University of North Carolina Athletics
Turner's Take: The Fun Part
August 26, 2015 | Football, Featured Writers, Turner Walston
“This is the fun part,” Landon Turner said after Tuesday's practice. “This is the part I get excited about.” The senior right guard was referring to the flip of the switch as the calendar turned from training camp to game prep after Monday's off day. Carolina's meeting with South Carolina is just eight days away now, and the Tar Heels began to install the game plan for the Belk College Kickoff. With the light of the season at the end of the tunnel (and that tunnel being the one the Tar Heels will run out of at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on September 3rd), the intensity has picked up. “It's completely different,” Turner said. “We've already been breaking down film and running against some South Carolina looks.”
Additionally on Tuesday, the Tar Heels were handed their playbooks for next week's game. During training camp, the players are handed nearly everything they expect to run in the season. But in game week, the plan is pared down and tailored to the specific opponent. “We don't always tote every play in our offense into a game,” junior receiver Bug Howard said. “So then, it's just narrowing it down to a little circle and being focused and understanding that.” The players drill down on that 'little circle' of a game plan and pay attention to the details.
South Carolina added former Chicago Bears defensive backs coach Jon Hoke to the staff this off-season, so the Tar Heel offense has watched film from the Gamecock spring game and footage of the Bears secondary. “We've been comparing those two things,” Howard said, “and trying to predict what they're going to do on Thursday.”
Certainly, South Carolina is looking at Tar Heel film as well. And just as the Gamecocks are sure to throw a wrinkle at the Tar Heels, Howard said the Carolina offense has evolved as well, and they won't be exactly 'as seen on TV (or film).' “We've got a good running back crew, and we're going to run the ball more often than we did last year,” he said. “It's going to be different. Everybody's coming back with experience. It's going to be a lot different.”
At Tuesday's practice, Carolina scout team members wore garnet and white to represent the Gamecocks and show the Tar Heels what they can expect to see on the field next Thursday. After weeks of working against one another, the Tar Heels were pumped to prepare for another opponent. “You see guys more focused now,” senior quarterback Marquise Williams said. “There's not too much playing around, as there usually is when we go against the defense. It's not too much talking, it's just going out and doing what we need to do, executing and just doing what we need to do, because this is a big game for us and we're very excited to have this opportunity to play down in Charlotte.”
With kickoff on Thursday, the Tar Heels will be on the practice field Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week, take Saturday off and begin game week with practice on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday before hitting the road on Wednesday. With training camp behind them and a live opponent waiting next week, the season is almost here. “It's that much closer, and you can defintely feel it, because we got our notebook that has 'South Carolina' on it,” Turner said. “The game's less than ten days away. There are just a lot of things that are really raising the excitement level for us.”
