GoHeels Exclusive: Player Notebook

By Pat James, GoHeels.com

Speaking with reporters Monday, Mack Brown said he doesn't think there's much of a difference between North Carolina finishing this season 7-6 or 6-7, from a recruiting standpoint.

But for the coaches and players, a win in next Friday's Military Bowl would go a long way.

"To where we are right now, you could look at this as a good season," said Charlie Heck earlier this week. "But this bowl game is huge. Going out on a winning season, winning a bowl game, from where we've been the past two years, I think that would mean so much for this program and for recruits, just showing where we're headed."

Here are eight more notes from this week's player availabilities.

'Something special'

Of the 21 players remaining from UNC's last bowl team, the 2016 squad that lost to Stanford in the Sun Bowl, only five played in that game. Aaron Crawford and Myles Dorn are two of them, and both said they have a greater appreciation for going bowling now than they once did.

"When you go, you kind of complain a little bit about not being able to go home and not being there for Christmas and all that stuff," Dorn said. "But when you're at home, you don't want to do anything but be with the guys. I think that's definitely something that gives you a new respect for being in the bowl game."

"Before I got here, I always thought, 'Oh, six (wins)? Everybody can do that,'" Crawford said. "Not the case. But it's definitely something I've learned not to take for granted. There are (40) bowl games, so obviously not everybody in the country is in the position we are where we can extend our season. I feel like it's something special we need to hold on to and make sure we keep building year after year so we don't fall down the same path we went on two years ago."

An easy decision

Another player who participated in the Sun Bowl, Jason Strowbridge recently accepted an invitation to the Reese's Senior Bowl and will soon begin the NFL draft process.

In recent years, it's become common for NFL prospects to sit out bowl games and start prepping for their pro careers early. Strowbridge said he "slightly" entertained that idea, but never truly considered it, partially because the Military Bowl will allow him to put more plays on film.

"Every opportunity, I want to take advantage of it," he said. "Why would I sit out?"

Fox's plan

Brown said Monday every junior has told the staff they're planning to return. Although that could certainly change, Tomon Fox said he thinks he'd be best served to come back.

"It's definitely the plan to come back," he said. "I sent in a request to get my grade, just to see what it would be like. But I definitely plan on coming back. I feel like there's a lot more for me in the future if I stay here than leave now."

A well-deserved honor

When he elected to move from quarterback to linebacker in the offseason, Chazz Surratt thought he could find success on defense and increase his chances of playing in the NFL. Making first team All-ACC further validated that decision.

"To be that with my brother, too, was a big thing," said Surratt, referring to his younger brother, Wake Forest receiver Sage Surratt. "And I've just got to credit my teammates and my coaches.

"I've had great teammates the whole year. Those guys up front and the linebackers I play with were all big. (Jeremiah) Gemmel, (Dominique) Ross, (Strowbridge), (Crawford), Tomon, Allen (Cater), they've all been really good this year, so that's helped me out, too."

'The road to 1K'

Sitting at 919 rushing yards, Michael Carter needs 81 more to join Giovani Bernard (2011 and 2012) and Elijah Hood (2015) as the Tar Heels' only 1,000-yard rushers since Brown's first stint in Chapel Hill ended in 1997.

Carter said that's been brought to his attention. He also knows some of his teammates are nearing significant milestones heading into the bowl game.

"I think it's really cool," Carter said. "If you didn't know, Dyami (Brown) and Dazz (Newsome) are both like one big catch away (from 1,000 receiving yards) and Javonte (Williams) is like 150 (away), and that's nothing to Javonte. We're on the road to 1K. We're pushing each other."

Newsome's strides

Following Anthony Ratliff-Williams' early departure to the NFL, Newsome said he entered this season trying to fill the No. 1 receiver role. The junior's numbers suggest he has, as he's hauled in 64 passes for 947 yards and eight touchdowns on a team-high 89 targets, according to Pro Football Focus.

This comes after he posted 62 catches for 733 yards and two touchdowns in his first two seasons.

"I think I've grown a lot," Newsome said. "I think I've gotten more confident in my hands, more confident in my style of play. I feel like I can just play faster."

'A little more cautious'

When Jace Ruder sustained an injury in the fourth game of the season against Appalachian State, Brown said he told Phil Longo not to run Sam Howell in order to keep him from getting hurt. Because Ruder's been sidelined since then, Carolina has had to maintain that approach.

"I always try to take care of myself," Howell said. "But definitely with Jace going down, everyone knows our quarterback situation, so we definitely were a little more cautious when that happened.

"(Vincent Amendola) has come a really long way. Now, he can step in and play whenever we need him to. But there have definitely been times where they've tried to limit me running the ball, definitely tried to promote throwing the ball away a little more instead of running and trying to extend the play."

Brown said the quarterback will be used more in the running game in future seasons.

Age is just a number

In the wake of all the success UNC has had on the field and on the recruiting trail since Brown's arrival, he said "some major schools are recruiting against us now and saying I'm going to quit, that I'm too old." Jeremiah Gemmel refuted that.

"Out of all the coaches on the staff, Coach Mack brings the energy," he said. "Every day you can see it. They can use that against him if they want, but I can tell all the scouts and everybody who comes in, 'Coach Mack does not act his age at all.' He comes in every day with energy.

"A guy that age, if you see him coming in with energy every day at 6 o'clock, 6:30 in the morning, that motivates us to go out there. Why should we be tired when he's up, moving around, energized?"

Players Mentioned

Vincent Amendola

Michael Carter

Aaron Crawford

Myles Dorn

Tomon Fox

Jeremiah Gemmel

Charlie Heck

Sam Howell

Anthony Ratliff-Williams

Jace Ruder

Jason Strowbridge

Chazz Surratt

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