University of North Carolina Athletics
Mick: The Key To The Kingdom
August 18, 2000 | Football
Aug. 18, 2000
The Tar Heels return 10 starters on defense including Butkus Award candidate Brandon Spoon. Cover corner Michael Waddell is eligible and finally ready to run, Rabbit, run. Ronald Curry is healthy, excited, and in an offense he likes. Bosley Allen, Jamal Jones, Kory Bailey and Sam Aiken lead a receiving corps that should be able to make some plays on the outside. The tight ends are both pros. The new coaches are winners. The schedule is bowl game friendly.
So why isn't the bandwagon more crowded?
Perhaps because Carolina still has some issues.
*** TAILBACK - This offense will be able to make yards throwing the ball, on that you may count, but in my mind the single most important question confronting the 2000 Tar Heels right now is who makes the explosive plays in the running game?
Last year's leading rusher, the departed Daniel Davis, gained 303 yards. The entire season. And UNC is "Tailback U", remember? If Carolina's best running plays are Curry scrambles right, Curry scrambles left and Curry scrambles up the middle, then we'll all be home for the holidays.
The Heels desperately need a fast, slippery, tackle-breaking feature back. Willie Parker has potential and there is no harder worker on the squad. Behind him is a poor man's Barry Sanders, 5-7 senior walkon Donte Thorogood, who has done some very nice things on the practice field this month. Rufus Brown, Domonique Williams and a couple of freshman are also in the mix.
*** THE O-LINE - The names and faces are the same but the bodies aren't. Coach Robbie Caldwell has done an amazing job of building a leaner, quicker, fitter group. Their bellies don't jiggle like they used to, and even though going from serviceable to good in the offensive line is football's most difficult and time-consuming task, true progress is being made.
*** KICKING AND PUNTING IT - Jeff "Boomer" Reed is listed as a senior but says he plans to play one more year after this one, and wait until you see him kickoff. He can absolutely, positively thump it off a tee. What about field goals, PAT's and punting? All I can say about that right now is Batman enemy The Riddler had fewer question marks on him than Carolina's specialists. Stay tuned. We'll know when we know, I guess.
So here is the deal. If Carolina's key players stay healthy and iiif a War Daddy tailback emerges and iiiif the O-line does their job and iiiiiif the kickers turn out to be decent.....then the Tar Heels win at least 7, probably 8 and possibly 9 games.
If not, I'll be right here at mmixon@tarheelsports.com to take the grief. But if so, just remember who told you in mid-August that there is plenty room on the bandwagon.
E-Mail Mick at: mmixon@tarheelsports.com.
Players Mentioned
