North Carolina Kicks Off the 2003 Season Against Defending Atlantic Coast Conference Champion Florida State on Saturday, August
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Date: Saturday, August 30, 2003 and home opener in 2000 against Tulsa. UNC Time: 8 p.m. has lost four of its last five season openers. TV: ABC (split national) vs. Site: Kenan Stadium (natural grass, 60,000) ANOTHER DOZEN IN 2003 Series Record: Florida State leads, 12-1-1 Carolina will play 12 regular-season games Last Meeting: Florida State 40, Carolina 14 on November 16, in 2003 for the third consecutive season. The 2002, in Tallahassee, Fla. Series Record: Florida State leads, 12-1-1 Rankings: FSU, 11th USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll, 13th Last Meeting: FSU 40, UNC 14 on Tar Heels will face nine teams that played in November 16, 2002 bowls games in 2002, including five teams Associated Press Last FSU win: 2002, 40-14 in Tallahassee Radio: Tar Heel Sports Radio Network, a division of Last UNC win: 2001, 41-9 in Chapel Hill that are ranked in the AP Top 25 – Florida Learfield Communications. Woody Durham (play-by-play), Fast Fact: Carolina’s win over Florida State State (13), Maryland (15), NC State (16), Mick Mixon (color) and Stephen Gates (sideline) provide the in 2001 was John Bunting’s first win as Virginia (18), Arizona State (22). call. A live broadcast also is available on the University of head coach at his alma mater. Carolina’s non-conference schedule features North Carolina's official athletic website, TarHeelBlue.com games vs. Syracuse (Sept. 6), at Wisconsin Websites: North Carolina (TarHeelBlue.com); Florida State (seminoles.com) (Sept. 20), at East Carolina (Oct. 11) and vs. Injuries: TBA Arizona State (Oct. 18). UNC defeated both NORTH CAROLINA FLORIDA STATE Syracuse and Arizona State last season in road Aug. 30 Florida State 8 p.m., ABC Aug. 30 at North Carolina 8 p.m., ABC games. Sept. 6 Syracuse 1:30 p.m. Sept. 6 Maryland 7:15 p.m, ESPN2 Sept. 20 at Wisconsin TBA Sept. 13 Georgia Tech 8 p.m., ABC SERIES VS. FLORIDA STATE Sept. 27 at NC State TBA Sept. 20 Colorado 7 p.m. • Florida State leads the series, 12-1-1. The Oct. 4 Virginia TBA Sept. 27 at Duke 7 p.m. tie was a 10-10 draw in 1986 in Tallahassee. Oct. 11 at East Carolina TBA Oct. 11 Miami (Fla.) TBA • Carolina defeated No. 6 Florida State, 41- Oct. 18 Arizona State TBA oct. 18 at Virginia TBA Oct. 25 at Clemson TBA Oct. 25 Wake Forest TBA 9, the last time the game was played in Chapel Nov. 1 at Maryland TBA Nov. 1 at Notre Dame 2:30 p.m., NBC Hill. It was Carolina’s first win ever over the Nov. 8 Wake Forest TBA Nov. 8 at Clemson TBA Seminoles and it was John Bunting’s first win Nov. 15 at Georgia Tech TBA Nov. 15 NC State TBA as head coach at North Carolina. Nov. 22 Duke TBA Nov. 29 at Florida 3:30 p.m., CBS • The win equaled the highest ranked team Carolina had ever defeated according to the Associated Press poll records. North Carolina kicks off the 2003 season Chapel Hill for their final two seasons. Over • Carolina’s 41 points are the most ever against defending Atlantic Coast Conference 30 newcomers reported to campus when the allowed by FSU in an ACC game. champion Florida State on Saturday, August Tar Heels began fall training camp on August • In the last meeting in Tallahassee, FSU 30 at Kenan Stadium. The game will be a 6, including 21 scholarship freshmen. The quarterback Adrian McPherson threw four split-national televised contest beginning at 8 UNC freshmen class was considered by most touchdown passes – three to wide receiver p.m. on ABC. analysts to be among the top 15 in the country. Anquan Boldin – to lead the Seminoles to a Despite a 3-9 record in 2002, Carolina Highly-touted junior college cornerback 40-14 win. In that game, UNC tight end closed the season with a dramatic two-point Lionell Green joined the team on August 9. Bobby Blizzard caught six passes for 100 victory over Duke. The Tar Heels hope to “We’re better than we were last year at this yards and one touchdown. carry the momentum from that win and an out- time,” says head coach John Bunting. “But, standing fall practice into the 2003 season. we are a young team and we may still experi- TIES TO FLORIDA Carolina returns 17 starters, including seven ence growing pains as we face a difficult • Quarterback C.J. Stephens is a native of on offense, eight on defense and both the schedule this year. I’m excited for our seniors Gainesville, Fla. Last year against FSU, punter and place-kicker. In addition, Carolina and I know we’ll work hard for our fans.” Stephens was 16 of 40 for 175 yards and one returns its top tackler – 2002 All-ACC safety touchdown and one interception. Dexter Reid, its top passer – record-setting OPENING THE SEASON AGAINST FSU • Starting middle linebacker Doug Justice, quarterback Darian Durant, its top two rushers Carolina has never opened the season who finished second on the team in 2002 with – sophomore Jacque Lewis, senior Willie against Florida State. In fact, the Tar Heels 97 tackles, is from Port Orange, Fla. Parker, and its top receiving tight end – Bobby are opening the season against an ACC oppo- • Sophomore wide receiver Jarwarski Blizzard. nent for the first time since 1999 and just the Pollock is from Bradenton, Fla., where he However, the season opener presents quite a third time in the last 11 years. attended Southeast High School. Pollock is challenge to a young UNC squad made up of Carolina has struggled in recent years in its Carolina’s leading returning receiver. Last nearly 60 percent sophomores and freshmen. season opener. The Tar Heels lost the first season, he caught 31 passes for 464 yards and Carolina’s roster has just 13 scholarship sen- game of 2001 at Oklahoma and fell to Miami four touchdowns. iors, including two players who transferred to (Ohio) in 2002. Carolina last won its season • Other Tar Heels from Florida include: John DeShields (Boca Raton), Larry Edwards (Tampa), Daunte Fields (Wellington), Roger Heinz (Tallahassee), Brian Rackley (Tallahassee), Tommy Richardson (Miami), Chad Scott (Plant City) and Thomas Sperring (Gainesville). THE LAST TIME IN CHAPEL HILL: CAROLINA 41, FLORIDA STATE 9 Carolina scored what many observers will forever remember as one of the greatest games in UNC history by soundly defeating Florida State, 41-9, in Chapel Hill on September 22, 2001. The win was John Bunting’s first as UNC’s head coach and was Carolina’s first in 13 meet- ings with the Seminoles. The loss was Florida State’s third in ACC competition and the Seminoles’ worst regular-season defeat in 16 years. Quarterback Darian Durant passed for two scores, Ronald Curry threw for a touchdown and ran for another and defensive end Julius Peppers led a Carolina defense that allowed just 34 sec- ond-half yards. The Tar Heels forced five turnovers, registered five quarterback sacks and held the Seminoles to just four of 16 on third down conversions. Peppers dominated the line of scrimmage as he made 10 tackles, including four for losses, one of which was his 25th career sack, and had an interception, his second of the season. DURANT’S NUMBERS IMPRESSIVE Junior quarterback Darian Durant ranks among the best quarterbacks in the nation and he is on pace to eclipse every North Carolina career passing record in 2003. Although he has started just 10 games in his career, Durant currently ranks first in career completion percentage (.614), second in career touchdowns DURANT IN CAROLINA’S CAREER RECORD BOOK HEAD COACH JOHN BUNTING (33), fourth in career passing yards (3,966), sixth in career total offense (4,255) and seventh in career completions (289). Completion Percentage .614 1st John Bunting is in his third season at North Durant’s total offense (285.6) and passing yards per game Carolina and seventh overall as a college coach. Touchdown Passes 33 2nd Bunting’s overall coaching record is 49-28-2, includ- (265.2) were tops in the ACC last season despite missing four Efficiency Rating 147.14 2nd ing an 11-14-0 record at UNC and a 38-14-2 record games with a broken thumb. He became the first Tar Heel to Passing Yards 3,966 4th at Glassboro State from 1988-92. Bunting is the first lead the ACC in total offense since Paul Miller in 1971. Total Offense 4,255 6th Tar Heel alum and first former Carolina letterwinner Durant threw for a school-record 417 yards and five touch- Pass Completions 289 7th to coach UNC since Jim Tatum in 1956. downs against Arizona State in 2002. It was the first 400-yard Year Team . Record . Postseason game of his career and was the second-best game by an ACC quarterback in 2002. Durant 1988 Glassboro State . 5-5-0 . – passed for more than 230 yards in seven of eight games in 2002. 1989 Glassboro State . 5-3-2 . – 1990 Glassboro State . 7-3-0 . – In 2001, he set freshmen single-season records for touchdown passes (17), completions (142), 1991 Glassboro State . 9-2-0 . NCAA Playoffs passing yards (1,843) and total offense (1,971). 1992 Glassboro State . 12-1-0 . NCAA Playoffs REID ALL ABOUT IT: SAFETY FIRST IN ACC, SECOND IN NATION IN TACKLES 2001 North Carolina . 8-5-0 . Won Peach Bowl 2002 North Carolina . 3-9-0 . – Senior free safety Dexter Reid was one of the bright spots on the Carolina defense in 2002, Totals .