University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: Firework Festival
October 9, 2005 | Football
Oct. 9, 2005
By Adam Lucas
LOUISVILLE, Ky.--Jesse Holley didn't hang around to see if there would be any further fireworks from the overworked Papa John's Cardinal Stadium scoreboard. After each Louisville touchdown, extra point, and field goal, two bursts of red sparkling fireworks had been rocketed into the very fall-like night from the top of the board. By the time Saturday's 69-14 thrashing was finished, there was serious concern about whether enough fireworks inventory existed to maintain the pace.
But Holley didn't want to see any more than he'd already seen. As soon as Cooter Arnold ran up the middle for three yards on the game's final play, Holley removed his jersey and his shoulder pads and dashed for the locker room. He was the first Tar Heel off the field and he allowed himself a brief glimpse at the scoreboard, where the verdict still shone brightly.
"Right then, I was thinking I hope I trip and fall and I wake up at the Marriott," he said. "And it was all a dream and we have a chance to do it all over again."
If Carolina had been given the chance for a mulligan, it's hard to fathom that things could have gone any worse. The offense was turnover-prone. The defense was porous. Special teams were spotty.
And just when it looked like things couldn't get worse, Matt Baker was down in a heap near the Carolina sideline.
He eventually returned to the game and even led a touchdown drive, but the message was clear: the Tar Heels simply must find a way to keep opposing defenses off him. Elvis Dumervil had one of the finest defensive games anyone has ever had against Carolina. Not content with his measly three sacks, he simply led his team in tackles, intercepted a pass--way back when the game was actually in doubt--and forced two fumbles.
"He may have set a world record tonight," John Bunting said.
One world record was definitely set, as Carolina gave up more points than any UNC football team ever has, snapping the 66 surrendered to Virginia in 1912.
Unlike Dumervil, Carolina had no similar playmakers on their defensive sideline. The unit had been a bright spot for four weeks. They'd kept the Heels in every game so far, shown better team speed and a better grasp of the Marvin Sanders system.
And then they were methodically dissected by the Cardinal offense. Brian Brohm completed 17 of his 22 passes and seemingly could have done almost anything he wanted. When the Tar Heels drew closer, he simply took the snap and fired it over the defense's head for yet another score--each of which not only prompted the scoreboard fireworks but also a train whistle that became more regular than the Orient Express.
Carolina has been here before, of course. There will be numerous comparisons to the Utah game last year, when the Utes flattened the Tar Heels in Salt Lake City before a bye week. But here's the thing: everyone knew that type of sieve-like performance was possible last year. This season was different. This season was about consistency.
"I really thought we were about ready to play our best game," Bunting said. "Obviously we weren't."
"That was not the same team I have been playing with for four weeks," Holley said. "That was not the same team I've been practicing with. When you play like we played, it's embarrassing individually, collectively, and for the University."
The road trip to Louisville was essentially a free shot. Nationally, no one expected much (and that's exactly what they got) from the Tar Heels. The home game two weeks from now against Virginia will be very different. It will be another milepost game, another referendum on the progress of the program.
And it will be imperative that Holley doesn't walk off the field with the same feeling.
"This bye week will be good for us," he said. "We've been fighting so hard for four weeks. This will give our souls a chance to rest. We've got to regroup.
"We've got to make sure this never happens again. Never ever. Never. Never."
Adam Lucas is the publisher of Tar Heel Monthly and can be reached at alucas@tarheelmonthly.com. He is the coauthor of the official book of the 2005 championship season, Led By Their Dreams, and 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 Going Home Again, click here.
