Tuesday Talking Points

Sept. 6, 2005

By Adam Lucas

The Tar Heels have lost 5 of their last 7 season openers but are a combined 11-3 in the final two regular season weekends over that same stretch.

Carolina hasn't won at Bobby Dodd Stadium since 1997. They haven't won two straight against the Jackets since 1996 and 1997.

This year marks just the fourth time in the last 12 years that the Tar Heels have opened the regular season with an ACC opponent. The last time the Heels won such a game was the 45-0 blitzing of Clemson in 1996.

Carolina has been playing football since 1888 and has played 40 games against Georgia Tech. But only one of those meetings has been in the season opener, a 1943 defeat at the hands of the Jackets (20-7 in Atlanta).

Three Tar Heels are likely to start their first game on Sept. 10--Matt Baker, Ben Lemming, and Barrington Edwards. That figure could be as low as two if Steven Bell starts at center instead of Lemming or as high as four if Trimane Goddard starts at strong safety instead of Mahlon Carey.

Carolina has placed offensive linemen on the first- or second-team All-ACC squads in each of the past two years. That's the first streak of two consecutive years since 1993 and 1994.

The only time in Carolina history that a player had 100 yards rushing and 100 yards receiving happened against Georgia Tech--Jonathan Linton in 1997 (138 rushing, 137 receiving).

The best passing day ever by a Tar Heel against an ACC opponent came against the Jackets--Mark Maye threw for 406 yards in 1987, including a 93-yard scoring strike to Randy Marriott. Maye's 420 yards of total offense in that game is also a Carolina best against an ACC opponent.

Despite playing in just five games and throwing only 36 passes last season, Matt Baker had two of Carolina's longest six pass plays in 2004, including a team season-high of 52 yards to Chad Scott at Virginia.

Jarwarski Pollock's 147 career receptions are fourth all-time at Carolina. The career leader is Na Brown with 165. Pollock's 1,617 career receiving yards are eighth all-time in school history, behind leader Corey Holliday's 2,447.

Carolina is 1-2-1 against the Jackets when Tech is ranked. The victory was a 26-14 triumph in 1992, which followed a 27-7 win over Virginia the week before in what proved to be a significant turnaround period for the Tar Heel football program.

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Players Mentioned

Matt Baker

Matt Baker

Steven Bell

Mahlon Carey

Barrington Edwards

Trimane Goddard

Ben Lemming

Jarwarski Pollock

Chad Scott

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