University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: ANTHONY SORBELLINI
Extra Points: Boys Of Fall
October 31, 2024 | Football, Featured Writers, Lee Pace
By Lee Pace
"And it's knocking heads and talking trash
"It's slinging mud and dirt and grass
"It's I got your number, I got your back when your back's against the wall
"You mess with one man you got us all
"The boys of fall."
The strains of Kenny Chesney's 2010 ode to small town Friday nights filled the defensive meeting room in Kenan Football Center one day last week. The music was laid over clips of Tar Heels as high school players—Kaimon Rucker darting from the edge in Hartwell, Ga., Power Echols blowing up some ball carrier in Charlotte, Alijah Huzzie playing quarterback on the plains of western Georgia.
"I love that song, it brings back so many memories," Carolina defensive coordinator Geoff Collins says. "It puts you back on the field on Friday nights with your guys, playing ball, cutting it loose and having fun. Sometimes you can get caught up in everything else and forget why you play, what drew you to the game when you were a kid."
A football season wrought by four straight losses and the death of a teammate can certainly mask that innocence of yesteryear. The noise around the cocoon of a football team can be distracting, even suffocating at times. Coming off an open week, defensive staff member Julian Rowe-Cohen cobbled together six minutes of music and highlight clips into a feel-good hype session. As the video played last Friday before the Tar Heels bussed to Virginia, the meeting room was punctuated with yells of "BOOM" and laughter and groans and general cutting up.
"I have talked all season about when our guys cut it loose and just play, they are really, really good," Collins says, referencing a solid season opener against Minnesota, a first-half shutout over Duke and spurts of productivity against Pitt and Georgia Tech. "I wanted to remind them of the times they played when they were young and having fun and a had a pure love for the game. I wanted to evoke those memories of a sense of freedom and confidence."
"It was a great vibe, a great time, everyone laughing and joking and seeing each other make big plays in high school," linebacker Amare Campbell adds.
On a sun-splashed afternoon in Charlottesville, all the frustrations of the 2024 season were turned on their head. The Tar Heels jumped in front, applied the gas at the end of the first half and rolled to a 41-14 victory, the experience providing a 180-degree mindset flop as the Tar Heels travel to Florida State this week.
The offense was productive, with tailback Omarion Hampton eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark for the second straight year and receiver J.J. Jones breaking a tackle for one touchdown and fending off pass interference and making a leaping grab in the end zone for another. Jacolby Criswell built on his burgeoning resume as a starting quarterback. The Tar Heels allowed zero sacks and punted only twice.
"Jacolby was poised," Tar Heel Coach Mack Brown said. "He got the ball out of his hands. He didn't have many bad throws. He scrambled when he needed to. He's becoming the quarterback that gives us a chance each week."
The defense nailed Virginia QB Anthony Colandrea for 10 sacks—the most by a Tar Heel team in one game in nearly a quarter of a century. Campbell started the party in the first quarter, darting up the middle and wrapping and rolling Colandrea for a 13-yard loss. Soon followed Beau Atkinson and Des Evans pinching him from either side for a loss, Jahvarie Ritzie poking his hand in for a fumble, Evans beating his man 1-on-1 for an 11-yard loss that allowed Carolina one more first-half possession in taking a 24-6 lead at intermission.
Then the avalanche rolled in the second half, with Rucker and Ritzie both making interceptions, Ritzie steamrolling 84 yards for a pick-six.
"I think we all had the mentality that once we get off this bye week, we've got to turn this thing around," Rucker said. "We put in a lot of work, and I think the energy was contagious out on the sideline."
It was Rucker's first game where he looked and felt at full speed after an early season injury. He had five solo tackles and assists on three more. He notched three sacks for 18 yards and had one QB hurry beyond his interception. On some snaps, he sped around the offensive tackle. On others, he dropped into pass coverage. He blew up some running plays. His interception came when he read his keys and the quarterback's eyes and used his dexterity to make a diving catch of a poorly aimed throw.
"What stands out with Kaimon is he's got a great combination of speed and strength," says defensive line coach Ted Monachino. "The power he rushes with is pretty remarkable. A lot of guys are speed edge rushers, and some are power rushers. Kaimon has a really great combination of the two skills. When a guy can win rushes on his own and get the ball out of the quarterback's hands faster, it helps everybody. If he's healthy and at his best, most of the protections make him the priority. That opens up chances for everyone else."
Adds NFL draft analyst Dane Brugler: "He will get dinged for his size, but he plays with a ton of violence and burst. Easy to see him sticking and impacting an NFL roster."
The Boys of Fall were last week's motivational tool. This week, Collins has been displaying at every defensive meeting a photograph snapped just after Rucker's interception. The image shows No. 7 cradling the ball and darting toward the sideline. Surrounding him are Evans, Campbell, Huzzie and Will Hardy.
"It's a look of pure joy," Collins says. "That's the message—more of that."
Chapel Hill writer Lee Pace (Carolina '79) has been writing about Tar Heel football under the "Extra Points" banner since 1990 and reporting from the sidelines on radio broadcasts since 2004. Write him at leepace7@gmail.com and follow him @LeePaceTweet.
"And it's knocking heads and talking trash
"It's slinging mud and dirt and grass
"It's I got your number, I got your back when your back's against the wall
"You mess with one man you got us all
"The boys of fall."
The strains of Kenny Chesney's 2010 ode to small town Friday nights filled the defensive meeting room in Kenan Football Center one day last week. The music was laid over clips of Tar Heels as high school players—Kaimon Rucker darting from the edge in Hartwell, Ga., Power Echols blowing up some ball carrier in Charlotte, Alijah Huzzie playing quarterback on the plains of western Georgia.
"I love that song, it brings back so many memories," Carolina defensive coordinator Geoff Collins says. "It puts you back on the field on Friday nights with your guys, playing ball, cutting it loose and having fun. Sometimes you can get caught up in everything else and forget why you play, what drew you to the game when you were a kid."
A football season wrought by four straight losses and the death of a teammate can certainly mask that innocence of yesteryear. The noise around the cocoon of a football team can be distracting, even suffocating at times. Coming off an open week, defensive staff member Julian Rowe-Cohen cobbled together six minutes of music and highlight clips into a feel-good hype session. As the video played last Friday before the Tar Heels bussed to Virginia, the meeting room was punctuated with yells of "BOOM" and laughter and groans and general cutting up.
"I have talked all season about when our guys cut it loose and just play, they are really, really good," Collins says, referencing a solid season opener against Minnesota, a first-half shutout over Duke and spurts of productivity against Pitt and Georgia Tech. "I wanted to remind them of the times they played when they were young and having fun and a had a pure love for the game. I wanted to evoke those memories of a sense of freedom and confidence."
"It was a great vibe, a great time, everyone laughing and joking and seeing each other make big plays in high school," linebacker Amare Campbell adds.
On a sun-splashed afternoon in Charlottesville, all the frustrations of the 2024 season were turned on their head. The Tar Heels jumped in front, applied the gas at the end of the first half and rolled to a 41-14 victory, the experience providing a 180-degree mindset flop as the Tar Heels travel to Florida State this week.
The offense was productive, with tailback Omarion Hampton eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark for the second straight year and receiver J.J. Jones breaking a tackle for one touchdown and fending off pass interference and making a leaping grab in the end zone for another. Jacolby Criswell built on his burgeoning resume as a starting quarterback. The Tar Heels allowed zero sacks and punted only twice.
"Jacolby was poised," Tar Heel Coach Mack Brown said. "He got the ball out of his hands. He didn't have many bad throws. He scrambled when he needed to. He's becoming the quarterback that gives us a chance each week."
The defense nailed Virginia QB Anthony Colandrea for 10 sacks—the most by a Tar Heel team in one game in nearly a quarter of a century. Campbell started the party in the first quarter, darting up the middle and wrapping and rolling Colandrea for a 13-yard loss. Soon followed Beau Atkinson and Des Evans pinching him from either side for a loss, Jahvarie Ritzie poking his hand in for a fumble, Evans beating his man 1-on-1 for an 11-yard loss that allowed Carolina one more first-half possession in taking a 24-6 lead at intermission.
Then the avalanche rolled in the second half, with Rucker and Ritzie both making interceptions, Ritzie steamrolling 84 yards for a pick-six.
"I think we all had the mentality that once we get off this bye week, we've got to turn this thing around," Rucker said. "We put in a lot of work, and I think the energy was contagious out on the sideline."
It was Rucker's first game where he looked and felt at full speed after an early season injury. He had five solo tackles and assists on three more. He notched three sacks for 18 yards and had one QB hurry beyond his interception. On some snaps, he sped around the offensive tackle. On others, he dropped into pass coverage. He blew up some running plays. His interception came when he read his keys and the quarterback's eyes and used his dexterity to make a diving catch of a poorly aimed throw.
"What stands out with Kaimon is he's got a great combination of speed and strength," says defensive line coach Ted Monachino. "The power he rushes with is pretty remarkable. A lot of guys are speed edge rushers, and some are power rushers. Kaimon has a really great combination of the two skills. When a guy can win rushes on his own and get the ball out of the quarterback's hands faster, it helps everybody. If he's healthy and at his best, most of the protections make him the priority. That opens up chances for everyone else."
Adds NFL draft analyst Dane Brugler: "He will get dinged for his size, but he plays with a ton of violence and burst. Easy to see him sticking and impacting an NFL roster."
The Boys of Fall were last week's motivational tool. This week, Collins has been displaying at every defensive meeting a photograph snapped just after Rucker's interception. The image shows No. 7 cradling the ball and darting toward the sideline. Surrounding him are Evans, Campbell, Huzzie and Will Hardy.
"It's a look of pure joy," Collins says. "That's the message—more of that."
Chapel Hill writer Lee Pace (Carolina '79) has been writing about Tar Heel football under the "Extra Points" banner since 1990 and reporting from the sidelines on radio broadcasts since 2004. Write him at leepace7@gmail.com and follow him @LeePaceTweet.
Players Mentioned
Defensive Line
/ Football
Linebacker
/ Football
Quarterback
/ Football
Linebacker
/ Football
Running Back
/ Football
Defensive Back
/ Football
Defensive Back
/ Football
Wide Receiver
/ Football
Rush
/ FootballMBB: "We're No. 1 - The 1993 UNC Tar Heels" Trailer
Monday, December 29
Carolina Women's Basketball 2025-26 | In Pursuit: Episode 3 - "Joy and Fire"
Wednesday, December 24
MBB: Hubert Davis Post-ECU Press Conference
Tuesday, December 23
Carolina Insider: Rapid Reactions pres. by Modelo – Men’s Basketball vs. ECU – December 22, 2025
Tuesday, December 23