University of North Carolina Athletics
Extra Points Q&A
November 15, 2002 | Football
Nov. 15, 2002
By Lee Pace
With no bowl game on the horizon and the additional practice time one affords, Tar Heel coach John Bunting has instituted extra practice time the last month of the year for players not on the two-deep depth charts. Each Wednesday after regular practice and then on Sunday afternoons, the Tar Heel staff works with the freshmen and scout team members -- those whose normal practice day consists of "showing" the opposing offenses and defenses to the units which will play on Saturday. Fundamentals and live contact are the focal points of the extra sessions.
Giving Bunting and staff optimism that better days are coming beyond the trials of a 2-8 season are the skills shown by defensive players like ends Alden Blizzard, Brian Rackley and Xavier Rainey, linebacker Victor Worsley and tackle Mickey Rice. Safety Rashaad Tindall has recovered enough from knee surgery in the summer to suit up and do running and conditioning drills.
Two tailbacks who are sitting out transfer years are Chad Scott, a first-team freshman All-SEC player at Kentucky in 2000, and Rikki Cook, the 2000 New Jersey high school player of the year.
Finally, seven true freshmen have played in games this fall: Kendall High (defensive tackle), Kyle Ralph (offensive guard), Mahlon Carey (tailback), Cedric Holt (cornerback), Michael Gilmore (receiver, special teams), Derrele Mitchell (receiver) and Tommy Richardson (safety, special teams).
"Despite the results and the record, there are positive things going on this season," Bunting says. "There are players having phenomenal years, including Sam Aiken, who broke a school receiving record last week; Dexter Reid, who's setting all kind of tackling records; and Danny Orner, who had another big field goal last week.
"Academics and recruiting are all very, very positive. We have a number of young players with fine, fine futures. We need to get bigger and stronger and a little faster in Jeff Connors' program this winter. We've gotten bounced around too much up front.
"A guy like Victor Worsley is coming off his injury and is looking really good. He's meeting the football head on and taking on blockers. Ricki Cook and Chad Scott look good running the football. The Rackleys and Raineys and Blizzards will be fine players.
"I'm excited about what's going on here. I'm not looking past this week, but at the same time, there are positives you have to feel good about in our program."
I remember Don McCauley's football helmet during one of his most exciting games in the early 1970s (which one I know not), and it looked like a starburst where all the hits scraped off paint. He was one tough sucker and led his team to a lot of success. I think John Bunting is at least as tough and will come through at least as well. Here's hoping you'll pass on some encouragement to a guy who's doing the right thing and who has his kids playing interesting football even on bad days. By the way, who else has as many fourth down "go-fers"?
Richard Schneider '70, Seattle, Wash.
Thanks for your note. One of the things that buoys my optimism about the future of Carolina football under Bunting is the universal respect and support he has from his former teammates. One of those is McCauley himself. They understand better than most Bunting's knowledge of Xs-and-Os, his toughness and his ability to relate to kids. Last week a casual fan expressed some concern about Bunting's ability to adapt to college players after eight years coaching in the NFL. I answered that that should be the least of her concerns. One of the reasons Bunting wanted to come back to Carolina and college coaching was to have a hands-on role in the day-to-day development of kids on the cusp of adulthood.
And you're right about the gambling -- the Tar Heels have faked several punts and one field goal this year, most with great success. Bunting called for a short snap in punt formation to Jacque Lewis on fourth down, less than a yard to go from the Carolina 19 last week against Clemson. Lewis had gobs of running room and picked up 29 yards.
I know how important it is to have continuity with the coaching staff and that coach Bunting hopes to keep the current coaching staff intact for the 2003 season. I've also read that offensive coordinator Gary Tranquill is planning on returning next season as well, even though he had previously contemplated retirement before this season. Carolina's offense is very predictable. Last week at the Clemson game, I was predicting about 85 percent of our plays, so I know the teams we play are doing the same on the field. I couldn't remember a first down play where we didn't run it up the middle, even though we never got more than a yard or two, if that much. I think the offense had become very predictable and kind of boring to watch.
My question is a two-parter. First, do you think Tranquill will retire or move on after this season, and are he and Bunting just avoiding the issue until the end of the season so that it doesn't become a distraction for the team? And secondly, if Tranquill does stay, do you see Carolina revamping its offense any at all?
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I've addressed the play-calling issue many times before in this space. When the offense does not produce, the coordinator and the play-calling get the blame. It's been that way around Carolina football as long as I can remember -- from Bill Dooley's "three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust" through all the passing the Tar Heels did under Darrell Moody and Greg Davis until recent years with the much-criticized Steve Marshall.
I personally was not fond of Tranquill's play-action pass on fourth and less than a yard from the Clemson 20 in the second quarter. I didn't like it because it didn't work. But I guarantee you had it worked and led to a score, I would have written in Extra Points the next day about what a great play it was. It was a gamble, certainly, that didn't work.
All I know is this: Gary Tranquill has proven during a long coaching career that he can devise offenses that move the football through the air and over the ground, provided he has a reasonable compliment of players. While at Virginia from 1987-90, the Cavaliers averaged 29 points a game on 200 yards rushing and 214 yards passing. While at Michigan State from 1995-98, his offenses averaged 28 points a game on 161 yards rushing and 221 yards rushing.
Tranquill's quarterback at Virginia, Shawn Moore, passed for a school record 6,629 yards over four years. That's 33 percent more than Carolina's all-time yardage leader, Ronald Curry, who threw for 4,987 yards. Would anyone of the baby-blue faith take a career like that around Chapel Hill? I think so.
But given better talent at running the ball, Tranquill can steamroll a defense as well. In whipping Penn State in 1997 while at Michigan State, the Spartans had two players gain more than 200 yards in one game. Sedrick Irvin and Marc Renaud combined for 441 yards in that one game.
So let me ask you -- Would you take an offense at Carolina in 2002 that averaged nearly 30 points and right around 400 yards total offense a game? That's what I thought.
Right now, Tranquill does not have the players to make those totals work. Darian Durant was very productive until he got hurt, but now C.J. Stephens is having to learn on the job. He'll get better in time, but he's not there yet. None of the tailbacks are making things happen; Lewis broke a few tackles early in the year when he was healthy, but rarely now does a tailback make someone miss.
(Has anyone beside me recognized that it has been February, 1992 -- more than one decade ago -- since the University of Tailbacks at Chapel Hill signed a running back with the kind of speed, strength, savvy, discipline, character, toughness and durability to become an all-star and graduate to the professional ranks? That being, of course, Leon Johnson.)
Receivers Sam Aiken and Chesley Borders and tight ends Zach Hilton and Bobby Blizzard are the only ones making plays -- but to get the ball, Stephens has got to have time and get protection. I'm sure you noticed the changes against Clemson to get the ball into Aiken's hands FAST -- through screens, quick slants, shovel passes and other wrinkles not yet shown in games. Aiken is Carolina's best player. He needs to get the ball often, but he needs it before Stephens gets hammered and has to eat it.
I'm afraid the Heels' problem isn't the play-calling. But I'll promise consistency -- when Carolina does develop a productive and balanced offense down the road, it will not be because of great play-calling. It will be because it has great players -- guys like Chris Keldorf, Leon Johnson, Na Brown and Jeff Saturday.
TarHeelBlue.com football expert Lee Pace answers your questions about the Carolina program in an exclusive column published each Friday. Pace, editor of the Extra Points newsletter that appears each Monday morning, will answer your questions on personnel, strategy, opponents and anything on your mind about the Tar Heels. Please send your questions to Lee at lpace@nc.rr.com, and include your first and last names and your hometown.
