Tar Heel Football Notebook

September 22, 2005 | Football

By: UNC Athletic Communications

Sept. 22, 2005

By Adam Lucas

Garrett Reynolds saw his first game action Saturday against Wisconsin. One week later, he'll face perhaps his sternest test of the season when the freshman tackle challenges NC State defensive ends Manny Lawson and Mario Williams.

"I know they're really fast, strong guys," Reynolds said. "They're tall and agile. They're All-American type players...Hopefully I'll learn a few things watching film and I'll talk to Skip (Seagraves) and (Kyle) Ralph about it because they've played against them."

Reynolds, a Knoxville native, was pressed into service because of Seagraves's nagging shoulder injury. Before last week's game, John Bunting consulted with the Reynolds family and decided to remove the redshirt from the physically imposing rookie.

At one point, the Tar Heels had hoped to redshirt the three-man offensive line class of Reynolds, Kyle Jolly, and Andre Barbour. But injuries, as often happens, changed those plans.

Reynolds has relied on a veteran-heavy line--including Ralph, who also played as a true freshman--to provide him with the tips he needs to be successful at the ACC level. But that doesn't mean he's been immune to the usual freshman mistakes.

"Against Wisconsin I messed up and the running back got hit in the backfield," Reynolds said. "I took a bad step and overstepped the defensive end and he came in and killed Cooter. I'll learn from it."...

Although Matt Baker looked like a frail old man Saturday night after the 14-5 defeat, he's rebounded very well physically. "Last week it was two days after the game when the pain really set it," he said. "This week I actually feel a lot better now than I did last week at this same point. I've got a few bumps and bruises but I feel pretty good."...Khalif Mitchell proved to be a very popular interview subject this week, answering questions for almost 20 minutes after practice Tuesday about his big stop at the end of last year's NC State game. The sophomore had a refreshing take when asked what would have happened if he hadn't made the play: "I can't really tell you what would've happened if that didn't happen, because it didn't happen that way." Players and coaches alike have repeatedly been asked to relive the final moments of that game, with some choosing not to rehash it and others providing more extensive memories...Carolina's rushing defense currently ranks 65th in the country--not great, but still an improvement over last season. Opponents are averaging 144 yards per game and 3.39 yards per carry. One of the biggest changes has been the Tar Heels' improved efforts in defending the edges of the field, as the stretch plays and tosses that worked well against them in recent years have been less successful. That's partly because of improved team speed, but it also has a mental component. "We have a different approach to the game this year," Kyndraus Guy said. "This year it's more of an attack mentality. And we're constantly watching film, even when we're not in there together. Guys are going in for some individual time in the film room or watching at home."...

Fans aren't the only ones who hold their breath when Matt Baker hits the turf. After watching the Carolina quarterback take a couple of hard hits against Wisconsin, even players were a little nervous. "We thought the season was going to end when Matt got hit," Wallace Wright said. "That hurt me. He is the leader of this offense. If he goes down...I don't even want to think about that. He can't go down."...Larry Edwards drew high praise from John Bunting after the Wisconsin game. "I thought he had the best football game he's ever had," the head coach said...Carolina coaches hand out most valuable player awards after each game. Against the Badgers the honors went to Cedrick Holt on defense, Matt Baker on offense, and Justin Phillips and Melik Brown on special teams...Two easy ways to tell it's NC State week: the end of each practice period has been greeted by a howling wolf over the PA system and the defensive scout team headed by Nick Schiralli has red block-S helmet stickers over their Carolina blue helmets...Sure, it's a rivalry game week, but that doesn't mean the Tar Heels have been tight. When Tommy Richardson picked off a pass against the scouts in practice, the likable senior paused for a moment while Kenny Browning and Tommy Thigpen pretended to snap photos of him...Doug Justice will undergo surgery tomorrow to repair his broken fifth metatarsal...

Dropped passes have plagued the Tar Heels through two games. The disease has spread to virtually the entire receiving corps. "We've been doing too much body catching," Bunting said. "We've got to pluck the ball, catch it in your hands. We have to do a better job of emphasizing that and getting it done."

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.