University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels In The NFL: Week Nine
November 5, 2013 | Football
Compiled by Andrew Tie, GoHeels.com
Bernard explodes in national game
On Halloween night, Bengals running back Gio Bernard had one of the most exciting plays in the NFL all year. Bernard showed off his quickness and playmaking ability, which was always evident throughout his career at UNC.
He's received a lot of praise for a 35-yard TD run with comparisons to Barry Sanders. SportsCenter tracked his movement and said he ran more than 100 yards on the play. A USA Today article said Bernard cemented himself as a solid candidate for offensive rookie of the year.
Bernard came out of the game with a rib injury, but it's not expected to be serious.
Coples' impact not on stat sheet
Two tackles on the stat sheet don't do Quinton Coples justice. One of those tackles was a huge fourth-and-inches stop in the fourth quarter against New Orleans, and he also had three QB hits and batted down a Drew Brees pass.
"He did a great job getting pressure," said defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson. "Q definitely had a breakout game today, and we expect that from him every week."
On the fourth down play, Brees handed it off on a reverse to a tight end, and Coples met him for a big tackle for loss.
"This is a big win for us," Coples said. "That was a great team we just beat. We're just looking forward to the future and getting back after this bye week."
Matchups to watch this week
Anytime Gio Bernard plays, Tar Heel fans are interested, especially coming off that huge performance. The Bengals next play the Baltimore Ravens, who have one of the stingiest run defenses in the NFL.
Two matchups including former Heels include Denver (Sylvester Williams) at San Diego (Cam Thomas) and Dallas (Bruce Carter) at New Orleans (Kevin Reddick).
Statistics from Tar Heels
Gio Bernard, Cincinnati RB - 9 rushes for 79 yards and 2 TD, 4 rec. for 25 yards
Zach Brown, Tennessee LB - 4 tackles
Bruce Carter, Dallas LB - 6 tackles
Quinton Coples, New York Jets LB - 2 tackles
Greg Little, Cleveland WR - 7 rec. for 122 yards
Julius Peppers, Chicago, DE - Sack and an INT
Robert Quinn, St. Louis DE - 3 tackles
Da'Norris Searcy, Buffalo SS - 1 tackle
Brandon Tate, Cincinnati WR - 2 KOR for 22-yard avg, 6 PR for 8-yard avg
Cam Thomas, San Diego DT - 1 tackle
