University of North Carolina Athletics
Car-O-Lines: Tulsa Game Could Be Season's Most Important
August 30, 2000 | General
Aug. 30, 2000
By Rick Brewer, SID Emeritus
Read More Car-O-Lines
North Carolina's intersectional season opener with Tulsa here Saturday evening may well be the team's most important game of the year.
The Tar Heels have lost heartbreakers in their last two opening games. In 1998 Miami of Ohio kicked a field goal on the game's final play for a 13-10 victory. Last fall Carolina dropped a 20-17 decision to Virginia on a 50-yard field goal with only 27 seconds in the game.
An opening win would be a big boost to the confidence of a young Carolina squad.
But, the Tar Heels will have to defeat a Tulsa team that returns 14 starters from a year ago and is optimistic about its season under new head coach Keith Burns, the former defensive coordinator at Arkansas.
"We came here to win and win now," Burns said earlier this week. "We can turn things around here quickly."
Burns is basing his hopes on a defense that he feels is faster and quicker than last year's unit and the quarterbacking skills of Josh Blankenship, the Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year in 1999.
Of course, almost every school in the country has reasons for optimism as a season begins. That's certainly true in Chapel Hill.
Carolina has adapted well to the new offensive system installed by former N.C. State Coach Mike O'Cain. The key man will be quarterback Ronald Curry of Hampton, Va., who has fully recovered from a torn Achilles tendon that sidelined him the final six games of last year.
"Ronald is healthy and ready to go," said Tar Heel Coach Carl Torbush this week. "He had a little bit of a sore arm a week ago, but that was simply from getting back to throwing a football so much. He's fine now. He's picked up what Mike wants him to do with the offense quickly.
"The thing about Ronald is he's better in games than in practice. He is a great competitor. He's done everything we've asked of him in practice. But, when the games start, he'll move and throw even better. That's the type of kid he is."
Unfortunately, concerns have developed at tailback in the last week. Red-shirt freshman Willie Parker of Clinton, N.C. felt a twinge in his back last Thursday while finishing a play--running with no contact. He hasn't practiced since then. He needs to be on the field some Wednesday or Thursday in order to play against Tulsa.
Parker has been the starter at tailback since last spring. If he should be unable to go Saturday, that would leave a pair of true freshmen--Brandon Russell of Decatur, Ga. and Andre' Williams of Durham, N.C.--to share the position.
"It's not a serious injury," said Torbush. "But, it is uncomfortable and prevents him from playing the way our tailbacks must perform."
Tailback injuries have been a problem for Carolina in each of the last two seasons. There is more depth there now, but inexperience is a concern.
If the young tailbacks play well, Torbush feels his offense has the weapons to be an exceptional one.
"I've liked the play of our wide receivers in practice," he said. "Bosley Allen, Sam Aiken, Kory Bailey and Jamal Jones all have made some exceptional plays. This group has the potential to be a really good one.
"Bosley has come back from a very bad knee injury. Two years ago we didn't know if he would ever play football again. He's got a lot of toughness to come back from what he did.
"In fact, when I look at what Bosley, Ronald Curry and Brandon Spoon have gone through in their lives, I know we have some great competitors on this team. They aren't the only three, but they are excellent examples."
With Curry throwing to the wide receivers and tight ends Alge Crumpler and Dauntae' Finger, the passing game has great potential.
Torbush feels the offensive line has developed continuity in practice.
"It's not a veteran group, but we're not totally inexperienced there," he pointed out. "Issac Morford (a sophomore guard from Melrose, Fla.) is really the only guy who hasn't played and I have confidence in him.
"We do want to get the backups in the line some game action. As I've said before, we have some good, young people there. They just need experience. They need to play because they could eventually be starters if anybody in the current first group has some problems."
But, the starting line needs more experience, too. While the coaches want to substitute, a lot will depend on how the game goes.
There are fewer concerns on defense where only cornerback Michael Waddell of Ellerbe, N.C. is new to the lineup. The linebacking corps of Spoon, Sedrick Hodge and Merceda Perry could be one of the nation's best. There is depth up front and Torbush plans to rotate players to keep fresh people in the game.
"Michael Waddell is very talented, but he's never played in front of 60,000 people," said the Carolina coach. "We also want to look at Dexter Reid and Kevin Knight in the secondary. They're young guys who are going to play a lot before they leave here."
The biggest concern is the kicking game. Coaches constantly say that, but the loss of punter Brian Schmitz and placekicker Josh McGee to graduation has left Carolina with major question marks there.
"A mistake in the kicking game can get you beat faster than anything," said Torbush. "Jeff Reed (a senior from Charlotte, N.C.) has looked better on field goals the last few days. I thought Blake Ferguson (a freshman from Broken Arrow, Okla.) would be the punter until the last few practices. But, John Lafferty (a sophomore from Valdese, N.C.) has been better recently. He's the leader for that job now.
"We also want to improve our punt returns. Our goal is 10 yards a return. And we'd like to get back to blocking punts like we were doing a few years ago. If you block a punt, that makes returning one easier because your opponent has to hold its coverage team back longer to prevent another one."
With a new staff at Tulsa, Carolina coaches are unsure of what they'll see Saturday night.
"Based on what Coach Burns did at Arkansas and Southern Cal, we have some thoughts about what we might see defensively," said Torbush, "But, their offensive staff comes from a number of schools. I know what Blankenship did at quarterback last year, but we're preparing for anything."
Traditionally, Tulsa's best teams have thrown the football. In the mid-1960's quarterback Jerry Rhome and wideout Howard Twilley were the national passing and receiving leaders. The Golden Hurricane went to two straight Bluebonnet Bowls behind Rhome and then Bill Anderson. Tulsa has also produced standout receivers like Drew Pearson, Steve Largent and Chris Penn.
Torbush has no desire to see Tulsa making any "Hail Mary" last-second touchdown throws or any other kind of miracle finish. He and his team have gone through that type of misery the last two years and are ready to start a season on a positive note for a change.
