University of North Carolina Athletics
COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: Q & A with John Bunting
August 6, 2003 | Football
Aug. 6, 2003
CHAPEL HILL - Carolina begins its 2003 preseason practice on Wednesday at 5:25 p.m. and kickoff for the season opener against Florida State is less than 25 days away. Over the coming weeks leading up to that game with the Seminoles at 8 p.m. on August 30, TarHeelBlue.com will feature exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes looks at the Tar Heels' preparations for the 2003 season.
Today, read a Q & A session with third-year head coach John Bunting.
Q: What are your expectations for the 2003 season?
A: Our goal is to get back to a bowl game, but I know a lot of important things have to take place for us to reach our goal. Our offense has to lead this team. It has to be one of the best offenses in the ACC for us to be successful. Our special teams must improve dramatically, starting with our punting and our kick returns. We have to find someone who can return kicks effectively. With the freshmen we're bringing in, I know we're going to find some guys who can cover on special teams. Defensively, we still have some obstacles to overcome because of our experience. But, we're better than we were last year right now and we have a lot more depth than we had last year. I get excited every year as August nears because I know that means we are going to soon be back on the field playing the great game of football.
Q: You mentioned how important the offense is to the success of the team. What are the strengths and weaknesses on that side of the ball?
A: I'm excited about the backs and the offensive line. My biggest concern of the entire football team is at wide receiver because we have limited experience at that position. We lost two outstanding players in Sam Aiken and Chesley Borders from last season's squad. Sam set school records for receptions and receiving yards and Chesley was a solid threat. This year, we enter the season lacking experienced depth. However, we feel like we had the best receiving recruiting class in the country and I expect all of the freshman receivers - Adarius Bowman, Mike Mason, Jesse Holley - to compete for playing time this year. In addition, we need Brandon Russell to have a great senior year. He's healthy and should contribute. We need Jarwarksi Pollock to stay healthy. He's dangerous in the open field and made some big plays last season. We need Derrele Mitchell to produce and Danny Rumley and Daunte' Fields to step up their games.
Q: Darian Durant led the league in total offense last season and is nearing several Carolina career records in just his third year. What are your expectations for Darian this season?
A: Darian was a leader this summer. He was constantly in touch with our strength and conditioning staff and his teammates. Nearly every day he was out throwing the ball with his teammates. I think he's ready to take on that last intangible of becoming a good leader. He needs to lead not just by example, but by command. He's had two great seasons statistically and he's approaching records that many thought he could never reach.
Q: How important was it for Darian to come back from a broken thumb injury and play in the last game of the 2002 season against Duke?
A: I think that really was important to him, but I think it was even more important to our football team. They really recognized his desire to get back and play, how much he missed it when he was out and how much he wanted to help the team win a football game. They really gained a great deal more respect for him because of that.
Q: What are some other positions that you have questions about other than at wide receiver?
A: We lack depth at fullback and tight end. We have some talented front-line players at those positions, but we need some of the younger guys to develop quickly. At fullback, Rikki Cook was limited in the spring because of injury, but we expect him to compete for the starting position this fall.
Q: Honorable-mention All-ACC tight end Bobby Blizzard returns for his senior year. What kind of season do you expect from him?
A: Bobby Blizzard is obviously a talented player. He will be in the best shape he's ever been in his life this season. He'll be in a position to make a real move in this conference and create a great resume for himself for the NFL. He has great hands and a great ability to catch and run. He's gotten stronger and he's gotten rid of all his baby fat. We have a couple of walk-on tight ends who are doing a good job for us in John Dunn and Justin Phillips. Lewis Burnham improved some in the spring and we're excited about freshman Jon Hamlett. He's another freshman who could play this year if he has a good fall.
Q: Last season, Madison Hedgecock played both fullback and defensive line. He entered spring as a fullback, but switched to defensive end midway through spring ball. Where does he fit in this fall?
A: There is always the possibility that Madison could help us on offense in goal-line situations, but we're expecting him to compete for a starting position at defensive end. He's as strong as an ox. He'll do anything to help us win, which is why he agreed to move around last year.
Q: Five starters return on the offensive line. Is this the type of offensive line you envisioned when you became the head coach?
A: It's close. They have talent, they've shown some toughness and now they have some experience. They've all played together for at least one year and we've developed some competition. We have the ability to play eight or nine players on the line on any given Saturday. Jason Brown and Jeb Terry are our leaders and Skip Seagraves and Willie McNeill have a couple of years of experience. Jason has great strength and athleticism. Jeb has got great strength, size and experience. He will probably get a chance to play at the next level. Kyle Ralph and Jupiter Wilson are battling at the left guard position. Brian Chacos stepped forward this spring along with Steven Bell and could see more playing time. Chris Woods has recognized the importance of strength and conditioning and is making an improvement in the weight room. I'm excited about the offensive line and the job Hal (Hunter) has done in developing our depth.
Q: Carolina enters the season with four healthy running backs for the first time in your tenure. Are you pleased with their development?
A: I'm excited about our running backs. We've got some players at that position that I expect big things from. Jacque Lewis is the guy that we know the most about in terms of his production and his ability to contribute both on offense and special teams. He is a valuable asset on our team. We have high expectations of Chad Scott and Ronnie McGill. I think both those guys have different styles, but they have game-breaking type ability. Scott is the faster and the more polished receiver. He can catch the ball and make big plays. I think McGill will one day be able to take over a game with his ability to eat up yards. He's got balance, quickness, vision and great strength for such a young player. Willie Parker had his best spring of his career and I anticipate he's going to come back charged to play. That position has the greatest competition and that's what I want to see.
Q: What is the strength of the defense?
A: Overall, I think our secondary will play extremely well. We have a lot of depth and a lot of talented players in our secondary. Dexter Reid is poised to have an All-America-type year and he proved last year he was the best safety in the league. I think Cedrick Holt is ready to be a big-time player at cornerback. Between Michael Waddell, who is coming back from injury, Chris Hawkins, Jacoby Watkins, Lionell Green and Derrick Johnson we should be a lot better at the corners. However, the biggest question mark on defense is at strong safety.
Q: Dexter Reid is regarded as one of the top safeties in the country. How has Dexter matured over the last three years?
A: Dexter Reid has matured tremendously since I first met him. He's a very intense football player on the field and he's a very involved and caring teammate and student-athlete off the field. I've been impressed with the way he has developed as a leader both on and off the field. If he has another great season like he had last year, he will be in a position to play at the next level.
Q: What concerns you about the strong safety position?
A: We are extremely young at strong safety with Mahlon Carey and Tommy Richardson competing for the starting position. Mahlon had a fine spring, but he has a long way to go. He hasn't played defense in over a year. He's very capable of playing the position, but he needs to continue to learn the position. I moved him to safety because he's a talented player who I wanted to get on the field. I also want him to make a strong contribution on special teams. He has displayed a physical attitude.
Q: What steps have you taken to improve the play of the special teams?
A: I've assigned (assistant head coach) James Webster to be our special teams coordinator and it will be his job to evaluate every player on our team and determine if they can help us on special teams. Overall, I'm trying to improve our speed and athleticism on special teams because you are always playing in space. That's why I moved guys like Mahlon Carey and D.J. Walker to defense because they can work on their tackling which will help us on special teams. Rashaad Tindall could also be a factor on special teams.
Q: The freshman class was ranked among the top 20 classes in the country by every major recruiting service. How many freshmen do you expect to play this year?
A: I would not be surprised to see anywhere between 10-15 freshmen play this season. All of them will have the opportunity to prove they can play right away. I'm not going to hold a player back that can help us because he is a freshman. We need to get the best players on the field who can help us win.
Q: Last season, Carolina used several two-tight end formations. With the depth problem at tight end, will the offense change drastically?
A: When you use a two-tight end offense like we did last year, you always have to think about what happens if one of those players gets hurt. You have to be prepared. (Offensive coordinator) Gary Tranquill will have an offense ready no matter what our situation is at tight end. Unless someone emerges, we won't have as many two-tight end sets. I like a two-tight end offense because it gives you much more flexibility, but a lot depends on training camp and the development of our younger players.
Q: Last season, the defensive line was extremely young. How important is it for those players to have a year of experience and a summer of offseason conditioning?
A: It's extremely important. Guys have had great summers getting ready - Kendall High, Hedgecock and Tommy Davis are stronger than they've ever been. One guy that really impressed me in the spring was Issac Mooring. He moved from defensive end to tackle and was probably our best performer in the spring. He is prepared to have his greatest season as a Tar Heel. Another guy I'm counting on is Jonas Seawright. I think he's ready to make a move. Donti Coats has had injury problems over the last two seasons, but he has a lot of talent. If he stays healthy, he can make a lot of plays for us. Jermicus Banks did a good job moving inside as well. We have more depth at defensive end than we've ever had. Jocques Dumas, Hedgecock and High are on the left side and Davis, Brian Rackley and Alden Blizzard are on the right. Rackley and Blizzard need to continue to mature and fill out. I also have high expectations of Xavier Rainey and incoming freshman Isaiah Thomas.
Q: As a former linebacker, you know how important that position is on defense. What are your expectations at linebacker?
A: That position is the second biggest concern on defense to strong safety because most of those guys still don't have a lot of game experience. I'm happy players like Doug Justice, Clay Roberson and Jeff Longhany had a chance to get on the field and contribute last year. It was a great learning experience and it will make them better. Melik Brown made a real move in the spring and won the job at outside linebacker. I'm curious to see if he can maintain it. Victor Worsley has yet to see the field and his shoulder is better. Devllen Bullard moved inside and he's adapting to that position well. In addition, we recruited what could be one of the greatest linebacker recruitings classes in Carolina history.
Q: You've mentioned special teams are a priority this year. How important is the punting game?
A: We have to win the battle of field position and the punting game is the key element in that fight. We enter the fall with great competition between John Lafferty, Topher Roberts, David Wooldridge and Paul Roberts. I expect one of those guys to grab hold of the starting spot in the fall. Q: Who will return kicks this season?
A: Jarwarski Pollock is our top option on punts and Wallace Wright did a pretty good job returning kickoffs last year. I'm interested to see what Michael Gilmore can do in that position and I'm real anxious to see a couple of the young guys like Quinton Person, Bryan Bethea or Jesse Holley. They will be given early opportunities to see if they can help us in the kicking game.
Q: You've consistently said you want to play the best teams in the country. Are you happy with this season's schedule?
A: I love the fact we start the season with Florida State. It's great for our fans because it gets them excited. It's great for our players to know that the first game is a really tough test. I like playing another good team in Syracuse at home on the second weekend. The open week is much earlier than I would have preferred, but we will use that time to prepare for a long road trip the following week at Wisconsin, a tough, physical team. We have a lot of games in a row when we get back, but I like the way the rest of the schedule shapes up. Arizona State and their big-play passing offense should be a great game and it will be a great atmosphere at East Carolina. A lot of people are already looking ahead to that game. Once again, the ACC is going to be a tremendous conference. Each game is going to be extremely intense and I can't wait for the season to start.
