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EXTRA POINTS FOUNDED AND PUBLISHED FROM 1990-93 BY THE GENERAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA Vol. IX, No. 4, Sept. 22, 2003 Tar Heels Badgered On Midwest Road Trip. MADISON, Wisc. gangsta-rap on the P.A. system pre-game ignited some fire with Michael Waddell and no smoke for the home team to burst returning the opening kick-off 97 yards for a he pungent aroma of grilled bratwursts through en route to the field. As one of the TD and Mike Mason returning another for a and onions wafted down Regent Street visitors from down South astutely observed, score before it was called back. TSaturday morning just after 8 a.m., some “They just run out on the field and go play “It was a game I felt like we could have three hours before Wisconsin and Carolina football.” easily won,” Bunting said Sunday afternoon. would collide in an intersectional football That they do. “Once again, football games come down to game. Here in the Midwest, the Kiwanians The Badgers drove 46 yards or less for two or three or four or five plays. We were in sell brats on game day, as do the Lutherans, three touchdowns and hit the Heels with TD this one for the most part. Our defense played the Shriners, the corner Pantry and even strikes on two key third-down plays in a little better. That was very noticeable on McDonald’s, if you can believe that. Around claiming a 38-27 victory. It was Carolina’s tape. They played harder and tougher. We the corner on Lathrop Street, just one block third loss in three games in 2003 entering its still had some run-gap responsibility errors. from Camp Randall Stadium, the “Offensively, we did not play frat guys were already pounding as well as we had the two the golden nectar that made previous games in terms of nearby Milwaukee famous. finishing plays and making One of the fun things about good decisions. That hurt us.” following Tar Heel football over A first-quarter fumble by the years—and these days you’ve freshman Ronnie McGill at the got to go looking for your fun—is Carolina three and two short feeling the textures of the game in fields after poor punts allowed other parts of the nation. There’s Wisconsin maddeningly easy the beauty of West Point, the touchdown drives of three, 46 callouses of Pittsburgh, the and 35 yards. animals of Texas (a steer) and “Our big thing is, ‘Put the Tallahassee (a horse) and the ball down,’” end Issac Mooring music of Oklahoma (get Boomer said, referring to a rally cry Sooner etched in your noggin and initiated last spring by defensive it’s there for 24 hours at least)—to coordinator Dave Huxtable. mention some of the highlights of “That’s what we say. ‘Put the recent vintage. ball down.’ It doesn’t matter On this weekend the Tar Heels where they get the ball. Our job emerged from the backwash of is to stop them and go out ready Hurricane Isabel in Chapel Hill to to play defense.” travel to Madison, where fall’s LONG DAY FOR HEELS’ OFFENSE—Darian Durant That sounds very nice and it’s already in the air and where they upended on passing down for one of three sacks. commendable that the defense take their football seriously. The takes that attitude, but the fact is Badgers of coach Barry Alvarez draw more annual grudge match with N.C. State, and that three scoring drives totaling 84 yards than 75,000 fans a game to watch a brand of this one offered a contrasting storyline from amounts to giving the store away. ball that’s quintessentially Big 10 and grain- the much-dissected overtime loss to Carolina’s defense forced Wisconsin into belt. No frills, no-nonsense, smash-mouth, Syracuse two weeks ago. four punts, and safety Mahlon Carey made guns ’n bruises. The offensive line’s bound to The Carolina defense, ranked last in two interceptions, one a terrific play where he mutiny here if the coaches get too panty-waist Division I-A entering the game with 535.5 jumped with receiver Lee Evans and wrestled with the play-calling, and they did in fact yards allowed in two games, actually did the ball from the receiver. Wisconsin gained register a complaint Saturday over a pass-call itself proud in some respects Saturday, 402 yards, which is a lot but still is better after at the Tar Heel six yard-line that turned into though a certain cornerback had a particu- the games the Heels played against FSU and an interception. larly nettlesome performance. It was the Syracuse. The defense did enough good “It’s a power game up here,” said Carolina offense that failed to deliver this week, with things as the afternoon progressed that you defensive line coach Brad Lawing, who spent quarterback Darian Durant never finding weren’t left with the feeling that the Tar Heel four years at Michigan State. “When it gets his rhythm and the offensive line struggling offense would have to score every time it cold, it’s hard to throw the ball. You’ve got to to protect Durant against a Wisconsin touched the ball. be able to run the ball in the Big 10.” defense that uncharacteristically rolled the “I felt we played a whole lot better,” Here the student section’s as rowdy as the dice often and with good success. Mooring said. “We didn’t miss as many Cameron Crazies. There’s no video board, no Meanwhile, Carolina’s special teams tackles. We played our assignments better. We PAGE ONE EXTRA POINTS played real aggressive, we played fast.” “We played hard, we played together, Heels Find Explosive Plays In Kicking Game. we’ve just got to play smarter,” Carey said. “When we put all of that together, we’ll be all ohn Bunting promised better special-teams play in 2003. For the most part, the Tar Heels right.” Jare delivering. Carolina’s coaching staff entered Saturday’s game at Wisconsin believing A busted assignment between the the Tar Heels had an advantage in the kicking game, that they were faster and more athletic linebackers and safeties led to a Wisconsin than the Badgers. They believed they could return a kick-off or a punt for a score and that TD early in the fourth quarter, and they could block a punt. cornerback Derrick Johnson was beaten one- They were almost right on every count. on-one in the second quarter for a score when Michael Waddell returned the opening kick 97 yards for a score and, after Wisconsin the Tar Heels blitzed and couldn’t quite get to started squibbing its kick-offs to help prevent another long return, Waddell fielded the ball at QB Jim Sorgi. the 15 and advanced to midfield, needing only to beat the kicker. In total, Waddell returned “We’re going to take risks and sometimes four for 197 yards. He was also setting sail in the third quarter to notch a potential major there are consequences you’re going to have punt return before falling untouched to the ground with a sprained ankle—all of that despite to pay,” Bunting said. “We’re a young team, the remnants of a turf toe suffered against Syracuse. That injury prevented Waddell from we’re an athletic team, and we’re going to get playing more on defense. Had it not been important to limit his snaps Saturday, perhaps Waddell could have spelled starting cornerback Derrick better. Wisconsin is a big, physical team and Johnson, who struggled in covering ace Badger receiver they like to pound the ball. That’s their Lee Evans. mentality. Sometimes we were able to stand Freshman Mike Mason added a spark as well with up to them, and that’s encouraging.” two kick-off returns for a 35-yard average, one going for a Bunting was asked by a Wisconsin writer TD before being called back. if his defensive background as a player and Meanwhile, Topher Roberts nailed two of his five coach made it particularly difficult to kick-offs into the end zone, and on the other two, the stomach Carolina’s defensive ineptness over Heels limited Wisconsin to returns of 17 and 19 yards. the last year and three games. He was quick Carolina ranks ninth among 117 Division I-A schools to answer. in kick-off returns at nearly 30 yards a pop and is 15th in “Believe me, I take it very personally,” punt returns at 14.6 yards a return. Bunting said. “It kills me. It hurts me “I’m encouraged,” Bunting says. “We’re going to morning, noon and night. I wake up with it. continue to get better. Coach Webster is doing a great job But the encouraging part is, we made some with those kids and they’re giving tremendous effort.” progress today.” Assistant coach James Webster spends 100 percent of Bunting and the defensive staff will his time on the kicking game with help from the rest of wrestle this week with the dual-pronged the staff on certain units. challenge of trying to stop State QB Philip “One thing I like about our players is they are really, Rivers and star running back T.A. really enthusiastic about having a contribution in the kicking game,” Webster says. “They’re excited about their McClendon. And they do so with glaring roles. That’s the first order of business—be excited about problems at cornerback.

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