North Carolina feels like they were not as bad as the record indicated in 2007, and they may be right. In his first season as head coach, Butch Davis saw his team lose six games by seven points or less. However, three of their four wins were by six points or less, so they could have just as easily ended up with just one win.
Davis has 18 starters back for this season, and is hoping that a more experienced team can avoid the close losses, and become one of the surprise teams in the country.
North Carolina Tar Heels
Coach: Butch Davis (4-8 in one season at UNC)
2007 Record: 4-8, 3-5 in ACC
Returning Starters: 18 (Offense: 9, Defense: 8, Punter)
Top Returnees: RB/CB Johnny White, QB T.J. Yates, WR Hakeem Nicks, S Trimane Goddard, CB Charles Brown, DE E.J. Wilson, S Deunta Williams, DT Marvin Austin
Key Losses: DT Kentwan Balmer, K Connor Barth, C Scott Lenahan, LB Durell Mapp, DE Hilee Taylor
2008 Schedule
Aug. 30 McNeese State
Sept. 11 @ Rutgers
Sept. 20 Virginia Tech
Sept. 27 @ Miami
Oct. 4 Connecticut
Oct. 11 Notre Dame
Oct. 18 @ Virginia
Oct. 25 Boston College
Nov. 8 Georgia Tech
Nov. 15 @ Maryland
Nov. 22 North Carolina State
Nov. 29 @ Duke
Key Game: Sept. 20 at home vs. Virginia Tech. The Heels will avoid Clemson, Wake Forest, and Florida State on this year’s schedule. That leaves Virginia Tech as their toughest conference opponent, and this time they get them at home. Last year North Carolina fell to the Hokies on the road by just seven points. If Davis can coach his team to a victory in this game, the Tar Heels could have an outside shot at the ACC title game.
2008 Outlook
The strength of the offense will be the passing game, but much will depend on the health of quarterback T.J. Yates. Shoulder surgery after the season caused the sophomore to miss spring practice. As a freshman, Yates threw for a school record 2,655 yards to go along with his 14 touchdowns.
After 10 games in 2007, none of the running backs were able to establish themselves as a productive rusher. In the next to last game of the season, Greg Little made the move from wideout to running back, and it paid off. In two games at the position, Little ran for 243 yards and two touchdowns. The sophomore has also shown coaches that he has the big play ability the Heels have desperately been seeking at that position.
This season North Carolina could have one of the best receiving corps in the ACC. Junior Hakeem Nicks is already a star and is just 32 yards away from the school record for receiving yards. Last year Nicks broke the school record for catches with 74 and racked up 958 yards on those receptions. Senior Brandon Tate is also back after catching 25 passes for 479 yards and five touchdowns in ‘07. The Heels also return their third leading receiver from last year, senior Brooks Foster, who had 417 yards on 29 receptions.
There is optimism on the offensive line despite giving up 37 sacks a year ago. They lose center Scott Lenahan, but 9 of their top 10 linemen return. The line will be anchored by senior right guard Calvin Darity, who has started in every game the past two seasons. Senior Garrett Reynolds and junior Kyle Jolly are returning starters at the tackle positions.
The defense is ready for a big season with eight starters back, and is led by its talent-laden front four. Four NFL prospects, juniors Aleric Mullins and Cam Thomas, sophomore Marvin Austin, and freshman Tydreke Powell, will be in the rotation at tackle. Junior E.J. Wilson returns at end after totaling five sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss last year. JUCO transfer Joseph Townsend will be expected to contribute right away at the other end position.
Defensive coordinator Everett Withers will have to replace last season’s best linebacker, Durell Mapp, but five guys return with starting experience at that position. The leader of this group will be senior Chase Rice, who was supposed to be a starter last season, but was lost for the season after an injury in the opener.
In 2007, three freshmen were thrown into starting roles in the secondary, and the experience should pay off in ‘08. Freshman safety Deunta Williams was named ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year and First Team Freshman All-American after recording 57 tackles and 3 interceptions last year. Senior Trimane Goddard, sophomore Charles Brown, and sophomore Kendric Burney are all returning starters in the defensive backfield. The three combined for five picks last season. Sophomore Johnny White will be making the move from running back to cornerback, giving the secondary some added speed.
On special teams, replacing kicker Connor Barth (29 of 32 on field goals his last two seasons) will likely fall on redshirt freshman Jay Wooten, who was one of the top-rated kickers in the country in the 2007 class. At punter, senior Terrence Brown is back after averaging 41.4 yards per punt in his first season and putting 24 of his 64 punts inside the 20. Tate, who returned a punt for a score and averaged 24.1 yards per kick return last season, should be one of the top return men in the ACC this season.
All in all, North Carolina has the talent to not only post their first winning season since 2001 and go to their first bowl since 2004, but also to make a run at taking the ACC Coastal Division title away from Virginia Tech.
