University of North Carolina Athletics
Carolina Football Notebook: Wednesday
October 2, 2002 | Football
Oct. 2, 2002
Due to the three-hour time difference between Chapel Hill and Tempe, the Tar Heels will depart campus on Thursday evening for their game against Arizona State on Saturday at Sun Devil Stadium. Kickoff time is set for 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. local).
Carolina typically leaves on Friday for Saturday games, but head coach John Bunting opted to modify the travel schedule to give his team a chance to acclimate to the time difference and adequately prepare for its final non-conference game of the season. Coming off a 21-13 loss to Georgia Tech on Saturday and three losses overall in the first four games, Bunting wants his team to be ready for a stiff test against one of the most explosive teams in the country, but also plans to use this trip as a positive educational experience as well for his players and staff.
The Tar Heels will visit the Champlin Fighter Aircraft Museum in Mesa, Ariz., on Friday morning. From the open-cockpit biplanes of World War I through the jets of Vietnam and Desert Storm, this museum's international collection is considered one of the finest in the country.
"I think it will be a lot of fun for the players, a little educational," Bunting said. "It's similar to what we did when we went to the Peach Bowl last year and went to the Martin Luther King Jr. museum. We're excited about doing those kinds of things with our players. I think it's a great experience for them."
Carolina will then hit the field for the final time before Saturday's kickoff for a short practice on Friday afternoon.
"We'll see if we can make the adjustment in time," Bunting said. "But more importantly we'll see if we can make some improvement as a football team."
Signs Of Improvement In Practice:
Following Saturday's loss to Georgia Tech, Bunting insisted Carolina would have to improve its intensity and focus at practice in order to turn around a 1-3 start to the season. If Tuesday is any indication, the Tar Heels got his message and have rededicated themselves to improving on the practice field.
"We had a very good practice yesterday," Bunting said. "We're very excited about the way the kids came back and responded after a very, very difficult defeat by Georgia Tech.
"The tackling aspect of our football team, particularly in the secondary over the last two weeks, has got to get corrected in a hurry or it's going to be a long, long day at the office each week. Those players are talented enough to do it, and we've got to do a better job coaching them to get that done. We put a lot of emphasis on it yesterday, and we'll continue to do it today."
1970 Peach Bowl The Only Previous Meeting:
The only time Arizona State and North Carolina have met was in the 1970 Peach Bowl. The Tar Heels exploded for 26 second quarter points but couldn't hold off Arizona State in the final two quarters as the Sun Devils rallied for an exciting 48-26 victory before 52,126 fans at Grant Field.
Carolina spotted unbeaten ASU 14 points on a pair of touchdowns runs, from eight and 33 yards, by Bob Thomas.
Don McCauley got the Tar Heels on the scoreboard with a one-yard plunge set up by a long pass from Paul Miller to Ricky Lanier. ASU scored on its next series, though, on a 67-yard TD catch by J.D. Hill.
Carolina then scored the final three touchdowns of the first half to go into the intermission with a 26-21 lead. First, Miller passed 37 yards for a score to Tony Blanchard. Then McCauley rushed in from 17 yards out. And finally, the All-America McCauley scored again from four yards.
Arizona State dominated a second half which was played in a heavy Atlanta snowstorm and without Miller, who left with an injury.
Monroe Ely scored twice and Thomas reached the end zone for the third time in the Sun Devils' 27-point second half.
In his final game as a Tar Heel, McCauley gained 143 yards on 36 carries. Bunting started at linebacker for the Tar Heels and registered six tackles.
