University of North Carolina Athletics
Monday Practice Notes
August 29, 2005 | Football
Aug. 29, 2005
By Adam Lucas
It seemed like weeks without football, but it was only a couple of days. Carolina returned to the practice field Monday afternoon to resume "training camp with school," as John Bunting referred to it. Classes start on Tuesday, which is also the date that walk-ons can report, meaning the practice field will be much more crowded for the rest of the week. The Tar Heels have a regular practice again tomorrow and then will go through a game-simulation scrimmage on Wednesday night at Kenan Stadium...
Speaking of Kenan Stadium, enhancements are in progress. Crews applied the first set of graphics to the upper deck façade on Monday. In theory, all graphics--including stadium portals, facades, and pillars--are supposed to be installed by the end of the day Wednesday. The new look got a resounding endorsement from Bunting after Monday's practice, and it turns out the head coach had significant input on the renovations. "As we do after every recruiting season, we go over everything we do," he said. "We look at things we do well and things we could improve. We were thinking about things we see at other stadiums, and we wanted to bring attention to the great players that have played here and more exposure for the bowl games we've been in. Recruits feel good about it, fans feel good about it, and it puts more energy in the stadium." We'll try to get ace photographer Joe Bray to take some shots as renovations progress later this week...
The two days off was good for mental recharging, but it also was a productive way to recover from injuries. According to Bunting, Tommy Davis is "one day away" from returning to full contact. Jacoby Watkins finally had his green shirt off on Monday and was participating in all drills...Bunting saw no dropoff from the weekend away from football. "We had a good practice," he said. "I saw good concentration and very few mental errors in terms of penalties and the ball on the ground. I was pleased."...The movement has been interrupted. Connor Barth hasn't had his usual post-practice relaxation session after the past two practices. That might have been a wise move on Monday, as the Bouncing Bulldogs jump rope team was training at Kenan after practice. A pair of runaway Bulldogs nearly bulldozed David Wooldridge...One of the highlights of training camp, the freshman talent show, takes place Monday night. Impersonations of the usual suspects--including Bunting, Gary Tranquill, Marvin Sanders, and more--are expected. Players who have had to sit out (Jacoby, this means you) could also be targeted...
A quick update of the training camp battles to watch:
Strong safety: Late last week, Bunting said it was a heat between Mahlon Carey and Trimane Goddard.
Strong side linebacker: Larry Edwards has had his best camp, but Jeff Longhany continues to provide a physical presence at this position. "He is a tough kid," Bunting said. "He plays hard and gives you everything he has. Right now he and Larry are having a tremendous battle at SAM. He's one of those tweener guys who could have been a defensive end, could have been a linebacker. He's a long-legged guy, high cut. He has a lot of game experience and there are a lot of things he can do to help us."
Backup tailback: Cooter Arnold is on the verge of winning this battle. For the first time Monday, Bunting said out loud, "I see him playing against Georgia Tech."
Backup quarterback: Joey Bozich is likely to have this role unless something unexpected happens in the next two weeks. With Roger Heinz out, Bozich has the next-best grasp of the offense. He improved steadily over last week's practice sessions after struggling some early.
Punt returner: Del Roberts will see some action here, but one of the surprises of camp has been the play of freshman Brandon Tate. If he has another scrimmage Wednesday night like he did in his previous two scrimmage-type situations, he'll be on the verge of playing his way onto the field in Atlanta.
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.
