EXTRA POINTS FOUNDED and PUBLISHED from 1990-93 by the GENERAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION of the UNIVERSITY of NORTH CAROLINA Vol
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EXTRA POINTS FOUNDED AND PUBLISHED FROM 1990-93 BY THE GENERAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA Vol. XV, No. 2, September 6, 2004 Depth, Intensity Shine From Ground Zero. CHAPEL HILL some nuances one is privy to from Ground Tar Heels straining for extra yards after good Zero. As the Tar Heels rallied in the second gainers. Shock. Incomprehension. Total ver the years I have watched football half Saturday to fend off an ambitious team silence. A few cries of anguish. It was quiet games in Kenan Stadium from a from William & Mary, 49-38, you could pick along the sideline and in the student section Ovariety of vantage points. up little clues to the substance of this 2004 to the rear as the Tribe took a 24-14 lead into I can remember sitting with some suite- team, detect signals that might help the Tar halftime and then retained it at 31-21 halfway mates top-row, lower-deck my freshman year Heels in their quest to right the wrongs of through the third quarter. Quiet, that is, in 1975 when Notre Dame came calling except for a smattering of boo-birds. with a no-name quarterback, Montana “Our crowd did a great job hanging or some such; old Joe polished off the in there,” Tar Heel coach John Bunting Heels in the fourth quarter about the said. “I heard a couple catcalls, but you time our cooler of Green G.D. went dry. can’t blame them. It was kind of ugly at Two years later, as a neophyte newspa- first.” perman for the Daily Tar Heel, I donned But the Tar Heels knew they were a necktie for some silly reason and better than William & Mary and that if ventured into that creaky old press box they didn’t implode mentally, they squeezed between the upper decks. I would outrace the Tribe to the finish. ate a half dozen hot dogs and was so “We were trying to rush things a busy scribbling notes I had no clue little bit,” Durant said. “We realized it what happened in the game. was a long game. We knew they could I have watched from the new press not stop us. We made up our minds to box that opened in 1988 (too sanitary, move the ball—running or throwing— insulated and quiet); from the upper and that’s what we did. If not for the deck of the North Side (hot as Hades in turnovers, it would have been a whole September, perfect in November); the different ballgame.” top row of the corner of the 1997 “We talked at halftime about stadium expansion (individual seats, calming down, relaxing and focusing arm rests, good leg room); and, best of on our individual roles,” safety Gerald all, from the photo-deck appendage of Sensabaugh added. “We came out calm the current press box. I began camping and ready to bounce back. We knew out there in 1996 and found it offered we’d come back.” the best of all worlds. You can look This team also has some killer straight down on the action. There is no instinct and mental edge to it. Of bozo right behind you whining about course, finishing off a team from every play call that’s not a pass or a Williamsburg is a wee bit easier than double-reverse or a jailbreak blitz. Rest one from Charlottesville, but at least the rooms and Diet Cokes are just one floor JEFFREY embryo is intact toward developing above. You are outside and can feel the that necessary swagger. The Tar Heels crowd and the electricity and hear the CAMARATI are in good physical condition and to band. almost a man were resolute in their off- Saturday I watched from yet season training regimen, despite new another post altogether—from the NCAA rules that limit how much off- sideline. And let me tell you, this is a WORKHORSE No. 1: Tailback Ronnie McGill season work can be required by the different kettle of fish. I will spend the powers for chunk of his 133-yard rushing total. coaching staff. 2004 season from there providing “In the fourth quarter, we want to dispatches to the Tar Heel Sports Network’s 2002 and ’03. shut them out and score points ourselves,” broadcasts. It will take some getting used to: First, the Tar Heels never panicked when strength and conditioning coach Jeff Connors There are no creature comforts; it is hot and four turnovers robbed them of points and says. “We want to see visible signs of fatigue crowded; the angles are bad; and if you’re not presented William & Mary gifts over the in them. When we see their guys fading, we quick you’ll get a dirt sandwich or broken leg first two and a half quarters. It was like a want to crank it up a notch. We want to gain after an end sweep. No wonder the guys bad nightmare, a return to that Turnover confidence from seeing them fade.” calling the plays generally like to work from City visited so often of late—an interception That’s exactly what happened as the third upstairs. of a Darian Durant pass, a Durant fumble quarter rolled into the fourth Saturday on a But there are some advantages as well, on a blindside sack, two more fumbles by sunny, mid-80s afternoon. Tailback Ronnie PAGE ONE EXTRA POINTS McGill was taken to the dressing room in the doing a lot of good things.” first half for treatment of a hip-pointer, but he “We reached our ultimate goal—we won was strong enough in the fourth quarter to the game,” Seawright said. “Now we’ll work bull through a wilting Tribe defense for three on execution and getting our assignments touchdowns. down better.” “We could see them giving in,” center “This was just what we needed,” Bowman Jason Brown said. “That felt so great. Willie added. “We wanted to start with a victory, McNeill came to the huddle one time and get our fans behind us and move on to the said, ‘My guy’s giving up. He don’t wanna next one.” fight no more.’ Kyle Ralph another play said, The next one, of course, being Virginia in ‘My guy didn’t wanna play ball that snap.’ Charlottesville. It’s been a long, dry spell That’s a great feeling. We feed off that. You there, as everyone knows, from a narrow loss know good things are about to happen. You in 1993 to that fourth-quarter implosion in don’t see that in the first half. You see it in the 1996 to Ronald Curry’s homecoming two fourth quarter, when everyone’s gas tank is years later to Durant’s hand-injury that going dry. ruined the second half of the 2002 campaign. “It’s part of being mentally tough, of At some point, the Tar Heels will get enough having faith in our conditioning program.” breaks and make enough breaks to win at It helps in fielding fresh players if you Virginia. It might as well be this year— have more players as well, and the Tar Heels thereby keeping me unbeaten from are, at long last, building some depth along Ground Zero. what has been for two years a wafer-thin defensive front. Defensive line coach Brad SQUIB KICKS – The Tar Heels came out Lawing noted last week that while playing of their opener substantially injury free. Chase Page 75 to 80 snaps a game at tackle McGill had a hip-pointer and Chad Scott last year was unfair, it was necessary. The JEFFREY CAMARATI cramps. Bunting said Sunday he hopes both previous year, true freshman Kendall High will be ready for practice on Monday. was thrown to the wolves. Madison WORKHORSE No. 2: Jacque Lewis Carolina played nine true freshmen Satur- Hedgecock moved from fullback to help dances for 123 yards on 15 carries and day—defensive players Mitchell, Taylor, bolster the sagging ranks of the D-line. Now, scored one touchdown. Balmer, Price, Tremaine Goddard, Martel through recruiting and the aging of several Thatch and Durell Mapp; kick-return newcomers from the last two recruiting speed was much more evident on the field specialist Del Roberts; and place-kicker classes, the staff has more chess pieces to today.” Connor Barth. Redshirt freshmen deploy. The speed, intensity and discipline these Charlston Gray at offensive line, Kyndraus “We’re making a commitment to keep players bring to bear are remarkable from up Guy at defensive end, Roger Heinz as fresh guys in there,” Lawing said. “I’d rather close—Mike Mason and Wallace Wright placement holder, and Quinton Person and have a guy with a little lesser ability in there covering punts like kamikazes from their Bryan Bethea at cornerback played their first than keeping someone in there all game who gunner positions; Adarius Bowman at 6-foot- games as well. The hundred-yard rushing gives out in the fourth quarter.” 4 steamrolling a smaller Tribe safety en route days by McGill (133 yards on 13 carries) and Lawing played six ends Saturday— to a touchdown; Durant patiently executing Jacque Lewis (123 on 15) was the first time Tommy Davis, Brian Rackley, Kyndraus Guy, his fakes and allowing the defense to bite the Heels had two runners eclipse 100 yards Melik Brown, Hilee Taylor and Alden before rushing to the next stage; McGill, now in the same game since the Johnson & Blizzard. He played six tackles—Jonas a sophomore, letting his blocks form before Johnson twins (Leon and Curtis) did so Seawright, Shelton Bynum, Khalif Mitchell, cutting inside; Brown taking charge of the against Georgia Tech in 1994.