University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: Heels Open Bowl Practice
December 3, 2004 | Football
Dec. 3, 2004
By Adam Lucas
To gauge the improvement in Carolina's defense, John Bunting could watch game film or check the statistics.
Or he could just stand out at practice and observe.
The Tar Heels returned to the practice field Friday afternoon for their first pre-Continental Tire Bowl practice. For Bunting, it was a striking session.
"I see now just how far our defense has come," he said. "I really see it based on how they practiced today. They're talking and they're communicating. It's totally different from the start of training camp."
That defense made tangible progress over the closing months of the season. In the final four games, they averaged giving up just 338.5 yards per game, over a 100-yard improvement from their cumulative yearlong average.
After exams, the focus will shift more toward game week-type preparation for bowl opponent Boston College. Until then, however, the Heels plan to take advantage of the extra practice sessions for some of their younger talent.
"We'll go light and we'll go fast," Bunting said. "We'll get the younger players some extra work. We'll get them in a 9-on-7 and a 7-on-7 on Saturday...These kids earned a reward. We'll get into the heavy stuff after exams are over. We just want to make sure they don't lose all their thoughts about football."
It's a busy time for college coaches, because December is also a hectic recruiting month. Signing day (Feb. 2) is just two months away, so the entire UNC staff will juggle recruiting responsibilities with bowl preparation over the next four weeks. So immersed has Bunting been with high school prospects that as of Friday night, he hadn't yet watched any Boston College tape and said he had no idea if the teams had even exchanged film yet.
Bunting has experience balancing bowl games and recruiting, as the Heels went to the Peach Bowl in 2001.
"We did a lot of things right at the Peach Bowl," he said. "Our team had a good time. We've tweaked what we did a little bit but we'll do things largely like we did at the Peach Bowl. We were a very fresh team when we entered that game and we got a lot done with the younger players."
Notes: Bunting said he hasn't had much time to reflect on the 2004 regular season. "My wife and I did a little bit of that over Thanksgiving," he said. "We spent two days down at the beach, and that was fun. But since that time it's been helter-skelter. We've got a lot of work to do."...Defensive end Alden Blizzard will transfer because of a desire for more playing time...The Heels have been getting a good reception on the recruiting trail. "Every one of the recruits we've talked to has been tickled pink," Bunting said. "Some of the recruiters from other schools feel a little silly about what they've been saying."...
An air of finality has settled over a senior class that has persevered through a roller-coaster four (and in some cases, five) years. They'll play their final game in blue on Dec. 30. "I want to make it fun for them," Bunting said. "They deserve it. I would love for these seniors to win their last game."...The Tar Heels will practice just once next week because of exams. They'll return to a training camp-like schedule beginning Dec. 11, break for Christmas from Dec. 22-25, and the team will report to Charlotte on Dec. 25. The first practice in the Queen City will be Dec. 26.
Adam Lucas is the publisher of Tar Heel Monthly and can be reached at alucas@tarheelmonthly.com. His book on Roy Williams's first season at Carolina, Going Home Again, is now available in bookstores. To subscribe to Tar Heel Monthly or learn more about the book, click here.
