith Center. Meeks provides points, rebounds, and may be the best passing big man the Tarheels have had since Brad Daugherty. Johnson is second on the team in scoring at 13.6 per game in only 20 minutes per game and Meeks is averaging 8.5 in only 14 minutes per game and he is 4th on the team in Assists. They are both leading the team in Field Goal Percentage by a wide margin, both well over 60%, and and they provide quality minutes and energy off the bench.

The Twilight Zone

Watching the 2013-14 version of the North Carolina Tarheels basketball team has been like watching an episode of The Twilight Zone. They lose to mid-Major teams Belmont and Alabama-Birmingham, games they easily should have won, and yet they beat #3 Louisville and last night defeated #1 Michigan State on the road in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, 79-65. After the loss to UA-B, they even fell out of one of the Top 25 polls. The 'Heels had five players in double figures led be Freshman Kennedy Meeks 15 points and 7 rebounds in only 18 minutes, Brice Johnson 14, Marcus Paige and Nate Britt 13, andf J.P. Tokoto 12 points and 10 rebounds. If the Tarheels want to go very far into the NCAA's this season, they have some fundamental problems that can be fixed. They have problems at the free throw line (22-48 against Belmont), they have a lack of an outside threat besides Marcus Paige (he has hit 18 out of the 21 Tarheels three-pointers this season), and they have a hard time guarding against dribble penetration. The 'Heels resume this season has the two biggest upsets in college basketball thus far, but two bad losses tempers that and with the ACC super conference this season, it should be a very interesting rest of the season.

A Bright Future

If the past 5 games, all Tarheel victories, have proven anything it is that the Tarheels have a bright future. The majority of the big plays on Offense, Defense with the exception of Defensive End Kareem Martin), and Special Teams in this five game winning streak are Freshmen and Sophomores. Marquise Williams took over at QB, T.J. Logan and Khris Francis have gotten the majority of the carries at Running Back, Wide Receiver Quinshad Davis is only a Sophomore even though it seems like he has been there forever, and Mr. Excitement, Ryan Switzer, has been passing, receiving, and returning his way into the national spotlight. On Defense, Brian Walker and Dominique Green have been batting away or intercepting most everything thrown their way, and if it moves with a ball in its hands, Jeff Schoettmer tackles it.

Eric Ebron

North Carolina Junior Tight End Eric Ebron announced he was turning pro after this season and I was pretty sure when the season started that this would be his last year in Tarheel Blue. He has broken just about every Tarheel Tight End receiving record in the books and is one of the top ranked Tight Ends in college football and is a probable top 20 pick in next year's draft. I really hate to see him go because he was a true gamebreaker. His 199 receiving yards against Miami earlier in the season was the highlight. A Tight End with size and Wide Receiver's speed that was a perfect fit for Larry Fedora's offense and I would love to see him end up with the Carolina Panthers or the Seattle Seahawks. Hopefully he has got at least two games left in his college career.

Bowl Eligible

North Carolina won their sixth game of the season against Old Dominion by a final score of 80-20 and became bowl eligible in the process. It was also their fifth win in a row. Old Dominion was not a bad team. They were 8-3 coming into the game, they played the same up tempo style that the Tarheels do, and their Quarterback had thrown for almost 4,000 yards. There were too many stars and outstanding plays in this game to mention all of them. QB Marquise Williams passed for over 400 yards and 5 TD's, Freshman RB T.J. Logan ran for 137 yards on only 14 carries and scored 3 TD's as well as returning a kickoff 99 yards for a TD. Freshman Wide Receiver Ryan Switzer had a career day receiving with 5 receptions for 118 yards and 2 TD's and he returned another punt for a TD giving him 4 in three games tying an ACC record, Wide Receiver Quinshad Davis had over 100 yards receiving and a TD, and Freshman Running Back Khris Francis scored his first rushing TD on the season. On defense, Senior Defensive End Kareem Martin continued his stellar play adding two more sacks giving him 11 on the season. The Old Dominion Head Coach asked Coach Larry Fedora to cut the 4th Quarter to 10 minutes and Fedora readily agreed. It was a class move by both coaches and nothing was going to be gained by playing 5 more minutes. The Tarheels were driving for another score towards the end of the game when Larry Fedora called off the dogs and had Caleb Pressley take a knee on 4th down at the 10 yard line after taking a delay of game from the three on the play before. As a UNC fan, it would have been nice to see the 'Heels set the ACC record for points in a game (the record is 82 by Clemson in 1981 against Wake Forest) although the 'Heels did set a school record for points in a game but I applaud the sportmanship shown by both coaches. That is rare to see at any level of football any more.

And The Sophomore Shall Lead Them

The North Carolina Tarheel Basketball team has always placed an emphasis on Senior leadership since the early days of Dean Smith and if the team was lacking in Seniors, then the upper classmen took over. This year, especially after the tough Belmont loss, Sophomore combo guard Marcus Paige has emerged as the clear cut leader of the 2013-14 Tarheel basketball team. Paige led the 'Heels with a then career high 26 points in an 82-72 win over the University of Richmond on Saturday with some help from fellow Sophomore Brice Johnson in the form of 24 points off the bench. The #24 'Heels took on #3 Louisville and their 21 game winning streak yesterday and rode Marcus Paige's career high 32 points on 6 for 9 three point shooting and 10 for 11 from the free throw line. Brice Johnson chipped in with 13 more points off the bench and 5 Blocked Shots and Freshman Kennedy Meeks had a career high 13 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists. Meeks repeatedly burned Louisville with long outlet passes to wide open Tarheel players who had gotten behind Louisville's defense. It was a "statement" win for North Carolina and by far their best game of the season. It was tied at 44 at halftime and the 'Heels eventually stretched the lead to 16 before settling on the final score of 93-84. The 'Heels improved to 4-1 on the season and this was the first of many games the Tarheels have against Top Ten teams.

Switzer Saves The Day

The North Carolina Tarheels evened their record at 5-5 with a hard fought 34-27 win over the Pittsburgh Panthers yesterday at Heinz Field. The Tarheels raced out to a 24-3 halftime lead on the strength of 2 Marquise Williams rushing TD's and a Ryan Switzer 65 yard punt return for a TD. The 'Heels tacked on a Field Goal to start the scoring in the Third Quarter and make it 27-3 then had to hang on. Pittsburgh tied it up at 27 and then Ryan Switzer returned a second punt for a TD in the game, this one a weaving, field crossing, 61 yarder. The 'Heels still had to make a couple of defensive stands, the last one a fourth and one on their own 26 yard line with 1:12 to go in the game. It wasn't pretty but they won their fourth game in a row and now only need to win one of their last two to become bowl eligible. The Tarheel defense, in particular Kareem Martin, played a solid game and had 7 sacks in the game, with Kareem Martin getting 3 1/2 of those. Cornerback Terry Shankle led the team with 8 tackles and had 2 sacks.

The Sophomores Step Up

Friday nights game against Holy Cross was a much tighter game than it really should have been. The score was tied at 25 at halftime after Holy Cross went on a 13-2 run to close out the first half. A lackluster performance by the 'Heels in the first 4 minutes of the second half saw them fall behind 30-27. That was when Sophomores Marcus Paige (22 points) and Brice Johnson (12 points) brought some highly needed energy and enthusiasm to the court and allowed the 'Heels to pull out a hard fought 62-54 win. The 'Heels had a poor shooting game, were outrebounded by the smaller Holy Cross team 39-38, and the 'Heels did not take care of the ball. One of the announcer desribed the Tarheels as a very mediocre team without P.J. Hairston and by the end of the game, they were in the process of proving him right. James Michael McAdoo only had 11 points and had a hard time fitting into the flow of the game. The 'Heels had no inside game to speak of and the crisp passing among the interior players from the first game was missing in this game. The 'Heels will be a work in progress until they start getting some of their major players back. James Michael McAdoo and Marcus paige are the only two players on this team that logged major minutes last season.

A Tribute To Renner

Marquise Williams changed his jersey number from his customary #12 in yesterday's 45-14 win over Virginia to Bryn Renner's #2 as a tribute to Renner. Yesterday's game also served as Marquise Williams taking over the reigns as the starter and he proved himself quite capable. Marquise Williams threw 2 TD passes, ran for another, and he also caught a 29 yard TD pass from Wide Receiver Quinshad Davis. According to the statisticians that might be the first time in Tarheel history that type of trifecta has ever been pulled off. He was 15 for 28 for 185 yards with 2 TD's and an Int and he ran for another 46 yards on 16 carries and caught a 29 yard TD pass. He totalled 260 yards of total offense. He also helped lead the Tarheels to their first 200 + yards rushing performance of the season. Romar Morris led the 'Heels with 48 yards rushing. Tight End Eric Ebron was relatively quiet with only 2 catches for 21 yards but Virginia was focused on not letting him run free across the middle and that allowed the Wide Receivers to run loose along the sidelines. Quinshad Davis had 5 catches for 65 yards and a TD. A total of 8 Tarheels caught passes. The screen game was more in play against Virginia asd Khris Francis caught a 15 yard screen that resulted in a TD and T.J. Logan ran one for 30 yards.

The Announcers

I grew up watching college football and listening to the announcing of Keith Jackson, and after listening to the ACC Networks announcing duo of Steve Martin and Tim Brant call the Virginia-North Carolina game today, all I can say is "Damn, do I miss Keith Jackson!" The ACC has worked hard to do it but the ACC has finally found football's version of Dan Bonner. Steve Martin (and he is definitely not The Man With Two Brains, and Tim Brant's play-by-play and analysis of the game was astounding but not in a good way. Here are some excerpts from their expertise: On Virginia QB David Watford "He makes a great throw" right before Tre Boston of UNC was intercepting the ball; he stated that UNC instigated the sideline incident after #49 of Virginia got a personal foul penalty called on him for dumping Boston on his head well after the whistle had blown and they were both out of bounds, and one of the announcing crew then berated UNC for leaving most of their starters in the game when the score was 45-14. I know the UNC roster pretty well and I didn't even recognize most of the players that were in the game. About a minute later he announced that UNC had just about played everyone on the roster. There were several others but those were some of the more noticeable one's.

Previewing Virginia

The University of Virginia Cavaliers is game #1 in the 'Heels quest to make a bowl game. It is homecoming for North Carolina, Marquise Williams gets his second start of the season and all of the snaps will belong to him unless another injury occurs, North Carolina's defense is playing better football, and UNC's running game is showing signs of life and Williams provides an additional threat running the ball from the QB position. Virginia is a little bit of a "wild card" for North Carolina. They are 2-7 and 0-5 in the ACC. They have nothing to lose and you don't know what you are going to get. Are you going to get a Virginia team that tries to exploit North Carolina's weakness against the run or are you going to get the Virginia that passed the ball 61 times a game or two ago? The bigger worry is that they completed 43 of those 61 passes. North Carolina should win and I expect them to win. Renner being out will hurt the passing game as he is a more precision passer than Williams. The running game should be better as Williams provides an additional threat. Defensive End Kareem Martin has been playing the kind of football everyone expected from him at the beginning of the season. He leads the team with 5 1/2 sacks and has putting intense pressure on the opposing QB's in the past three games. The defense has been opportunistic and has been intercepting the ball with more regularity thereby giving UNC more posessions. Its basic football 101- limit the turnovers and penalties and play opportunistic football and that should equal a UNC win.

Getting It

After watching UNC's 84-61 win over Oakland University last night, I came away thinking "This team gets it." They get making the extra pass to someone with a better shot, they get playing better perimeter defense and getting a hand in the shooter's face, and they get crashing the boards. At some point and time in the very near future and until the situation between the NCAA and P.J. Hairston and Leslie McDonald comes to a resolution, they will miss the outside shooting of those two players. Last night that void was filled admirably by J.P. Tokoto and Marcus Paige. Tokoto had 13 points (all in the first half) and Paige had 14, including 4 of 7 three pointers, and Tokoto tied for the team lead with 5 Assists and led the team with 4 steals. It took James Michael McAdoo all of 7 seconds into the game to score on a driving layup and hit the "and one" for a three point play. He led the team with 21 points and 9 rebounds and 5 Tarheels scored in double figures. Oakland University was a dangerous team. They play fast and can hit the three point shot. The 'Heels neutralized that by playing good perimeter defense (Oakland was 8 for 25 from the three point line) and getting into the passing lanes. There were no easy shots. It was a good first win for the Tarheels and I came away impressed, especially with the first half.

Men's Basketball Preview Versus Oakland

The Oakland University Golden Grizzlies come to Chapel Hill tonight for only their second ever meeting. Oakland presents matchup problems for the 'Heels the biggest of which is three-point bomber Travis Bader. He averaged over 22 points a game last year and is only 101 three-pointers short of Duke alum J.J. Redick's career record of 457 three-pointers. It could be a problem if the 'Heels have to match him three pointer for three pointer. He also has a size advantage over Marcus Paige and will be able to shoot over the top of him. The 'Heels have had a problem guarding the outside shooters for several seasons. Fellow Oakland Guard Duke Mondy led the NCAA in steals last year at 3.02 per game and with the 'Heels problem with turnovers in their exhibition game and Freshman Nate Britt opening at the Point, UNC will need to take care of the basketball and not give Oakland any more posessions. Oakland also has two transfers, Tommie McCune from West Virginia who led Oakland with 7.5 rebounds per game in two exhbition games, and former Dayton Flyer Ralph Hill. Oakland can almost match Carolina's size and experience in the middle definitely favors the Golden Grizzlies. Depth in the middle should favor UNC and any of the three- Desmond Hubert, Joel James, or Kennedy Meeks- could start for Carolina and they do have 15 fouls to give. James Michael McAdoo needs to have a big game for the 'Heels. Sophomore Brice Johnson and Freshman Isaiah Hicks are the "X Factors" for the Tarheels. They do not have a proven outside threat and need to dominate down low and one the those players needs to step up and become a scoring option. Oakland Coach Greg Kampe favors a fast paced game and the 'Heels should thrive in that type of environment and the 'Heels big men can run. If the Tarheels can limit their turnovers, dominate the inside, and if any of the "X Factors" can step up, the 'Heels should be able to pull away at the end. The 'Heels cannot lament over who is not playing and as the old saying goes, "you have to race what you brought to the track."

Men's Basketball Home Opener Versus Oakland

The opening of the Men's Basketball season used to be such a rush for me. The 'Heels were usually a Top Ten team (usually top five) and the only thing a Tarheel fan had to worry about was who was going to go pro at the end of the season. Until then, and it was usually after a deep run into the NCAA's, you got to watch a veteran team with a few McDonald's All-American Freshmen sprinkled in to the lineup. This season has a different feel to it. The 'Heels are opening up their season without all of their starting pieces. P.J. Hairston and Leslie McDonald are going to miss at least the home opener against Oakland due to problems with the NCAA. Hairston's saga has gone on for at least four months and should have a definitive resolution to it by now. The NCAA was able to resolve the Johnny Manziel situation at Texas A & M in about two weeks. That suspension was for half a game. He has acted like a jerk ever since then. The NCAA couldn't have the reigning Heisman Trophy winner being suspended for any length of time. Leslie McDonald's problems have been going on for a lot less time but the effects are just the same. Hairston and McDonald's situation greatly alters the 'Heels starting lineup. Marcus Paige moves into the starting Shooting Guard position (he is a natural Point Guard) and Freshman Nate Britt moves into the starting Point Guard position. The only other two "guaranteed" starting positions are J.P. Tokoto and James Michael McAdoo. It looks like the 'Heels will open with a three-headed monster at Center with Desmond Hubert, Joel James, and Kennedy Meeks all getting playing time until one separates themselves. That is also 15 fouls to give from the Center position. Desmond Hubert is the best defensive player of the bunch, Joel James has a lot of upside, and Kennedy Meeks has the most polished offensive game to this poing. All three have the size that the Tarheels lacked last year so hopefully, Coach Roy Williams three guard experiment is over except for maybe small stretches during games.

Bryn Renner's Career Comes To An Unfortunate End

Bryn Renner's Tarheel career came to an unfortunate end on a scramble in the Third Quarter. He slid feet first and took a shot from an NC State player to his left shoulder that broke a bone and tore the labrum. I am biased but I thought it was a cheap shot. With all of the player ejections I have seen over the past three weeks for "targeting", I guess it is okay to target a players shoulder while he is laying on the ground as long as you don't target his head. I thought a sliding player was supposed to be protected anyway. The 15 extra yards wouldn't have mattered anyway. Renner came back into the game for one more play and completed a third down pass for a first down. If he would have played his final four games at UNC, Renner more than likely would have held every major passing record at North Carolina. His Senior season didn't quite go as planned as far as victories go but he faced adversity throughout his career and he faced the news that his CVarolina career was over with his usual class and looking forward mentality. No one knows if a pro career is in his future but I am sure he will be invited to a training camp if he is not drafted in the later rounds. He should also garner an invite to the pro combine before the draft as well.

A Rivalry Game

The North Carolina State-North Carolina football game has turned into a bitter rivalry. The Tarheels caught a lot of flack after yesterday's 27-19 win over NC State because some of the Tarheels players stomped up and down on the Wolpack's new logo at the 50 yard line. If memory serves me correctly, Wolfpack players did the same thing after a Wolfpack victory in 2000. The new logo shows a Wolfpack emblem plastered over an outline of the state of North Carolina. The Wolfpack supporters saw nothing wrong with that and did not see that as inflammatory at all. The battle has raged for several years about who's state this is. As Larry Fedora said after the game "As far as I know, it has always been the Tarheel state." To paraphrase Al Davis of Oakland Raiders fame, "Just win baby" and you can celebrate however you want to.

Exhibition Play

UNC beat UNC-Pembroke the other night in an exhibition game 82-63 and it is hard to read too much into that. I remember a few years ago Kentucky lost an exhbition game to a Division III school and went on to do pretty well that season. The 'Heels went into the game minus three players (Hairston, Tokoto, and McDonald) that are expected to log major minutes for the 'Heels. All three will miss regular season games this year and the NCAA has to decide how many. I won't get started on the blatant unfairness of the NCAA and their regulatory body. Starting Point Guard Marcus Paige took over at Shooting Guard, Freshman Nate Britt took the Point, and McAdoo, James, and Johnson rounded out the starting five. The 'Heels had a serious height advantage over Pembroke but turnovers, all 23 of them, killed them. Turnovers were a big reason why Pembroke pulled to within 7 points in the second half. James Michael McAdoo (19) and Freshman Kennedy Meeks (11) were the only two in double figures, McAdoo and Brice johnson had 10 rebounds a piece, and Britt led the team with 6 assists. The Tarheels were only 3 for 15 from the three point line but did hit 23 of 27 free throws. It was an exhibition game. Coach Williams and the 'Heels have their work cut out for them. They should be much better by the end of the season than they are at the beginning.

Late Night With Roy Version 2013

UNC's problems with the NCAA continue to collect more players. Late Night With Roy is supposed to be a celebration of Tarheel basketball and a preview of what is to come this season. It allows the team to show off its Freshmen players and show the improvement that the upperclassmen have made during the off season. P.J. Hairston's problems with everybody are well documented but evidently those problems are contagious. It has now managed to collect Senior Leslie McDonald and Sophomore J.P. Tokoto, wing players that UNC cannot afford to do without for any length of time. UNC is once again waiting on the NCAA to hand down decisions that I am sure will be a lot tougher than the ones that were handed down to Johnny Manziel of Texas A & M and the University of Miami. "Johnny Football" was suspended for the first half of the first game of the season and Miami got a slap on the wrist for years of "lack of institutional control" and yet UNC is still paying for their football sins from three years ago. Penn State has already asked for, and received, a reduction in their penalties from their football mess. The NCAA can claim their is no bias in any of their decisions but I am hard pressed to believe that. P.J. Hairston was allowed to participate in Late Night With Roy and in the Blue-White Scrimmage that was played later on in the evening, looked like the 'Heels only perimeter option, hitting four three's and scoring 20 points. Freshman big man Kennedy Meeks from Charlotte, and I do mean big at 6'9" and 284 pounds, had 16 points and 12 rebounds. Maybe he will be the Center that steps up this year and takes charge of the position.

A Complete Game

The Tarheels played the most complete game they have played all season in their 34-10 win over the Boston College Eagles yesterday. The Defense played an impressive game with the exception of the 56 yard TD run by Andre Williams in the First Quarter. Take away that run and Boston College only averaged about 4 yards a carry. They held BC QB Chase Rettig to 57 yards passing on 10 completions and applied constant pressure on him all day long, tallying 4 sacks, 2 by Senior Defensive End Kareem Martin. Freshman Mikey Bart, getting his first career start, got his first career sack on a Fourth Down in the Fourth Quarter. The Offense used a true two Quarterback System for the first time with Bryn Renner and Marquise Williams sharing the playing time. Marquise Williams provides a change of pace as he is more of a threat to run as he led the team in rushing yards with 55 on 7 carries and a TD. He also threw a 17 yard TD pass to Johnathan "Bug" Howard. Howard had 2 TD catches in the game. Bryn Renner went 18 for 21 for 227 yards and 2 TD's and he passed 8,000 yards for his career. The UNC run game was still anemic with 110 total yards and only about 2.5 yards per carry. 7 Tarheels ran the ball, including Tight End Eric Ebron. None of the Tarheels four Running Backs- AJ Blue, Romar Morris, Khris Francis, or TJ Logan- have really stepped up to take charge and become the "go to" back. Wide Receiver Ryan Switzer caught his first career TD pass from Bryn Renner, a 13 yard catch in the First Quarter. Eric Ebron only had 4 catches for 68 yards but he was impressive with his blocking and his running after the catch. The 'Heels have the slimmest of chances at a bowl game but they have to win out in order to do so. Yesterday was a good start.

Playing For Pride

At 1-5, UNC's football season is in dire straits. If they win out, they could make a bowl game. Their play has been much improved against better competition in Virginia Tech and Miami but they cannot seem to make those one or two big plays they need to put them over the top. I believe the loss to East Carolina did more psychological damage than anything. Senior Defensive End Kareem Martin had his best game of the year with 4 tackles for loss and 1 sack. Once again, Tarheel defensive backs led the team in tackles and that means that the opposing runners are making it to the second and third levels before they are getting stopped. That was evident the entire second half against Miami. The Miami also saw the debut of Tarheel Freshman T.J. Logan as the starter at Running Back. He had 16 carries for 61 yards but he displayed some of the elusiveness that made him such a highly sought after recruit and he hung in there against blitzing linebackers and tried picking up blocks to allow Bryn Renner time to throw.

So Close Yet So Far

The Tarheels gave their best effort of the year in the 27-23 loss to the Miami Hurricanes last night. Deep down I knew that when Bryn Renner threw that interception at the UNC 10 yard line that killed at least a Field Goal attempt and then the 'Heels were forced to punt down to the 10 yard line, that Miami was going to drive the field and score the TD that would win the game. The Tarheel defense played a solid game and came up with 4 interceptions, 2 by Freshman Dominique Green, but in the second half, Miami virtually gave up on the passing game and ran up the middle the entire second half. That was what the Hurricanes did on the last drive of the game. UNC was powerless to stop it. The Tarheels missed out on several scoring opportunities, had too many breakdowns on Special Teams, and had penalties at the worse possible times. A blocked Field Goal by Miami gave them 7 cheap points. I have never heard of a college team getting down to their third string snapper as the Tarheels have due to injuries. According to Larry Fedora, that led to the blocked field goal. Bryn Renner had his best game of the season- 28 for 36, 297 yards, a TD, but he will be most remembered for the ill advised pass that was picked off by Miami. Marquise Williams got in for a couple of series and his first pass attempt was picked off in the end zone by Miami in the first half. I had to question the timing of Williams being inserted into the lineup at that point and time. Renner was leading a solid drive into Miami territory and I am guessing that Williams was inserted into the lineup to catch Miami off guard by throwing the ball rather than running the ball. Williams later atoned for his mistake by throwing a 71 yard TD pass to Tight End Eric Ebron (mostly yards after the catch by Ebron). There were a reported 37 professional scouts and 5 General managers at that game and they got to see Ebron have the greatest game by a Tight End in Tarheel football history. Ebron had 8 catches for 199 yards and the 1 TD and he made acrobatic catches, he blocked, and he did it all. I would be willing to bet that he will be going pro after this season.

Beating Miami

Beating the University of Miami is part of UNC's more recent football history. The last time they beat a Top Ten team was when they beat the University of Miami in Chapel Hill. Some would call this a "trap" game for Al Golden's team. Al Golden's team is moving up the rankings and has an oustanding chance of moving on to the ACC title game and Larry Fedora's team is desperate for a win. It's also being played in front of a national TV audience. North Carolina has to find a running game and be able to stay out of third and long. It doesn't matter if it is A.J. Blue, Romar Morris, Khris Francis, or newcomer T.J. Logan. The offensive line has to open some holes and the running backs has to take advantage of the slimmest of openings. UNC also needs their Wide Receivers to make some plays. There have been far too many drops this season. They need to step up, UNC has labeled this "Zero Dark Thursday". It will get alot brighter if a few key players can step up and make some plays. The defense cannot give up the big play. They give up tons of yards on the ground and that makes them susceptible to the play action pass. Miami has a strong running game and a good QB. UNC can, and needs to, pull off this upset.

The Debut Of Marquise Williams

Redshirt Sophomore made his debut as a starting Quarterback against Virginia Tech on October 5th and he couldn't have picked a better team to debut against. The Hokies have a hard charging defense and Williams provides an element to the Tarheel offense that Renner doesn't- the ability to run. Williams own number was called quite often and he lead the Tarheels in rushing against the Hokies with 56 yards. His ability to pass wwas the "x factor" and he handled himself very well in that regard going 23 for 35 for 277 yards and 2 TD's although he also threw 2 interceptions. One of the interceptions was on 4th and 1, play action pass, that it seemed like the Hokies were waiting for it as they had Tight End Jack Tabb double covered. He probably shouldn't have thrown the ball but he was double covered. Marquise Williams played Fedora's style of offense in high school in Charlotte and with a new coach coming in, I believed that Willaims would really push Renner for the starting job last season. When I read that Williams was not enrolled in the Spring Semester at UNC for "undisclosed reasons", I believed he would probably transfer to an FBS school where he could start immediately. Transferring was never mentioned in any of the Tarheel media sites or blogs but if playing time is usually an issue, transferring is the first alternative ala Cam Newton from Florida and he eventually found his way to Auburn. Williams has put in the work last spring (on his own I might add), put in the work this fall, regained his backup job, and now deserves a chance at more snaps during the course of a game.

The Backbreaker

The North Carolina Tarheels 27-17 loss to Virginia Tech yesterday really didn't come as a surprise to me yesterday but it is how they are losing. It seems like it is the same reasons every week. Big plays, penalties, and their run defense. Yesterday's backbreaker came when the Tarheels had Virginia Tech backed up to their own two yard line when Tarheel Punter Tommy Hibbard pinned them deep with a perfect punt. On the first play Virginia Tech QB Logan Thomas hit Wide Receiver Willie Byrn for an 83 yard completion down to the UNC 15 yard line. He also hit Wide Receiver D.J. Knowles for a 45 yard TD for the Hokies first score. Tarheel Punt returner had a rough game as well. He muffed a punt inside the Tarheels 15 yard line giving the Hokies easy access to the end zone a few plays after that but more importantly, he had an 80 + yard TD called back because of a penalty. That is the second time this season that has happened to Switzer. This time it was an 81 yard punt return. It would have made the score 21-14 and would have made the game very interesting. Tarheel Tight End/Linebacker Jack Tabb got ejected for throwing a punch at a Hokies player and I would have to question why he was the only one ejected. You cannot really see what happened on the replay the TV cameras showed. Tabb knocked the Hokies players helmet off in the process of making the block (that was not what he was penalized for) but somehow Jack Tabb ended up on the ground with his helmet off before he ever got up and threw the punch. One of the Hokies players also tried going right thru the Ref to get to Tabb and he kept bumping and pushing the Ref. In the NFL that would have gotten him booted and fined.

A Freshman To The Rescue?

It was reported in the Wilmington Star News today that wunderkind North Carolina Tarheels Freshman T.J. Logan may get his first carries of the season this Saturday against Virginia Tech. Coach Larry Fedora is noncommital about his players as is his custom, but he did say Logan was getting close to seeing the playing field. He has been recovering from an unspecified knee injury suffered during fall camp. After missing the first 4 games, I believed that Logan would probably be redshirted and saved for next season but the Tarheel running game needs help now. Virginia Tech's defense has allowed 10 points or fewer in 3 of their 5 games. The Hokies have always been blitz happy and the 'Heels are going to need something resembling a running game to keep the blitz at bay. The Tarheels are barely averaging 100 yards a game. Now is Logan's time to run.

Calling Them Out

As a Fifth Year Senior, Running Back A.J. Blue was annointed as the unofficial leader of the North Carolina Tarheels football team during fall camp. Blue has always preferred to lead by example but in an article that was in today's Wilmington Star News, Blue called his team out for their lackluster effort in yesterday's 55-31 loss to East Carolina. The word "complacency" was used quite liberally and he said the Tarheels as a team, lacked focus against East Carolina and he was going to start calling individuals out during practice. Blue has stepped up his game to include vocal leadership and someone needs to light a fire under the 'Heels or their season is going to slip away from them.

Speechless

North Carolina's 55-31 loss to East Carolina has left me speechless. They were dominated in every phase of the game. Once again, the Tarheel Defense got manhandled to the tune of over 600 yards. I have spoken out against the 4-2-5 defense and if this isn't proof that it needs to be scrapped after the season, I don't know what is. They gave up ground by the acre rather than by the yard. East Carolina ran 101 plays, had 267 yards rushing and 336 passing. The Tarheels only had 4 Quarterback hurries in 47 passing attempts by East Carolina QB Shane Carden. No sacks. None. One Interception by Tre Boston. The Offense only fared slightly better. Tarheel Running Back Romar Morris missed the game for an undisclosed reason, leaving the bulk of the carries to A.J. Blue. He had 20 carries for 68 yards but the holes were few and far between. The 'Heels only had 67 yards rushing as a team. QB Bryn Renner did throw for 366 yards and 3 TD's but over 200 yards and all 3 TD's came in the second half when East Carolina maintained at least a 17 point lead throughout the entire second half. North Carolina's young offensive line is having some serious growing pains. Some of North Carolina's young Wide Receivers did get in towards the end of the game and make some plays. Johnathan "Bug" Howard and Nic Platt both had TD catches. T.J. Thorpe had a solid game and Quinshad Davis had over 100 yards receiving and a 56 yard TD reception. The 'Heels have work to do to salvage this season.

The Saga Of P.J. Hairston

North Carolina basketball has usually been able to avoid the types of scandals that hit other big time programs because I believe that they make an effort to follow the NCAA's 5000 page rulebook to the last sub-article. This is a new day in college athletics. The players want their piece of the pie and they want it now. Former college players just won a settlement against EA Sports over the use of their likenesses in a college football game. Players from several colleges, including Vad Lee of Georgia Tech while they were playing UNC, wore an emblem in support of the players on their uniforms in last Saturday's football games. I have always held the belief that players do get paid with a college education. That is the reason they are supposedly in college- to get an education. At most colleges these days, a four year education is equal to well over a $100,000 and probably a whole lot more. That little factoid has been lost in the money grab by those who do not get paid in dollars and cents and by those that make the 5000 page rule book. P.J. Hairston decided to come back for another year of college basketball at UNC and almost all fans that would be the 'Heels saving grace this season. He is a legitimate scorer from anywhere on the court if he can harness his slightly undisciplined game. Hairston is alleged to have received a benefit of a rental car for several months and the NCAA is hot on the trail of that. Hairston was suspended by head coach Roy Williams for the summer and is finally being allowed to practice with the team starting today. They have not decided how many games he will be suspended for but I believe that the 'Heels should take a page out of Texas A & M's book. They suspendedreturning Heisman winner Quarterback Johnny Manziel for the first half of the first game. Another player from another school got suspended for one quarter. I may be biased but I believe the NCAA has come down rather harshly on UNC in the past two or three years. They have still not ruled on the University of Miami's violations that happened well over a year. They dropped the hammer on UNC almost immediately. UNC also had enough integrity (or feared the forfeiture of games due to the use of ineligible players) to sit these players out until the NCAA made their ruling. The NCAA is a big business and those that believe it is just a "ruling body" is kidding themselves.

First And Last Impressions Versus Georgia Tech

The 28-20 loss to Georgia Tech was tough to take. The defense played well enough but couldn't hold down a 20-7 lead but that was primarily because the offense could not sustain any drives in the second half and the defense eventually wore down. The defense has been the big focus but they have shown improvement over the first three games. Larry Fedora's high powered offense has not lived up to its potential and the running game has been a big problem. They have been trying to use the three running backs of Romar Morris, A.J. Blue, and True Freshman Khris Francis. I believe they need to settle on one and give him as many reps as possible so they can develop some consistency and get a feel for what the Offensive line is doing. Tight End Eric Ebron had a career game against Georgia Tech with over 100 yards receiving and a highlight reel one handed catch in the end zone. He has really stepped up his game and now the rest of the receiving corps needs to do the same. There have been far too many drops in the seasons first three games to develop any consistency in the passing game. One thing that has been missing from the passing game is the screen pass thrown to the running backs. This is was where they are really missing Gio Bernard. Romar Morris and A.J. Blue only have a combined total of 72 yards receiving on 10 catches in the first three games. Coach Larry Fedora and his staff have their work cut out for them on the offensive side of the ball. On the defensive side of the ball, the play has been much better but they are still giving up 25 points a game. Big plays and interior depth have been a problem. I am still not a big fan of the 4-2-5 but hybrid Linebackers Jeff Schoettmer, Norkeithus Otis, and Darius Lipford have developed a better feel for the system and are able to react to plays rather than think about what they are doing. Norkeithus Otis leads the team with 4 1/2 tacles for loss and 3 sacks and Darius Lipford after missing a full year and then some due to injury, is not far behind with 3 tackles for loss and 2 sacks. Jeff Schoettmer leads the team with 23 tackles.

Middle Tennessee State: The Good And The Bad

There were several good things that happened against Middle Tennessee State. One of the stats I was most impressed with was that 12 different receivers caught passes, including backup Quarterback Marquise Williams, who caught a 23 yard pass from Running Back A.J. Blue. They do have a lot of options at the Wide Receiver position. The 'Heels also had three running backs- Romar Morris, A.J. Blue, and true Freshman Khris Francis- that had ten carries in the game. The top rusher was Morris with 46 yards and none of the three broke any run longer than about 10 yards. Bryn Renner also had a strong game running the offense and as a fifth year Senior and in his second year in this offense, he has shown the ability to take charge of the many options in this offense. The defense came up with three turnovers in the Red Zone including Tre Boston's interception in the end zone. The play of Norkeithus Otis and Darius Lipford deserve special mention as well. I was also impressed with the play of true Freshman Dominic Green from the defensive backfield. The bad had to be the running game on both sides of the ball. The 'Heels only averaged a little over 3 yards a carry while giving up 5 yards a carry. The play of both lines left a lot of room for improvement. Luckily they have a week off before they take on ACC nemesis Georgia Tech.

The 4-2-5

Larry Fedora brought a high octane offense and a hybrid defense when he came with him from Southern Mississippi. The offense, in a season plus two games, has been everything as advertised, breaking 35 offensive records in his first season at North Carolina. The defense, not so much. After seeing the 4-2-5 for a season plus two games, I am not a big fan of the 4-2-5. I believe he needs to go to a more traditional 4-3 even with the pass happy offenses in college football these days. The 4-2-5 uses two hybrid linebacker positions called the "Ram" and the "Bandit", one being a hybrid linebacker/rush end position and the other being a hybrid linebacker/safety position. The front four is not getting much pressure on the opposing teams's QB without blitzing a lot, they are giving up a lot of yards on the ground, especially up the middle of the defense, and this defense is not turning defense into offense as Coach Fedora's teams did at Southern Mississippi. Granted, the majority of these players are not players that Coach Fedora and his staff recruited. I have always shared the belief that you tailor your gameplan to your players strengths and not try to force the square peg into the round hole. Norkeithus Otis and Darius Lipford have been playing lights out but when your linebackers and defensive backs are making the majority of the tackles, sacks, and tackles for losses, then it usually means those plays are happening 5 to 10 yards down the field or you are having to blitz a lot to make plays. Georgia Tech and their 68 points from last season are on the horizon and it will be interesting to see how much progress the Tarheels defense has made in a couple of weeks time.

First Impressions: North Carolina Vs. MTSU

It is hard for me to get excited about the North Carolina Tarheels 40-20 victory over Middle Tennessee State today. I thought their Offensive and Defensive lines got pushed around quite a bit by MTSU. MTSU has some talent on both sides of the ball and has been known to be an ACC killer before. Just ask Georgia Tech about last year's game. It if wasn't for three Red Zone turnovers by MTSU and a failed fourth and goal from the one yard line, it could have gotten very interesting at the end of the game. North Carolina did some good things and their offense and defense made some plays. Tre Boston's acrobatic end zone interception on MTSU's first drive of the game, Romar Morris' 26 yard Touchdown run for the 'Heels first score, Johnathan "Bug" Howard's leaping "Alley Oop" TD reception for their final score, and Norkeithus Otis and Darius Lipford being all over the field making tackles were several of the big plays that were made. Overall, the Offense had over 500 yards of total offense and the defense gave up over 400 yards. Head Coach Larry Fedora was worried about depth on both sides of the line going into the season and his worst fears are now being realized.

First Impressions: North Carolina Vs. South Carolina

My first impression of the Tarheels first football game of the season is that it could have been worse than it was. It was the same old story that we saw from the defense the last five games of last year. The only thing missing was the offense that could almost score at will. The final score was only 27-10 but the 'Heels defense was gashed for 228 yards rushing (75 of that on one crushing play after the 'Heels had pulled to within 20-10) to the tune of 6 yards a carry. The offensive line did not fare much better as the 'Heels only had 99 yards rushing and 194 yards passing but only 4.5 yards per attempt. South Carolina had 12 tackles for loss compared to 3 for North Carolina. The 'Heels offense longest play was only 24 yards, a pass completion to Wide Receiver Quinshad Davis at the beginning of the second half. Other than that, the offense did not try to throw the ball down the field. Wide Receivers T.J. Thorpe and Sean Tapley only had 5 receptions for 10 yards. South Carolina is the #6 ranked team in the college football and I was hoping that North Carolina would show the improvement necessary to make themselves a factor on the national scene and in the ACC but they have some work to do. My defensive MVP of the game is Bandit Norkeithus Otis. He had 5 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and the only sack North Carolina registered. He seemed to be around the football the entire game. My offensive MVP would be Tackle James Hurst. He handle all everything South Carolina Defensive End Jadevon Clowney and held down his end of the line with a physical presence that the rest of the Offensive Line needs to learn from.

James Hurst Versus Jadevon Clowney

It was really North Carolina vs. South Carolina but the media likes to highlight the indvidual battles that are existent within the game. The battle between James Hurst vs. Jadevon Clowney never really materialized. I watched the game but from the highlights I saw, James Hurst won that battle hands down. It almost looked like Clowney wanted no part of James Hurst and almost seemed to put forth very little effort when it came lining up against Hurst. There were a couple of times where Hurst seemed to man handle Clowney. He only had three tackles for the game in spite of all of the hype and he had no tackles for loss. Clowney has the potential to be a great player but he was not a great player during this game and the way the rest of South Carolina's offensive and defensive lines handles their opposite lines from North Carolina, he didn't need to be. The media wanted to make a big deal out of Clowney's bad game some even going so far as to say that this game on national TV cost Clowney the Heisman trophy but it is a team sport and South Carolina won the game rather easily. Clowney will garner a lot of votes for the Heisman but with the video game like numbers being put up by offensive players in college football, I believe Clowney winning the Heisman was a stretch.

2013 Football Preview- Running Backs

The Tarheels lost Gio Bernard to the pros (2nd Round, Cincinnati Bengals) after last season. He was their their most versatile running back since Charlie "Choo Choo" Justice. Their are four running backs that are the prime candidates to replace him and two of those are Freshmen. Redshirt Sophomore Romar Morris probably has a skill set the most similar to Bernard and had several good games last season and Senior A.J. Blue is more of a power back and got several starts in Bernard's absence. They are listed as co-starters by Inside Carolina. The two Freshmen are the "x-factors" in this running back equation. Khris Francis was an early enrollee and had over 100 yards in the spring game but displayed a bit of a ball control problem during Spring practice. That will keep him on the bench more than anything. T.J. Logan will not arrive until the Fall Semester but he posted video-game like stats in high school, including over 500 yards rushing and 8 touchdowns in the state championship game. Both Francis and Logan were accomplished receivers out of the backfield in high school and should fit right into the UNC system. Francis may have a leg up since he got a lot of reps in Spring Practice and the Spring Game. T.J. Logan was also an accomplished punt returner in high school so it should be a good battle for depth chart position barring injury.

2013 Football Preview- Quarterback

Bryn Renner is the unquestioned leader of this team and the Quarterback. I cannot wait to see what he can do in his second season in Coach Larry Fedora's high octane offense. He has a full season and a Spring Practice under his belt after finishing very strong in the Tarheels last 5 games last season. I am also looking forward to them really opening up the playbook this season. He threw for a school record 28 Touchdowns last season but he will not have Gio Bernard to hand off or pass to and he was a major weapon out of the backfield. The big question this fall is going to be who is going to be Renner's backup? Marquise Williams got into 9 games as a Redshirt Freshman last season but he was used more for his skill as a runner than he was a passer. He only attempted 17 passes but 29 rushing attempts. Due to academic difficulties, Marquise Williams' loss is True Freshman Mitch Trubisky's gain. Williams was not enrolled in school in the Spring Semester and missed all of Spring Practice. He re-enrolled in school in the first summer session and hopefully will be academically eligible in the Fall. Trubisky threw for over 4,000 yards and accounted for 60 TD's (42 passing, 18 rushing) and was named Ohio's Mr. Football in 2012. He enrolled in the Spring and got a lot of reps in the Tarheels' offense and drew praise from the coaching staff at the end of Spring Practice. He is listed as the backup QB on several preseason depth charts and the co-backup with Marquise Williams according to Inside Carolina. Redshirt Freshman Kanler Coker was in a battle last season with Williams to be Renner's backup but he was redshirted instead. Here is hoping that Renner posts some Heisman winning stats and the question of who the backup is becomes a moot point. How can I mention the Quarterbacks without mentioning local product Caleb Pressley who actually got into a blowout game last year as a walk on and took several snaps but was not allowed to air it out at least once. He did, however, get on the stat sheet.

Football Preview

The 2013 College Football Preview magazines have started coming out and I have read as many as possible from cover to cover. The first one I started with was the ACC Sports Journal. Normally I do not really "scout" the other teams in the ACC but with new additions Pittsburgh (Coastal Division) and Syracuse (Atlantic Division) joining the ACC, I decided it was a good idea to try to familiarize myself with them. The second magazine I bought was the Inside Carolina: 2013 Football Preview. That one is all about the North Carolina Tarheels and gives a position-by-position breakdown by the Tarheel "experts." I also by the special Recruits edition by Inside Carolina. Reading the fall camp reports everyday online and seeing the pics, especially of the Freshmen, is always exciting to me because you never can tell when a Gio Bernard or a Julius Peppers is going to emerge.

The Game Of His Life

Hobbs Johnson did what he had to do. He pitched the game of his life against NC State, leading the Tarheels to a 7-0 victory. He pitched a career best 8 1/3 innings, throwing 132 pitches, all of them fastballs. He gave up 5 hits, 0 runs, struck out 6, and walked 2. Reliever Chris McCue came in to get the final two outs on three pitches. Shortstop Michael Russell drove in the 'Heels first run with a sacrifice fly in the top of the 4th inning and two more in the 8th inning, helping the 'Heels to close the door with a four run 8th. Colin Moran went 3 for 4 with 2 RBI's. The Tarheels as a team had six RBI's with two outs. That is the kind of clutch hitting and pitching the 'Heels need to finish out the tournament and bring the College World Series trophy home. UCLA is up next.

Staying Alive

To use the Bee Gees song from the disco era from the 1970's the Tarheels stayed alive in the losers bracket of the College World Series with a 4-2 win over LSU the other day. Their reward is a rematch with the NC State Wolfpack who gave them an 8-1 thumping in the opening game of the College World Series for the Tarheels. Whenever you are in the losers bracket, that is the key is staying alive whether it be winning big, winning close, or winning ugly. The Tarheels are rolling out Hobbs Johnson to start this game but the entire pitching staff will be on call. If the Tarheels are to close out the World Series, they will be playing 6 games in 7 days. That puts a lot of stress on a pitching staff and some of the Tarheels starters are going to have to come up with some big performances.

The College World Series

The Tarheels made it to their sixth College World Series in the past eight seasons with their 5-4 win over South Carolina in the Super Regionals. The 'Heels go in as the #1 overall seed but they play ACC rival N.C. State in game #1. In Baseball America's college baseball preview edition, there is a picture of two players from N.C. State and two from North Carolina (Kent Emanuel and Colin Moran) under the caption "Tobacco Road To Omaha". This showdown was predicted from the beginning of the season but rarely do these predictions ever come to fruition. N.C. State is rolling out their ace, left-hander Carlos Rodon, who only gave up one hit in 10 innings in the ACC Tournament to the 'Heels. North Carolina is sending out a lefty of their own, Kent Emanuel, who has struggled in his past two or three starts but did earn his first and only college save against South Carolina. The conjecture on the street is that Emanuel's arm is tired but he has plenty of time to rest after the College World Series is over.

Canisius And Towson

The North Carolina Tarheels won their first two games in the NCAA Tournament over Canisius and Towson 6-3 and 8-5 respectively and most of the media reports that I read acted with surprise the the 'Heels didn't blow both of these schools out. Even Coach Mike Fox admitted after the first game that the 'Heels about ran themselves out of that game by being over aggressive on the basepaths with two runners being thrown out at the plate. The 'Heels take on the winner of the Towson-Florida Atlantic game on Sunday and all they need is one more win to advance to the Super Regional. #2 seed Florida Atlantic is the team that worries me as I had them picked as the sleeper team in the tournament.

2013 ACC Baseball Tournament Champions

The Diamond 'Heels 4-1 victory over Virginia Tech to win the ACC Baseball Tournament was anticlimactic after the two games versus Clemson and NC State. They were able to roll the Championship into a #1 National seed in the NCAA tournament. Freshman Taylore Cherry went 5 innings for the victory in his first start of the seasdon as he fired fastball after fastball at the Hokies. 80 of his 90 pitches were fastballs, and you have to stick with what is working. That put the 'Heels record at 52-8 going into the NCAA's. That was the 'Heels first ACC Tournament Championship since 2007.

Two Epic College Baseball Games

The Diamond Tarheels won two epic baseball games to put themselves into the ACC Tournament game against Virginia Tech. The games lasted a total of 32 innings against two quality opponents, Clemson and North Carolina State. The 'Heels beat Clemson Friday night 12-7, scoring 5 runs in the 9th and 5 in the 14th to win it. The 'Heels beat NC State 2-1 in an ACC record 18 innings on Saturday (make that early Sunday morning) to put themselves in the ACC Tournament final. The 'Heels only managed one hit against NC State ace Carlos Rodon in the first 10 innings but still hung tough to squeeze out the win. The 'Heels also won the ACC regular season title for the first time in 23 years this season. That stat really kind of surprised me. As many College World Series as they have been in the past several years, they had not won a regular season title until this season. Maybe that is a sign of good things to come.

The One That Got Away

North Carolina Linebacker Kevin Reddick did not get drafted in the NFL's three day draft-a-thon that ended early Saturday evening and there are 31 NFL teams that are going to regret that decision. He was projected to go anywhere from the third thru the fifth rounds from the so called experts but no matter how hard they try, drafting players is not an exact science. They can measure, poke, and prod the players, watch them run 40s, catch passes, and give them what amounts to an IQ test but that does not mean they are going to get a future hall of famer or that they are even going to make the team. Kenin Reddick has speed, instinct, and was basically a four year starter at North Carolina. He can tackle,blitz, drop into pass coverage and run from sideline to sideline. The New Orleans Saints signed him as an Undrafted Free Agent and here is hoping he makes the rest of the teams in the NFL pay for their over sight.

NFL Draft 2013

The 2012 North Carolina Tarheels are faring pretty well in this years NFL Draft. Offensive Lineman Jonathan Cooper went #7 to the Arizona Cardinals, Defensive Tackle Sylvester Williams went #28 to the Denver Broncos which I think is a real steal, and Running Back Gio Bernard went in the Second Round, #37 overall to the Cincinnati Bengals and also the first Running Back taken in this years draft. Offensive Lineman Brennan Williams went later on in the Third Round to the Houston Texans. I believe the Cincinnati Bengals also got a steal in Gio Bernard and his real value lies in his versatility. His ability to return kicks and punts, catching the ball out of the backfield, and his patience in running the ball make him a natural third down specialist coming out of the backfield. He is also the most natural punt returner I have ever seen especially since he only did it for one season in college. I cannot wait to see what he can do in professional football.

Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad

To borrow from the lyrics of rock musician Meat Loaf, two out of three ain't bad. The two out of the three would be James Michael McAdoo and P.J. Hairston returning to the Tarheel basketball team for their Junior seasons and the one would be Reggie Bullock leaving to go to the NBA. I believed that it would be the other way around. There are a lot of factors that go into making this decision and projected draft position in usually #1. McAdoo was projected towards the end of the first round, Bullock was projected early in the second round, and Hairston was projected not to be drafted at all. Only first round draft picks are guaranteed contracts. I do not be3lieve that Reggie Bullock had the full endorsement of Coach Roy Williams when he announced his decision. I believe he should have come back for his Senior year to work on his game and improve his draft position.

Jalen Rose And The Timeout That Didn't Exist

I just got through reading an interview that appeared in the USA Today i> with Jalen Rose about the 1993 National Championship game between Michigan and North Carolina. That game will always be remembered for Chris Webber's timeout that Michigan didn't have resulting in a technical foul and sealing the victory for North Carolina. Twenty years after the fact, Rose is still bitter about the loss. He discussed Webber bringing the ball up the court instead of giving it to him but what he failed to mention was the fact that Chris Webber traveled before he ever started up the court and I believe he about called a timeout when he grabbed "the rebound. Jalen Rose referred to the "no names sitting on the [North Carolina] bench that had championship rings" whereas he didn't. He went on to further say that the better team did not win that game. The better teamdid win that game. Michigan was made up of a group of individuals whereas North Carolina was made up of a team that played for one common goal. Individually, Michigan probably was better. Collectively, they were not. Chris Webber wanted to be the hero and was not going to give that ball up. Jalen Rose didn't want to say it but Webber should have given the ball to him and they had time to set up a play and an excellent chance to win the game. North Carolina's no names have the ring and will be forever remembered as the 1993 National Champions. I would say that leaves a pretty good name to remember.

Roy Williams Is A Class Act

When Roy Williams had his press conference immediately following the 'Heels 79-58 win over Florida State, his first thought were of Florida State's coach Leonard Hamilton and the passing of his 96 year old mother. Not many high profile coaches would have done that. The game itself was impressive. P. J. Hairston had an impressive shooting game hitting 4 of 6 three pointers and finishing with 16 points. James Michael McAdoo led the way with 21, 17 of those in the first half, and Reggie Bullock had 20. That may have been the Tarheels most impressive performance of the season, especially the way they closed out the first half scoring on 13 of their final 14 posessions. Marcus Paige had an impressive game running the show with 9 assists and 3 turnovers. That moves the 'Heels to 21-8 with games remaining at Maryland and the season finale at home against Duke. About three weeks ago there were questions about the 'Heels ability to even make the NCAA tournament and now the 'Heels are closing in on a first round bye in the ACC tournament.

Officials Control The Game

The officials lost control of the NC State-UNC game early on yesterday afternoon and it degenerated from there. John Thompson's philosophy at Georgetown was the officials are not going to call everything and his teams played that way. They were very physical, got away with murder, and it greatly influenced the outcomes of games, usually in their favor. NC State only uses 6 or 7 players throughout the course of the game and I don't know if that influences how they call a game or not, but yesterdays game was very physical and I have to question the timing of some of the calls. Reggie Bullock was called for a foul in which he whacked a NC State player on the back as he drove in for a shot, but the official did not make the call until the player actually missed the shot. Even the announcer made mention of the fact. James Michael McAdoo continually got mugged all day long, including a hip check that sent him flying across the lane (no call) but the most curious had to be the double call against Scott Wood and Dexter Strickland in the second half. Scott Wood gave a forearm shiver to Strickland and I saw no real retaliation by Strickland but Wood walks away holding his head so they call the double foul. The 'Heels did not shoot their first free throw of the game until there were about 5 minutes gone in the second half. Basketball is a game of skill, precision, and finesse. If I want to watch football or hockey, I will turn to a different channel or wait until the fall.

Classic Tarheel Basketball

The game yesterday versus North Carolina State was classic Tarheel basketball. The Wolfpack wore them out the first time they played about a month ago and the 'Heels had to fight like hell to make that score respectable by the end. This game was much different with a much better outcome. The 'Heels "small ball" lineup is allowing them to play better defense. They are quicker on the floor and put more pressure on the ball. Reggie Bullock had a monster game with 22 points and 13 rebounds, leading 4 Tarheels in double figures. Marcus Paige was more than up to the task against Leslie Brown with 14 points, 8 assists, and 0 turnovers including a couple of three pointers and a drive towards the basket towards the end of the game netting him a basket and an "and 1" that helped close it out. It was an impressive performance and they finished the game out strong instead of fading down the stretch. It was a game the 'Heels needed to make a statement in and the statement was emphatic with a 76-65 final score.

Three Point Shooting Contest

At the beginning of the game against Georgia Tech, I thought the Tarheels may have gotten into the spirit of the NBA All-Star weekend and started their own three point shooting contest. The problem was they weren't hitting any of them and they sure didn't hit any "money balls." The offense finally got untracked when James Michael McAdoo got involved just moving to the basket on some screen-and-rolls. He scored several easy baskets on his way to 22 points and 11 rebounds. Leslie McDonald easily had his best game since returning to the lineup with 15 points on 4 of 6 three point shooting. That helped to cover for P.J. Hairston's worst shooting game (4 of 15 and 1 or 7) since becoming a starter in "small ball". All of this added up to a 70-58 win for the 'Heels and they need to win the games they should from here on out until the ACC Tournament. Wins over State and Duke would also be a great help.

Starting To Gel

The smaller lineup, in their second appearance of the season, looks like they might be starting to gel. New starter P.J. Hairston has taken well to his new role, leading the way against Virginia with 29 points hitting 6 of 12 three-pointers. The 'Heels hit 13 of 28 from behind the arc. They also hit 22 of 30 from the free throw line. Putting up 93 points against ACC defensive leader Virginia and their 52.3 PPG was really impressive especially the 53 points in the second half. The odd man out in this new rotation seems to be Joel James but he is the least experienced of all of the Tarheels big men. That moves the Tarheels to 17-8 on the season and still on the far end of the NCAA bubble. They really do not have any quality wins against big time opponents and have not been able to get over that road hump. They have an opportunity to get off that schneid Tuesday night when they travel to Atlanta to play a young Georgia Tech team.

A Valiant Effort

Head Coach Roy Williams decided to change his starting lineup against Duke. He basically went with a four guard lineup with P.J. Hairston playing out of position at Power Forward. He was almost able to pull it off, building a 10 point lead in the first half before fading down the stretch and losing by 5. It is redundant to point out the fact that the 'Heels were only 13-23 from the free throw line. It is bad enough that they get to the line far less frequently than they have in the past several years but then to miss the opportunities that you do have..... As one of my old coaches use to say "it is a free throw. We are not asking you to hit a halfcourt shot to win the game." This smaller lineup may be the way for the 'Heels to go for the rest ofr the year. Hairston replaces Desmond Hubert in the starting lineup and now that Leslie McDonald is getting back to full strength, he becomes the sixth man coming off the bench.

The Ugly Truth

Yesterday's game against Miami was ugly in every sense of the word. I don't care how good ol' Roy is or isn't, he cannot pull enough rabbits out of the hat to turn this into an NCAA worthy team. He cannot turn Desmond Hubert into Tyler Hansbrough and he cannot turn Dexter Strickland into Wayne Ellington. On offense, they are playing 3 on 5 and on defense they are not as big or as athletic as they have been in the past, and with Duke looming on the horizon, it could get even uglier. I never thought I would say this in my lifetime but Miami is the class of the ACC in basketball. They just didn't beat Duke and North Carolina, they obliterated them. Granted the schedule has favored Miami in the first half of the ACC season with both of those games at home, but playing in the Dean Dome is not going to make them a better team. They have the potential, but the individual parts are not playing as one unit. It is like the timing belt is off and the engine is misfiring.

Turn The Paige

On Saturday against Virginia Tech, Marcus Paige became more of an offensive force than he has been all season long. 19 points on 4 of 10 three-pointers. He looked for his shot more in this game than he had all season. The comparison to last years Point Guard Kendall Marshall began immediately and were unwarranted. Any such comparisons are unwarranted. Two different players and two completely different styles. Paige has the potential to be more of an offensive force from the Point Guard position than Marshall was but Marshall may have been the best passing Point Guard in the history of college basketball. It is also quite obvious that Marshall went pro a year too soon as he is just now garnering any minutes with the Phoenix Suns in spite of being a middle first round draft pick. He needed to develop his shot and his offensive game more. Hopefully Paige will learn from his mistake.

Nothing Comes Easy

I don't believe anything is going to come easy for the North Carolina Tarheels this basketball season. The 'Heels had to go to Overtime to beat the Virginia Tech Hokies today 72-60 and the Hokies are one of the bottom feeders in the ACC this season. James Michael McAdoo led the way with 22 points, most on 15 foot jumpers from the free throw line against Virginia Tech's zone defense. Marcus Paige had a career high 19 points, hit 4 of 10 three-pointers, had 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. He keeps improving game-by-game. The 'Heels actually managed to get to the free throw line 27 times (about ten more times than their average), hitting 19, and for a change, their free throw shooting put them over the top and they were able to finish off the game. Jackson Simmons got a career high 18 minutes and only scored 2 points but I am still impressed by his play. He is always around the ball and always seems to be in position to make a play.

Thoughts On Georgia Tech

North Carolina's 79-63 win over Georgia Tech last night was one of those "blah" wins that I came to expect as a UNC fan. They beat an opponent they should have beat without too many problems and nothing really spectacular happened with the exception of P.J. Hairston's massive dunk in the second half that really punctuated the win. Reggie Bullock had another solid game with 17 points, Hairston had 15, and James Michael McAdoo had 14. Desmond Hubert had a career high 5 blocked shots. He reminds me a lot of ex-Tarheel Warren Martin. When Martin came to UNC in the mid-1980's he was very raw, especially offensively. By the time he graduated, he was a defensive force, a solid rebounder, and he contributed offensively. I see Hubert following the same track if he puts in the work. The 'Heels also got solid contributions off the bench against Georgia Tech. J. P. Tokoto, Jackson Simmons, Brice Johnson, and Joel James all played solid basketball. A huge game against NC State in Raleigh is on Saturday.

Two Games In One

The Tarheels win over the Maryland Terrapins on Saturday January 19th featured two games for the price of one. There was the first half in which UNC played outstanding defense, forced Maryland into 15 turnovers and got their hands on several more balls, Reggie Bullock shot lights out and outscored Maryland by himself 21-20, and had a 42-20 lead at halftime. The second game that was played out in the second half saw Maryland be allowed back into the game, the 'Heels only score 20 points on 8-34 shooting and 1-10 from the three point line, and hold on to win 62-52. This game was the best and the worst the Tarheels had to offer. I am hoping that the first half was a glimpse of what the Tarheels can become on a consistent basis. Reggie Bullock led the way with a career high 24 points (21 in the first half) and James Michael McAdoo had 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Finding An Identity

In the Tarheels 77-72 win over Florida State this afternoon, the Tarheels may have found their identity. P.J. Hairston took over the leadership role on the court today. He was taking it hard to the basket and hitting his outside shots and when he is doing that, he is the hardest Tarheel to defend. He had two thunderous dunks and was 4-9 from the three point line. He led the way with 23 points. James Michael McAdoo had 14 points and Reggie Bullock had 12. The Tarheels were beasts on the boards, outrebounding FSU by 16 and the opportunity at second chance points is what won the game for the 'Heels. UNC had 14 offensive rebounds to FSU's 5. I was also impressed by the play of Sophomore Jackson Simmons as he had a career high 8 points and always seemed to be in the right place at the right time, diving on the floor for loose balls, and playing solid defense. I believe that if North Carolina is going to go with Marcus Paige as their starting Point Guard, then they need to start Hairston at the Shooting Guard and bring Strickland off the bench. With Strickland in his offensive slump the past couple of games and Desmond Hubert being an offensive project, the 'Heels cannot afford to play 3 on 5 on offense. It was a badly needed win and hopefully a mission of discovery for the 2012-13 North Carolina Tarheels and what they need to do as a team to win games.

Looking For A Leader

North Carolina needs someone to take charge. Reggie Bullock took the leadership role off the court by calling a players only meeting before the Miami game. He saw the need to iron out a few things that needed addressing. Now the 'Heels need someone to take a leadership role on the court. The Tarheels let a tight game at the Deandome slip away from them in the last few minutes in a 68-59 loss to the Miami Hurricanes. James Michael McAdoo led the way with 14 points, Reggie Bullock had 11 points on 4-16 shooting, Marcus Paige and Brice Johnson had 10 points a piece. The 'Heels only shot 40 percent for the game (33 percent in the second half, were outrebounded (by one), and they just need someone to step up. Reggie Bullock made the effort but could not hit the big shot. The 'Heels are still looking for their "go to guy." They really need someone to step up at Center. The three-headed monster is just not being as productive as they need to be. Brice Johnson needs to be the one to step up here. Desmond Hubert and Joel James are still projects at this point in their career. Hubert continues to get the starts but he tends to be an offensive liability and that is not able to overcome his defensive strengths right now. Joel James has a solid skill set but lacks experience. Dexter Strickland had one of the strangest stat lines I have ever seen in a box score for a guard. He had one field goal attempts and that was it. 0 points, 0 assists, 0 rebounds, 0 turnovers- 0 everything except that one field goal attempt. His speed is such a tremendous asset on the defensive end and he needs to use that advantage on the offensive end as well. I have seen him blow right by people like they were sitting still. I would like to see J.P. Tokoto get more time based on his sheer athleticism. He had 4 steals in 12 minutes of playing time against Miami. They need a leader to take charge on the court.

2012 Review- Special Teams

Special Teams is an often overlooked facet of football, but new football coach Larry Fedora puts an emphasis on this phase of the game and I believe it showed in 2012. Most coaches will tell you that as a Freshman, the best way to get on the field is by being a Special Teams demon. Redshirt Senior Casey Barth came back for his final season going 15-19 with a long of 48 yards. He also broke his brother Connor's career records at UNC before injury took him out of the last couple of games and ended his career. Punter Tommy Hibbard had an excellent season averaging 43.0 yards a punt and dropping 19 of his 50 punts inside the 20 yard line. Hibbard also took on the important role of holder for extra points and field goals. He had the disgression, depending on how the defense was lined up, of trying to throw for the two point conversion which he successfully did several times. He also ran a fake punt for 10 yards. The MVP of Special Teams was Pete Mangum. He was always the first one down the field on kickoff and punt coverage. He even logged some quality time at the Ram position totalling 30 tackles on the season, recovering a fumble, and blocking a punt. He was probably my favorite player to watch during the season. The punt return team as a whole averaged 14.5 yards a return and Gio Bernard returned 2 of his 16 for TDs and an overall average of 16.4. Even though he repeatedly was quoted as saying he had not returned punts since high school, Gio might be the most natural punt returner I have ever seen. He has tremendous patience and knows how to set up and follow his blocks. When T.J. Thorpe was lost for the season that hurt the Tarheel kick return team and Sean Tapley and Romar Morris only combined to average a little over 23 yards a return. The coverage units were inconsistent on the kickoffs as they allowed 3 returns for TDs but only 23 yards a return whereas the punt coverage units, due in large part to the punting of Tommy Hibbard, only allowed 5 yards a return on 17 returns.

2012 Review- Defense

Coach Larry Fedora also brought a new defensive scheme with him, the 4-2-5, that was supposed to contain a "jail break" blitz philosophy. I was picturing a Pittsburgh Steelers type defensive scheme with a lot of sacks and wreaking total havoc on the other teams offense. It did not quite turn out that way. It became a situation where the coaching staff had to try to take the pieces they had and make them fit. Seniors Gene Robinson (Ram) and Dion Guy (Bandit) were put in positions that were new to the defense and had never played in that system before. The Tarheels defense was prone to allowing the big pass play and most of their games were high scoring affairs that never lacked for a dull moment. Depth, especially on the defensive line, was also problematic. They did not really have the depth to run the 4-2-5 system but they plowed ahead but allowed over 25 points a game but if you take out the two shutouts against Elon and Idaho, it rose to over 30 a game. Defensive Back Tre Boston led the team in tackles with 86 and tied for the team lead in interceptions with 4 but anytime you have a defensive back leasd the team in tackles you might have problems. Kevin Reddick was second on the team in tackles with 85 and led the team in sacks with 6 1/2 and had a solid senior season. Defensive Tackle Sylvester Williams was told he was too heavy by the new coaching staff and put in the work to lose 30 pounds before the season started. He had an All-American senior season and was second on the team in sacks with 6 and had 13 1/2 tackles for loss. Several underclassmen emerged with solid seasons. Junior LB Tommy Heffernan, Redshirt Freshmen Safety's Darien Rankin and Sam Smiley, and fellow first year Freshmen Shakeel Rashad, Justin Thomason, and Jessie Rogers all logged quality minutes this season. The off season will be key as Coach Fedora starts recruiting his own style players to fit this system.

North Carolina 2012 Football Review- Offense

Larry Fedora brought his Red Bull-fueled offense to Chapel Hill in 2012 and I was really curious to see what he could do in a short period of time. Any time a new coach brings in a radically different offense from the previous coach, he is trying to fit his system with someone else's players. Coach Fedora wasn't starting from scratch because he had some great pieces to start with. He had a great offensive line, rated as one of the best units in college football to start the season. He also had Bryn Renner and Gio Bernard in the backfield, both coming off record setting seasons, and a good mix of youth and experience at Wide Receiver. Coach Fedora was placed ina more difficult situation because the 'Heels were facing a "lame duck" situation because of NCAA sanctions. The camp got off to a rocky start as the 'Heels started losing Wide Receivers to injury from about the first day as T.J. Thorpe and Reggie Wilkins went down and depth all over the field became the biggest problem. They ended up having to use players from other UNC sports at Wide Receiver (Mark McNeill, Lacrosse and Roy Smith, Track) just to have depth at Wide Receiver and McNeill and Smith were able to work their way into the rotation during the season. The offense lived up to Fedora's reputation. They scored over 40 points a game and they ran and passed North Carolina's record book thru a paper shredder. The Tarheels finished at 8-4 on the season and were only truly out of one game, that being Georgia Tech. There were not too many dull moments this season either. Gio Bernard had almost 2000 total yards on the season in spite of missing 2 1/2 games on the season. If not for those missed games Gio would have had the kind of stats stuffing numbers worthy of the Heisman Trophy. I would have voted for him anyway. The 74 yard punt return to win the game against NC State was the signature play that set him apart from the rest. He had 1228 yards rushing, 490 yards receiving, and 263 punt return yards. QB Bryn Renner completed 65 % of his his passes, had 3356 yards passing and 28 TD's with only 7 picks on the season. By seasons end, he had a firm grasp on UNC's spread offense. Several other players emerged on the offensive side as well. Freshman Quinshad Davis had a Freshman record 61 catches for 776 yards and tied for the team lead with 5 TD's. Eric Ebron was able to stretch the field from his TE position to the tune of 40 catches and 625 yards with 4 TD's. Although Gio decided to turn pro after his red-shirt Sophomore season, they still have the pieces in place to have another outstanding season next year. Renner will be back, Romar Morris, who has many of the same skills that Gio has, and A.J. Blue return in the backfield, and hopefully injury will not wipe out the Wide Receiver Corps because I am really looking forward to see what they can do.