University of North Carolina Athletics
Saturday Practice Notes
August 2, 2008 | Football
Aug. 2, 2008
By Sergio Tovar
Coach Butch Davis likes hot practices and that's exactly what he got for most of practice Saturday.
"I know it's affecting the linemen and the wide-outs because all they do is run the whole time," said quarterback T.J. Yates. "But we got a little break because a storm came through and we thought it was going to rain, so we went inside for a little bit today and got a little break from the sun."
Saturday's practice was interrupted by a lightning warning at 2:30 in the middle of the day's seventh period. That forced the Tar Heels into the Eddie Smith Field House, where they had to change into turf shoes and then went through approximately three team periods before returning outside--stopping to change back into their grass cleats--when the warning passed at 3:15.
After the Tar Heels suffered through a couple early-season miscommunications on Friday, offensive coordinator John Shoop worked out a couple of quarterback/center combinations during Saturday's practice. Yates took snaps from juniors Lowell Dyer and Aaron Stahl, who converted to center in the spring after starting last season at left guard.
"Lowell and Stahl are both doing a great job out there," Yates said. "We're just trying to find the best fit for our line, trying to work through different things to see how some people work with others and how they communicate."
The centers are part of an area of emphasis in the early days of camp. Butch Davis highlighted the importance of finding a cohesive offensive line during the first few days of practice.
"We have to solidify very early who are the five best offensive linemen," he said.
Senior Cooter Arnold is getting some reps with the second team offense as a wide receiver. Arnold played mostly on special teams last year, as a safety in 2006 and as a tailback in 2005.
The team took some time to work on special teams in an effort to solidify some of the positions that Davis said he believed to be very important.
"I think that special teams in some respect kind of define your football team," Davis said. "It's the easiest, quickest way to lose games."
After losing Connor Barth to graduation, the Tar Heels are looking for who will kick off and attempt field goals for the upcoming season. Some of the top contenders include redshirt freshman Jay Wooten and Barth's freshman brother, Casey.
The coaching staff is also looking into who will be the team's long snapper. Ebele Okakpu, Nolan Fry and Trevor Stuart went through long-snapping drills during today's practice.
The only injury note from the year's second practice was starting defensive end E.J. Wilson, who sat out with a left hamstring injury. He is day-to-day. In his absence, Vince Jacobs received some first-team snaps, pairing at end with Greg Elleby.
Officials were back out at practice on Saturday, checking the Tar Heels during team periods for such details as lining up onside and staying out of the neutral zone. How much opportunity is there for playing time at the defensive end position? True freshmen Robert Quinn and Michael McAdoo both took snaps with the second string. True freshman Quinton Coples also earned high praise from Wilson, who called the rookie "the real deal" and a candidate to start at some point in 2008...A somewhat slow-paced team situation period perked up--at least on the defensive sideline--when big Darrius Massenburg picked off an interception and lumbered towards the end zone.
