University of North Carolina Athletics
CAR-O-LINES: Carolina Must Avoid Turnovers, Kicking Mistakes in Season Opener
September 7, 2005 | Football
Sept. 7, 2005
by Rick Brewer, Sports Information Director Emeritus
CHAPEL HILL --
Turnovers and penalities.Avoid them.
The kicking game?
Be as sound as possible.
Those are three things North Carolina coaches will constantly be talking about to their players as they get ready for Saturday's football opener at Georgia Tech.
Turnovers, penalties and the kicking game are areas that are emphasized each week during the season. But, it will be important to pay extra special attention to them in the first game.
It sometimes takes a game for players to get their timing down each season. Even veteran teams are more prone to mistakes in an opening game than ones later in the year. Carolina's inexperience in the backfield makes than an even greater concern.
Just last fall the Tar Heels committed four turnovers and did not force any in a 49-38 opening win over William and Mary. Even with veteran players like Darian Durant, Ronnie McGill and Jacque Lewis the Tar Heels had to come from behind in the fourth quarter in order to win.
The importance of avoiding penalties and turnovers and having a good kicking game was on exhibit in some of the biggest games last weekend.
In what will be one of the biggest upsets of the entire season, TCU stunned Oklahoma in Norman, 17-10. The Sooners lost four turnovers, including three interceptions. TCU scored the winning touchdown on a 17-yard fumble return in the fourth quarter.
Georgia Tech forced five Auburn turnovers in defeating the Tigers, 23-14, and snapping their 15-game winning streak. The Yellow Jackets picked off three passes and recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter alone. Eleven Auburn penalties also helped Tech dominate the time of possession.
Clemson returned a punt for a touchdown and kicked six field goals to upset Texas A&M.
Florida State's lone touchdown was set up by an interception in the Seminoles' 10-7 victory over Miami. The Hurricanes missed two field goals and then failed to even get one off with less than three minutes left after a snap from center was fumbled.
The Seminoles also blocked a punt, although that did not lead to any points
Former Carolina Coach Bill Dooley always worried about those types of mistakes in a season opener.
"Teams sometimes lose games more than an opponent winning them in a first game," he said. "We talked about turnovers all the time, but I was especially worried about them in a season opener.
"I still believe teams can perhaps get beat in the kicking game as quickly as anywhere else. A long return is demoralizing for a kicking team and really is a shot in the arm for the opponent. Blocked kicks may even be worse."
Teams, of course, are always going to make mistakes in every phase of play. But, it was those in the kicking game that worried Dooley as much as anything.
The same was true for Mack Brown. His teams usually spent almost half their Thursday practices working on that aspect of play.
A season opener all Carolina fans would like to forget was against Miami of Ohio in 2002. The Tar Heels lost nine turnovers that day in a 27-21 loss. Rain fell throughout the game, but the mistakes could not be blamed on that. Star quarterback Darian Durant, usually an outstanding ballhandler lost two fumbles and was involved in a third when a snap in a shotgun formation bounced off his facemask.
Because of all the mistakes Carolina had less than 22 minutes of possession time. The Tar Heels still had 447 yards of total offense in that short period, but were absolutely killed by the mistakes.
"Don't even bring up the weather," John Bunting told newsmen afterwards. "That wasn't a factor. Miami only turned the ball over twice. They could hold on to it. We just didn't seem ready mentally and that led to the physical mistakes.
"Our next week of practice may be totally devoted to correcting those mistakes."
This year Carolina opens against a Georgia Tech defense that showed last Saturday at Auburn just how talented it is. Tech also has an outstanding offense with quarterback Reggie Ball, running back P.J. Daniels and wide receiver Calvin Johnson.
But, it's imperative that the Tar Heels be sound in the kicking game and treasure the football. Some of nation's best teams have already found out what can happen if you don't.
