University of North Carolina Athletics
1999 Carolina Football Season Preview
July 17, 1999 | Football
July 17, 1999
Carolina head coach Carl Torbush directs a team with just three starters remaining from the 1997 squad that won 11 games and finished fourth in the final coaches' poll. All three starters - tight end Alge Crumpler, guard Mike Gimbol and fullback Deon Dyer - are on offense.
UNC has played in seven consecutive bowl games and is the only team in the country to have won postseason contests in each of the last four seasons. However, for the Tar Heels to extend those marks another year a number of newcomers will have to play major roles.
Linebackers Brandon Spoon and Sedrick Hodge and tackles Sherrod Peace and Ryan Sims lead a defense that has lost seven starters in each of the past two offseasons. Last year, the Tar Heels were without three first-round draft picks and NFL rookie starters in Greg Ellis, Brian Simmons and Vonnie Holliday. This year, Carolina must overcome the losses of defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban, a first-round pick, cornerback Dre' Bly and defensive tackle Russell Davis, both second-round selections, and linebacker Keith Newman, a fourth-round draftee.
Hodge, Spoon, safety Billy-Dee Greenwood and Peace are the only four players returning on defense among the 11 who saw the most action in 1998.
"We have lost the last remaining group of players from what was the best three-year defense in Carolina football history," says Torbush, the only coach in UNC history to lead Carolina to a bowl game in his first season as head coach. "Now we have to work with guys like Julius Peppers, Brian Norwood, Quincy Monk, Errol Hood, Anthony Anderson and Joey Evans and find out how good they are, how mature they have become and how physically ready they are to play."
Spoon Leads Four Returning Starters on Defense
Spoon, a 6-2, 240-pound senior from Burlington, N.C., led the Tar Heels last fall with 138 tackles and is the returning sack leader with five for 37 yards. A preseason All-America, Spoon calls the signals for the front seven, is one of the best conditioned players on the squad and is among the team's fiercest competitors. The Sporting News ranks Spoon the No. 4 linebacker in the country.
Hodge, a 6-4, 235-pound junior from Atlanta, Ga., started every game at outside linebacker in 1998. He was fourth on the team in tackles with 89, including 11 behind the line of scrimmage. An exceptional athlete, Hodge was a sprint champion in high school and long jumped better than 23 feet this year.
Peace, a 6-4, 270-pound senior from Durham, N.C., transferred to Carolina after two years at a junior college in Mississippi. A cousin of senior wide receiver Jason Peace, Sherrod started nine games at tackle after Russell Davis was slowed by an ankle injury. He finished the year with three and one-half sacks, including one for nine yards in UNC's big first half against NC State.
Sims, a 6-4, 300-pound sophomore from Spartanburg, S.C., appeared in every game last year as a true freshman. He played on more than 400 snaps, the highest number of any true freshman on defense and second only to quarterback Ronald Curry. Sims had four tackles for losses, including two sacks, among his 31 tackles.
Antwon Black and Greenwood shared playing time last year at free safety. Greenwood made tremendous progress last fall and has a chance to be a fine player for the Tar Heels. A 6-2, 185-pound sophomore from Stamford, Conn., Greenwood was the sixth-leading tackler on the team last year with 78 hits and four pass breakups. He started the final two regular-season games and the Las Vegas Bowl.
Black, a 5-11, 190-pound junior from Central, S.C., started nine times and made 63 tackles. He returned a botched field goal attempt against Georgia Tech 81 yards for a touchdown.
Inexperience at Cornerback a Major Concern
Hood and Anthony Anderson were the only two scholarship cornerbacks in the program during the spring. They will compete for playing time with a number of true freshmen who the Tar Heels inked to scholarships this year.
Hood, a 5-11, 190-pound sophomore from Lenoir, N.C., saw action on more than 200 snaps last year. He broke up one pass against Pittsburgh and caused a fumble on the opening kickoff return at Wake Forest.
Anderson missed the latter part of the season due to a back injury. The 5-9, 180-pound sophomore from Thomasville, N.C., played almost 200 snaps last year. He broke up three passes late in the game against Pittsburgh and two more against Wake Forest.
Quinton Savage, a 5-11, 195-pound junior from Denver, Colo., and David Bomar, a 5-11, 185-pound senior from Durham, N.C., have seen playing time in reserve roles at safety and on special teams. Savage made history by blocking punts that UNC recovered for touchdowns in the 1998 Gator Bowl win over Virginia Tech and the 1998 Las Vegas Bowl triumph over San Diego State. He backed up Jomo Legins last year at strong safety and broke up four passes.
Bomar recovered the blocked punt in the end zone for a touchdown in the Las Vegas Bowl. In addition to strong safety, Bomar is a regular on most special team units and can hold on field goals and extra points.
Nathan Sutton and Marcus Jones might also see some action in the secondary. Sutton, a 5-10, 180-pound sophomore cornerback from Waynesville, N.C., tore an anterior cruciate ligament in his knee a year ago in spring practice and missed the entire season. Jones is a 6-2, 205-pound red-shirt freshman safety from Lufkin, Texas.
Linebacker Solid Again
The Sporting News ranks Carolina's linebackers fourth-best in the country this fall behind only Penn State, California amd Miami (Fla.). Hodge and Spoon are anchors at linebacker and should be joined in the regular rotation by Merceda Perry, a 6-4, 245-pound junior from Asheboro, N.C., and Quincy Monk, a 6-4, 235-pound sophomore from Jacksonville, N.C.
Perry and Hodge both played as true freshmen in reserve roles behind Simmons and Butkus Award finalist Kivuusama Mays. Last year, Perry was the first linebacker off the bench and saw action on almost 300 snaps. He made 41 tackles, none bigger than when he charged into the Virginia backfield and caused a fumble the Tar Heels recovered deep in UNC territory.
Youth Will be Served On Defensive Line
Seniors Sherrod Peace and Teto Simpson and juniors Stephon McQueen and Ross McAllister are the only upperclassmen among the defensive linemen. That quartet has combined for just 11 career starts, nine of them by Peace. Peace and Sims should start at tackle, but next to them on the line is a number of inexperienced players. That group will compete in the preseason for spots on the depth chart at tackle and end. It includes McQueen, a 6-4, 260-pound junior from Raleigh, N.C., Anthony Perkins, a 6-5, 255-pound junior from Holly Springs, N.C., Joey Evans, a 6-5, 260-pound sophomore from Fayetteville, N.C., Peppers, a 6-6, 280-pound red-shirt freshman from Bailey, N.C., Eric Davis, a 6-3, 260-pound red-shirt freshman from Rockingham, N.C., and Willie Quick, a 6-3, 280-pound red-shirt freshman from Rockingham, N.C.
Simpson, a 6-4 senior from Greenville, N.C., has 36 career tackles, including three sacks.
Injured Offensive Stars Set to Return
Offensively, an alarming number of players are coming off injuries that caused them to miss all or most of last season. That list includes tight end Alge Crumpler, wide receiver Jason Peace, offensive lineman Bryan Malloy, tailback Domonique Williams, centers Cam Holland and Ryan Carfley and wide receiver Bosley Allen.
Crumpler, a 6-3, 260-pound junior from Wilmington, N.C., earned second-team All-ACC honors in 1997 after he caught 24 passes and scored four touchdowns. In March 1998, a defender rolled into Crumpler, causing torn ligaments and cartilage in his left knee. That injury knocked one of Carolina's best offensive threats off the field for the entire season. Crumpler returned to practice in the spring and is on schedule to play again this fall.
Jason Peace caught 32 passes for 418 yards and two touchdowns in 1997 and led UNC in the season opener against Miami with four catches. However, he tore his right ACL in practice the week of the Stanford game and missed the rest of the season. His return to the lineup is critical due to the departure of seniors Na Brown and L.C. Stevens (285 combined career catches) and the injury to Allen. A speedster from Sarasota, Fla., Allen would have been one of the ACC's top young threats this year, but he tore ligaments in his left knee returning a kickoff against NC State in the final regular-season game and is likely lost for the upcoming season.
Williams, a sophomore from Upper Marlboro, Md., was the favorite to start at tailback heading into preseason practice in 1998, but he suffered a stress fracture of his right tibia in the first preseason practice and was also later declared academically ineligible for the season. Williams had 15 carries for 50 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown run, as a true freshman in 1997. He should give the Tar Heels a little depth at the position with returning starter Rufus Brown and Anthony Saunders.
Malloy, a 6-3, 300-pound red-shirt freshman from Shelby, N.C., enrolled at UNC in January 1998 and earned a spot on the depth chart at center and guard before suffering an ACL injury in August that knocked him out for the year.
Holland, a 6-2, 300-pound junior from Franklin, N.C., started five of the first six games last year at center, but dislocated his kneecap against Wake Forest and missed the final six games.
Carfley, a 6-1, 300-pound senior from Ridgewood, N.J., took over as the starter at center after Holland's injury. He was injured in the first quarter of the Las Vegas Bowl and had surgery in January to repair torn cartilage.
Despite the injuries to Carfley, Holland and Malloy, the line's experience is one of the offense's strengths. "I feel good about our offensive line coming back," says Torbush. "We have a lot of experience returning, so that should help us be a better football team. We have to develop a more consistent running game and still be able to throw the ball downfield.
"To be a Top 10 program, you have to be able to run and throw the football.'
Seniors Dominate Offensive Line
Crumpler's expected return allows Allen Mogridge to move to offensive tackle. Mogridge, a 6-4, 280-pound senior from Sevierville, Tenn., caught four passes for 32 yards and one touchdown as the Tar Heels' starting tight end in all 12 games last year. Mogridge has played tight end, fullback, linebacker and defensive end in previous collegiate seasons. He could start at tackle this fall.
Returning offensive linemen include guard Bryan Jones, a 6-4, 290-pound senior from Valparaiso, Fla., guard James Wagstaff, a 6-3, 355-pound junior from Charlotte, N.C., guard Mike Gimbol, a 6-4, 310-pound senior from Doylestown, Pa., tackle Kareem Ellis, a 6-5, 312-pound senior from Jacksonville, N.C., tackle Louis Marchetti, a 6-6, 280-pound junior from Nashville, Tenn., center Adam Metts, a 6-0, 270-pound sophomore from Burlington, N.C., tackle/center Isaac Morford, a 6-3, 295-pound red-shirt freshman from Melrose, Fla., and guard Don Peters, a 6-2, 305-pound red-shirt freshman from Mattawan, Mich.
Jones had the most consistent season of the offensive linemen. He started the first four games last fall at right tackle, then shifted to right guard for the final eight starts. He played more than 750 snaps, more than any other player on offense.
Wagstaff and Gimbol shared playing time at left guard. Gimbol started every game at that position in 1997 and Wagstaff started all 12 games there in 1998.
Ellis made the first seven starts of his career in 1998. He started six games at right tackle and one at left tackle. The Tar Heels won four of the six games he started at right tackle.
Ideally, Metts would not have played at all last year, but with the injuries to Malloy and Holland, he came out of a red-shirt season in the seventh game and played 18 snaps over the final five regular-season contests.
Crumpler Leads Stellar Group at Tight End
Some reshuffling takes place at tight end with Crumpler's return and Mogridge's shift to tackle. Dauntae' Finger, a 6-3, 260-pound junior from Newton, N.C., and Zach Hilton, a 6-6, 255-pound red-shirt freshman from Silver Spring, Md., will battle for the first spot off the bench. Finger made a 25-yard reception last year against Clemson that led to a touchdown.
Doug Brown, a 6-4, 250-pound sophomore from Winston-Salem, N.C., spent his first two seasons as a defensive end, but is now at tight end. Bryan Griffin, a 6-5, 240-pound senior from Clinton, N.C., had a 23-yard catch last year against Maryland.
Quarterbacks Curry, Huard Must Emerge as Leaders
Sophomore Ronald Curry and red-shirt freshman Luke Huard are Carolina's only scholarship quarterbacks.
Curry earned Most Valuable Offensive Player honors in the Las Vegas Bowl victory. He scored on a 48-yard run in the first quarter and finished as the game's leading rusher with 93 yards on 10 carries. Curry started four games and set Carolina freshman records for most total offense yards (1,394), pass completions (66), passing yards (975) and touchdown passes (six). In his first start, at Stanford, he was 19 for 34 for 304 yards and two touchdowns. At Wake Forest, he threw for 230 yards and a touchdown. He engineered a brilliant fourth-quarter drive at Florida State which he capped with a touchdown pass. Curry, also a guard on the UNC basketball team, was Carolina's second-leading rusher last year with 419 yards and two touchdowns.
Huard, a 6-4, 215-pound native of Puyallup, Wash., was the Player of the Year in Washington in 1997 as he threw for 2,650 yards and 39 touchdowns. His brothers, Damon and Brock, played quarterback at the University of Washington and are currently playing in the NFL.
Peace, Bailey Headline Talented Wide Receivers
The expected return of Jason Peace will help at wide receiver. The coaches were looking for Peace to have a breakout season a year ago and will count on his veteran leadership and experience this fall. His early-season injury created playing time for Kory Bailey, a 6-1, 190-pound sophomore from Durham, N.C., who was one of the season's most pleasant surprises. He set UNC freshman records with 38 receptions (for 363 yards) and four touchdowns. The latter broke the mark set by Art Weiner in 1946 and Octavus Barnes in 1994.
Bailey had at least one reception in all 11 regular-season games and caught touchdown passes against Stanford, Clemson, Wake Forest and Florida State. His spectacular, 19-yard touchdown catch on fourth down late in the game at Stanford tied the game at 34-34. Bailey also had a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Georgia Tech.
Neither Peace nor Allen were able to participate in the spring. That gave extra reps to Greg Harris, a 6-2, 215-pound senior from Mebane, N.C., and Danny Davis, a 6-0, 185-pound sophomore from Manteo, N.C. When the Tar Heels go into their three- and four-wide sets look for DeFonte Coleman, a 6-1, 210-pound red-shirt freshman from Kinston, N.C., and Chesley Borders, a 6-0, 185-pound red-shirt freshman from Shelby, N.C.
Bruising Fullbacks, Depth at Tailback
The Tar Heels have experience at both running back positions led by senior fullback Deon Dyer. The 6-0, 245-pound Chesapeake, Va., native has been one of the most productive players on offense the past two seasons, although he plays a position that gets little notice. A bruising blocker and ballcarrier, Dyer spent much of 1997 opening holes through which Jonathan Linton raced for more than 1,000 yards. Last year, Dyer led Carolina with six rushing touchdowns and added another on a game-winning catch against Clemson. Dyer rushed 84 times for 258 yards last year. He scored touchdowns in all six of UNC's regular-season victories.
Dyer's highlight game came in Charlotte against NC State when he rushed for 58 yards and two scores in the 37-34 win over the Pack. His 36-yard touchdown run in the third quarter was the longest touchdown dash of his career.
Ronnie Robinson, a 6-1, 235-pound junior from Atlanta, Ga., backs up Dyer. Robinson started the first two games at tailback. He had 61 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries last year.
Saunders, a 6-1, 225-pound sophomore from Greensboro, N.C., spent much of 1998 at fullback, but earned the start at tailback in the Las Vegas Bowl. He carried a season-high 17 times for 39 yards against the Aztecs. At the coaches' request, he played at nearly 240 pounds early last fall, but has dropped back to 225.
Rufus Brown, a 6-1, 215-pound sophomore from Belzoni, Miss., started the final eight regular-season games at tailback and became the first freshman to lead the team in rushing yards since Natrone Means in 1990. Brown gained 534 yards and scored three touchdowns on the ground and was fourth on the team in receptions with 12 for 87 yards.
Brown had a season-high 143 yards and one touchdown in the 38-31 win at Wake Forest. He added 83 yards and a score at Duke, 66 yards against NC State and 64 yards at Florida State. Last August, Brown injured his left knee in a scrimmage and was forced to play with a knee brace for the first five games. He averaged 23 yards per game with the brace and 70 yards per game after he shed the brace. He was limited to just three snaps in the Las Vegas Bowl due to a bruised sternum, an injury he suffered against NC State. Brown was at full strength in the spring and looked much sharper cutting with the football.
McGee, Schmitz Among Nation's Top Kickers
The Tar Heels return almost all of their special team performers. Senior punter Brian Schmitz was Sports Illustrated's All-Bowl Team Punter after his game-saving performance in blustery conditions in Las Vegas. He earned second-team All-ACC honors last fall averaging 44.8 yards per punt, the third-highest average in Tar Heel history. The Sporting News ranks Schmitz the No. 2 punter in the country.
Senior place-kicker Josh McGee has a chance to set several career marks at Carolina. The Pearl, Miss., native is 35 for 51 in field goals in his career and is 10th at UNC in career scoring with 205 points. He is third among kickers in scoring and needs just 27 points to break Tripp Pignetti's record. McGee is fourth in field goals at UNC and needs only nine to break Clint Gwaltney's record of 43.
Last year, McGee tied the UNC single-season record by connecting on all 30 point after attempts. Last October, the left-footed kicker tore his right ACL, but did not miss a single game.He underwent reconstructive knee surgery just after the Las Vegas Bowl.
