University of North Carolina Athletics
Droschak: Tough Schedule Helping Tar Heels
November 2, 2004 | Football
Nov. 2, 2004
by David Droschak, TarHeelBlue.com
CHAPEL HILL - If playing tough competition makes you better, the best is yet to come for the 2004 North Carolina football team.
It's hard to imagine a tougher stretch in school history with five ranked opponents in a six-game stretch. And by the way, the unranked team during that span was none other than arch-rival N.C. State.
Coach John Bunting started his career at UNC in much the same way with road defeats at Oklahoma, Maryland and Texas in 2001.
But those three losses ended up making the players on that team tougher and more resilient, producing a season-ending three-game winning streak and an 8-5 mark.
Believe it or not, that's the last time the Tar Heels have strung together a winning streak. Even a modest two-game streak. Now, after the biggest win in school history against powerhouse Miami last Saturday night, North Carolina (4-4) would like to grab a bit of momentum down the stretch like the 2001 team did.
"I've been saying all along we get better when we play better competition," said Bunting, whose team faces No. 18 Virginia Tech on Saturday. "Our young players are learning lessons on the run. We've got some talented players, but we need to keep learning how to play.
"Playing against really good teams with great players and great schemes forces us to learn how to play the game. And I think we're in a great frame of mind."
But have the Tar Heels learned a simple thing -- how to play in day games?
North Carolina is 3-0 after the sun sets in Kenan Stadium this season. High noon will be the setting this weekend against the Hokies.
"This 12 o'clock game start will be something new to us,'' Bunting said. "The big emphasis this week is to take care of yourself, get to bed earlier, don't stay up and watch the election. Read about it in the morning."
Bunting has fielded dozens of congratulatory calls from friends and coaching buddies the last few days following the upset of the Hurricanes, including one from his old NFL boss Dick Vermeil.
"He said we've got to win two in a row now," Bunting said. "I really believe the only way to get real, genuine confidence is to practice well and have it carry over to a couple or three games in a row. That's what we've been struggling to do.
"I'm not going to make a big deal of it. The big deal for me is how we prepare and it has been since I've set foot on this campus. That's the name of the game for me."
No matter what happens against Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and Duke, it's hard not to like this group of battlers.
Despite allowing 549, 455, 442 and 669 yards in its four losses, North Carolina remains one-half game out of the ACC lead and in the hunt for a bowl game heading into the first week of November.
That's some kind of scratching and clawing. And that's some tremendous team leadership from guys like Darian Durant, Jason Brown and Chad Scott, who have gotten teammates off the mat time and time again this season.
"There is no extra pressure this weekend," linebacker Doug Justice said. "We know how to play football. We know we still have to improve every day, in every meeting and in every drill."
Some of Bunting's players were so excited about the Miami win, the talk turned to bowls. However, the B-word is something Bunting doesn't want seeping into conversations.
"I think it's ridiculous to talk about it. I've told the players that and I don't want to read about it," Bunting said. "Their thoughts should be focused on one thing -- Virginia Tech.
And tackling yet another top 25 team.
"Name somebody who is playing a tougher schedule than us? It's pretty hard to do, isn't it?" Bunting said.
David Droschak is the former sports editor for the North Carolina bureaus of the Associated Press, the largest news-gathering organization in the world. In 2003, Droschak was named the North Carolina Sportswriter of the Year. He currently works in public relations at Robbins & Associates International, based in Cary.
