TarHeelBlue Game Day 2000 - Maryland - University of North Carolina Athletics

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Ronald Curry rescued North Carolina's stagnant offense with a 25-yard scoring run with 7:24 left as the Tar Heels beat Maryland 13-10 on Saturday.

The Tar Heels (5-5, 2-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) snapped Maryland's three-game ACC winning streak and are one victory shy of becoming bowl eligible despite a miserable offensive showing against the Terrapins (5-5, 3-4).

Willie Parker continued his late-season improvement for the Tar Heels, rushing for 158 yards on 21 carries as the Terrapins lost their seventh straight at Kenan Stadium.

North Carolina had just four first downs with 12 minutes left and no third-down conversion on 10 tries before Curry completed a 16-yard pass to Alge Crumpler to help set up his winning score.

On third-and-7, Curry took off on a quarterback draw, broke a tackle at the 16, and then dove into the end zone at the tail end of the run seven minutes after Maryland had taken its first lead.

Maryland star runner LaMont Jordan broke Charlie Wysocki's school record with his 18th 100-yard game, but he failed to add to his 101-yard total on two tries after the Terrapins got the ball back. North Carolina ate up most of the final 5:17.

North Carolina led 6-3 early in the fourth quarter despite Maryland holding the ball for 18 more minutes. But Shaun Hill found Guillan Gary on a 7-yard pass in the right corner of the end zone on the second play of the quarter to give Maryland its first lead at 10-6.

But Hill couldn't rescue his club like he did last week in a 35-28 double overtime win against N.C. State.

The first half was filled with offensive futility from two teams battling for a winning season and a possible bowl bid.

Maryland had the ball in North Carolina territory four times, but failed to score after turning it over on downs twice and missing a 50-yard field goal.

The Terrapins drove the ball at one point from their own 8 to the North Carolina 2, holding the ball for 6:42, but a fourth-down quarterback keeper by Shaun Hill came up inches short.

It appeared North Carolina would finally take advantage, but Parker was stripped from behind and fumbled at the tail end of his 61-yard run to turn the ball back over to Maryland.

The run was the longest by a North Carolina player since Leon Johnson ran one for 67 yards against Clemson in the opening game of the 1996 season.

A 19-yard punt then set up the only score of the half as Jeff Reed made a 42-yard field goal 57 seconds before halftime. The Tar Heels forged ahead despite only four first downs and Maryland holding the ball for 12 1/2 more minutes.

North Carolina Tar Heels
vs.
Maryland Terrapins

Tar Heel All-Star Candidates

Date: Saturday, November 11, 2000, Noon
Site: Kenan Stadium (natural grass, capacity: 60,000)
Series Record vs. Maryland: Carolina leads, 35-27-1
TV: JP Sports
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), Maryland (umterps.com)
Injuries: LB Merceda Perry (fractured right ankle) out for season, P John Lafferty (mononucleosis) out, RB Rufus Brown (shoulder) out, DB Anthony Anderson (shoulder) out.

Carolina Closes Out Home Season Against Maryland
Carolina plays its final home game of the season when the Tar Heels welcome Maryland to Kenan Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 11 for a 12:08 p.m. kickoff. The game will be televised by JP Sports.

Carolina is coming off a 20-17 victory over Pittsburgh, ending a four-game losing streak and keeping alive the Tar Heels hopes of a winning season.

Carolina, 4-5 overall, 1-5 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, must win its final two games to finish with a winning record for the 10th time in the last 11 seasons. A loss in either of the final two games and the Tar Heels will finish with a losing season for the second straight season, something that has not occurred since back-to-back 1-10 seasons in 1988 and 1989.

Maryland, 5-4 overall, 3-3 ACC, also is looking to secure a winning season on Saturday. The Terrapins are coming off their biggest win of the season, a 35-28 overtime win over NC State last week.

Seniors Honored Today
* Carolina will honor 14 scholarship seniors prior to today's game vs. Maryland, including deep snapper Jason Beamon, quarterback Antwon Black, safety David Bomar, tight end Alge Crumpler, deep snapper Jason Helton, linebacker Sedrick Hodge, offensive guard Cam Holland, tight end Dauntae' Finger, offensive tackle Louis Marchetti, defensive end Ross McAllister, defensive end Stephon McQueen, fullback Ronnie Robinson, linebacker Brandon Spoon and offensive tackle James Wagstaff.

Carolina-Maryland Series Notes
* Carolina leads the series with Maryland, 35-27-1. That includes a 16-10-1 record vs. the Terps in Kenan Stadium and an overall record of 19-12-1 in games played in Chapel Hill.
* Carolina has won six straight vs. Maryland in Kenan Stadium. Maryland's last win in Kenan Stadium was in 1988.
* The Tar Heels have won eight of the last 10 meetings (8-2 since 1990). Carolina has averaged 36.4 points per game in those eight victories and just 12.5 points in the two losses.
* The last time a UNC-Maryland game was decided by less than a touchdown was 1988 when the Terps notched a 41-38 victory in Chapel Hill. In the 11 meetings since 1988, the average margin of victory has been 23.1 points.
* Last season, Maryland defeated Carolina 45-7 in College Park, the most points by a Maryland squad in the series and equaling the Terrapins' largest margin of victory. Maryland also won 38-0 in 1989. In last year's game, Maryland's LaMont Jordan rushed for 147 yards and two touchdowns and the Terrapins forced seven turnovers in Carolina's most-lopsided loss in 10 years.
* Carolina has not lost two games in a row versus Maryland since 1988 (38-41) and 1989 (0-38).
* Two years ago at Kenan Stadium, Carolina defeated Maryland, 24-13. Na Brown caught seven passes for 142 yards and a touchdown as the Tar Heels rolled up 415 yards of offense. Quarterbacks Oscar Davenport and Ronald Curry combined to complete 16 of 28 passes for 193 yards. Curry was 4 of 8 for 80 yards and a touchdown and had eight rushes for 75 yards.

Parker Parker Perks Up
* Red-shirt freshman Willie Parker made his first career start at Pittsburgh and responded with 61 yards rushing and 56 yards receiving. Parker scored one rushing touchdown and set up another Carolina score with several big plays. Parker scored on an 8-yard run in the first quarter to give the Tar Heels a 7-3 lead. On Carolina's 98-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, Parker had a run for 25 yards and caught passes of 34 and 11 yards. The 25-yard run was the longest by a Tar Heel tailback this season.
* Parker saw his most significant playing time since the season-opener in Carolina's 17-6 loss at Virginia on Oct. 28. Parker came off the bench and carried 17 times for 71 yards and caught two passes for 26 yards.
* Parker entered the 2000 season as the starting tailback, but was slowed by a back injury just prior to the season opener and played sparingly since the Tulsa game. Against Tulsa he did rush for two touchdowns, but had just 17 yards on 10 carrries.
* In his last two games, Parker has 33 carries for 132 yards, an average of 4.0 yards per carry.

Peppers An All-America Candidate
* 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 leads the Tar Heels with 13 sacks and is just three shy of Lawrence Taylor's school record 16 in 1980.
* Peppers has 20 tackles for losses and is just three shy of Ebenezer Ekuban's school record of 23 established in 1998.
* Peppers had three sacks and seven total tackles in Carolina's 20-17 victory at Pittsburgh. Peppers was constantly in the Pitt backfield and finished any chance Pitt had of a comeback victory with a sack on Pitt's last possession of the game.
* Peppers played one of the best games of his career at Virginia, sacking quarterback Dan Ellis four times for losses of 29 yards. He finished the game with nine solo Peppers tackles, including four sacks and two tackles for loss. On Virginia's first possession of the game, Peppers sacked Ellis for a loss of six yards and UVa punted three plays later. On UVa's next possession, Peppers forced a fumble with a 9-yard sack and UVa's drive resulted in a punt. In the third quarter, Peppers ended two Cavalier drives with two sacks of seven yards.
* Although he did not have a sack against Clemson, Peppers tied his career high with 10 tackles (six solo, four assists) and had one tackle for loss. He also had 10 tackles in 1999 vs. Wake Forest.
* Against NC State, Peppers had seven tackles, including six solo stops, one tackle for loss and one sack.
* 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 candidate for the Bronko Nagurski Award, which is given to the National Defensive Player of the Year by the Charlotte Touchdown Club.

Sack Attack
* Carolina's defense has posted 45 sacks this season, tying the record established in 1990. Defensive end Julius Peppers leads the Tar Heels with 13 sacks, defensive tackle Ryan Sims has six and linebacker Sedrick Hodge has six. Carolina had just 20 sacks last year.
* Five Tar Heels have at least four sacks this season - Peppers has 13, Sims has six, Hodge has six, Joey Evans has five and Ross McAllister has four.

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 250.9 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 currently on pace to finish with 2,760 total yards.
* Curry is averaging 229.4 yards passing per game. He is on pace for 2,614 yards passing which would break the single-season passing record of 2,436 yards set by Mike Thomas in 1995.

Offense Adds Up
* Carolina's offense is averaging 370.4 yards per game this season, the highest average since the 1997 season when the Tar Heels amassed 378.9 yards per game. Last season, Carolina averaged 276.6 yards per game and in 1998 UNC averaged 328.7 yards per game.
* Carolina has scored 20 or more points in all but two games this season (FSU - 14 pts., Virginia - 6 pts). The Tar Heels scored 35 points vs. Wake Forest, 30 vs. Tulsa, 28 vs. Georgia Tech, 24 vs. Clemson, 20 vs. Marshall, 20 vs. NC State and 20 vs. Pittsburgh.
* Carolina has gained at least 380 yards of offense in four of the last six games. The Tar Heels had 380 yards vs. Virginia, 403 yards vs. Clemson, 477 vs. Georgia Tech and 434 yards vs. Marshall.
* Carolina is averaging 15.1 yards per reception this season. That is UNC's highest average per catch since 1972 when the Tar Heels averaged 15.8 yards per reception (87 catches for 1,371 yards).

Bailey Fab Four Wide Receivers
* Overlooked in the Tar Heels' 4-5 campaign has been the outstanding play of its wide receivers. One of the best quartet of receivers in the country, Kory Bailey, Bosley Allen, Sam Aiken and Jamal Jones have turned in some dazzling performances this season.
* Those four have combined to catch 100 passes for 1,569 1,671 yards (16.7 average) and eight touchdowns.
* Carolina receivers have caught 30 passes of at least 20 yards, including eight plays of 50 or more yards. Highlights include:
* Against Georgia Tech, Bailey caught a 78-yard touchdown pass from Ronald Curry that equaled the longest TD pass play in Kenan Stadium history. In that game Carolina also connected on pass plays of 54 yards to Allen and 50 yards to Jones.
* In the fourth quarter at Wake Forest, Allen had a 60-yard touchdown catch that sealed the Tar Heel victory. Against the Deacons, Carolina also had catches of 51 yards to Allen and 46 yards to Aiken.
* Jones made his first career catch a memorable one with a 55-yard touchdown reception vs. Tulsa in the season opener.
* Against Clemson, Curry connected with Jones and Aiken on two different 57-yard pass plays, setting up UNC touchdowns.
* Bailey's 129 yards receiving vs. Clemson were the most by a Tar Heel since Na Brown, now with the Philadelphia Eagles, had 142 yards vs. Maryland on Nov. 7, 1998. It was the second-most productive day for a UNC receiver vs. Clemson. L.C. Stevens had 169 yards vs. the Tigers in 1997.

Turnover Troubles
* Carolina has had difficulty this season causing turnovers and taking advantage of opponents' mistakes. The Tar Heels are 103rd in the nation in turnover margin and have caused just nine turnovers in nine games (six fumbles, three interceptions).
* Carolina has forced nine turnovers and converted four into scores for a total of 20 points (two TDs, two FG). UNC opponents have forced 20 turnovers and converted nine into scores for a total of 54 points (seven TDs, two FG).
* Carolina forced three fumbles at Pittsburgh and finished the game with a positive turnover margin (+1) for the first time this season.

Freshman Leads Tar Heels in Rushing...Again
* 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 413 yards on 133 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 had 28 carries for 96 yards against NC State and scored his first career touchdown on a 2-yard run in the first quarter. Russell's 28 carries were the most by a Tar Heel tailback since Jonathan Linton had 37 carries against Duke in 1997.
* In 1998, freshman Rufus Brown led Carolina with 534 yards and in 1999 freshman Daniel Davis led the team with 303 yards.

Boz is Back
* 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 754, an average of 94.3 per game.
* 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 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.
* 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.
* He is second on the team with 26 catches and is averaging 16.8 yards per catch.
* 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. Dexter Reid recorded his first career interception and UNC's third of the season vs. NC State on Oct. 14.

True Freshmen
* Three true freshmen played in the Tar Heels 30-9 victory over Tulsa. Brandon Russell started at tailback, Andre' Williams played on special teams and had two carries at tailback and Blake Ferguson punted three times in the second half.
* Linebacker Kitwana Jones made his first collegiate appearance in a special teams role at Wake Forest.
* Russell became the first Tar Heel to start the season at tailback since Charlie Justice in 1946. Russell had 10 carries for 25 yards. Russell also became the first freshman to start at any position, other than kicker or punter, since the 1989 season. That year, Bucky Brooks started at flanker, Julius Reese started at split end, Tommy Thigpen started at linebacker and Rondell Jones started at free safety. Punter Brian Schmitz started the first game of the season in 1996, kicking off against Clemson on Aug. 31.
* The Tar Heels have played 61 scholarship true freshmen in the 13 years Carl Torbush has been on the coaching staff (beginning in 1988). That is an average of 4.7 per season. Russell leads the Tar Heels in rushing through the first four games with 178 yards on 50 carries. He had a season-high 79 yards against Marshall.
* Williams is averaging 5.1 yards per carry, although he has just 26 rushing attempts.

Heels Seek 600 Victories
* Carolina's alltime record is 598-425-54. The Tar Heels are two wins shy of their 600th victory.

GAME RECAPS - QUICK HITS

Tar Heels Hold On For 20-17 Victory at Pittsburgh
* Freshman tailback Willie Parker scored one touchdown and set up another with three long plays to lead the Tar Heels to a 20-17 victory at Pittsburgh. The win snapped a four-game losing streak and assured Carolina a perfect 3-0 record against non-ACC foes in 2000.
* Parker led the Tar Heels with 61 yards rushing on 16 carries. He scored on an 8-yard run off a trick play in the opening quarter and set up the Tar Heels' other touchdown in the fourth quarter with a 25-yard run and a 34-yard catch-and-run.
* Defensive end Julius Peppers dominated the line of scrimmage and had three sacks for losses of 25 yards. Peppers sacked Pitt QB David Priestly on the Panthers' last possession of the game, sealing the UNC victory.

Carolina Fails To Score TD in 17-6 Loss at Virginia
* Carolina lost for the 10th consecutive time in Charlottesville, falling 17-6 to the Cavaliers. The Tar Heels have not beaten Virginia in Charlottesville since 1981.
* Despite gaining 153 more yards, holding the ball almost 15 minutes longer, earning 12 more first downs and attempting 40 more offensive plays, Carolina came up 11 points short. Ronald Curry was 22 of 39 for 223 yards but did throw an interception in the end zone on a Carolina drive. Willie Parker was a bright spot for the UNC running attack with 71 yards on 17 carries.
* Defensively, Julius Peppers had a monster game with four sacks - equaling his career-best effort - and dominated Virginia's offensive linemen. Carolina allowed just 105 yards rushing and just 122 yards passing.

Carolina's Upset Bid Comes Up Short in 38-24 loss to Clemson
* Carolina squandered a 17-0 first-half lead, allowing 31 consecutive points and lost to No. 3 Clemson, 38-24, at Kenan Stadium. The Tar Heels knocked out Heisman Trophy candidate Woodrow Dantzler in the first half, but the Tigers rallied behind the play of Willie Simmons, who threw four touchdown passes in relief.
* Kory Bailey had a career-high 129 yards receiving on seven catches.
* Ronald Curry twisted his knee near the end of the first half, but did return to the game in the second period. Curry was 18 of 34 for 314 yards, but threw two interceptions late in the game.

NC State Ends Carolina's Seven-Year Reign, winning 38-20
* Carolina lost to NC State 38-20 on Oct. 7, snapping a seven-year winning streak against the Wolfpack. It was the first lost to NC State since falling 27-20 at Kenan Stadium in 1992.
* Freshman tailback Brandon Russell was a bright spot for the Tar Heels, rushing 28 times for a career-high 96 yards. It was the most yards by a UNC running back since Daniel Davis rushed for 99 yards in the season-finale vs. Duke last season.
* Carolina's defense was able to pressure NC State freshman quarterback Philip Rivers, sacking the freshman five times for losses of 50 yards. Different players recorded all five sacks - Sedrick Hodge, Julius Peppers, Joey Evans, Anthony Perkins and Ryan Sims.

Curry Has Record Day in 42-28 Georgia Tech Loss
* Ronald Curry had a record-setting day against Georgia Tech, but the Tar Heels squandered opportunities and allowed 14 points on special teams in a 42-28 loss at home. Curry was 17 of 31 for 388 yards and two touchdowns. He set UNC records for most passing yards by a UNC player at Kenan Stadium, most total yards by a UNC player at Kenan Stadium, most passing yards in two consecutive games, most total yards in two consecutive games and most passing yards per attempt in a single game.
* Curry completed four passes of 50-or-more yards, including touchdown passes of 78 yards to Kory Bailey and 59 yards to Alge Crumpler. The 78 yard TD pass equaled the longest in Kenan Stadium history.
* Carolina's defense allowed 372 yards, including 123 rushing to Joe Burns. Burns scored three touchdowns and quarterback George Godsey threw for two more. Georgia Tech blocked a punt for a touchdown and converted a fumbled UNC punt attempt into another touchdown.

Curry Makes Big Plays in Carolina's 20-15 Win Over Marshall
* Ronald Curry completed 24 of 39 passes for 292 yards and two touchdowns, both of which came in the fourth quarter, to lift the Tar Heels to a 20-15 win over Marshall on September 23 in Chapel Hill. The completions and attempts are career bests.
* Curry found Kory Bailey for 16 yards to give the Tar Heels a 13-9 lead in the fourth quarter. Two minutes and 22 seconds later, the Hampton, Va., native went deep for 49 yards and a score to Bosley Allen.
* Curry had 312 total offense yards against the Thundering Herd, the 18th best total in Carolina history.

Seminoles Overpower Carolina in Tallahassee, 63-14
* Florida State's 63 points were the second-most ever surrendered by UNC and the most allowed by Carolina in an ACC contest. Virginia holds the record for the most points ever scored against the Tar Heels with 66. The Cavaliers defeated UNC 66-0 in 1912.
* FSU's 49-point margin of victory was the largest winning margin against a Carolina team since Florida handed the Tar Heels a 52-2 loss on Oct. 18, 1969.
* Carolina committed four turnovers against Florida State, three of them inside its own 20-yard line. Each of those three turnovers resulted in FSU touchdowns.
* After having allowed just 17 yards rushing in its first two games of the season, the best figure in the nation, FSU ran for 194 yards against the Carolina defense. Travis Minor led the way for FSU with 112 yards.

Allen Allen, Defense Shine at Wake Forest in 35-14 Win
* Sophomore wide receiver Bosley Allen amassed 264 all-purpose yards and scored a pair of long-distance touchdowns and the Carolina defense had 10 quarterback sacks as the Tar Heels knocked off Wake Forest, 35-14, at Winston-Salem on Sept. 9.
* Allen scored on a 78-yard punt return and a 60-yard pass from Ronald Curry. The sophomore receiver had seven punt returns for 153 yards, just 13 shy of the school record and 14 less than the ACC single-game mark. He added receptions of 51 and 60 yards.
* Carolina sacked Wake Forest quarterback C.J. Leak 10 times, the highest figure in Carl Torbush's tenure at North Carolina. Joey Evans, Ross McAllister, Julius Peppers and Ryan Sims each had two sacks, and Kevin Knight and Sedrick Hodge had one apiece.
* Carolina held the Deacons to minus two yards rushing, a total that includes 77 yards in lost yardage due to quarterback sacks. The minus two yards rushing is the sixth lowest figure by the opponents in history and the lowest figure since Duke had -12 in 1947.
* Wake Forest's offense had 14 drives in the game. Eleven (11) ended in punts, the Deacons scored one touchdown (on the second drive of the game), they lost one fumble and turned the ball over one time on downs.

UNC Defense Dominates Tulsa, 30-9
* Curry led the Tar Heels on three touchdown drives in the season-opening win over Tulsa. Early in the second half, Curry sidestepped a blitzing Golden Hurricane, scrambled to his right and flicked a 55-yard bomb to red-shirt freshman Jamal Jones to give Carolina a 17-3 lead.
* Carolina allowed just 233 total yards of offense against Tulsa, including a 78-yard touchdown pass on which the UNC defender slipped down because of the wet turf.
* The Tar Heels were outstanding against the run, allowing just 19 yards rushing on 27 attempts, an average of just 0.7 per carry. The 19 yards rushing were the fewest allowed by a Carolina defense since Louisville gained just one yard on Nov. 9, 1996, a span of 39 games. Tulsa completed just 2 of 15 (13 percent) third down conversions and drove the ball into Carolina's side of the field just three times.