University of North Carolina Athletics
Car-O-Lines: Kicking Game Has Been Vital in NC State Series
October 5, 2000 | Football
Oct. 5, 2000
y Rick Brewer, Sports Information Director Emeritus
Read Other Car-O-Lines Columns by Rick Brewer
In what many people still regard as the most exciting football game ever played between North Carolina and N.C. State, the Tar Heels edged the Wolfpack, 34-33, in a frantic 1972 duel at Kenan Stadium.
And the difference in that wild shootout?
A mistake in the kicking game.
The name of the sport is football, but for some reason many fans pay little attention to the kicking aspect of the game.
Coaches seem to be the only people who worry about the kicking game and they do it incessantly. But, they do it with good reason. There's no question that a strong kicking game can be the difference between an average team and a good one or a good team and a great one. Plus, a great play or an error in the kicking department can completely change a game around. It can alter field position and shift momentum as quickly as anything. That proved to be the case last week when a mishandled snap by a punter on one possession and a blocked punt on another led to two Georgia Tech touchdowns in a 42-28 victory by the Yellow Jackets over the Tar Heels.
It's still too early to tell how good Carolina's special teams will be this year. The Tar Heels have gotten mixed reviews in their first five games. The punting has been good at times and problematic at others. Bosley Allen has been a threat returning punts with a 16.5 average, but Carolina is also giving up 12.2 yards per punt return. Jeff Reed has been a pleasant surprise with his field goal kicking, connecting on six of seven attempts.
Last year the kicking game was handled by capable veterans in punter Brian Schmitz and place-kicker Josh McGee. Schmitz finished second nationally in punting and McGee ranks as the school's second-leading all-time scorer.
Plus, Carolina has had a tradition of other great special teams performers-- from return artists like Johnny Branch and Charlie Justice to punters such as Justice, Harry Dunkle and Steve Streater to place-kickers like Brooks Barwick, Clint Gwaltney and Tom Biddle.
A look back at recent history shows just how important the kicking game has been in the Tar Heels' rivalry with N.C. State. In that high-scoring 1972 battle, State led, 19-10, at halftime with one of the touchdowns coming on an 80-yard punt return by Mike Stultz.
However, the lead changed hands three times in a pulsating second half. Then with the score tied, 27-27, in the closing moments, Carolina defensive end Gene Brown broke through to tackle Wolfpack punter Mark Cassidy and forced a fumble. Jimmy DeRatt recovered at the State one-yard line. Billy Hite scored from there with just 56 seconds to play and Ellis Alexander added what proved to be the winning PAT.
State raced downfield to score on a tremendous catch by Pat Kenney, but linebacker Terry Taylor broke up a pass on a two-point conversion attempt to nail down the Tar Heel victory. In 1990 Damon Hartman kicked four field goals, including a school-record 56-yarder on the last play of the game to give State a 12-9 victory here in Kenan Stadium. Hartman's kicks offset three field goals by Gwaltney and a sensational performance by Scott McAlister, who punted 10 times for a 43.6 average and kept the Wolfpack backed up all day.
Although Carolina scored a 28-8 win in the 1980 game, it took a key play by UNC's special teams to break things open. The game was scoreless in the second quarter until Streater went 37 yards for a touchdown on a fake punt. The Tar Heels immediately scored again on their next possession and began to roll from there.
This game featured a great punting duel between Streater and State's Calvin Warren. Warren punted seven times for a 44.6 average, while Streater averaged 44.7 yards on seven kicks and killed three of them at the Wolfpack seven, 10 and five-yard lines.
Streater had been one of the stars of a 35-21 win the previous year in Raleigh. With Carolina leading only 28-21 in the fourth quarter, he backed the Wolfpack up to their own 10-yard line with a booming 50-yard punt. Jeff Pierce forced a Scott Smith fumble on third down from there and the Tar Heels recovered. Five plays later Doug Paschal was in the end zone and the game was out of reach.
The 1981 showdown in Raleigh included the most famous onsides kick in the history of the series. State had a 10-0 halftime lead and seemed in total control of the game.
ut, Wolfpack coaches had noticed what they felt was a flaw in Carolina's kickoff return team and tried to surprise the Tar Heels with an onsides kick to open the third quarter. They felt a recovery and a quick score might demoralize their opponent and put the game out of reach.
Unfortunately for State, instead of going to what was indeed an open spot on the UNC front line, the kick bounced directly to offensive lineman Bill Lippincott. Lippincott, a former soccer goalie, easily cradled the football, as he had so many soccer balls, at the Tar Heel 49-yard line. Carolina scored in 10 plays and later boosted that lead to 14-10. Then in the fourth quarter Walter Black blocked a Warren punt at the State 22-yard line and Rocky White recovered at the seven. Alan Burrus scored three plays later as the Tar Heels won, 21-10.
A key to a 27-14 Carolina win in 1977 was some sensational punting by Johnny Elam. He averaged 50.4 yards on five kicks to keep the Pack in bad field position much of the game. He dropped punts at the State 10, 12 and six-yard lines and his other two went into the end zone for touchbacks. Elam had to be that good as State's Johnny Evans was averaging 43.0 yards on eight punts himself.
With an open date this weekend before the Oct. 14 showdown with State, the Tar Heels will have time to try to work out the kicking game problems which surfaced against Tech. They need to do so as history indicates that will be a key aspect to the battle with the Wolfpack.
Players Mentioned
