University of North Carolina Athletics
Thursday Practice Notes
August 24, 2006 | Football
Aug. 24, 2006
By Adam Lucas
As training camp is winding down, school is beginning. The Tar Heels went through their first practice on a class day Thursday afternoon and drew some heat from John Bunting for lacking urgency. "It was the first day of practice with school, and it was very slow. It's as simple as that," Bunting said. Since arriving at Carolina, the head coach has consistently encouraged players to, "Practice like you play." Feeling that practice didn't reflect game speed, he extended one practice period Thursday. "Practice faster," he told his team over the practice field PA system...
Tomorrow's hot topic in the newspapers will likely be the status of Aleric Mullins. Here's Bunting's comments on him: "Aleric has been cleared by the clearinghouse to come to North Carolina to go to school, practice, and train but will not be allowed to play this year. After this year he'll have three years of eligibility left. If he meets certain criteria by that third year, he'll be able to earn another year."...With Mullins not eligible to play this year, that may increase the need for Tavares Brown to move into the defensive line rotation...Brown is one of a handful of true freshmen who will play this year. Hakeem Nicks's standout camp has been well documented. One true freshman who hasn't been mentioned much is Ryan Taylor. "There's a great chance Ryan Taylor is going to play for us," Bunting said. "He has shown a tremendous amount of urgency to play on special teams. He is a fierce competitor."...
Another freshman likely to see the field is Kendric Burney. What kind of camp has he had? So good that defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Marvin Sanders has done a complete 180. "He has really surprised me with his playmaking ability," Sanders said. "I watched him play cornerback and safety in high school and thought he could play. Then I watched him play cornerback at the Shrine Bowl and I thought I had made the worst evaluation. I told him that. I told him I didn't think he could play at this level. But he has shut me up. He is a playmaker."...
Obligatory quarterback paragraph follows: "It has been exciting to watch them practice," Bunting said. "Frank Cignetti and I have talked about it for two consecutive days and we will talk again probably on Sunday."..."What we'll discuss is what's best for the football team," Cignetti said. "We see two guys that are capable of running this offense. Joe and Cam have done a very nice job of doing what they've been asked to do. To name one guy the starter right now would be very unfair."...Bunting sounds very comfortable with the idea of playing two quarterbacks against Rutgers. Video maven Chris Allen pulled some tape from 2001 this week so the staff could watch the way the Tar Heels balanced Ronald Curry and Darian Durant...
An injury to Durell Mapp is forcing some juggling among the linebackers. The Tar Heels worked some Thursday with a three-man crew of Larry Edwards, Mark Paschal, and Chase Rice. Victor Worsley will work into that mix as well if Mapp is unable to go against Rutgers...As you start thinking about gameday on Sept. 2, make sure you are allowing plenty of time to navigate campus traffic. This is the part where seasoned ticketholders usually roll their eyes, but ignore the warning at your own risk--many frequently used routes aren't available this year. We'll have more information, including an updated parking site from the Department of Public Safety, next week. In the meantime, your best bet is to plan to arrive plenty early...Beginning next week, Lee Pace's Friday Mailbag will return to TarHeelBlue.com. But Lee can't do the column without help from loyal readers. Drop him an email (make sure to include your first and last names and your hometown) with your best questions regarding Tar Heel football and he'll have the answers next Friday.
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.
