TarHeelBlue Game Day 2000 NC State

Date: Saturday, October 14, 2000, 3:30 p.m.
Site: Kenan Stadium (capacity: 60,000, natural grass) in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Series Record vs. NC State: Carolina leads, 59-24-6, UNC has won seven in a row
Tickets: sold out
TV: ABC, Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Ed Cunningham (color analyst), Leslie Gudel (sideline)
Radio: Tar Heel Sports Radio Network, a division of Learfield Communications. Woody Durham (play-by-play), Mick Mixon (color) and Stephen Gates (sideline) provide the call. A live broadcast also is available on the University of North Carolina's official athletic website, TarHeelBlue.com
Websites: North Carolina (TarHeelBlue.com), NC State (gopack.com)
Injuries: LB Merceda Perry (fractured right ankle) out for season, WR Kory Bailey (right hamstring) doubtful, CB Anthony Anderson (left shoulder) doubtful, WR Danny Davis (left hamstring) questionable, TB Rufus Brown (right shoulder) probable.

Tar Heels and Wolfpack Return to Campus
For the first time since 1996 North Carolina will play host to NC State in Chapel Hill on Saturday, Oct. 14 at Kenan Stadium. The game will be televised by ABC with kickoff at 3:30 p.m. In 1997, the UNC-NC State game was played in Raleigh and in each of the last two seasons, the game was contested in Charlotte's Ericsson Stadium.

Carolina did not play on Saturday and is 3-2 overall and 2-1 in the ACC. NC State, 4-1 overall, 1-1 in the ACC is coming off its first loss of the season, a 34-27 setback at Clemson. The Tar Heels are 6-3-1 after an off-week in Carl Torbush's previous 12 seasons on the UNC staff (since 1988). Carolina did not have an off-week in 1989 or 1991.

The only common opponent of each school is Georgia Tech. NC State defeated Georgia Tech, 30-23 in overtime in Raleigh on Thursday, Sept. 21. Two weeks ago, the Yellow Jackets beat Carolina in Chapel Hill, 42-28.

Carolina-NC State Series Notes
* Carolina leads the all-time series, 59-24-6 and has won seven straight over the Wolfpack. Carolina won last year's game in Charlotte, 10-6, when defensive backs David omar and Errol Hood stopped NC State's Chris Coleman just shy of the end zone late in the fourth quarter.
* Carolina's seven-game winning streak is two wins shy of its longest winning streak over the Wolfpack, a nine-game stretch from 1943-55. Carolina also won seven in a row against NC State from 1979-85. Carolina has not lost to NC State since 1992 when the Wolfpack posted a 27-20 victory in Chapel Hill.
* Last year's 10-6 victory was the lowest scoring game between the two schools since 1969, a 10-3 Wolfpack win.
*Three of the last five UNC-NC State games have been decided by four points or less. Carolina won 30-28 in 1995, 37-34 in overtime in 1998 and 10-6 in 1999.
* At Kenan Stadium Carolina leads the series, 25-14-1, and has won two in a row by an average of 23.0 points. The Tar Heels lead the series, 32-14-2, in games in Chapel Hill.

NC State - UNC Coaching Ties
* Three of Carolina's current assistant coaches either coached or played at NC State. Before becoming UNC's offensive coordinator, Mike O'Cain spent 14 years in Raleigh, including seven as NC State's head coach. He was the Wolfpack quarterbacks coach from 1986-92 and guided NCSU to a 41-40 record and three bowl appearances as head coach from 1993-99.
* Offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell had coached the offensive line at NC State since 1986, and from 1997-99, had the added responsibility of assistant head coach under Mike O'Cain.
* Carolina receivers coach Darrell Moody played quarterback at NC State from 1968-70 and was an assistant coach at his alma mater in 1973-74, 1976-79 and 1997.

Carolina vs. In-State Opponents
* Carolina has won 22 of the its last 23 games against in-state opponents, Duke, Wake Forest and NC State. The only loss was a 19-3 setback to Wake Forest last season in Chapel Hill. Carolina has won seven straight against the Wolfpack, 10 straight versus Duke and 10 of 11 against Wake Forest.
* Since 1990, Carolina is 27-4 against Wake Forest, Duke and NC State.

Curry Sets Records in Georgia Tech Loss
Ronald Curry, the nation's 11th-ranked passer, established several school records in the Tar Heels' 42-28 loss to Georgia Tech on Oct. 2. The Hampton, Va., native completed 17 of 31 passes for 388 yards and three touchdowns. He also had 10 carries for 12 yards and finished the game with 400 total yards of offense. In the process he set the following school records:
* Most passing yards (388) by a UNC player at Kenan Stadium
* Most total yards (400) by a UNC player at Kenan Stadium
* Most passing yards in two consecutive games (680)
* Most total yards (712) in two consecutive games
* Most passing yards per attempt (12.5 yards per 31 attempts) in a single-game
* His 78-yard touchdown pass to Kory Bailey was the longest by a Tar Heel in Kenan Stadium. It also equaled the longest touchdown pass by any player in Kenan Stadium (accomplished three times).

Curry Looking at those numbers further, Curry's game was even more impressive when you consider the following.
* Curry's 388 yards passing are the third-highest single-game total in UNC history behind Chris Keldorf (415 vs. TCU, 1997) and Mark Maye (406 vs. Georgia Tech, 1987) and the third most by anyone at Kenan Stadium behind Duke's Dave Brown in 1989 and Maryland's Scott Milanovich in 1993.
*Curry's 400 total yards of offense were the third most ever at Carolina behind Mark Maye (Georgia Tech, 1987) and Gayle Bomar (Wake Forest, 1968).
* Curry completed his third consecutive game with at least 200 yards passing. He had 235 yards at FSU, 292 yards vs. Marshall and 388 vs. Georgia Tech. Prior to the Marshall game Curry had never thrown for more than 200 yards in two consecutive games.
* Curry completed four passes of 50-or-more yards against Georgia Tech, each to a different receiver. He completed a 50-yarder to Jamal Jones, a 54-yarder to Bosley Allen, a 59-yarder to Alge Crumpler for a touchdown and a 78-yarder to Kory Bailey for a touchdown.

Curry On Pace For More Records
*Curry is on pace to shatter the Carolina single-season record for total yards per game. Currently, Curry is averaging 261.8 yards per game. Former quarterback Mike Thomas holds the UNC record with 226.3 yards per game in 1995. That season, Thomas had 2,489 total yards in 11 games.
*Curry is averaging 250 yards passing per game. He is on pace to break the single-season passing record of 2,436 yards set by Mike Thomas in 1995. If Curry averages 250 yards over the last six games, he would finish the season with a school-best 2,750 yards passing.
*Curry's pass efficiency rating of 147.19 ranks 15th in the country and would be the second-highest mark in UNC history if the season ended today. In 1974 Chris Kupec set the pass efficiency school record with a 174.3 rating. Jason Stanicek is second with a rating of 145.8.
* Curry has passed for a combined 915 yards in games against Florida State, Marshall and Georgia Tech (not a record). If Curry throws for over 324 yards against NC State, he will establish a new four-game record at Carolina, surpassing Chris Keldorf's total of 1,239 yards in 1996 (262 Wake Forest, 340 Maryland, 322 Houston, 315 NC State).

Curry Among Carolina's Career Leaders
* Curry will be making his 15th career start against NC State and will be playing in his 22nd game overall. He has rushed 192 times for 704 career yards and five touchdowns. He has completed 194 of 392 passes (.495) for 2,907 yards and has 18 touchdowns and 22 interceptions.
* The Hampton, Va., native is 12th all-time at UNC in completions with 194. Danny Talbott is 11th with 196 and Rod Elkins is 10th with 204. He is eighth in career total offense and ninth in career passing yardage.
* Curry is 11th in the nation in pass efficiency, 20th in total offense and 27th in points responsible for.

Bailey's Big Catch vs. Tech Another Highlight
Kory Bailey, a junior wideout from Durham, N.C., caught the longest touchdown pass by a Tar Heel in Kenan Stadium history with a 78-yard grab against Georgia Tech on Sept. 30. After catching the ball around the 10-yard line, Bailey pulled his right hamstring, but still was able to make it to the end zone for the score. He did not play the rest of the game.

The Tar Heels leading receiver with 18 catches, Bailey has 316 yards receiving, is averaging 17.6 yards per catch and has scored two touchdowns. Against Marshall, he made six receptions for a career-high 101 yards. It was the first 100-yard receiving game of his career. Bailey had a 16-yard gain in the first quarter, a 30-yard catch-and-run to open the third quarter, a 25-yarder to start a drive later in the third quarter, a 4-yarder, a 10-yarder on 3rd-and-3 to keep a scoring drive alive, and the 16-yard touchdown catch. That reception came on a 3rd-and-10 play and gave UNC a 13-9 advantage.

Bailey Moves Up The Charts
Wide Receiver Kory Bailey is 14th all-time at Carolina with 81 receptions. Eric Streater is 13th with 82, Randy Marriott is 12th with 84 and Mark Smith is 11th with 87. ailey is averaging 17.6 yards per reception this season. He came into the year with an average of 12.4 yards over his first two seasons.

Allen Boz is Back - On Pace for UNC Record
All summer quarterback Ronald Curry raved about the progress receiver Bosley Allen was making returning from a serious knee injury he suffered in 1998. The Bradenton, Fla., native has in fact proven to be one of the top big-play threats in the ACC. Allen leads the Tar Heels in all-purpose yards with 569, an average of 113.8 per game.

In fact, Allen is on pace to set the UNC single-season record for highest average gain per reception (minimum of 25 receptions). Allen, who is averaging 22.9 yards per catch, is currently ahead of the record set by Bucky Brooks of 20.6 yards per reception (25 for 514 yards).

Allen has been the target of three of Carolina's longest pass plays this season. He caught a 60-yard touchdown pass at Wake Forest, a 54-yard pass vs. Georgia Tech and a 51-yard pass at Wake Forest. He has made six catches of at least 24-yards this season, including a 49-yard touchdown catch that proved to be the winning margin in Carolina's 20-15 win over Marshall.

He is third on the team with 13 catches, but tops the team by averaging 22.9 yards per catch.

Allen is 8th in the country in punt returns (16.8 ypg).

Allen's Big Night at Wake Forest
* Bosley Allen had two catches for 111 yards and one touchdown in Carolina's win at Wake Forest on Sept. 9. He also returned seven punts for 153 yards. That is 68 yards more than the Tar Heels had on punt returns in all 11 games last season. What makes Allen's performance even more remarkable is the fact he missed the entire 1999 season while rehabilitating a devastating knee injury. He tore all the anterior, posterior and lateral ligaments plus blood vessels and nerves in his left knee on a kickoff return against NC State on November 28, 1998. Doctors were not sure Allen would ever play football again, let alone return to action as a game-breaking speedster.
* Allen leads the ACC in punt returns averaging 16.5 yards per return. He is also eighth in the league in all-purpose yardage with 113.8.

Tar Heels Finally Get Interceptions
* Carolina did not intercept a pass this year until the fifth game of the season against Georgia Tech when Errol Hood picked off George Godsey in the third quarter. It was the opponents' 158th pass attempt of the season. Cornerback Michael Waddell picked up UNC's second interception of the season two possessions later and had a 16-yard return.

Four Straight at Home
* The NC State game is the third of four straight home games for the Tar Heels. The Tar Heels return to Kenan Stadium next week against Clemson.
* This is the first four-game home stretch for Carolina since 1992. Carolina beat Furman and Army, lost to NC State and defeated Navy in a four-game homestand from September 12 to October 3, 1992.

The Sacks Keep Coming for Peppers
* A year after leading the Tar Heels with six sacks as a freshman, sophomore defensive end Julius Peppers is getting to the quarterback again in 2000. Peppers already has five sacks in five games, which leads the team and is tied for third in the ACC. Three of Peppers' eight tackles against FSU were for losses, including two sacks.
* Peppers scored his first collegiate touchdown when he scooped up a fumble and raced 12 yards to the end zone against Wake Forest. The touchdown gave Carolina a 17-14 lead, an advantage it would not relinquish in the 35-14 win over the Demon Deacons.
* The touchdown marked the first time Peppers had scored six points in a Carolina uniform since he had six against Tulsa. Actually, he didn't score against Tulsa on September 2nd, but he scored six against Tulsa in March in the NCAA South Regional championship basketball game. Peppers added eight rebounds in that contest as the Tar Heels won and advanced to the Final Four.
* Peppers added two quarterback sacks for 27 yards in the win at Wake Forest. He had a 10-yard and a 17-yard sack. In two career games against the Deacons, Peppers has sacked the quarterback six times.
* Peppers was named the ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week for his play against Wake Forest.
* Peppers is a preseason candidate for the Bronko Nagurski Award, which is given to the National Defensive Player of the Year by the Charlotte Touchdown Club.

Spoon Butkus Candidate Spoon Still Making Tackles
Linebacker Brandon Spoon has been named to the 2000 Butkus Award Watch List for the fourth consecutive season, a feat never before accomplished in the 16-year history of the award.

The Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, Inc. (DACO), the organization which annually presents the prestigious Butkus Award to the nation's best collegiate linebacker, announced its preliminary list of 70 candidates for this year's award on August 24.

Spoon, a fifth-year senior, elected to return to school after missing most of the 1999 campaign with a torn biceps muscle. He entered the 2000 season as the No. 3 rated inside linebacker by National Football Scouting, Inc. and is considered a potential first-round NFL Draft pick.

A second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection in 1998, Spoon has 304.5 career tackles, including 22 for losses and 9.5 quarterback sacks. He leads the Tar Heels with 63 tackles this year and is third in the ACC.

Hodge Added to Butkus List
* Senior linebacker Sedrick Hodge was added to the Butkus Award Watch List on Oct. 3. Hodge played his way on to the list after his standout play in the first five games of the season. Carolina now has two players on the list, including Hodge and Brandon Spoon. The semifinalists for the award will be named on Oct. 19. * Hodge is tied for second on the team with four quarterback sacks for losses of 24 yards. Entering the 2000 season, Hodge had 3.5 sacks for his career. * Hodge registered three tackles for losses against Florida State, including two sacks, as part of his 11 total tackles. He also forced a fumble and was credited with a QB hurry. *Against Wake Forest, Hodge forced a fumble that was recovered for a touchdown, had a 9-yard sack and had seven total tackles to help lead UNC to the win. He averaged nine tackles the last four games of the 1999 season and had six tackles in the opener against Tulsa.

Crumpler Makes Career Catch vs. Georgia Tech
* Senior tight end Alge Crumpler, a preseason All-America by the Sporting News, caught a career-long 59-yard touchdown pass against Georgia Tech. Crumpler's previous career-long catch was a 36-yarder vs. TCU in 1997. A native of Wilmington, N.C., Crumpler earned first-team All-ACC honors in his first year back after missing the 1998 season with a knee injury. Last season, he had 20 receptions for 191 yards. * Crumpler is rated the No. 1 tight end in America by National Football Scouting, Inc. * Entering the NC State game, Crumpler has 53 career receptions and five touchdowns. Arnold Franklin, who played for UNC from 1982-85, is the all-time leading receiver for tight ends at Carolina with 78 catches. * Crumpler and teammate Dauntae' Finger form one of the best tight end tandems in the country. * Crumpler had one catch in the first three games, but made five receptions for 38 yards in the win over Marshall. That was one grab shy of his career high for one game.

Russell, Williams Provide Solid Running Attack
* For the third straight season, a true freshman is leading the Tar Heels' running attack. Brandon Russell, a freshman from Decatur, Ga., has a team-high 221 yards on 65 carries. Russell became the first UNC freshman to start the first game of the season at tailback since Charlie Justice in 1946. In that game against Tulsa, he had 10 carries for 25 yards. Russell has improved as the season has progressed, rushing for 40 yards against Florida State and a career-high 79 yards against Marshall. However, he has still yet to score a touchdown. In 1998, freshman Rufus Brown led Carolina with 534 yards and in 1999 freshman Danny Davis led the team with 303 yards. Durham, N.C., freshman Andre' Williams has been productive as well, carrying 25 times for 121 yards. He is third on the team in rushing behind Russell and fullback Anthony Saunders. Williams had 40 yards on five carries at Wake Forest, 34 yards on seven carries vs. Marshall and 40 yards on nine carries vs. Georgia Tech.

Heels Close in on 600
* Through the Georgia Tech game, Carolina's alltime record is 597-422-54. The Tar Heels are just three wins shy of their 600th victory.