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

Ronald Curry rushed for two touchdowns and passed for two as the Tar Heels set the Atlantic Coast Conference record for points in a half in a 59-21 victory over winless Duke.

The win by the Tar Heels (6-5, 3-5 ACC) was their third in a row, 11th straight in the series and handed the Blue Devils their second 0-11 season in the last five years.

Coach Carl Torbush is 17-18 overall in three years at North Carolina, but is a combined 10-2 after Nov. 1.

The 52 points in the first half and 35 in the second quarter were also school records for the Tar Heels, who became bowl eligible with the lopsided victory after going 3-8 in 1999.

Curry rushed for a career-high 105 yards and passed for 218 more in breaking the school's single-season total offense mark with 2,676 yards. He became the third quarterback in school history to rush for 100 and pass for 200. The last time was in 1968 by Gayle Bomar.

North Carolina's players were virtually untouched on five TDs as the Tar Heels scored seven times in 12 minutes and 46 seconds of possession time.

The offensive outburst was unexpected despite Duke's defense being ranked second-worst in Division I-A. The Tar Heels bogged down the last two weeks and had scored a combined 39 points in their last three games.

But Curry rebounded from a season-low 42-yard passing game last week to post one of the best games of his career. He passed for 184 yards and rushed for 92 more in the opening 30 minutes alone and finished 18-for-24 passing.

Curry's 43-yard quarterback keeper up the middle in the first quarter gave the Tar Heels the lead for good at 14-7 and helped spark 45 unanswered first-half points.

Bosley Allen also had a spectacular half, returning a punt 63 yards for a score and catching a 16-yard TD pass from Curry 11 seconds before the half. The TD pass was the first for the Tar Heels in six games.

Allen became the first North Carolina player to return two punts for TDs since Charlie "Choo-Choo" Justice did it in 1948.

Allen added a 13-yard scoring reception from Curry in the third quarter.

Julius Peppers led North Carolina's dominating defense with an interception return for a score, a forced fumble that led to one of Curry's scores and two of his ACC-high 15 sacks.

Sixty-nine of Duke's 86 yards in the first half came on a scoring run by Chris Douglas that tied the score at 7-7. But the longest play for the Blue Devils this season proved to be their only bright spot before the Tar Heels went on their scoring binge.

The ACC record for points in a half was 50 by Wake Forest against Virginia in 1975. The previous North Carolina record for points in a half was 45 against Wake Forest in the second half of the 1928 season opener, while the mark for points in a quarter was 28 three different times.

North Carolina Tar Heels
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, RB Rufus Brown (shoulder) out, DB Anthony Anderson (shoulder) out, WR Sam Aiken (shoulder) probable.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 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 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 owl 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 radenton, 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.