University of North Carolina Athletics
Monday Practice Notes
August 21, 2006 | Football
Aug. 21, 2006
By Adam Lucas
Carolina came back from a weekend off with an intense Monday afternoon workout. "They came back with a good mindset," John Bunting said. "I thought practice went pretty well. We finished practice better than we started and that's always exciting."...The weekend off did more than just recharge Carolina mentally. It also allowed some nagging injuries to heal. Shelton Bynum and Scott Lenahan were back practicing with the team Monday afternoon. Durell Mapp remains limited...Bunting announced that Rock Wells, Patrick Marsh, and Justin Warren will be on scholarship this year...Some of those details you read about today in Lee Pace's excellent piece are so tiny most fans never think about them. The Tar Heels spent part of Monday afternoon practicing how Connor Barth would cue the other kick coverage players to start their headlong dash down the field...
Obligatory quarterback update from Bunting: "There is no change. That remains the same." Both Cam Sexton and Joe Dailey equally split the first-team snaps in Monday's workout...Kendric Burney continues to make a push for playing time (go ahead and commit his number-17 jersey to memory now so you'll know the answer when your Kenan seatmates wonder who he is on Sept. 2) but he hasn't earned everything just yet. Marvin Sanders still refers to him as "Rookie" wherever he goes on the field...Kentwan Balmer continues to work exclusively at defensive tackle. Bunting had mentioned the possibility of working him at end later in camp, but it hasn't happened yet. "Right now we are focusing on him being a really good defensive tackle," Bunting said. "We are letting the other guys play defensive end. We'll make a decision probably next week on what to do with Kentwan."...
Tomorrow night is a scrimmage, which means another chance for young players to make a push. Bunting singled out two position groups he'll be watching on Tuesday. "At defensive back there have been some guys who have showed they can play," he said. "They have one more week and then it's game week. This is a very important time for some of those defensive backs and for the offensive line to come together."...
Frank Cignetti's offense is designed to create mismatches all over the field. That can create some unique personnel groupings, so don't be surprised to see a tight end lining up in a fullback-type h-back slot. "There are a couple of personnel groups where I'm playing the H and Jon Hamlett is playing the Y," Richard Quinn says. "The tight ends really have a heavy role in this offense. We have to help the running game with a lot of key blocks, and we are important in the passing game too. If the receivers aren't there for the quarterback, we have to make sure we are always in the right place as an outlet."...Ben Lemming saw action at center, guard, and tackle in Monday's practice. That will change as the week progresses. "By the end of the week, we hope he can focus on two of those positions," the head coach said...
There's been some concern in the email inbox regarding the frequency of interceptions in practice note and practice photo reports. Remember a couple things: as much as the defense is told to react rather than anticipate what's coming, they know what the offense is running. That makes it easier to jump a route. Also, with improved depth and a greater comfort level team-wide with the defense, the Carolina staff is emphasizing turnovers more this year than in seasons past. "We are coaching it more this year," Bunting said. "Every other day we're doing a takeaway circuit. We're working on the specific elements of what it takes to take the ball away. That's something we're doing for the first time this year...Something even more important than anything schematic is having players who can run and players who are aggressive."...
With just two weeks until kickoff against Rutgers and an important scrimmage looming tomorrow night, it's time for some of the young players on the cusp of the two-deep to solidify their positions. One of those youngsters is redshirt freshman E.J. Wilson, who has a chance for playing time at defensive end. "E.J. needs to continue to grow as a player," Bunting said. "He needs to mature in his stamina and his toughness. It's all about mental toughness in this game. He has tremendous athletic ability and we are going to keep working him and coaching him hard."
And today's reader question:
Do you see Elzy or White playing this season? I hope they both redshirt what's the word so far in camp?
It would be a major luxury to redshirt two players like Elzy and White. Richie Rich has had a solid last week, and if he continues that type of play, it might allow both of the true freshmen to redshirt. Ronnie McGill, Barrington Edwards, and Justin Warren are solid bets to play in what running backs coach Andre Powell hopes is a four-back rotation.
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.
