Game Notes vs. William & Mary

September 3, 2004 | Football

By: UNC Athletic Communications

Sept. 3, 2004

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Carolina opens 2004, its 114th season of intercollegiate football, against NCAA Division I-AA opponent William & Mary at 1:35 p.m. Saturday at Kenan Stadium. The game will not be televised but will be broadcast by the Tar Heel Sports Network. Despite a 2-10 record in 2003, there is great optimism in the Carolina camp about this season after a strong showing in preseason practice and the return of several exciting players. The Tar Heels return 14 starters from last year's team and 27 players who have started at least one game in their college careers. Included in eight returning offensive starters are the team's leading passer (Darian Durant), rusher (Ronnie McGill) and receiver (Jarwarski Pollock) from last season. Durant, who holds 47 school records, passed for a Carolina-record 2,551 yards and 18 touchdowns a year ago. McGill, who started six games as a freshman in 2003, rushed for 654 yards on 128 carries a year ago. His seven touchdowns were the most by a Tar Heel tailback since Jonathan Linton scored 10 in 1997. Pollock set a single-season school record with 71 receptions in 2003 and needs just 63 grabs to equal the Carolina career record despite just playing in his third season. Defensively, the Tar Heels return six starters after losing tackle Chase Page for the season during training camp. Several youngsters have a year of experience under their belt and seniors like Jonas Seawright and East Tennessee State transfer Gerald Sensabaugh have shown the leadership qualities needed to help shape this young unit. The most significant change on the defensive side of the ball comes in the form of new co-defensive coordinators John Gutekunst and Marvin Sanders. Gutekunst, who spent the last five years at South Carolina, will coach the linebackers. Sanders will coach the defensive backs after spending one year at Nebraska where he helped the Huskers lead the nation in interceptions and pass efficiency defense. Opening the Season Against W&M
Carolina hopes to snap a string of three consecutive season-opening losses against William & Mary on Saturday. The Tar Heels last opened against the Tribe in 1975 and scored a 33-7 win under Bill Dooley. The last time UNC played a non-Division I squad to open the season was 1989, a 49-7 win over VMI. The Tar Heels last NCAA Division I-AA opponent was Furman on Oct. 30, 1999. Season Openers
• Carolina is opening the season at home for the 10th time in the last 11 seasons. The only exception came in 2001 when the Tar Heels played at Oklahoma to begin the year. • Carolina enters 2004 with a 75-34-4 all-time record in season openers, but have dropped five of the last six. A win on Saturday would mark the first time the Tar Heels have started 1-0 since 2000. SEries vs. william & Mary
• Carolina has never lost to William & Mary and brings an 11-0-2 record in the series into this weekend's meeting. The teams tied in both 1944 and '48, and the Tar Heels have won the last seven meetings. • The Tar Heels and Tribe have not met since 1991, a 59-36 Carolina win. The Tar Heels have combined to score 110 points in the teams' last two meetings, including a 51-20 win in 1983. • Tar Heel head coach John Bunting, who played at Carolina from 1969-71, was a part of the closest UNC win in the series, a 36-35 victory in 1971. • After first meeting on the gridiron in 1907, Carolina and William & Mary played for six consecutive seasons from 1944-50. The Tar Heels went 4-0-2 against the Tribe over this stretch. • Seven Tar Heels are from Virginia, including tailback Antwain Carey (Chesapeake), James Gibson (Alexandria), Jon Hamlett (Lynchburg), Wyatt Hicks (Highland Springs), Khalif Mitchell (Virginia Beach), Kenny Price (Virginia Beach) and Kareen Taylor (Hopewell). • William & Mary running backs coach Steven Jerry played wide receiver and quarterback at North Carolina in the early 1990s. A 1994 UNC graduate, Jerry is in his first season with the Tribe.