University of North Carolina Athletics
Extra Points: Mailbag vs. McNeese State
August 29, 2008 | Football
Aug. 29, 2008
By Lee Pace
Extra Points
Depth charts, uniforms, rules changes, ancillary activities on game day and radio listings are always on fans' minds as opening day of the college football season approaches. We'll knock out the housekeeping stuff at the outset of the inaugural 2008 "Mailbag."
A two-deep chart is included within the weekly media release and is posted on Tarheelblue.com. You can find it by going to the football page and looking in the center of the page. Click on "Weekly Release" and you will find the depth chart.
You'll notice the depth chart this week has "OR" designations beside seven starting positions: left guard, center, tight end and fullback on offense; strongside linebacker and left corner on defense; and place-kicker in special teams.
In some cases both players could almost be considered first-team players, depending on the situation. At fullback, for example, there are certain personnel groups and plays that Bobby Rome will run and some specific to Anthony Elzy. Tight end Richard Quinn does some things better than Zack Pianalto and vice versa, so depending on what offensive coordinator John Shoop is trying to accomplish, one might be used over the other.
Red-shirt freshman Jay Wooten and true freshman Casey Barth are listed as the place-kickers. The coaches aren't saying who has won the job if, in fact, anyone has. Coach Butch Davis alluded to the possibility more than once during training camp of each having a role--perhaps one player being used for kick-offs and long field goals and the other for extra points and shorter field goals. That's one of those details we'll get answers for on Saturday.
In any event, the competition for positions and playing time is a good thing for the Tar Heels. Shoop cites having two players like Rome and Elzy battling it out at fullback.
"Bobby has shed weight and is running better than ever," Shoop says. "That's an example of competition helping him. Bobby is better because Elzy is pushing him every single day. There's no doubt he's better. And Elzy will be a productive member of this team as well."
There are some modest changes to the appearance of the Tar Heels' uniforms this year. There are also major changes to the fabrics used for the pants and jerseys; fans won't notice them but players certainly will.
Carolina is switching from black to white shoes and there will be some subtle changes to the trim of the game pants and jerseys. The light blue pants are a part of the Tar Heels' wardrobe and will be worn for some road games. The helmets remain the same.
"I absolutely love the helmet," Davis says. "I love the color scheme. I don't think if you tried for a hundred years you could create a better look for that helmet. The interlocking `NC' logo, the white stripe, the white face mask--it makes for a very attractive look. All of our players and every kid we've recruited loves it."
Davis likes the look of the helmet so much that its image has become the "mark" of the Tar Heel football program. Before his first season as Carolina's coach last year, the helmet logo was adorned on the tarpaulin across the tunnel from Kenan Football Center onto the playing field. This year, a new carpet with the helmet as the feature has been installed in the Charlie Justice Hall of Honor.
Innovations in fabric manufacturing in recent years are allowing players to wear lighter, tighter uniforms. The Tar Heels' jerseys will have a tight, shrink-wrapped fit, minimizing the grab point that opponents can clutch and hang onto. The material for both the pants and jerseys is lighter in weight and will "wick"--that is, dry quickly from sweat. The wicking/mesh fabric is now being sewn into some areas traditionally covered by non-breathable fabric (such as the upper-back and under the arms, where heat can escape.) The pants in particular will hold less moisture and thus feel lighter to players in the latter stages of early season games.
"I love the new cut of the jerseys," says linebacker Chase Rice. "You want a tight jersey in case a lineman tries to hold you. The new ones will be a lot more comfortable as well. The last few years, our jerseys have almost felt like sweat shirts. They were real thick and hot, particularly at the beginning of the year."
There are two significant rules changes this year in college football. One, a 40-second play clock will start as soon as the ball is ruled dead on the previous snap. Two, all facemask penalties will be for 15 yards--no discretion between 5- and 15-yard facemask calls.
The timing rule is taken from the NFL. No longer will the referee start a 25-second clock after one snap is down, the pileup disperses and the ball is then spotted and marked ready for play. The old rules will be used in the last two minutes of each half. ACC coordinator of officials Doug Rhoads has told the league's coaches he expects a team will still run 70-76 offensive plays, but the game will be 10-12 minutes shorter. Offensive coordinator John Shoop doesn't expect a significant change in the flow of the offense from one snap to the next, except to say that the offense will have to hustle downfield after a big play in order to get the next one off on time.
"I think what you'll see is a lot more consistency with the clock operators," Davis says. "I think the pace of the game will be faster, it will be very similar to the pace in pro football."
A number of fans wondered about game operations, stadium logistics and game-day events. There are no significant changes within Kenan Stadium this year, but the Tar Pit student section has been moved clockwise around the stadium (as you look from above). Student seating will encompass sections 110-121 and will completely bowl the west end zone. A new promotion sponsored by Hardees will provide students a free hamburger for games when the Tar Heels hold an opponent scoreless for the entire game--an incentive for the students to make a lot of noise and disrupt any opposing threats in the west end zone.
Tar Heel Town, held at Polk Place between Wilson Library and South Building, will have more kids-oriented activities such as inflatable slides and bouncers and face-painting. There are also more activities being sponsored and organized by non-university entities. The Carolina Inn will feature a pre-game lawn party (this week with the "Franklin Street" band featuring former Tar Heel color announcer Mick Mixon), and the Town of Chapel Hill is among sponsors of the "Touch Downtown Chapel Hill".
You can follow this link to a listing of media outlets carrying game broadcasts and the weekly TV and Butch Davis Live radio show:
The radio network this year has added seven stations and now has 48 affiliate stations and expects to add several more in 2009 to go over 50 stations. The new stations are WHBK-AM in Marshall; WSYD-AM in Mount Airy; WCDG-FM in Norfolk, Va.; WTRG-FM in Roanoke Rapids; WIAM-AM in Williamston; WGTI-FM in Windsor; and WDRF-AM in Woodruff, S.C. The addition of "Cool 92.1 FM" in the Tidewater area of Virginia is particularly significant in giving Carolina exposure in an important recruiting territory.
MAILBAG QUESTIONS
Being from Tarboro, I know that Shaun Draughn is an amazing athlete. How will he figure in to the game plan this year? I have seen him throw, run, and catch the football, and UNC even made him a defensive player. Do you see him as a multi threat? Will he be on special teams?
Danny Taylor, Tarboro
Draughn has drawn considerable attention during training camp after moving from safety to tailback. He has played well in competing for the back-up role behind Greg Little. He has good speed and strength and thus is a key member of kick coverage teams as well.
"Explosiveness is one word I would use talking about Shaun," quarterback T.J. Yates says. "He's fast, he can explode out of cuts, and he runs with power, too. He was a safety, so he's not a small guy. I am anxious to see what the can do."
"Shaun is explosive and has great vision," adds defensive end E.J. Wilson. "He sees the hole and hits it fast and hard. He can run around you, through you and jump over you. He has all the moves."
How many true freshmen are expected to contribute both in special teams and possibly in the two-deep depth chart, and do you think Jamal Womble will redshirt? And how does the depth chart look at middle linebacker?
Don Blackmon, Lancaster, S.C.
It's too early to say about the freshmen, but the odds are good as the season evolves that from five to seven could play. Of course, a lot depends on how many injuries the Tar Heels have and how much the team's depth is depleted. At the moment, linebacker Zach Brown and place-kicker Casey Barth are the only true freshmen on the two-deep chart.
Three defensive ends, though, have gotten resounding thumbs-up from the coaching staff and players. Quinton Couples, Michael McAdoo and Robert Quinn are tall, strong, fast and athletic.
"Those guys, whew," says defensive coordinator Everett Withers. "They look exactly what they are supposed to look like. They are pressing the older guys for playing time."
Womble, a speedy back from Arizona, has two players above him on the tailback depth chart who have played that position in games (Greg Little and Ryan Houston); the aforementioned Draughn, who is moving over from defense; and a red-shirt freshman who has a year in the program (Devon Ramsay). Little is the starter, Draughn and Womble the smaller, speedier backs, and Houston and Ramsay the power backs.
Senior Mark Paschal is the starting "Mike" linebacker, and junior Kennedy Tinsley has moved from outside to backing up Paschal. Withers commented this week on Paschal's toughness and high football IQ.
"He's a guy that `gets it,'" Withers says. "Mark understands the game of football. It's important for us to have him on the field and to know the situations where he's the best guy. We know those situations, he knows those situations. He's a guy who knows his limitations. When the game's in the box, that's his style."
I was at Meet the Heels and noticed that Cooter Arnold has been moved to wide receiver. Cooter came to Carolina as a running back and then was moved to safety and now to wide receiver. Is there any other UNC player that has been moved around that much in UNC football history?
Will Smith, Raleigh
That's an interesting question and one I posed to a handful of long-time observers of Tar Heel football. We could come up with numerous position switches from one side of the ball to the other, but none where a player made a complete round trip. If anyone can answer that, drop me an email.
There are two players who come to mind who did play three positions--the third slot being deep snapper. Ethan Albright was an early 1990s player who was recruited as a tight end, moved to tackle and also became a deep snapper (he's made a career of the latter skill with the Washington Redskins). Toney Coles was a mid-1990s Tar Heel who was recruited as a quarterback, moved to tight end and saw the most playing time as the deep snapper on the punt team.
Who was the last Tar Heel running back to lead the ACC in rushing?
Cameron Talent, Denton, NC
That's an apropos question entering a year when developing a consistent running game is priority No. 1. Natrone Means led the ACC in 1991 with 1,030 yards and was the 10th Tar Heel since 1969 to lead the league in rushing. The college game has evolved into more of a throwing game over the last two decades, and the Tar Heels have followed suit--but certainly to the detriment of developing and maintaining a sound running game. Since Means led the league in 1991, four Tar Heels have notched thousand-yard seasons: Means in 1992, Curtis Johnson and Leon Johsnon in 1993 and Jon Linton in 1997. Over the last decade, Chad Scott's 796 yards in 2004 has been the best single-season rushing total for a Tar Heel.
There are any number of reasons to believe the Tar Heels will run the ball better this year. Little has nine months of maturation since last November. Houston has lost more than 30 pounds and is faster with the ball. Draughn has potential. Tight end Richard Quinn has made enormous improvement and will be a key blocker, and Aaron Stahl is a strong and athletic center.
"Our primary off-season focus was to develop a good running game," Shoop says. "It will help our quarterback, our wideouts, our defense. I think you'll see a team this year willing and able to run the ball and be physical."
Send your questions about Tar Heel football to Lee Pace at leepace@nc.rr.com and include your name and hometown. No recruiting questions, please. Pace will answer your questions regularly throughout the season on Tarheelblue.com and on the Tar Heel Sports Network's pre-game show.
Players Mentioned
