University of North Carolina Athletics
Be Prepared
August 30, 2010 | Football
Aug. 30, 2010
By Lauren Brownlow
With all the uncertainty surrounding who will and won't play against LSU in Carolina's season-opener on September 4th, it's only natural that the media - and everyone else - would wonder how Carolina could possibly be ready in the next four days.
The answer to that question from head coach Butch Davis was simple, and one he has preached since his arrival - always be prepared.
"We always have to be prepared for any unforeseen things," Davis said. "Throughout the course of all seasons, there are always unforeseen things that can pop up. It could be injuries, we've had kids that miss games because of funerals, there could be any number of things.
"I think the overriding message that I've also tried to deliver to our players is be prepared. You never know when your opportunity will present itself."
There have been many such incidents over the last three seasons, and one Davis cited took place during his first game as a head coach at Carolina. In the season-opener against James Madison, starting SAM linebacker Chase Rice went down with a broken ankle.
Rice had taken all the first-string snaps in the spring and the fall, but suddenly, a true freshman and former quarterback - Bruce Carter - was called upon. And he was more than ready.
Now that Davis has been able to progress his recruiting classes from simply addressing position needs, he has a collection of players, some more experienced than others, ready to step up if need be.
The plan all along for camp was to ensure that the younger players got more practice opportunities than the veterans, simply because they need those reps. Now that the depth chart has become "fluid", those players are using those reps and opportunities to prepare to fill in if necessary.
"It was important for us to develop some depth with this football team on both sides of the ball," Davis said. "Growing your football program is about getting kids ready to play. They've gotten lots of practice opportunities. The twos and the threes have been somewhat the featured players when we've had scrimmages, so I think that they're getting sufficient work."
A player like Mywan Jackson, a sophomore cornerback, is someone who stood out in the spring and will play a big role this season in the secondary. He's prepared for that by not only his practice reps, but also - like the rest of his young teammates getting snaps - watching himself on tape and assessing what he did right and wrong.
Those who have been in the program for 2-3 years as sophomores or redshirt sophomores have an advantage over the freshmen, but Davis' recruiting has ensured that this group of freshmen is ready.
"I am as pleased with this incoming freshman class as any freshman class that we've had since I've been here," Davis said. "They've worked very hard. They've been very, very hungry about their own opportunity to get a chance to play so that part of is very encouraging.
"I think that anything with any of the players in between the senior class and the freshman class, they came to the University of North Carolina because they wanted to be a part of a first-class program and they wanted to play and they wanted to play in big games. That's why they chose to come here."
This coaching staff will prepare this team for everything from LSU's team speed to potential player losses to even the nuances of playing in a dome. It's not technically a road game, but crowd noise plays much more of a role in that setting.
"Obviously, the noise factor is significantly greater but on Wednesday and Thursday's practice, we use the piped-in sound noise, music, overlay it with jet engines and all different kinds of things to try to simulate those kinds of focus issues with your football team," Davis said.
This team has no more control over the LSU fans yelling during a third-and-long situation than it does over the coin toss.
As Texas learned last year in the national championship game, game planning around Heisman candidate quarterback Colt McCoy doesn't matter when he goes out early in the game with an injury.
There's no way to prepare a backup for the magnitude of that situation. And yet backup Garrett Gilbert - understandably shell-shocked at first - very nearly led one of the more improbable comebacks in the history of the title game.
Davis' teams have dealt with the unexpected before - losing T.J. Yates for the latter half of 2008, losing Zack Pianalto for long stretches, losing offensive linemen during games, and even random acts of nature like two-hour lightning delays.
This is on another level, to be sure. But this team has to avoid dwelling on this and only focus on their opponent. LSU is too good of a team for Carolina to be worrying about anything else.
"We've really put the team to the test about staying focused on things that you can control," Davis said. "There are a lot of things that happen during the course of the season that are completely out of our control. Just take care of yourself and make sure you're as well prepared as you possibly can."
Lauren Brownlow is the executive editor of Tar Heel Monthly.
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