Carolina Prepares For Georgia Tech

October 4, 1999 | Football

By: UNC Athletic Communications

Oct. 4, 1999

University of North Carolina
Football Media Notes
Game #5 at Georgia Tech
Saturday, Oct. 9, 1999
Atlanta, Ga.
ABC-TV

GAME DATA
Carolina's brutal early-season schedule continues Saturday, October 9th, as the Tar Heels travel to Atlanta to square off against Georgia Tech.

UNC is 1-3 overall and 0-3 in ACC action after dropping a 31-20 loss at Clemson on October 2nd. The Tar Heels are 0-3 in league play for the first time since losing all seven ACC games in 1989 when they went 1-10 overall.

The Yellow Jackets are 3-1. Tech is ranked No. 7 in the Associated Press poll and No. 8 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll. The Jackets are averaging more than 517 yards total offense and 43 points per game.

Kickoff is 3:30 p.m. at Grant Field/Bobby Dodd Stadium. The game will be televised by ABC. Rich Woltz and Bob Golic will call the game for ABC.

Woody Durham, Mick Mixon and 1993 UNC captain Rick Steinbacher provide the call on the Tar Heel Sports Radio Network. The flagship station of the network is WCHL, 1360-AM, in Chapel Hill.

Day     Date       Game            Result    Time,       TV
Sat.    Sept. 4    Virginia        L 17-20   12:10 p.m., ABC
Sat.    Sept. 11   at Indiana      W 42-30   7 p.m.
Sat.    Sept. 25   Florida State   L 10-42   3:30 p.m.,  ABC
Sat.    Oct. 2     at Clemson      L 20-31   3:30 p.m.,  ABC
Sat.    Oct. 9     at Georgia Tech           3:30 p.m.,  ABC
Sat.    Oct. 16    Houston                   1:30 p.m.
Sat.    Oct. 23    at Maryland             
Sat.    Oct. 30    Furman                    1:30 p.m.
Sat.    Nov. 6     Wake Forest     
Thu.    Nov. 11    vs. NC State              8 p.m.,     ESPN
Sat.    Nov. 20    Duke

All Times Eastern, NC State game in Charlotte, N.C.

HEAD COACH CARL TORBUSH
East Spencer, N.C., native Carl Torbush is in his second full season as head coach of the Tar Heels. Torbush, 47, was named Carolina's head coach on Dec. 8, 1997. He led the Tar Heels to a 42-3 win over Virginia Tech in the Gator Bowl on Jan. 1, 1998. Last year, Carolina overcame a 0-3 start to post a 7-5 overall record and tie for fourth place in the Atlantic Coast Conference. That included a 20-13 win over San Diego State in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Torbush became the first UNC head coach to lead the school to a bowl game in his first year. He also became the only coach in school history to lead Carolina to the postseason after starting out 0-3.

Torbush is in his 12th season as Carolina's defensive coordinator. There are currently 24 players active in the NFL who played defense at Carolina under Torbush. That includes first-round draft picks Thomas Smith (CB, Buffalo), Marcus Jones (DT, Tampa Bay), Greg Ellis (DE, Dallas), Brian Simmons (LB, Cincinnati) and Vonnie Holliday (DE, Green Bay) and second-round picks Russell Davis (DT, Chicago) and Dre' Bly (CB, St. Louis).

Torbush is 9-8 as Carolina's head coach and 12-16 overall as a college head coach. Louisiana Tech was 3-8 in 1987 in his first stint as head coach.

VERSUS GEORGIA TECH

Carolina leads the alltime series, 16-15-3. That includes a 13-6-1 record since Georgia Tech joined the ACC in 1980 and a 13-7-1 mark since 1974.

The Tar Heels are 7-10-1 in games against the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta.

Carolina has not lossed consecutive games to the Yellow Jackets since dropping three in a row from 1943 to 1945. Tech did beat UNC in 1989 and 1991, but the Tar Heels managed a 13-13 draw in Chapel Hill in 1990, the same year Tech went on to grab a share of the national title.

UNC defeated the Yellow Jackets, 16-13, in 1997 in the Tar Heels' most recent game in Atlanta. Oscar Davenport threw for a career-high 360 yards, including a game-winning touchdown to L.C. Stevens. Tailback Jonathan Linton became the only Tar Heel in history to rush for 100 yards and catch passes for 100 yards in the same game. Linton rushed for 138 yards and added six catches for 137 yards.

Last year, Joe Hamilton passed for 303 yards on just 14 completions and added a team-high 59 yards rushing in leading the Yellow Jackets to a 43-21 win over the Tar Heels in Kenan Stadium. It was Tech's first victory in Chapel Hill since 1945. UNC had won seven and tied another at home since Tech won at Kenan Stadium in 1945.

Georgia Tech's 43 points last year equalled the most scored by the Yellow Jackets in the series. Tech also had 43 in a 43-14 win in 1932.

Eight of the last 13 meetings have been decided by seven points or less.

Ronald Curry started last year's game against the Yellow Jackets, although he had missed virtually the entire week of practice due to a death in his family. (Oscar Davenport was able to play just one series due to a sprained knee.) Curry was 8 for 21 for 115 yards and led Carolina with 74 yards rushing. He put the Tar Heels on the board with an 11-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.

The Tar Heels scored 21 points last year, but two of the scores were on long returns. Safety Antwon Black returned a fumble 81 yards for a touchdown on a botched field goal attempt by the Yellow Jackets on the final play of the first half. Kory Bailey opened the second half by returning the kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown.

GEORGIA TECH SCHEDULE

Date      Game              Result
Sept. 4   at Navy           W 49-14
Sept. 11  at Florida State  L 35-41
Sept. 18  Central Florida   W 41-10
Sept. 30  Maryland          W 49-31 
Oct. 9    North Carolina  
Oct. 16   at Duke
Oct. 30   NC State
Nov. 6    at Virginia
Nov. 13   Clemson
Nov. 20   at Wake Forest
Nov. 27   Georgia

STATISTICAL TALE OF THE TAPE

CAROLINA                        GEORGIA TECH
22.2    Points/Game             43.5    
19.3    First Downs/Game        24.3
3.4     Rushing Ave/Play        5.2
155.0   Rushing Ave/Game        243.3
171.8   Passing Yards/Game      274.0
7       Rushing TD              14
3       Passing TD              10
326.8   Total Yards/Game        517.3
5.8     Penalties/Game          7.3
45.6 (35.5 net) Punting Average 44.6 (39.2 net) 
4-6     Field Goals             2-4
7       Turnovers Gained        4
11      Turnovers Lost          5
-4      Turnover Margin         -1
7       Sacks By                5
32:25   Average Time of Possession      29:07
194.5   Rushing Yds Allowed/Game        138.8
214.3   Passing Yds Allowed/Game        239.5
408.8   Total Yds Allowed/Game          378.3
30.8    Points Allowed/Game             24.0

ACC STATISTICAL LEADERS, INDIVIDUALS

Ronald Curry    Rushing         9th, 47.8 ypg
                Pass. Eff.      7th, 92.54 pts
                Total Offense   3rd, 215.0 ypg
Daniel Davis    Rushing         12th, 39.8 ypg  
Jason Peace     Receiving       T-10th, 3.3 rpg
                Rec. Yards      8th, 55.5 ypg
Kory Bailey     Receiving       T-10th, 3.3 rpg
                Rec. Yards      12th, 44.5 ypg
                All Purpose Yds 9th, 98.3 ypg
                Punt Returns    9th, 7.2 ypr
                Kickoff Returns 4th, 20.4 ypr
rian Schmitz   Punting         1st, 45.6 ave

ACC STATISTICAL LEADERS,TEAM OFFENSE

Total Offense           7th     326.8 ypg
Rushing Offense         5th     155.0 ypg
Passing Offense         7th     171.8 ypg
Scoring Offense         T-5th   22.3 ppg
First Downs             6th     19.3 fdpg
Third Down Conversions  5th     35.9 percent

ACC STATISTICAL LEADERS,TEAM DEFENSE

Total Defense           9th     408.8 ypg
Rushing Defense         9th     194.5 ypg
Passing Defense         6th     122.4 rating
Scoring Defense         8th     30.8 ppg
First Downs Allowed     9th     22.3 fdpg
Third Down Conversions  4th     31.4 percent
Quarterback Sacks       6th     1.8 pg

ACC STATISTICAL LEADERS,
SPECIAL TEAMS/MISCELLANEOUS

Kickoff Returns  3rd     22.1 ypr
Punt Returns     9th     7.2 ypr
Net Punting      4th     35.5 ave
Penalty Yardage  3rd     59.3 ypg
Turnover Margin  9th     -1.00 ave

RECAPPING THE CLEMSON GAME

Carolina led 17-10 early in the third quarter, but the Tigers scored three second-half touchdowns, two of which followed UNC turnovers, as Clemson knocked off the Tar Heels, 31-20.

The game was the first between the schools in which both teams scored 20 or more points since Carolina edged the Tigers, 21-20, in 1985.

Daniel Davis' 7-yard third quarter touchdown run to put the Tar Heels ahead 17-10 was the first of his college career. The freshman ran 10 times for 33 yards in the game.

Senior wide receiver Greg Harris had career highs with three catches and 53 yards receiving. That includes his 37-yard grab in the third quarter which set up Carolina's go-ahead score.

Ronald Curry accounted for 65 of Carolina's 113 rushing yards. Curry's 31-yard scramble in the first quarter set up Carolina's first score and was his longest run from scrimmage in a regular-season game. In last year's Las Vegas Bowl, Curry ran for a 48-yard touchdown.

Red-shirt freshman Julius Peppers helped stop Clemson on the first series of the game with his first career interception. Peppers picked off the Brandon Streeter pass at Carolina's 8-yard line after Streeter had completed six of his first seven passes and marched the Tigers 76 yards.

For the third time in four games, Merceda Perry led the Tar Heels in tackles. Against the Tigers, Perry recorded 14 total hits, including three tackles for losses. Perry was also credited with one quarterback sack and a QB pressure.

Carolina safeties Billy-Dee Greenwood and Quinton Savage recorded nine tackles apiece in the Clemson game to lead the UNC defensive backfield. Greenwood also caused one fumble and Savage made the recovery.

Joey Evans and Ross McAllister, who have split time at defensive end, each recorded a sack against Clemson. Combined, they accounted for 11 total tackles and four of Carolina's six tackles for losses.

Brian Schmitz punted seven times for 328 yards, a 46.9-yard average. Schmitz pinned the Tigers inside their own 20 three times, including twice in the third quarter off of punts of 51 and 52 yards respectively. The senior now has a 45.6-yard average on the season, good for eighth-best nationally.

Senior fullback Deon Dyer scored the 10th touchdown of his Tar Heel career on a 1-yard run late in the first quarter. Dyer now has nine rushing and one receiving TD as a Tar Heel. With TDs against both Florida State and Clemson, Dyer is tied for the team lead with two touchdowns on the season.

True freshman Malcolm Stewart had another solid game at defensive end, where he notched three tackles, including one for a 6-yard loss. Stewart was recruited by the Tar Heels as a linebacker but has since been converted to defensive end. On the season he has six tackles, including two for a loss, and two quarterback pressures.

Josh McGee converted field goals of 39 and 21 yards against Clemson. McGee has converted on four of six attempts in 1999 and needs just five more to become Carolina's alltime leader in field goals made.

The last time Carolina gave up 20 or more points in four consecutive games in the same season was 1989 when Maryland (38), Clemson (35), South Carolina (27) and Duke (41) all beat UNC. The last time UNC did that in the first four games of the season was 1988 (happened first six games that year).

The last time a Carolina team allowed 400 plus total offense yards in three straight games was 1988 when it happened in four consecutive games (Maryland 501, Clemson 500, Virginia 418, Duke 502). It also occurred the first six games in 1988.

CURRY STILL BIG PART OF OFFENSE

Sophomore quarterback Ronald Curry has accounted for 65.8 percent of Carolina's total offense yards. Curry has 191 yards rushing and 669 yards in the air. Of course, his rushing totals must include yardage lost to quarterback sacks. Curry is fourth in the ACC in total offense yards per game behind Joe Hamilton (Georgia Tech), Brandon Streeter (Clemson) and Chris Weinke (Florida State).

Percentage of Total Offense by Team
randon Streeter, Clemson       73.6 percent
Ronald Curry, UNC               65.8 percent
Joe Hamilton, Georgia Tech      57.0 percent
Chris Weinke, FSU               57.1 percent
Dan Ellis, Virginia             52.4 percent
Jamie Barnette, NC State        50.5 percent
Calvin McCall, Maryland         44.0 percent
en Sankey, Wake Forest         45.0 percent

SCHMITZ EIGHTH IN COUNTRY

Senior punter Brian Schmitz leads the ACC and is eighth in the NCAA in punting average at 45.6 yards per kick. In net punting, however, the Tar Heels are fourth in the league and 55th in the country.

INJURY REPORT

QB Ronald Curry (bruised ribs), probable

TB Daniel Davis (sprained left ankle), questionable

WR Danny Davis (mild concussion), probable

OT Kareem Ellis (neck sprain), probable

OG Mike Gimbol (bruised left calf), questionable

OT Bryan Jones (neck sprain), probable

WR Jason Peace (left hip pointer), probable

LB Merceda Perry (left hip pointer), probable

S Marcus Jones (torn left ACL), out

LB Brandon Spoon (torn left biceps tendon), out

200 RUSHING YARDS

Carolina has won its last 11 games in which the Tar Heels rushed for 200-plus yards. That streak dates back to the 1995 season. The Tar Heels rushed for 215 yards in the 42-30 win over Indiana.

The last time Carolina lost a game in which it rushed for 200-plus yards was Sept. 9, 1995, at Maryland. The Tar Heels had 202 rushing yards and 454 total yards, but committed five turnovers in a 32-18 loss to the Terps.

Carolina was 41-5 under head coach Mack Brown when it rushed for 200-plus yards. Forty-three (43) of the 46 games in which the Tar Heels rushed for 200 yards under Brown came in games played from 1988-95. The Tar Heels have rushed for 200-plus yards just six times in the last four seasons, 1999 inclusive. That includes one game in 1996, two games in 1997 and 1998 and one time thus far in 1999.

Carolina has allowed 200 rushing yards just four times in the last five seasons, 1999 inclusive. In addition to the Indiana and Clemson games, Carolina gave up 281 yards to Georgia Tech in 1995 and 205 yards to Florida State in 1995.

Carl Torbush's defenses have allowed 200 rushing yards in a game seven times in the last eight seasons, 1999 inclusive. In addition to the Indiana and Clemson games in 1999 and Georgia Tech and Florida State in 1995, Texas gained 200-plus in the 1994 Sun Bowl, UTEP had more than 200 in 1993 and Clemson topped 200 in 1992.

BRANDON SPOON OUT FOR THE SEASON
Senior linebacker Brandon Spoon was injured at Indiana, had successful surgery on Sept. 16th, and is out for the rest of the season. Spoon, a preseason Playboy All-America and three-time Butkus Award candidate, ruptured his left biceps tendon (at the elbow). He actually played two more plays before removing himself from the contest due to what he thought was a cramp in his left arm. It turned out he ruptured the tendon when he reached back to tackle quarterback Antwaan Randle-El on an option run. He played as a true freshman in 1996, therefore, he could elect to apply for a medical red-shirt and play college football in 2000.

CAROLINA

has 37 former players on active NFL rosters. Seventy-six (76) percent of the active NFL Tar Heel players graduated from UNC (compared to the NFL average of 30 percent).

was one of only 12 schools in Division I last season that played in a postseason bowl game and earned the AFCA's Achievement Award for Graduation Rates

is the only Division I football program in the country that has won a postseason bowl game in each of the last four seasons

has played in a postseason bowl game in a school-record seven consecutive seasons

has posted a winning record in nine consecutive seasons, tying the school record

has had five consensus All-Americas in the last four years

has had 18 players selected in the NFL Draft over the past three seasons (five in 1997, seven in 1998 and six in 1999)

is the only ACC school to have at least one player selected in every NFL Draft since 1971

DEPTH CHART NOTES

Eight seniors (not counting place-kicker Josh McGee and punter Brian Schmitz) enter the game as starters. That includes seven offensive players and one on defense. Five of the seven senior starters on offense are linemen.

Only 12 of the 22 positional starters are seniors or juniors. The four junior starters are tight end Alge Crumpler, linebacker Sedrick Hodge, linebacker Merceda Perry and safety Quinton Savage.

Senior fullback Deon Dyer has the most career starts of any Tar Heel. Dyer has 24 career starts - 10 in 1997, 10 in 1998 and four in 1999.

No player has started more consecutive games than Bryan Jones, Allen Mogridge and Sedrick Hodge (16).

There is not a single player on the squad who started a single game on defense in 1997. Four offensive players started in 1997 ' guard Mike Gimbol (all 12 games), tight end Alge Crumpler (11 starts in 1997), fullback Deon Dyer (10 games in 1997) and tight end Dauntae' Finger (one start in '97).

TRUE FRESHMEN

The Tar Heels have played 57 scholarship true freshmen in the 12 years Carl Torbush has been on the coaching staff (beginning in 1988). By position, the list includes: 11 linebackers, 9 wide receivers, 8 defensive linemen, 5 quarterbacks, 5 tight ends, 5 cornerbacks, 4 tailbacks, 3 kickers, 2 fullbacks, 2 safeties, 2 kick returners and 1 offensive lineman.

Five scholarship true freshmen have played thus far, including wide receiver Sam Aiken, cornerback Kevin Knight, tailback Daniel Davis, defensive tackle Jeb Terry and defensive end Malcolm Stewart. Robert Harris, a non-scholarship freshman linebacker from Raleigh, N.C., played on special teams in his first game as a Tar Heel against Virginia. He had two special teams tackles at Indiana.

McGEE KICKING HIS WAY TO THE TOP
Josh McGee needs five field goals to set a UNC record and he should also become the alltime leading scorer by a kicker in school history. The Pearl, Miss., native has 39 field goals (in 57 attempts), four shy of the record 43 field goals made by Clint Gwaltney from 1988-91. McGee is second alltime at UNC in field goals. Tripp Pignetti (1991-94) holds the career scoring record for kickers at UNC with 231 points. McGee has 226 points. He is sixth at UNC among all players and is now second among place-kickers.

JOSH McGEE IN THE RECORD BOOK
UNC Career Field Goals

Clint Gwaltney     (1988-1991)      43
Josh McGee         (1996-active)    39
Tripp Pignetti     (1991-94)        38
rooks Barwick     (1981-83)        37

UNC Career Scoring

(* denotes place-kickers)
Leon Johnson,     1993-96       306
Mike Voight,      1993-76       254
Charlie Justice,  1946-49       234
* Tripp Pignetti, 1991-94       231
Kelvin Bryant,    1979-82       228
* Josh McGee,     1996-active   226

Chancellor Hooker Tribute
Carolina's players are wearing helmets that feature the Tar Heel foot with "MH" inside the logo to honor Chancellor Michael Hooker. The Chancellor passed away on June 29th after a six-month battle with lymphoma. Seniors Brandon Spoon and Deon Dyer joined head coach Carl Torbush on behalf of the entire team in presenting a helmet with the "MH" to his wife, Carmen, in the preseason. The other varsity programs will be wearing a black patch with the "MH" insignia this year.

NEXT WEEK, HOUSTON, 1:30
Carolina's returns home on October 16 to face Houston. The 1:30 p.m. game is Youth Day, Varsity Monogram Day and NCHSAA Day at Kenan Stadium.

NFL TAR HEELS IN 1999
The National Football League opened the 1999 season on Sept. 12th and 36 former University of North Carolina players were on active rosters, including four on the Buffalo Bills and three on the Green Bay Packers. Two more Tar Heels have since signed with NFL teams and one (cornerback Robert Williams) has been waived.

Notre Dame and Florida State are the only colleges with more players in the NFL. Both the Irish and Seminoles have 43 active NFL players.

Twenty-eight (28) of the 37 NFL Tar Heels have already earned their undergraduate degrees from UNC, a percentage of .757. The NFL average is slightly better than 30 percent.

Thirty-six (36) of the 37 players competed for the last time at UNC in the 1990s. Punter Tommy Barnhardt is the only former UNC player whose last season of college football was in the 1980s. Barnhardt's last year as a Tar Heel was 1985. Fourteen (14) of the 37 players are in their first or second seasons in the NFL.

Carolina's active NFL players include
(player, position, current NFL team, last year at UNC):
Ethan Albright, deep snapper, Buffalo, 1993
Roy Barker, defensive tackle, Cleveland, 1992
Tommy Barnhardt, punter, New Orleans, 1985
* Dre' Bly, cornerback, St. Louis, 1998
* Na Brown, wide receiver, Philadelphia, 1998
Omar Brown, safety, Atlanta, 1997
* Russell Davis, defensive tackle, Chicago, 1998
Greg DeLong, tight end, Baltimore, 1994
Kevin Donnalley, offensive guard, Miami, 1990
*Ebenezer Ekuban defensive end, Dallas, 1998
Greg Ellis, defensive end, Dallas, 1997
Bernardo Harris, linebacker, Green Bay, 1993
William Henderson, fullback, Green Bay, 1994
Jimmy Hitchcock, cornerback, Minnesota, 1994
Nate Hobgood-Chittick, defensive tackle, St. Louis, 1997
Vonnie Holliday, defensive tackle, Green Bay, 1997
Dwight Hollier, linebacker, Miami, 1991
Randy Jordan, tailback, Oakland, 1992
Leon Johnson, tailback, New York Jets, 1996
Freddie Jones, tight end, San Diego, 1996
Marcus Jones, defensive tackle, Tampa Bay, 1995
Jonathan Linton, fullback, Buffalo, 1997
Eddie Mason, linebacker, Washington, 1994
Deems May, tight end, Seattle, 1991
Kivuusama Mays, linebacker, Minnesota, 1997
Natrone Means, tailback, San Diego, 1992
Mike Morton, linebacker, St. Louis, 1994
* Keith Newman, linebacker, Buffalo, 1998
Riddick Parker, defensive tackle, Seattle, 1994
* Mike Pringley, defensive end, Detroit, 1998
Andre Purvis, defensive tackle, Cincinnati, 1996
Austin Robbins, defensive tackle, New Orleans, 1993
* Jeff Saturday, center, Indianapolis, 1997
Brian Simmons, linebacker, Cincinnati, 1997
Thomas Smith, cornerback, Buffalo, 1992
Rick Terry, defensive tackle, Carolina, 1996
Bracey Walker, safety, Kansas City, 1993