Football Gets Ready For The Virginia Cavaliers

August 30, 1999 | Football

By: UNC Athletic Communications

Aug. 30, 1999

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA
FOOTBALL MEDIA NOTES
GAME ONE VS. VIRGINIA
SATURDAY, SEPT. 4, 1999
12:10 P.M., KENAN STADIUM, CHAPEL HILL

GAMETIME
The University of North Carolina begins play on Saturday, September 4, against the University of Virginia Cavaliers. Kickoff is 12:10 p.m. at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill. The game will be televised regionally by ABC (Tim Brant, play-by-play, Dean Blevins, analysis). Woody Durham, Mick Mixon and Rick Steinbacher will call the game on the radio for the Tar Heel Sports Network.

TICKETS
Carolina once again sold out of season tickets. UNC has accounted for nearly 35,000 season tickets in the 60,000 seat Kenan Stadium. A limited number of single-game tickets for the Virginia game are still available. Fans may purchase tickets at the UNC Athletic Ticket Office by calling 1-800-722-HEEL or 919-962-2296.

HEAD COACH CARL TORBUSH

Tar Heel Head Coach
Carl Torbush begins
his 2nd season as
the Heels' head man.

East Spencer, N.C., native Carl Torbush begins 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. Fifteen players from the 1997 defense that was No. 2 in the nation in total yards allowed were on NFL training camp rosters in July 1999. That included first-round draft picks Greg Ellis (Dallas), Brian Simmons (Cincinnati), Vonnie Holliday (Green Bay) and Ebenezer Ekuban (Dallas) and second-round picks Russell Davis (Chicago) and Dre' Bly (St. Louis).

Torbush is 8-5 as Carolina's head coach and 11-13 overall as a college head coach. Louisiana Tech was 3-8 in 1987 in his first stint as head coach.

VERSUS VIRGINIA

Carolina opens the season against Virginia for just the second time in history and the first time since 1963. The Tar Heels defeated the Cavaliers, 11-7, on Sept. 21, 1963, in the only season-opening matchup between the two neighbor state institutions. The Tar Heels led 3-0 at the half, but Henry Massie returned the second half kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown to give the Cavaliers a 7-3 advantage. Ken Willard's one-yard touchdown run and two-point conversion reception from quarterback Gary Black with 5:01 left in the game provided the winning margin for the Tar Heels.

Carolina's coaching staff in 1963 included former Tar Heel safety Bud Carson. Sports Illustrated recently named Carson the No. 1 defensive coordinator in the NFL in the 20th Century for his efforts with Pittsburgh's "Steel Curtain" defense of the 1970s.

The Tar Heels are 55-44-4 alltime against Virginia. That includes a 27-8-3 record against the Cavaliers in Chapel Hill, a 27-18-1 mark since the ACC was formed in 1953 and a 25-8-1 record in Kenan Stadium.

Carolina has won three straight games in Kenan Stadium against Virginia (1992, 1995 and 1997). Virginia's last win in Kenan Stadium was in 1990, a season in which the Cavaliers were ranked No. 1 in the nation.

Virginia's only victories in Kenan Stadium in the last 30 years (1969-98) were in 1988 and 1990.

Carolina defeated Virginia, 48-20, on Sept. 27, 1997, the most recent matchup in Chapel Hill. The Cavaliers led 20-3, with less than 1:30 remaining in the second quarter, but the Tar Heels scored 45 unanswered points to post the resounding victory. Dre' Bly's 17-yard interception return tied the game at 20 less than five minutes into the second half. The Tar Heels took the lead for good with 7:34 left in the third quarter on a 10-yard pass from Oscar Davenport to tight end Alge Crumpler. Chris Keldorf ran and passed for fourth-quarter scores and fullback Deon Dyer capped the scoring with a 31-yard run late in the game.

The 48 points were the most scored by UNC against Virginia since a 49-14 victory in Charlottesville in 1946.

Beginning in 1992, Carolina has averaged 32.3 points against Virginia in Kenan Stadium and 12.5 points against the Cavaliers in Charlottesville.

Carolina has returned an interception for a touchdown in three consecutive contests against the Cavaliers. Chesapeake, Va., native cornerback Dre' Bly scored on a 51-yard return in 1996 and a 17-yard return in 1997. Last year, cornerback Steve Fisher scored on a 37-yard return.

Virginia tailback Thomas Jones rushed for 180 yards in last year's game. That is the 10th-highest alltime single-game rushing yardage figure against Carolina. It was the most yards gained rushing by a player against the Tar Heels since Maryland's Willie Joyner set the record with 240 yards in 1982.

Carolina attempted only 29 rushes in the 1998 encounter. That equals the fewest carries by UNC against Virginia (also had 29 rushes in 1934).

UNC running backs coach Ken Mack coached that same position on George Welsh's staff at Virginia from 1982-95. He coached Barry Word, Terry Kirby and Tiki Barber in his tenure at UVa.

The UNC-Virginia rivalry equals the fifth-longest series in NCAA history. Minnesota-Wisconsin, Minnesota-Kansas, Nebraska-Kansas and Texas-Texas A&M are the only series longer than this one.

VIRGINIA MEDIA RELATIONS
Football contact is Michael Colley (direct number is 804-982-5500). The Cavaliers' official Internet site is www.virginiasports.com.

CONFERENCE OPENER
Carolina is opening the season against an ACC opponent for the first time in three years, just the third time in the 1990s and the 17th time in history. The Tar Heels are 2-0 this decade (35-17 win at Wake Forest in 1992 and 45-0 win over Clemson in 1995) in ACC season openers. Overall, Carolina is 6-10 in such games.

From 1953-1969, opening the season with an ACC foe was typical for UNC, rather than an exception. In fact, during that stretch, Carolina opened with a non-ACC opponent on just three occasions (1955 vs. Oklahoma, 1965 vs. Michigan and 1966 vs. Kentucky).

UNC did not open the season with an ACC opponent from 1970-1991.

Although this is just the second time UNC and Virginia have opened the season against one another, the two rivals did compete against each other in Carolina's regular-season finale on 50 occasions.

OPENERS
The Tar Heels are 74-30-4 in season-opening ballgames. That includes a 13-10 loss to Miami (Ohio) in 1998. That was only the second loss in a season opener in 1990s and the sixth opening-game defeat in the last 29 years.

Carolina's only opening-game losses in the 1990s were against Syracuse in 1995 and Miami in 1998 ' both at home.

This is the sixth straight season the Tar Heels have opened the season at Kenan Stadium. Carolina has opened with road games just three times in Carl Torbush's 12 years with the Tar Heels (1988 at South Carolina, 1992 at Wake Forest and 1993 at Southern California).

CAROLINA

had 50 former players on NFL training camp rosters. Seventy-four (74) percent of Tar Heel players on NFL rosters have 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

is the 11th-winningest program in the country in the last seven years (more wins than Colorado, Miami (Fla.), BYU, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Arizona, Wisconsin, Washington, Georgia, UCLA, Southern California, Texas, Clemson and NC State)

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

produced 59 players who played in the NFL that played at Carolina in Carl Torbush's 12 years on the coaching staff

VIRGINIANS
Carolina has nine players on its roster who hail from the state of Virginia, including one senior, one sophomore and seven freshmen. Five of the nine players are the depth chart this week, including Curry and Dyer, who are starters. The nine players include:
Senior fullback Deon Dyer (Chesapeake, Deep Creek High School)
Sophomore quarterback Ronald Curry (Hampton, Hampton HS)
Freshman defensive tackle Donti Coats (Chesapeake, Oscar Smith HS)
Freshman tailback Daniel Davis (Stafford, Brooke Point HS)
Freshman defensive tackle Darryl Grant (Chesapeake, Deep Creek HS)
Freshman cornerback Kevin Knight (Suffolk, Lakeland HS)
Freshman cornerback Dexter Reid (Norfolk, Granby)
Freshman offensive guard David Stevenson (Dale City, CD Hylton HS)
Freshman offensive tackle Jupiter Wilson (Chesapeake, Hickory HS)

FAMOUS VIRGINIANS (TAR HEELS)
Many of Carolina football's greatest players have hailed from the state of Virginia. A short list includes NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor (Williamsburg), two-time ACC Player of the Year Mike Voight (Chesapeake), two-time All-America William Fuller (Chesapeake), bruising halfback Ken Willard (Richmond), All-America offensive guard Ron Rusnak (Prince George), record-setting receiver Corey Holliday (Richmond), linebacker Dwight Hollier (Hampton), four-time 1,000-yard back Amos Lawrence (Norfolk) and three-time first-team All-America cornerback Dre' Bly (Chesapeake).

BLY HONORED AT HALFTIME
The University of North Carolina will honor Chesapeake, Va., native Dre' Bly in halftime ceremonies at the UNC-Virginia game. Bly, a rookie cornerback with the St. Louis Rams, is the only football player in ACC history to earn first-team All-America honors in three different seasons. He entered the NFL Draft this past spring with one season of college eligibility remaining, although he did earn his undergraduate degree from UNC. Bly intercepted an ACC record 20 passes in his three seasons.

Bly will be the 18th Tar Heel player to have his number honored. Bly's name and No. 31 is honored by being placed on the facade of the upper deck inside Kenan Stadium and in the Hall of Honor on the first floor of the Kenan Football Center.

A football player qualifies to have his jersey honored if he has had his number retired, is named ACC Player of the Year or earns consensus first-team All-America honors. Bly earned consensus first-team All-America honors in 1996 and 1997. He is the only Tar Heel player to earn consensus honors in two different seasons.

SPOON A PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA
Senior linebacker Brandon Spoon was named to Playboy's 1999 Preseason All-America Team. The Burlington, N.C., native is the leading returning tackler in the ACC. He made 138 tackles in 1998 and has 229 career tackles. Those career stops include 8.5 quarterback sacks and seven other tackles for losses.

Spoon is rated the fourth-best linebacker in the country by The Sporting News.

BUTKUS LIST NAMES SPOON AGAIN

randon Spoon
is a Butkus
Award nominee.

Brandon Spoon is one of 65 candidates named to the preliminary list for the Butkus Award, which is presented annually to college football's top linebacker by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, Fla.

The award is named after Hall of Fame Chicago Bears linebacker Dick Butkus.

Spoon is the only player among the 65 nominated who has been on the preseason list three times. Seventeen players are making their second appearance on the preliminary listing.

The watch list will be trimmed to 10 semifinalists on October 21. Three finalists will be announced on November 11 and the winner will be announced on Friday, December 10th in Orlando.

Spoon is one of six ACC linebackers named to the list this year.

CURRY ONE OF CNN/SI'S 10 TO WATCH
Sophomore quarterback Ronald Curry was named to a very unique list of athletes/sports personalities. CNN/Sports Illustrated named the Hampton, Va., native one of "10 to Watch" in 1999. The other nine extraordinary athletes include: Arizona Diamondbacks & Phoenix Suns owner Jerry Colangelo, Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback Daunte Culpepper, St. Louis Cardinals centerfielder J.D. Drew, NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., Seattle Mariners star Ken Griffey Jr., Montreal Expos outfielder Vladimir Guerrero, Indiana quarterback Antwaan Randle-El, Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams and women's tennis player Serena Williams.

LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE
Head Coach Carl Torbush announced a 21-player Leadership Committee that will serve as captains for the 1999 season. Game captains will be selected from this group for each week's games and permanent team captains will be selected at the conclusion of the season. The players were selected by a vote of their teammates. At least one player from each position group is selected, plus two players from the freshman class.

The 1999 Leadership Committee includes:
safety Antwon Black, center Ryan Carfley, tight end Alge Crumpler, quarterback Ronald Curry, fullback Deon Dyer, defensive end Joey Evans, safety Billy-Dee Greenwood, wide receiver Greg Harris, deep snapper Jason Helton, offensive guard Bryan Jones, defensive end Ross McAllister, place-kicker Josh McGee, offensive tackle Allen Mogridge, wide receiver Jason Peace, defensive tackle Sherrod Peace, fullback Ronnie Robinson, punter/place-kicker Brian Schmitz, defensive lineman Teto Simpson, linebacker Brandon Spoon, offensive guard David Stevenson and defensive end Malcolm Stewart.

FOUR WALK-ONS EARN SCHOLARSHIPS
Head coach Carl Torbush awarded scholarships to four walk-ons that have been a part of the UNC programs for several years. They include deep snapper Jason Beamon, safety David Bomar, offensive tackle Louis Marchetti and defensive tackle Anthony Perkins. Beamon snapped in every game last year and is expected to handle that role again in 1999. Bomar, Marchetti and Perkins are each on the depth chart at their respective positions. Bomar recovered a blocked punt in the end zone last year against San Diego State in the Las Vegas Bowl.

RETURNEES
Last year, freshmen quarterback Ronald Curry and tailback Rufus Brown led the Tar Heels in total offense yards and rushing yards, respectively. Curry set a UNC-freshman record with 1,394 total offense yards. Brown had 534 yards on the ground.

This is the first time UNC's total offense and rushing leaders both returned the next season since 1993-94. Quarterback Jason Stanicek and tailback Curtis Johnson led the Tar Heels in those respective statistical categories in 1993 and returned in 1994.

DEPTH CHART NOTES

Fifty-nine (59) players are listed on the positional depth chart heading into the Virginia game (special teams not included). Of the 59 players, there are 12 seniors, 14 juniors, 15 sophomores, 10 red-shirt freshmen and eight true freshmen.

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

Only 13 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 20 career starts ' 10 in 1997 and 10 in 1998.

Four of the 10 players who started all 12 games (including the Las Vegas Bowl) in 1998 return this year. They include offensive guard Bryan Jones, offensive tackle Allen Mogridge, linebacker Sedrick Hodge and linebacker Brandon Spoon. Mogridge started all 12 games at tight end, but shifted to tackle with the return this fall of Alge Crumpler, who missed last year with a knee injury. No player has started more consecutive games than Jones, Mogridge, Hodge and Spoon have (12).

Twenty-two players return this year that have started at least one game as a Tar Heel. That includes 14 players on offense and eight on defense. Ten of the 22 players have made three or fewer starts in their collegiate careers.

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).

Eight true freshmen are listed on the depth chart, none as starters. They include wide receiver Sam Aiken, left guard Marcus Wilson, tailback Daniel Davis, defensive end Malcolm Stewart, defensive tackle Jeb Terry, and cornerbacks Derrick Johnson, Kevin Knight and Dexter Reid.

In 1998, four true freshmen played. That included quarterback Ronald Curry, wide receiver Bosley Allen, defensive tackle Ryan Sims and center Adam Metts. Curry and Sims are now starters, Metts is the No. 2 center and Allen is out for the season with a knee injury.

In 1997, four true freshmen played. That included tailbacks Tyrell Godwin and Domonique Williams and linebackers Sedrick Hodge and Merceda Perry. The linebackers are starters (Hodge started every game last year, as well), Williams is No. 3 at fullback and Godwin, a USA Team outfielder this summer, has decided to play baseball only at Carolina.

In 1996, four true freshmen played. That included tight end Alge Crumpler, fullback Deon Dyer, place-kicker Brian Schmitz and linebacker Brandon Spoon. Crumpler, Dyer and Schmitz were starters by their sophomore seasons (Schmitz at punter) and Spoon was a regular in the lineup as a sophomore and a starter as a junior.

CAREER LEADERS
The following players and statistics represent Carolina's active career leaders.
Scoring: 205 points by place-kicker Josh McGee
Scoring by non-kicker: 48 points by fullback Deon Dyer
Touchdowns: 8 by Dyer
Rushing Attempts: 133 by Rufus Brown
Rushing Yards: 534 by Rufus Brown
Passing Statistics: Ronald Curry (66 for 147, 975 yards, 6 touchdowns)
Receptions: 39 by Jason Peace
Reception Yardage: 514 by Jason Peace
Tackles: 229 by Brandon Spoon
Sacks: 8.5 by Spoon
Interceptions: 1 by Sedrick Hodge

TORBUSH DRIVE
Heilig Street, where Carl Torbush lived his first 11 years in East Spencer, N.C., was renamed Torbush Drive in ceremonies on August 28th. The town's Board of Aldermen approved the name change.

CURRY IS NO. 1
Sophomore quarterback Ronald Curry wore uniform number 13 last year, but has switched to number 1 this season. Curry wore No. 1 at Hampton High School. Wide receiver Chuckie Parquet wore that number from 1995-98.

HEALTHY AGAIN
Tight end Alge Crumpler, wide receiver Jason Peace, offensive tackle Bryant Malloy and safety Nathan Sutton were among the rash of knee injuries that struck the 1998 Tar Heels. Peace suffered his season-ending injury in practice the week after the opening game. Crumpler and Sutton were injured in the spring and Malloy suffered his injury in August.

Crumpler earned second-team All-ACC honors (first-team All-ACC by Football News) in 1997 after he caught 24 passes for 278 yards and four touchdowns. He is expected to challenge for All-ACC and All-America honors this season.

Peace caught 32 passes for 418 yards and two scores in 1997 and expected to team with Na Brown and L.C. Stevens to form on the top receiving units in the nation last year. He opened the season with a team-high four receptions against Miami, but injured his knee before the Stanford game.

Both Crumpler and Peace have regained their starting assignments at tight end and wide receiver, respectively. Sutton and Malloy are reserves.

MOGRIDGE MOVES AGAIN
Senior Allen Mogridge says the thing he misses the most about his hometown of Sevierville, Tenn., is the statue of Dolly Parton in the town square. At Carolina, Mogridge is a monument to fortitude and versatility. After all, he is expected to start this year at right offensive tackle. That's his fifth position in five years and his second starting assignment. Mogridge has played tight end, linebacker, defensive end, fullback, tight end again and, now, offensive tackle.

The affable Mogridge arrived at Carolina in 1995 weighing 215 pounds. Last year, he caught four passes (one for a touchdown) in his 12 starts at tight end and weighed 253 pounds. Hard work in the weight room has helped Mogridge increase his playing weight to 290 pounds.

McGEE KICKING HIS WAY TO THE TOP
Senior place-kicker Josh McGee needs nine field goals this year 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 35 field goals (in 51 attempts), eight shy of the record 43 field goals made by Clint Gwaltney from 1988-91. McGee is fourth alltime at UNC in field goals.

Tripp Pignetti (1991-94) holds the career scoring record for kickers at UNC with 231 points. McGee has 205 points in his first three seasons. He is tied for 10th alltime at UNC among all players and tied for third among place-kickers.

JOSH McGEE IN THE RECORD BOOK

UNC Career Field Goals
Clint Gwaltney (1988-1991)      43
Tripp Pignetti (1991-94)        38
rooks Barwick (1981-83)        37
Josh McGee (1996-active)        35

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
Natrone Means,      1990-92       214
* Clint Gwaltney,   1988-91       211
Don McCauley,       1968-70       210
Amos Lawrence,      1977-80       206
* Josh McGee,       1996-active   205
* Jeff Hayes,       1978-81       205

NEXT WEEK, INDIANA
Carolina hits the road for the first of four road games (not counting the game in Charlotte against NC State) on Saturday, September 11, at Indiana. Gametime in Bloomington, Ind., is 7 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

Indiana's football media relations director is Todd Starowitz. His office number is 812-855-9399. Credential requests, however, should be directed to Kit Klingelhoffer (fax number 812-955-9401).

Head coach Cam Cameron's press conference is Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. EDT. (North Carolina is curently in Eastern Daylight Time. Bloomington is Eastern Standard Time, one hour behind us.) A teleconference hookup is available.

Indiana's official internet site is located at www.athletics.indiana.edu.