University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Go For Three In a Row Saturday at Duke
November 14, 2000 | Football
Nov. 14, 2000
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vs.
Duke Blue Devils
Date: Saturday, November 18, 2000, Noon
Site: Wallace Wade Stadium (natural grass, capacity: 33,941)
Series Record vs. Duke: Carolina leads, 48-34-4
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), Duke (goduke.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, Sedrick Hodge (fractured left thumb) will play.
UNC Plays For Winning Season, Possible Bowl Berth in Season Finale at Duke
The University of North Carolina football team closes out the 2000 regular season at Duke on Saturday, Nov. 18 looking for its 11th consecutive victory over the Blue Devils. The game will be televised by JP Sports at Noon.
If the Tar Heels win, they will finish the regular season with a winning record for the 10th time in the last 11 years and will become bowl eligible. If the Tar Heels lose, they will finish with a losing record for the second straight season, something that has not happened since back-to-back 1-10 campaigns in 1988 and 1989.
Carolina, 5-5 overall and 2-5 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, is coming off a 13-10 victory over Maryland at Kenan Stadium last weekend. The Blue Devils lost last week to NC State, 35-31.
The Victory Bell is presented annually to the winner of the Duke-North Carolina game. Carolina has kept the Bell for the last 10 years.
Heels Seek 600th Victory
* Carolina has won 599 games since it began playing football in 1888 and is just one win shy of becoming the 20th NCAA Division I program to achieve 600 all-time victories. The Tar Heels' all-time record is 599-425-54. North Carolina and Georgia Tech are tied for the most victories among ACC schools.
Bowl Possibilities
* While nearly impossible to determine Carolina's bowl fate at this point, one thing is for certain - the Tar Heels must win at Duke just to become bowl eligible. Carolina has gone to a bowl game in every season it has been eligible since the 1992 season. In 1991, the Tar Heels finished 7-4 but did not go to a bowl.
* The ACC has five tie-ins to bowl games. Florida State secured a spot in the Bowl Championship Series by winning the league championship. The Gator Bowl has the next pick of the bowl eligible ACC teams, followed by the Peach Bowl, Micron PC Bowl and Oahu/Aloha Bowl. Clemson, Georgia Tech and NC State are already bowl eligible. UNC, Virginia and Maryland can all become bowl eligible this weekend with a victory.
Torbush After November 1st
* Head Coach Carl Torbush is 9-2 after November 1 in his three-plus seasons at Carolina. Carolina won Torbush's first game as UNC's head coach in the Gator Bowl following the 1997 season on Jan. 1, 1998. In his first full season in 1998, Torbush was 4-1 after Nov. 1, including the Las Vegas Bowl victory on Dec. 19. In 1999, Carolina was 2-1 in November and this year the Tar Heels' are 2-0 with wins over Pittsburgh and Maryland.
Carolina-Duke Series Notes
* Carolina leads the all-time series, 48-34-4, including wins in 10 consecutive games. The last time UNC lost to the Blue Devils was a 41-0 shutout by Duke at Kenan Stadium in 1989.
* The 10-game win streak is the longest by either team in the series.
* Carolina is 23-16-2 vs. Duke in Durham and has not lost in the Bull City since a 35-29 loss in 1988. The Tar Heels have lost just twice in Durham since 1976 (10-2 in 12 games).
* Carolina's defense has allowed Duke just three offensive touchdowns in the last four games. Carolina has not allowed a Duke touchdown in the last 10 quarters.
* A Carolina tailback has rushed for at least 100 yards in the Duke series 28 times.
* A few Tar Heels who see regular playing time are from Durham. They include wide receiver Kory Bailey, safety David Bomar and running back Andre' Williams. Redshirt quarterback Aaron Leak attended Riverside High School in Durham.
Parker's 158 Yards Rushing Most By Tar Heel Frosh Since Natrone Means, First 100-Yard Rusher Since Saunders
* Red-shirt freshman Willie Parker rushed for a career-high 158 yards in Carolina's 13-10 victory over Maryland, the highest rushing total for a Carolina freshman since Natrone Means had 256 yards vs. Duke in 1990. It also was the Tar Heels' first 100-yard rusher since Anthony Saunders had 110 yards last year vs. Georgia Tech, a span of 15 games. That is the longest stretch between 100-yard rushers since 1965-67 when UNC went 23 games between 100-yard rushers.
* Parker's 158 yards were the fifth-highest total by a Carolina tailback in the Maryland series.
* Most of Parker's 158 yards came on carries of 37 and 61 yards in the first half. The 61-yard gain was the longest run by a Tar Heel since Leon Johnson's 67-yard run against Clemson in the first game of the 1996 season.
* Parker made his first career start at Pittsburgh and responded with 61 yards rushing and 56 yards receiving to earn ACC Rookie of the Week honors. Parker scored one rushing touchdown and set up another Carolina score with several big plays. 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.
* 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. He 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 In The Last Three Games
* In his last three games, Parker has 54 carries for 290 yards, an average of 5.4 yards per carry. He had 17 carries for 71 yards at Virginia, 16 carries for 61 yards at Pittsburgh and 21 carries for 158 yards vs. Maryland.
Lou Groza Candidate Jeff Reed
* Jeff Reed, who has made 15 of 19 field goals this season and all 22 point after attempts, is one of 20 semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award annually presented to the nation's best place-kicker. A native of Charlotte, N.C., Reed began the year as a fourth-year walk-on, but was awarded a scholarship earlier this season and will have one year of eligibility remaining next season.
* Reed has kicked off 49 times this season and 21 have gone for touchbacks, a percentage of .428. In the last two games, eight of Reed's nine kickoffs have gone for a touchback.
Crumpler Finalist for Tight End Award
* Senior Alge Crumpler has been named one of the top eight candidates for the inaugural John Mackey Award given to the nation's best tight end.
Crumpler, a preseason All-America by the Sporting News and the No. 1 tight end in America by National Football Scouting, Inc., has 19 catches this season for 253 yards, an average of 13.3 yards per catch, and one touchdown. He had a career-long 59-yard touchdown catch against Georgia Tech on Sept. 30. He has 64 career receptions and five touchdowns.
A two-time first-team All-ACC performer, Crumpler is regarded as one of the nation's best blocking tight ends as well.
The John Mackey Award, created in April 2000 by the Nassau County Sports Commission, was spearheaded by NCSC Board Member and former NFL quarterback Donald McPherson. John Mackey, only the second strictly tight end to be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame, is regarded as one of the all-time greats to ever have played that position. He was elected to the Pro Bowl five times, was a three-time All-NFL player and played in two Super Bowls with the Baltimore Colts. His outstanding athletic and community oriented accomplishments could not go unrecognized in his hometown of Nassau County, N.Y.
The John Mackey Award Top Eight (listed alphabetically) - Alge Crumpler, North Carolina, Todd Heap, Arizona, Brian Natkin, UTEP, Derek Smith, Kentucky, Jerramy Stevens, Washington, Tony Stewart, Penn State, Tim Stratton, Purdue, Tracey Wistrom, Nebraska.
98-Yard Drive vs. Pitt
* Carolina's 98-yard fourth-quarter drive at Pittsburgh was the Tar Heels' longest drive since a 98-yard drive in the fourth quarter on Sept. 19, 1998 at Stanford. The last time Carolina had a drive longer than 98 yards was a 99-yard drive on Sept. 13, 1997 vs. Stanford in Kenan Stadium.
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 22 tackles for losses and is just one shy of Ebenezer Ekuban's school record of 23 established in 1998.
Sack Attack
* Carolina's defense has posted a school-record 48 sacks this season, breaking the old mark of 45 set in 1990. Defensive end Julius Peppers leads the Tar Heels with 13 sacks, defensive tackle Ryan Sims has six, linebacker Sedrick Hodge has six, defensive end Joey Evans has six and defensive end Ross McAllister has five. Carolina had just 20 sacks last year.
* Carolina leads the ACC with 48 sacks (4.8 per game) and has had at least three sacks in every game this season.
* The Carolina defense is ranked 17th in the country against the run.
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 104 passes for 1,696 yards (16.3 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 108th in the nation in turnover margin and have caused just 10 turnovers in 10 games (six fumbles, four interceptions).
* Carolina has forced 10 turnovers and converted four into scores for a total of 20 points (two TDs, two FG). UNC opponents have forced 21 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 434 yards on 136 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. Willie Parker, a red-shirt freshman, has rushed for 340 yards this year and is 94 yards behind Russell.
* 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 926, an average of 92.6 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.
* Allen leads the team with 34 receptions for 533 yards, an average of 15.7 per game.
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 (vs. NC State) and Derrick Johnson (vs. Maryland) also have made interceptions this season.
Permanent Captains Named, Reed on Scholarship
* Head coach Carl Torbush announced prior to the Marshall game that four permanent team captains were chosen for the 2000 season. They are senior tight end Alge Crumpler, senior linebackers Sedrick Hodge and Brandon Spoon and junior quarterback Ronald Curry. Spoon was also a captain in 1998.
* Torbush also awarded grant-in-aids to kicker Jeff Reed and deep snapper Jason Helton. Reed, previously listed as a senior, will be listed as a junior for the rest of this season. Helton is a senior.
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.
Carolina and Connecticut Agree To Two-Game Series
* The University of North Carolina and the University of Connecticut have agreed to play a two-game football series beginning in 2006. The teams have played once before. In 1990, the Huskies traveled to Chapel Hill, where the Tar Heels won, 48-21.
* Carolina will play host to the Huskies on September 9, 2006. The Tar Heels will travel to East Hartford, Conn., to play at UConn on September 12, 2009.
* Connecticut, currently in its inaugural Division 1-A football season, will become a full fledged football-playing member of the Big East Conference in 2005.
* The Tar Heels now have games scheduled in the next 10 years against (in order of their appearance) Texas, SMU, East Carolina, Syracuse, Arizona State, Miami (Ohio), Wisconsin, Virginia Tech, Utah, Louisville, Rutgers, UConn, Notre Dame, Colorado and Michigan. Eleven (11) of the 15 schools have played in postseason bowl game at least once in the last two years.
Carolina Holds On For 13-10 Victory Over Maryland
* Willie Parker rushed for 158 yards, Jeff Reed booted two field goals and Ronald Curry had a 25-yard rushing touchdown to help lead North Carolina to a 13-10 victory over Maryland.
* Parker had the first 100-yard rushing game for a Tar Heel since Anthony Saunders had 110 yards at Georgia Tech in 1999.
* Playing in his last game at Kenan Stadium, Brandon Spoon had 23 tackles, including 13 solo tackles and 10 assists.
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, 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,
Players Mentioned
