2011 Football Season Starts Saturday
September 2, 2011 | Football
Sept. 2, 2011
North Carolina opens the 2011 season under interim head coach Everett Withers on Saturday, Sept. 3 vs. James Madison. The game will kickoff at 3:38 p.m. and will be televised by the Regional Sports Network.
Withers is the first African-American head football coach in UNC history. He was named to the top post after Butch Davis was dismissed July 27, six weeks before the season began. Withers relinquished his defensive coordinator duties to linebackers coach Art Kaufman and rounded out his staff with the promotion of Steve Sisa to the defensive staff.
This is the first head coaching job for Withers, who is in his 24th season as a coach. The Charlotte, N.C., native played football for Mack Brown at Appalachian State and has coached collegiately at Texas and Louisville as well as for the NFL's Tennessee Titans among other destinations. Withers was hired as UNC's defensive coordinator in 2008 and the Tar Heels have consistently had one of the league's top defenses in his tenure.
Carolina Names Season Captains
• Head coach Everett Withers has named senior center Cam Holland (offense), junior linebacker Kevin Reddick (defense) and senior place-kicker (Casey Barth) captains for the 2011 season. A fourth game captain will be selected each week during the year. Holland is a three-year starter who is a candidate for the Rimington Award (nation's top center). Reddick has led the team each of the last two years in tackles and is a candidate for the Butkus Award (nation's top linebacker). Barth is closing in on the UNC career mark for field goals (needs five) and is the ACC active leader with 50.
Series Notes vs. James Madison
• North Carolina is 1-0 vs. James Madison, beating the Dukes 37-14 in Butch Davis' first season at UNC in 2007.
• James Madison's campus is nearly four hours north of Chapel Hill, approximately 215 miles by car. It is the first of three teams from Virginia the Tar Heels will play this year (vs. Virginia, at Virginia Tech).
• James Madison is the seventh Football Championship Subdivision (FBS) team Carolina has faced in the last eight years. It also marks the fourth time in the last five years the Tar Heels have opened the season against an FBS opponent.
Tar Heels Playing Their 121st Football Season
• Carolina kicks off its 121st football season Saturday against James Madison. The Tar Heels boast an all-time record of 665-493-54.
• Carolina is looking to build on three consecutive eight-win seasons. The Tar Heels have appeared in three straight bowl games for the first time since the 1990s.
Renner Takes Over At Quarterback
• With the graduation of four-year starter T.J. Yates, the quarterbacking duties now fall to sophomore Bryn Renner. Yates established more than 40 school records in his four-year career, and was a stabilizing presence last year as the Tar Heels dealt with the NCAA investigation. Yates led the Tar Heels to three straight bowl games, and had a standout performance in UNC's 30-27 double overtime win over Tennessee. He clocked the ball with 1-second remaining in regulation to set up Casey Barth's game-tying field goal. Yates was drafted in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans.
Waiting in the wings the last two seasons, Renner has attempted just two career passes. He played well in UNC's spring game, completing 9 of 13 attempts for 123 yards and a touchdown. Renner was a SuperPrep All-America signal-caller at West Springfield High School in Virginia where threw for 3,123 yards and 35 touchdowns as a senior. He played for his father, Bill, a former NFL punter for the Green Bay Packers. Bill Renner is now the head coach at East Chapel Hill High School.
• Renner will be backed up by junior Braden Hanson and freshman Marquise Williams. Hanson, a native of Charlotte, N.C., has appeared in three games (all in 2009) and has attempted just six career passes. Williams enrolled at UNC in January and participated in spring workouts.
• Renner is one of 30 FBS quarterbacks, including five in the ACC, making first start this week.
• Renner also played in 15 games on the UNC baseball team in 2010 as a first baseman/designated hitter and had three hits.
Carolina In Season Openers
• North Carolina lost last year's season opener to LSU, 30-24, in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta. The Tar Heels had two opportunities from inside the 10-yard line on the last drive of the game, but could not score the game-winning touchdown.
• Prior to last year's season-opening loss, Carolina had won three straight season openers, all against FCS opponents.
Several Tar Heels On National Award Lists
• North Carolina is well represented on the National Award watch lists released during the preseason. All-America candidate Quinton Coples headlines the list. Considered by many draft experts to be among the top 15 prospects in the country, Coples is a candidate for the Walter Camp Award (nation's top overall player), Bednarik Award (top defensive player), Lombardi Trophy (top lineman), Nagurski Award (top defensive player) and the Hendricks Award (top defensive end).
Other Tar Heels named to preseason watch lists include Cam Holland (Rimington - top center), Dwight Jones (Bilitnikoff - top wide receiver), Casey Barth (Groza - top place-kicker), Tydreke Powell (Outland - top interior lineman; Nagurski - top defensive player; Lombardi - top lineman), Donte Paige-Moss (Bednarik - top defensive player, Nagurski - top defensive player; Lombardi - top lineman; Hendricks Award - top defensive end), Jonathan Cooper (Lombardi - top lineman), Zach Brown (Nagurski - top defensive player; Butkus - top linebacker), Kevin Reddick (Butkus - top linebacker; Bednarik - top defensive player), Matt Merletti (AFCA Good Works Team nominee).
Coples, Jones, Powell Named Preseason All-ACC
Seniors Quinton Coples, Dwight Jones and Tydreke Powell were named to the 2011 Preseason All-ACC Football team in voting conducted by the media at the annual ACC Football Kickoff, which was held July 24-25 at the Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, N.C.
Coples earned first-team All-ACC honors last season at defensive tackle where he posted 59 tackles, 15.5 tackles for losses and 10.0 sacks. A native of Kinston, N.C., he ranked third in the league and 16th in the country in sacks per game. He will return to his natural position of defensive end this fall.
Jones, a native of Burlington, N.C., led the Tar Heels with 62 receptions for 946 yards in 2010. He earned honorable-mention All-ACC honors after finishing fourth in the league with 72.8 receiving yards per game. Jones had four 100-yard receiving games, including a career-best 233 yards in the win at Florida State.
Powell, a native of Ahoskie, N.C., served as a team captain last year and was one of just two defensive players to start all 13 games. He finished the season with 47 tackles and 2.5 sacks. He has been named to the Outland Trophy, Nagurski Award and Lombardi Trophy watch lists.
Change In The Announce Booth
• For the first time in 40 years, Carolina fans will hear a new voice as the play-by-play announcer for the Tar Heel Sports Radio Network in 2011. Jones Angell, who has been a part of the THSN for 11 years, was hired to replace Woody Durham, the long-time voice of the Tar Heels who retired in April. Angell is a native of Jacksonville, N.C., and has worked in a number of roles at the network, including calling play-by-play for Carolina baseball the past eight seasons, which included five trips to the College World Series. He also has served as host and color analyst for football and men's basketball games for the last six years. Angell is a 2001 UNC graduate.
Tar Heels Have Questions at Running Back
• The Tar Heels lost all three of their leading rushers from last season (Johnny White, Shaun Draughn and Anthony Elzy), but welcome back 2009 leading rusher Ryan Houston and redshirt freshman Giovani Bernard in 2011. Houston redshirted last season, while Bernard expects to see his first collegiate action after tearing his ACL in last fall's training camp.
• Houston, a native of Charlotte, N.C., has scored 17 touchdowns in his last 25 games. He is tied for second place among all returning ACC runners in career touchdowns with 18. He rushed for a team-best 713 yards on 191 carries and scored nine touchdowns in 2009.
• Bernard, a highly-touted recruit from Davie, Fla., attended football power St. Thomas Aquinas High School and led the team to back-to-back 5A state titles as a sophomore and junior. He tore his ACL on the third day of last fall's training camp and missed the entire season. In this year's training camp, Bernard suffered a non-displaced fracture of his left hand in a scrimmage on Aug. 15. The injury was not considered serious and he has been limited to non-contact for precautionary reasons.
• Houston fractured his right scapula in Carolina's spring game in April. The injury required surgery and Houston has been limited to non-contact drills during fall training camp. He is expected to play against JMU.
• Carolina's other option at running back is sophomore A.J. Blue, who played in six games and had 33 yards rushing as a wildcat quarterback in 2009. He tore his ACL that season vs. Georgia Southern and redshirted last year. He has practiced at both quarterback and running back at UNC.
• Other candidates at tailback include true freshmen Travis Riley and Romar Morris.
Strength On The O-Line
• Most observers consider Carolina's strength this season to be on the offensive line where the Tar Heels return three starters, including senior center Cam Holland, junior guard Jonathan Cooper and sophomore tackle James Hurst. Those three have combined for 54 starts. Junior guard Travis Bond (4 career starts) and junior Brennan Williams are also slated to start. Senior Carl Gaskins has battled this fall with Williams and should see playing time this year as well.
• Cooper was an All-ACC selection last year and was named to the Lombardi Award watch list. Hurst was a freshman All-America by several publications in 2010 and may be the best of the five.
Barth Stays Consistent
• Place-kicker Casey Barth is one of the most consistent kickers in the country. He has made 50 of 62 career field goal attempts and a school-record 71 consecutive extra points. Barth needs just five field goals to surpass his brother Connor's school-record total of 54.
• Barth owns the school record for most consecutive extra points made (currently at 71). He has not missed an extra point since the season opener vs. The Citadel in 2009. He has the highest percentage of made extra points in school history (105 of 106, 99.1%).
• Last year, Barth earned honorable mention All-ACC honors after converting 19 of 22 field goal attempts, including a long of 49. He made all 38 extra point attempts.
• Barth is the ACC active leader in career field goals with 50.
Walk-Ons Awarded Scholarships
North Carolina interim head coach Everett Withers awarded scholarships for the 2011 season to fullback Curtis Byrd, deep snapper Mark House, holder Trase Jones, running back Matt Kolojejchick, offensive guard Peyton Jenest, defensive end Adam Curry, defensive back Pete Mangum and wide receiver Mark McNeill.
Byrd, a native of Durham, N.C., appeared in 10 games last year and started six. He had 11 receptions for 77 yards. House, a native of Wilmington, N.C., is entering his third year as the Tar Heels' starting deep snapper. Jones, a native of Roanoke Rapids, N.C., has served as Carolina's holder for the past two seasons. He made a great catch and hold on Casey Barth's game-winning field goal at Virginia Tech in 2009. He also returned punts in 2008.
A junior from Raleigh, N.C., Mangum played in every game in 2010 and was named the team's special teams MVP. He joined the team in 2008. Kolojejchick, a native of Plymouth, Pa., played in eight games, primarily on special teams, in 2010. He joined the team in 2009. His sister, Kelse, plays on the UNC field hockey team. A junior from Durham, Curry joined the team in 2008.
Jenest, a native of Davidson, N.C., joined the team in 2008 and has played on both the offensive and defensive lines. He played in four games last year, including the Music City Bowl. Redshirt freshman Mark McNeill joined the Tar Heels last year. He is a midfielder on the UNC lacrosse team who played in all 16 games in 2010. A native of West River, Md., McNeill scored 10 points for the lacrosse team.
Carolina also added three walk-ons who made the team at an on-campus tryout. The players are Luke Heavner, a wide receiver from Jamestown, N.C.; Maurice Copeland Jr., a fullback from Morven, N.C; and Nic Platt, a wide receiver from Miami. Platt transferred from William and Mary last spring after playing on the Tribe football team in the fall.
Sept. 10 Designated At Military Appreciation Day
The University of North Carolina Athletic Department has teamed with UNC campus ROTC units - Air Force, Army and Navy - to honor all current and former members of the United States military at the Carolina vs. Rutgers football game on September 10, 2011. Kickoff at Kenan Stadium is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.
The athletic department will recognize the men and women of our armed forces during pregame and during halftime ceremonies.
"We look forward to honoring those who provide us with the freedom we all enjoy," said Director of Athletics Dick Baddour. "The UNC Campus ROTC units have worked extensively to plan a number of special recognitions for former, current, and future military leaders."
As a part of the celebration, discounted tickets ($25) will be available to all current and former military personnel as well as their accompanying family members to the September 10th game. Tickets may be purchased at the Ticket Center on www.tarheelblue.com or by calling the Ticket Office at 1-800-722-4335 (HEEL).
When ordering online, click on the promotions tab on the left and enter the promotional code "FB11-MILITARY". These tickets only will be available for current and former military personnel and their family members while supplies last. Each conference school has selected one game as military appreciation day as part of a collective ACC initiative.
UNC Football Television/Radio Information
The schedule for North Carolina football head coach Everett Withers' television and radio shows are set for the 2011 season.
"Inside Carolina Football with Everett Withers," a half-hour television program seen each week on Fox Sports South, will make its debut on Saturday, Aug. 27 at 9 a.m. The show features highlights of the previous game, interviews with current and former Tar Heel players, and a preview of upcoming action.
Fans will have an opportunity to phone in and talk with the head coach every week during the football season on the "Everett Withers Live" radio show, broadcast Wednesday nights from Top of the Hill restaurant in downtown Chapel Hill. Withers will be accompanied each week by two player guests.
The first radio show is set for Wednesday, Aug. 31 at 7 p.m. Jones Angell, who enters his first year as the Tar Heels' radio play-by-play man, will host the show.
TELEVISION: Inside The Huddle with Everett Withers airs every Saturday morning on Fox Sports South at 9 a.m. throughout the Southeast and every Sunday at 11:30 a.m. on WTVD (Triangle Market). All shows will be available on demand via Time Warner Cable Channel 1234 (a free On Demand channel).
RADIO: Everett Withers Live will air Wednesday nights at 7 to 8 p.m. The show originates from Top of the Hill Restaurant in downtown Chapel Hill. Aug. 31; Sept. 7, 14, 21, 28; Oct. 5, 12, 19, 26; Nov. 2, 9, 23 (no show on Nov. 16)
Hanburger Named Carolina's ACC Legend
Professional Football Hall of Famer Chris Hanburger has been named Carolina's 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game Legend. The Legends (one from each school) will be honored at this year's Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game weekend. They will be honored at the ACC Night of Legends event on Friday, Dec. 2, and during ceremonies at Bank of America Stadium for the 7th Annual Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship, which has an 8 p.m. kickoff on Dec. 3 and will be nationally televised by ESPN in both HD and 3-D.
Hanburger (1962-64), was a standout linebacker and center for the North Carolina teams of coach Jim Hickey in the early-to-mid 1960s. Named a first-team All-ACC selection as a center in both 1963 and 1964, he helped lead the 1963 Tar Heel team to a 9-2 record, a share of the ACC championship and a 35-0 win over Air Force in the Gator Bowl. Drafted on the 18th round of the 1965 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins, Hanburger went on to play 14 seasons in Washington, where he earned nine Pro Bowl selections and was regarded as one of the best outside linebackers of his era. Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August at Canton, Ohio, he played in 187 NFL games and was voted to the All-NFL team four times. A mainstay of the dominant Washington Redskin teams of the 1970s, he made 19 career interceptions, returning them for 347 yards and two touchdowns. He led Washington to the 1972 NFC Championship and Super Bowl VII. That year, he was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Year. Originally a native of Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, N.C., he now lives in Darlington, S.C.
Merletti on AFCA Good Works Team
Senior defensive back Matt Merletti has been named a nominee for the 2011 Allstate American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team. The award recognizes the selfless contributions to volunteerism and community service made by college football student-athletes across the nation.
Merletti, a native of Cleveland, Ohio, has been involved in several UNC football community service events, including Habitat for Humanity, SECU Family House, elementary school visits, Volunteer for Youth golf clinic, UNC Children's Hospital visits, Share You Holiday program and Kenan Football Center building tours to youth groups.
This year marks the program's 20th year honoring college football players at all levels of competition who stand out for their "good works" in the community. Since 1992, selection to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® has become the gold standard for off-the-field character and leadership for college football players. The honor is widely considered the sport's pre-eminent community service award.
Players Mentioned
