University of North Carolina Athletics
Meineke Car Care Bowl Notes
December 23, 2009 | Football
Dec. 23, 2009
Tar Heels Return To Meineke Car Care Bowl
After posting back-to-back eight-win seasons for the first time in more than a decade, North Carolina concludes the year with a return trip to Charlotte's Meineke Car Care Bowl vs. No. 17 Pittsburgh of the Big East Conference. The game will be televised nationally by ESPN at 4:30 p.m. from Bank of America Stadium, home of the NFL's Carolina Panthers.
This is Carolina's 27th all-time bowl game, third bowl game in Charlotte and second straight trip to the Meineke Car Care Bowl. Carolina played in the 2004 Continental Tire Bowl in Charlotte vs. Boston College and faced West Virginia in last season's Meineke Bowl.
North Carolina finished the regular season 8-4 by winning four of its last five games, including wins at No. 14 Virginia Tech and vs. No. 12 Miami. The Tar Heels defeated five bowl teams - Connecticut, East Carolina, Virginia Tech, Miami and Boston College - and have won five straight over ranked teams dating back to last season.
Pittsburgh enters the Meineke Car Care Bowl ranked No. 17 in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll. The Panthers finished 9-3 overall, 5-2 and tied for second in the Big East standings. Pitt is led by freshman running back Dion Lewis, who ranks third in the nation in rushing.
Carolina has the ACC's top ranked defense and is sixth in the country, allowing just 267.8 yards per game. The Tar Heels are also No. 9 in run defense, No. 13 in pass efficiency defense and No. 13 in scoring defense. Four defensive standouts were named to this year's All-ACC first-team, including defensive end Robert Quinn, linebacker Quan Sturdivant, cornerback Kendric Burney and safety Deunta Williams.
Carolina's Bowl History
• Carolina is appearing in a postseason bowl game for the 27th time in school history and the second consecutive year. This is the first time Carolina has appeared in consecutive bowl games since playing in seven straight from 1993-98. The Tar Heels are 12-14 all-time in bowl games and are looking to break a two-game losing streak in postseason play. A complete listing and recap of Carolina's bowl game history can be found on page 139 of the 2009 North Carolina football media guide.
Tar Heels Post Back-to-Back Eight-Win Seasons
• North Carolina enters the bowl game 8-4 for the second consecutive season. Carolina's 16 wins over the last two years are the most by a Tar Heel team since posting 21 victories in 1996 and 1997. Only Virginia Tech (19), Georgia Tech (19) and Boston College (17) have had more wins in the ACC over the last two seasons.
• Carolina is advancing to a bowl game for consecutive seasons for the first time since 1997-1998.
• A win over Pittsburgh would give Carolina nine wins for just the 15th time in school history. The last time Carolina posted a nine-win season was 1997 when the Tar Heels were 11-1.
Success Against Ranked Teams
• Dating back to last season, the Tar Heels have won five straight against teams ranked the AP Top 25 Poll. Last year, Carolina posted wins over No. 24 Connecticut, No. 23 Boston College and No. 22 Georgia Tech. This season, Carolina knocked off No. 14 Virginia Tech in Blacksburg on Oct. 29 and defeated No. 12 Miami on Nov. 7. This year's win over Miami is the highest ranked team Carolina has defeated since a 31-28 win over No. 4 Miami in 2004.
• Carolina's five-game win streak over ranked teams is the longest in school history. The Tar Heels defeated four consecutive ranked teams in 1992-93.
• The last time Carolina defeated two Top-15 teams in the same season was 2001 when the Tar Heels knocked off No. 6 Florida State, 41-9, and No. 13 Clemson, 38-3. This is only the third time in school history Carolina has defeated two top 15 teams in the same season. The others were 1957 and 1979.
• The last time Carolina won three games over teams ranked in the top 20 (Pitt enters the game No. 17) came in 1979.
Nine Players Earn All-ACC Honors
• Nine North Carolina football players, including four first-team defensive selections, were named to the 2009 All-Atlantic Coast Conference teams as selected by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association (ACSMA). Defensive end Robert Quinn, linebacker Quan Sturdivant, cornerback Kendric Burney and safety Deunta Williams earned first-team honors, while linebacker Bruce Carter, defensive tackle Marvin Austin and place-kicker Casey Barth were named to the second team. Tight end Zack Pianalto and offensive tackle Kyle Jolly were honorable-mention picks.
• Carolina's four first-team selections are the most by the Tar Heels since placing six on the 1997 all-conference squad. Carolina has not had four defensive players make first team since 1997 when five were honored. This is the first year since 2002 that the Tar Heels have had a defensive first-team all-conference selection.
• Quinn, a sophomore from Ladson, S.C., had the second-highest vote total of any defensive player after finishing the season with 19 tackles for losses, including 11 sacks. Quinn ranked first in the ACC in tackles for losses, second in sacks and second in forced fumbles with six. He is the first defensive end to earn first-team All-ACC honors at UNC since Julius Peppers in 2001.
• Sturdivant, a junior from Oakboro, N.C., is the first Tar Heel linebacker to earn first-team all-conference honors since Kivuusama Mays in 1997. For the second straight season, Sturdivant led the Tar Heels in tackles, finishing with 75, including 12 for loss, which ranked sixth in the conference.
• Williams and Burney, both juniors from Jacksonville, N.C., took two of the four all-conference defensive backfield spots. Burney had 48 tackles and five interceptions for 200 yards and two touchdowns. He ranks second all-time in the ACC in interception return yardage and holds the UNC career record for interception returns for touchdowns with three. Burney is the first UNC cornerback to earn first-team all-league honors since Robert Williams and Dre' Bly in 1997. Williams had a team-high six interceptions for 114 yards and finished the regular season with 41 tackles.
• A native of Washington, D.C., Austin had 40 tackles, including six tackles for losses and four sacks. He was joined on the second-team defensive squad by Carter, who was second on the team with 61 tackles, including seven for losses. Barth became the first kicker at UNC since Jeff Reed in 2000 to earn all-conference honors after making 20 of 24 attempts, including 16 in a row at one point this season.
• Despite missing four games to a foot injury, Pianalto was one of the top tight ends in the league with 31 receptions for 308 yards and a touchdown. Jolly graded out as the team's top offensive lineman and had 31 knockdown blocks on the season.
• In the last two seasons, Carolina has had 16 all-conference selections, the most in any two-year period since 1996-97 (22).
Butch Davis & Dave Wannstedt Connection
• North Carolina head coach Butch Davis and Pittsburgh head coach Dave Wannstedt have been on the same Jimmy Johnson coaching staff for 11 seasons, including four at Oklahoma State, three at Miami and four with the Dallas Cowboys. Davis coached tight end and wide receivers at OSU from 1979-83, while Wannstedt was the defensive line coach in Stillwater from 1979-82. The two were reunited in Miami. Davis was the defensive line coach from 1984-88, while Wannstedt joined the staff as defensive coordinator from 1986-88.
• Davis and Wannstedt coached together for four seasons with the Dallas Cowboys under Johnson from 1989-92. Wannstedt served as Johnson's defensive coordinator and Davis was the defensive line coach. After Wannstedt accepted the Chicago Bears' head coaching job in 1993, Davis was promoted to defensive coordinator where he served one season under Johnson and another under Barry Switzer. The Cowboys won Super Bowl XXVII following the 1992 season with Wannstedt as the defensive coordinator and Super Bowl XXVIII following the 1993 season with Davis as the defensive coordinator. The two never met as opposing coaches in the NFL.
Series Notes vs. Pittsburgh
• North Carolina leads the series with Pittsburgh, 4-2, and has won two consecutive games against the Panthers. Four of the six contests have been decided by 10 points or less.
• In the most recent meeting, Carolina posted a 20-17 victory at Pittsburgh in 2000. That game featured a fumble-rooskie touchdown run by Willie Parker, who was making his first career start. Parker was named ACC rookie of the week for his performance against the Panthers with 61 yards rushing and another 54 receiving.
• In one of the most memorable games in Carolina history, No. 5 UNC lost at No. 1 Pittsburgh, 7-6, in 1982. The game was played at Three Rivers Stadium in primetime on CBS. It was the network's first regular-season college football game in 19 years. Future Hall of Famer Dan Marino threw a 4-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter to give the Panthers a 7-3 lead. Marino was 15 of 28 for 125 yards and four interceptions against the Tar Heel defense. Kelvin Bryant led the Tar Heels with 58 yards rushing and five receptions for 22 yards.
• Pittsburgh has been ranked in four of the previous six meetings, but is just 2-2 in those games. Carolina knocked off No. 17 Pitt, 45-29, in the first meeting in 1974, and beat No. 13 Pitt, 17-7, in 1979. Both of those wins came in Chapel Hill.
• Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti served one season as North Carolina's offensive coordinator under then-head coach John Bunting in 2006. Bunting was dismissed following the season and Cignetti coached the following year with the San Francisco 49ers in 2007, Cal in 2008 and Pittsburgh this year.
• Pittsburgh offensive line coach Tony Wise worked on the same staff with Butch Davis and Dave Wannstedt at Oklahoma State (1979-83), Miami (1985-88) and Dallas (1989-92). Pitt strength and conditioning coach Buddy Morris worked under Davis with the Cleveland Browns from 2002-05
Carolina's Bowl History In Charlotte
• Carolina is making its third appearance in Charlotte's bowl game, which began in 2002 as the Continental Tire Bowl. The Tar Heels lost each of their last two games in the Queen City, including 2004 vs. Boston College (37-24) and 2008 vs. West Virginia (31-30). Carolina was the first team from the state of North Carolina to play in the bowl game and is the only team to play in this game three times.
• Carolina has played in 11 different bowl cities. UNC is 5-2 in Jacksonville (Gator), 2-2 in El Paso (Sun), 1-0 in Houston (Bluebonnet), 1-0 in Miami (Carquest), 2-3 in Atlanta (Peach/Chick-fil-A), 0-1 in Dallas (Cotton), 0-1 in Honolulu (Aloha), 0-2 in New Orleans (Sugar) and 0-2 in Charlotte (Continental Tire/Meineke)
• In 2004, Boston College's 21-yard touchdown on a fake field goal highlighted a 16-point fourth quarter as the Eagles defeated Carolina, 37-24. UNC quarterback Darian Durant threw for 260 yards and three touchdowns in his final game as a Tar Heel. The loss to Boston College snapped a five-bowl win streak for the Tar Heels.
• Last year, West Virginia's Pat White threw for 332 yards, including a 20-yard scoring pass midway through the fourth quarter to give the Mountaineers a 31-30 victory. UNC wide receiver Hakeem Nicks had a spectacular day with eight receptions for 217 yards and three touchdowns. Nicks set Carolina bowl records for receiving yards and touchdowns. His behind-the-back catch was the No. 1 play of the postseason according to ESPN.
Carolina Football In Charlotte
• North Carolina has played 21 football games in Charlotte and has an overall record of 15-4-2. That includes a 10-1-2 record against Davidson, 2-0 vs. NC State, 1-0 vs. Virginia Tech, 1-0 vs. VMI, 1-0 vs. Wake Forest, 0-1 vs. Clemson, 0-1 vs. Boston College and 0-1 vs. West Virginia.
• The Tar Heels played consecutive regular season games against NC State in Charlotte in 1998 and 1999. The Tar Heels defeated NC State 10-6 in a 1999 ESPN Thursday night game, making a goal line stop to preserve the victory. In 1998, Carolina won a thrilling, 37-34, overtime game against the Wolfpack as 68,797 fans packed Ericsson/Bank of America Stadium to watch it. At the time it was the largest college football crowd in the state of North Carolina history. It was also the Tar Heels' first overtime game in school history. Before the pair of NC State games in 1998 and 1999, Carolina had not played in Charlotte since a 43-14 win over Davidson on Nov. 7, 1942.
Tar Heel Ties With Charlotte
• Six current Tar Heel players and one assistant coach are from Charlotte or the surrounding area, including linebacker Hawatha Bell (Charlotte/Butler), quarterback Braden Hanson (Charlotte/Latin), sophomore tailback Ryan Houston (Charlotte/Butler), defensive back Josh Hunter (Charlotte/Mallard Creek), offensive tackle Mike Ingersoll (Mint Hill/Butler), sophomore defensive end Vince Jacobs (Charlotte/Vance). Hanson attended Charlotte's Latin High School where the Tar Heels will practice during bowl week.
• North Carolina defensive coordinator Everett Withers was born in Charlotte, N.C., and attended Appalachian State where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1985. Withers was a defensive back at Appalachian State and played with Troy Douglas, Carolina's defensive backs coach.
• North Carolina offensive coordinator John Shoop worked four seasons with the Carolina Panthers from 1995-98. Shoop, who has 12 years of NFL experience, earned his first NFL job as an offensive quality control coach under then-head coach Dom Capers. Shoop was promoted to quarterbacks coach for the 1997 and 1998 seasons.
• Two current Carolina Panthers - defensive ends Julius Peppers and Hilee Taylor are members of the Carolina Panthers. Panthers' radio play-by-play man Mick Mixon served as color analyst with the Tar Heels for 16 seasons from 1989-2004. He is in his fifth year with the Panthers.
Carolina Defense Ranked No. 6 In The Country
• North Carolina is ranked in the top 15 in the country in all four major defensive categories. The Tar Heels are No. 6 in total defense (267.8 avg.), No. 9 in rushing defense (92.8 avg.), No. 13 in pass efficiency defense (103.9 rating), 13th in scoring defense (16.9 avg.) and 15th in passing defense (174.9 avg.). The last time North Carolina finished ranked in the nation's top 10 in total defense was 1997, when the Tar Heels were No. 2.
• Carolina's run defense has held nine of 12 opponents under 100 yards on the season. Duke rushed for just 12 yards, the fewest by a UNC opponent this year (previous 30 by The Citadel). It's the fewest since Wake Forest had minus-two yards in 2000. In the last six games vs. Florida State (43 rushing yards), Virginia Tech (95), Duke (12), Miami (116), Boston College (97) and NC State (76), Carolina held its opponents to 73.2 rushing yards per game.
• Carolina's defense has held eight of its 12 opponents under 270 yards, including five to fewer than 200 yards.
• The Tar Heels have held eight of 12 opponents to 17 points or less this season. Carolina posted a second-half shutout at Boston College in a 31-13 win. UNC held Duke to just six points and shut out the Blue Devils in the second half. A week earlier, Carolina shut out Virginia Tech in the first half and held the Hokies to 17 points. Carolina allowed a season-high 24 points twice this season - in a 24-7 loss at Georgia Tech and a 33-24 win vs. Miami.
• The last time Carolina allowed less than 300 total yards per game was in 1997, when UNC's defense ranked in the top 10 nationally in all major statistical categories.
• North Carolina is ranked third in the nation in tackles for losses (8.4 avg./101 total) and tied for 26th in sacks (2.5 avg./31 total). Carolina had 22 sacks in 2008, which ranked 11th in the ACC, and has 31 in 2009. UNC has already exceeded its 2008 total (68) for tackles for losses with 101.
• The 33 points allowed by the Tar Heels in the first three games of the season are the fewest in any three-game span since the final two games in 1999 and the first game of 2000. In 1999, Carolina held NC State to six points and shutout Duke. Tulsa scored nine points against UNC in the 2000 opener. The last time UNC held three consecutive opponents to 20 or fewer points was 2000 vs. Virginia, Pittsburgh, Maryland.
• No Carolina defensive players have missed a start this season due to injury. Carolina has 289 career starts among its starting 11 defenders, including 37 by defensive backs Deunta Williams and Kendric Burney, who have never missed a start in their careers.
Turnover Margin Plays Key Role
• Carolina's won-loss record has been determined primarily by its ability to create turnovers, particularly interceptions. The Tar Heels caused 27 turnovers in the eight wins (19 interceptions, 8 fumbles) and had a turnover margin of +11. In its four losses, Carolina had just one takeaway (fumble) and had a turnover margin of -8.
• Carolina has forced 22 turnovers in the last seven games after only producing seven in the first five. In consecutive wins over No. 12 Miami and at Boston College, the Tar Heels had nine interceptions, including four vs. the Hurricanes and five vs. the Eagles.
• North Carolina had 14 takeaways in a late season four-game win streak. The Tar Heels forced six in a 31-13 win at Boston College, four in a 33-24 win vs. Miami, two in a 19-6 win over Duke and two in a 20-17 victory at Virginia Tech. The Tar Heels were +8 in turnover margin during the streak.
• After a 16-3 loss vs. Virginia (fifth game of the season), Carolina ranked 106th in the country with a -1.06 turnover margin. Since that game, Carolina is +9 in turnovers and is now ranked 46th in the country with a +0.25 turnover margin. UNC did not have a positive turnover margin ranking until after the Miami game (10th game of the season). Last season, North Carolina was 29th in the country in turnover margin (+0.46), its highest ranking in nine years. UNC Leads The Nation in Interception Return Yardage
• North Carolina leads the country with a school-record 508 interception yards and is second in the country with four interception returns for touchdowns. Mississippi State is second with 417 interception yards and has five TDs on interception returns. Eight different players have intercepted at least one pass this year, including six by safety Deunta Williams, five by cornerback Kendric Burney, three by cornerback Charles Brown and one each from linebacker Zach Brown, linebacker Bruce Carter, cornerback Gene Robinson, safety Melvin Williams and safety Da'Norris Searcy.
• Carolina also has 98 yards on fumble returns, including two for touchdowns. Combined, Carolina has 606 yards on interception or fumble returns and six touchdowns.
• Carolina's 508 interception return yards are a single-season school record. The previous mark of 467 was set last year on 20 interceptions. Over the last two seasons, Carolina has intercepted 39 passes for 975 yards and eight touchdowns. Carolina has averaged 1.56 interceptions per game over the past two seasons.
• Carolina's four touchdowns on interception returns matches the school record set last season.
• The Tar Heels are seventh in the country with 19 interceptions. Carolina picked off 11 passes during a three-game stretch vs. Duke (2), Miami (4) and Boston College (5). In 2008, Carolina ranked eighth in the country with 20 interceptions. UNC needs just two more interceptions to match the school record of 21 set in 1972.
Carolina Third in Third-Down Conversion Defense
• North Carolina ranks third in the country in third down conversion defense as opponents have converted just 47 of 165 attempts on third down. During the last five games, Carolina is holding opponents to 16 of 66 on third down (24 percent), including 4 for 12 at NC State, 0 for 13 vs. Boston College, 4 for 13 vs. Miami, 2 for 13 vs. Duke and 6 for 15 vs. Virginia Tech.
Quinn Having Sensational Sophomore Season
• Sophomore Robert Quinn, who is fortunate to be playing football, is one of the best defensive ends in the country. The 6-5, 270-pound native of Ladson, S.C., has 49 tackles, including 19.0 tackles for losses of 120 yards and 11.0 sacks for 94 yards. He also has forced six fumbles and has 15 quarterback hurries. The 2008 ACC Piccolo Award Winner (league's most courageous player), Quinn underwent emergency brain surgery for a tumor early in his senior season at Fort Dorchester High School. After gaining clearance from his doctors to return to athletic competition, Quinn came back from surgery to win the state high school heavyweight wrestling championship.
• Quinn ranks first in the ACC and ninth in the country in tackles for losses and second in the league and 10th in the nation in sacks. For his career, Quinn has 25.5 tackles for losses and 13.0 sacks in 24 games.
• Quinn finished runner-up to Georgia Tech's Derrick Morgan for ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors. He was also on the Ted Hendricks Award list as one of the nation's top defensive ends.
• Quinn had a great game vs. Duke with seven total tackles, 3.0 sacks, 4.5 tackles for losses, a pass break up on fourth down, a forced fumble and six quarterback hurries. Against Virginia, he had seven tackles (all solo stops), a career-best three sacks and four tackles for losses of 28 yards. Quinn had a career-high 10 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, at Georgia Tech.
• In off-season training between his freshman and sophomore seasons, Quinn broke Julius Peppers' school record in the 40-yard dash by a defensive end by running a 4.51. Quinn also topped Kentwan Balmer's school mark by a defensive lineman in the power clean at 366 pounds. Balmer was a first-round pick in 2007 by the San Francisco 49ers. Quinn has a 10-0 mark in the standing broad jump and has a vertical jump of 32 inches.
