University of North Carolina Athletics
Extra Points Mailbag
November 21, 2008 | Football, Featured Writers, Lee Pace
Nov. 21, 2008
by Lee Pace, Extra Points
Ten games into the 2008 football season, the Tar Heels have posted a 7-3 record, have had a solid shot at landing a spot in the ACC championship game (and still retain a slim one), have made noticeable improvement in most every position over a year ago and appear on track to having an outstanding recruiting class. And they are better in week 11 than they were in week two, which is the bottom line goal of any sporting season.
Yet despite all that is going right with the program, one Tar Heel fan had zipped off a testy email within 24 hours of the 17-15 loss to Maryland about another "Carolina football team breaking my heart."
I think it's far too early in the new era of Tar Heel football to be suffering such misery. This is a season to be celebrated and enjoyed, a fall that has seen a collection of veterans and rookies, great players and average players coalesce into a team that is beginning to understand what it takes to be consistently successful.
I'd suggest waiting until the Tar Heels have been consistently in the Top 10 and return a roster full of a dozen senior starters before you get your hopes so high--and reasonably so--that a mid-November loss leads to heartbreak.
The Maryland loss was certainly painful. But it wasn't as blistering as the last time Carolina visited College Park--that a 59-21 cakewalk for the Terps. What I remember most about that game was the Heels having to call a timeout once because they couldn't get their wholesale defensive substitutions on and off the field quickly enough. That was when they were substituting speed (relatively speaking) for bulk (relatively speaking as well) depending on down-and-distance. Cornerback Michael Waddell from that defense could play for this year's unit, and Dexter Reid and Chase Page would find roles. But not another starter in 2003 would be on the two-deep today. So let's keep things in perspective.
Still, though, lots of folks were in snippy moods after the Maryland loss.
Some wondered if place-kicker Casey Barth "doesn't care" because he was seen on television smiling after missing a field goal. That's insane.
Barth missed a 28-yard field goal in the third quarter when the kick hit the left upright and bounced away. His teammates gave him encouragement after the miss--"keep your head up," "stiff upper lip," that kind of thing. He's a true freshman whose psyche is more fragile that that of, say, a more seasoned played like his brother Connor would have been a year ago as a senior. Instead of having Barth trudge to the sideline and stew until called upon again--not a good recipe for success--the idea was to get him to shake it off, put the botched kick into a "mental trash can" and move on to the next opportunity.
That psychology is one of Butch Davis's coaching strengths. Whenever a player makes a mistake, Davis is often the first one to meet him when he exits the field. Instead of chewing him out, Davis's message is that, "We might need you again later in the game." He'll point out a flaw in their technique or a coaching point for more focus.
Barth and his fellow kickers, who congregate to the right end of the bench area where the kicking net is positioned, are open targets for hecklers on road games where the visiting team's student section is positioned toward that side. That's where the Maryland students were and they were having a field day with Barth after his miss.
So add it all up--the efforts on everyone's part to have Barth begin preparing mentally for the next kick and to distract themselves from the catcalls from the Terp fans--and you have Barth and fellow kicker Terrence Brown having a light moment. Nothing more, nothing less.
Others wondered if Davis was playing "more not to lose rather than to win" because he opted for a punt instead of a 50-yard field goal or made what some see as conservative decisions. That too is laughable.
The Tar Heel coach did in fact call on Brown to punt early in the fourth quarter with the Heels at the Terrapin 33 yard-line. On a very slippery field where plant-foot traction was nebulous at best; at a distance that Barth had not yet proven himself; and with a wet ball in heavy air, Davis made the decision that a field goal was not a good risk-reward. A missed field goal would give Maryland the ball at its 33; a blocked kick perhaps even better field position.
Instead, Davis called for the punt team and, if executed properly, the result could have been viewed as being an aggressive "play to win" ploy. You want a "coffin corner" kick or a high floater than falls inside the 10 yard-line. Perhaps the opposing return man will make an attempt at a fair catch and lose control of the ball. At the very least, the opposition begins its possession inside the 10. With a three-and-out defensive stand, now you have Bruce Carter rushing the punter, who's kicking from his end zone. At worst, the Tar Heels get their next possession at midfield or better.
But it takes a good punt in order for the idea to work. Brown aimed a low-liner for the left corner but whiffed it. It angled to the right, straight to the Maryland return man, who fielded it and slipped through two defenders who had overrun the kick. The result was Maryland ball at the 24--a swing of nine mere yards.
It all goes back to execution. Had Barth been called on to kick a 50 yarder and missed as badly as Brown did on his punt, the field goal wouldn't have been close. The Tar Heels need both Barth and Brown to kick the ball well against N.C. State. They have played well all throughout mid-season, but Barth pulled that 28-yarder and Brown punted five times for a 30-yard average at Maryland.
There are plenty of examples of Davis "playing to win" in his nearly two years as the Tar Heels' coach. The one that pops most readily to mind was his decision to run the ball on fourth-and-1 from the minus-42 on the game's fourth snap two weeks ago against Georgia Tech. His players certainly don't think they are playing safe.
Some won't be happy until the defense blitzes a linebacker or safety or both every other snap. But as I've written often on this site, that's not the personality of this staff and defensive scheme. It's a zone-based scheme and it's done fairly well (18 interceptions this year is tied for second nationally). This defense is also a work-in-progress; it has holes that need to be filled either through internal maturation and development and/or recruiting. When that happens, you'll see them taking a few more chances.
Could you please provide an explanation for what took place around the two minute mark? The "no catch" play near the goal line took place around 2:20. The play was ruled a catch on the field and the clock wound down to 1:39. The play was overturned and ruled an incomplete pass. With the incomplete pass, shouldn't the clock time have been returned to two-plus minutes? The officials put it back to 1:45? Why?
Paul Prelovsky, Lower Macungie, Pa.
There is not a good explanation. Davis complained at the time and didn't get anywhere. He called the ACC supervisor of officials Monday morning and was waiting to hear back at the time he had his weekly news conference.
"There's no question, those 40 seconds would have made a difference in how you call your next possession," Davis said.
Then on his radio show Wednesday evening, Davis said the league office had confirmed that the clock should have been reset to the time at which the pass was incomplete.
"Still, there was plenty of time to score, plenty of time," offensive coordinator John Shoop says. "We had the opportunities--we just didn't make the most of them. We should have been at the 35 in three plays, no sweat."
At the time I wondered who the intended receiver was on Sexton's interception as there wasn't a Tar Heel in clear view. Watching the replay, though, it was evident that Hakeem Nicks was the receiver but he was bumped by a Maryland defender while the ball was in the air and couldn't come close to getting to the ball. That said, Sexton was making a risky throw into double-coverage and should have checked down to an open receiver underneath.
I was hoping the Tar Heels would have a chance to make the ACC championship game. The Maryland loss was a slap in the face, but I remain hopeful. What needs to happen if UNC is to slip in the back door to Tampa?
Christopher Joyner, Fayetteville
Georgia Tech's impressive win over Miami Thursday night leaves the Coastal Division in quite a stew: Five teams have three losses. So there are infinite scenarios of what could happen the two weeks of the regular season.
Here are the games left for each contender:
The Tar Heels (3-3) have State and Duke.
Georgia Tech (5-3) is through with its ACC schedule.
Miami (4-3) has to play at N.C. State.
Virginia Tech (3-3) has two home games left--against Duke and Virginia.
Virginia (3-3) is at home to Clemson and then travels to Virginia Tech.
Priority No. 1 for the Heels is to win out and finish 5-3. One permutation that would work in their favor is the following: Clemson beats Virginia to give the Cavaliers their fourth loss, then Virginia beats Virginia Tech to get the Hokies to four losses. That way Carolina would win any tie-breaker combinations against Miami and Georgia Tech. Carolina cannot tie with Virginia Tech or Virginia as the Heels would lose the tiebreaker against both teams.
I have to commend you on an excellent article on the Maryland loss. You brought back some childhood memories for me. Recently a local radio station here in Charlotte was taking calls on the worst loss of your life. Immediately I thought of that "Boomer" game. One of only two times I cried over Tar Heel football. The other you will have to help me with. Clemson at Kenan. I was in elementary school and went with my father and two uncles. Best I can remember, we lost the ball on a screen and Clemson scored and we lost 10-8. Can you give me any more details on that game? I seem to remember one of us was ranked nationally.
Robert B. Bell, Jr., Charlotte
Okay, now we are taking heartbreak. That loss in 1981 sticks in my craw today as well. Clemson under coach Danny Ford was ranked No. 2 in the nation, the Tar Heels under Dick Crum were No. 8. Quarterback Rod Elkins missed the game with an injury and was replaced by Scott Stankavage. One of the key plays was the Heels blocking a second-half punt in the end zone--the ball bounced out of the playing field, giving Carolina a safety. Had the Heels recovered it, it could have been for the winning touchdown. Clemson went on to beat Nebraska in the Orange Bowl, and the Tar Heels finished a 10-2 season by beating Arkansas in the Gator Bowl.
Chapel Hill writer Lee Pace is in his 19th year of chronicling Carolina football through "Extra Points." He'll answer questions about the Tar Heels weekly throughout the season through his "Extra Points Mailbag" and on the pregame show for the Tar Heel Sports Network. Email him at leepace@nc.rr.com and include your name and hometown. No recruiting questions, please.
