Tarheel Tidbit

[heels2nd20]

From what I've been reading in the papers around here the Heels new coach, John Bunting, and his staff are working the players very hard. I read a qoute from one player who said he couldn't believe they won 6 games last year when he looks back at how easy their workouts were. He said at the time they didn't seem easy, but now he compres it to the how hard they are currently working out.
Their new strength coach compared the Tarheels to his old school (East Carolina). Last year the Tarheels had 5 players who could Squat 500 lbs., ECU had 25.

Bunting is also putting in a very agressive offense and deffense. The new offense will be designed to take advantage of Ronald Curry's athletic abillity.

I don't know if all this will make them a better team, but UNC does have good athlete's, and if the new coaching staff has a positive impact they might be worth a look getting plenty of points at Oklahoma to start the season, and a few weeks later getting points at Texas.

[heels2nd20]

Julius Peppers report:
Last year: 275 lbs., 4.6 in the 40.
This year: 294 lbs., 4.49 in the 40.
Next year: NFL ROY

[johnnyrodd]

October 6.....
Get Ready
Will be a WAR

[heels2nd20]

I'm going to try to get to that game. The atmosphere should be great. When it's over, ECU fans will be very disappointed.

[cjd333]

Heels,
Thanks for that info. This is JUST the kind of stuff we need around here. I'll be looking to make some bucks on N.C. this year as they'll be underrated by many.

Thanks again,
cjd333

[mark]

at first glance, this is too many points to give to north carolina. i will be taking it unless i hear or read something different to change my mind. i think they will be under-rated this year and seminoles might be slightly over-rated this year. heels should cover more than 3 td spread.

[jag]

be sure to read bunting's recollections of the sooners near the end of this nando report... it will be interesting to see the heels demeanor in 14 days (wow, only two weeks) during the oklahoma game... was in greenville all day friday, and, it seems their entire season is the carolina game...
hate that i'll only get to see peppers on the gridiron this year... his second semester contributions in roundball have been excellent!!!! and, curry has been a fizzle until now, hope he has a chance to show his recruitment pedigree... curry, ncsu's phillip rivers, and ecu's david garrard were announced thursday as candidates for the davey o'brien nat'l quaterback award... the field will be trimmed to eight in november and the award is presented at the dec 6 espn college football awards show in orlando...
----------------------------
Heels get taste of NFL
By BARRY SVRLUGA, Staff Writer

CHAPEL HILL -- North Carolina's lockdown finally ends Saturday.Since arriving for preseason practice last Thursday, the Tar Heels have been holed up in dormitories on campus, from freshmen right through the upperclassmen, many of whom will live in off-campus apartments during the year.

But new coach John Bunting wanted to run more of an NFL-style training camp, one in which players lived together, ate together, even stayed in the same rooms together, with a pair of teammates right next door.

So, has it worked?

"I don't know," Bunting said. "I think we'll only find out in time. I'm trying to get a pulse as to whether we're bonding a little bit. Sometimes we are. Sometimes we're not. I don't know how to feel one way or the other."

This being preseason training camp, one with a new coach on hand, the players have little choice but to buy into it. Their barracks-style camp includes being awakened by a loud horn outside the dorm.

"That horn," defensive end Joey Evans said. "Nobody likes that horn."

Bunting also took away players' car keys, forcing them to remain on-campus. UNC's first scrimmage of the preseason is Saturday night -- closed to the public -- after which the Tar Heels will report to the dorm for the final time. Two-a-day practices continue into next week in preparation for the Aug. 25 opener at Oklahoma.

BACK TALK: You want an unstable situation, look no further than the backup quarterback situation at Carolina. It can change from day to day, and frequently does. New offensive coordinator Gary Tranquill has already kicked a closet-full of hats in frustration trying to get more consistency out of backup candidates Darian Durant, Aaron Leak and Matt Baker -- not to mention starter Ronald Curry.

Bunting's latest update is that Durant has looked OK, Baker is good for a freshman, and Leak "is trying hard."

"Nothing's guaranteed," Durant said. "I know there's people out there. I need to make sure I maintain my level of play every day."

MEET THE HEELS: UNC will host its annual "Meet the Heels" day Sunday from 3-4:30 p.m. at Kenan Stadium. Bunting, his entire coaching staff and all the Tar Heels players will be on hand to sign autographs and pose for pictures.

The Hall of Honor at the Kenan Football Center will be open from 2-3 p.m. Entrance to the stadium is available through gates 5, 6 and 7.

BEAT THE HEAT: Carolina used the new Eddie Smith Fieldhouse, a $9 million indoor track and football practice facility, for the first time Thursday afternoon. The fieldhouse has been in the works for the past few years -- former Tar Heels coach Mack Brown, who left in 1997, used to tell recruits about it -- but as late as Wednesday, workers were still fixing the artificial turf.

The Heels began their afternoon session inside the fieldhouse with stretching and instruction before going outside.

SOONERS UP CLOSE: Bunting said he didn't go to many football games growing up in Silver Spring, Md. But he remembers his first.

"The first game I ever saw was Oklahoma beating the crap out of Maryland at Maryland," he said. "I saw Oklahoma players, as they got up off the ground, sticking their fists right in the Maryland players' chests."

CUTS AND SCRAPES: Defensive tackle Will Chapman missed practice Thursday because both of his shoulders are slightly sprained. Bunting described him as day-to-day, but hoped he would be available for Saturday's scrimmage.

Linebacker Clarence Gaddy and defensive tackle Donti Coats each sat out of practice with concussions. Offensive lineman Jeb Terry missed the afternoon session with a sprained foot.

[heels2nd20]

I noticed in the last paragraph that 2 players has to sit out woth concussions. That is a good sign. At least we know somebody on that team can deliver a concussion this year.

[heels2nd20]

The Heels slipped in the back door tonight for the cover. Personally, I was encouraged by their play in the 2nd half. 5 1st half turnovers, and a kickoff return for a TD put UNC down 38-7. But in the 2nd half, it appeared to me that the Heels were fresher than OU. I assume that would be a result of being in better shape. As a Carolina fan, that is good news. UNC's defense played well.The Sooners 41 points were notthe fault of the D. OU scored 2 defensive TD's a special teams TD, recovered 2 fumbles that set up a short FG drive and a short TD drive. All in all, I liked the way UNC played hard the whole game. Also frosh QB Durant was a bright spot in relief of Curry.