Wednesday's Scrimmage Notes

August 25, 2004 | Football

By: UNC Athletic Communications

Aug. 25, 2004

By Adam Lucas John Bunting said prior to Wednesday's scrimmage that he'd be watching three areas closely: the linebackers, the defensive line, and offensive execution. Wednesday night, he was pleased with two of the three. The Tar Heels simulated one half of game action with all components of a true game--including crowd noise and the 25-second clock--at Kenan Stadium, and the head coach praised several elements of his defense. "I think the defense played extremely well tonight," he said. "I'm not saying we were perfect but we flew around the ball. The linebackers flew around the ball. The defensive line flew around. I'm very pleased with our effort on defense." Bunting singled out Fred Sparkman, Gerald Sensabaugh, and Larry Edwards for a solid scrimmage. The news wasn't quite as good on offense, where Carolina was bogged down by some frustrating penalties and never got in a rhythm until Ronnie McGill ripped off a 41-yard run and then capped the drive with the first scoring play of the day, a two-yard touchdown burst up the middle. "I was unhappy with our execution," Bunting said. "That's a result of all these penalties. When we didn't have penalties, we executed pretty well. I'm really glad our staff decided to make this kind of arrangement (the full scrimmage). It was the best thing we could do." Notes: McGill totaled 79 yards on nine carries...Darian Durant hit three of his eight passes, while Matt Baker completed his first six in a row before finishing 8-for-14...Perhaps the best news from the scrimmage: everyone emerged healthy. "I don't think we had any serious damage and that's great," Bunting said...Quarterbacks were in red jerseys and couldn't be tackled, but Hilee Taylor, Tommy Davis, and Kyndraus Guy each had what would have been sacks in a live game...The defense recovered a fumble near the goal line and nearly had an interception when Lionell Green broke up a pass near the sideline...Adarius Bowman was the game's leading receiver, finishing with 56 yards and a touchdown on five catches. Despite his solid performance, he was most impressed with the team's defensive performance. "They've improved so much," Bowman said. "They stopped us twice in the team situation and they've really stepped up their game." Adam Lucas is the publisher of Tar Heel Monthly and can be reached at alucas@tarheelmonthly.com. To subscribe to Tar Heel Monthly, click here.