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tar Heels predicted to win ACC again...
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By KIM ADAMS
With 13 starters returning from last season's victorious
Bluebonnet Bowl squads the Tar Heels have been picked by
both the media and the head football coaches to repeat as
ACC champions.
Head coach Dick Crum said that one of the best things
about this year's squad is that the team doesn't have to
worry about a rookie quarterback like last year when Rod
Elkins stepped in to replace an injured Chuck Sharpe.
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"Fate dictated our quarterback situation last year," Crum
said. "We now have a veteran and that should give 'us
stability. We'll be able to throw the football more because
Rod has gotten more passing experience. In spring ball he hit
the receiver 20 out of 21 times."
Elkins, a junior from Greensboro was the pre-season AIJ
Atlantic Coast Conference choice at quarterback.
He has had more time with his receivers than he did last
season. "Timing is the biggest thing a quarterback and, his
receivers must work on," he said. "We were able to do that
in the spring. In addition, I know how to read secondaries
better. I've seen them on the field. A year ago I had only
seen them on a chalkboard." ' , -
Elkins says his personal goal for (he upcoming season is
"to simply help the team as much as I can. As far as statistics
are concerned, the one thing L would really like to do is
complete 60 percent of my passes."
The running game will be handled largely by pre-season
All-ACC team member Kelvin Bryant. The junior from Tar
boro gained 1,039 yards last fall and scored 12touchdowns.
Bryant will need to help fill a big void left by last year's
stars Amos Lawrence and Bilfy Johnson. .
Crum said that his first area of concern is with the
defense. "We had two first-round draft picks and one 6th
round draft pick. Those types of players are hard to replace.
"We do have three of our four linebackers from last year
returning, but there are still a lot of holes to patch up."
Crum said that there is going to have to be a replacement
for Ron Wooten at guard and that.it will probably be David
Dreschler, a junior from Cleveland, N.C. Dreschler was also
chosen to the pre-season All-ACC team.
The area of the greatest concern may be the punting
game. "People ask me who we're going to miss the most and
I'm not sure that if 6 not Steve Streater' Crum said. "The
punting game will be handled by Chuck Sharpe and Jeff
Hayes but if s going to require some work. I think that we
can bring it back up to the point it was last year."
"We had good fortune at critical times last year," Crum
said. "The most important factor is that we didn't have a
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Kelvin Bryant gives experience to running gznto
whole lot of injuries. Ifs going to be tough to win the
conference with no loses and if we had had even one loss
last year we would have been tied for first instead of winning
outright"
Other strengths promise to be at tight end with Shelton
Robinson, guard Ron SpruiSI, tackle Brian Blados, and at
linebacker with Darrell . Nicholson, Lee Shaffer and Greg
Poole and at wide receiver with Jon Richardson.
...he 'anced conference presents obstacles
By KIM ADAMS
Though the other coaches in the ACC say
that the Tar Heels have a good chance to
repeat the success of the 1980 season, they
also say that ifs going to be a tough road for
the eventual conference champion no
matter who it turns out to be; Herd's how the
Tar Heels' ACC opponents look this year: .
N.C. State
Picked by the coaches to tie for second
and by the media to finish a strong fourth,
defense should be the area where the Wolf
. pack is strongest
"I think we have a chance to be a good
defensive team," head coach Monte Kiffin,
who directed State to a 6-5 mark in his debut
campaign last season, said. "Our lineback
ing corp is solid with Robert Abraham, Sam
Key and Vaughan Johnson." -.
Abraham is a pre-season AII-ACC
selection.
"We feel good about Tol Avery at
quarterback)." Kiffin said. "He's a good
young man. Our weak point is in the running
game and right now our best runner is Tol
Avery. We need to find a good running back
who we can depend on."
Clcrnson
The Tigers are picked by the coaches to
finish tied for second and by the media to
finish third.
Head coach Danny Ford said that his
team has improved over last year's squad.
"We won't be depending on freshmen this
year." he said. "Were still not overly
endowed, but at least we won't have to use
so many freshmen."
"Everybody is returning on offense so we
better have improved there," Ford said.
"Homer Jordan will be better at
quarterback, but we lost everybody in the
kicking game. Obed Ariri, a Nigerian soccer
style kicker, can kick the devil out of it but
he doesn't know where if II go yet."
Maryland
"I'm optimistic, not pessimistic about this
season," head coach Jerry Claiborne said.
"We're going to go into every game feeling
that we can win it."
The Terrapins havt? been picked to finish
fourth in the coaches poll and second in the
media poll.
Maryland's running game is well taken
care of by the ACC'i 1930 leading rusher.
Charlie Wysocki, who was voted to the AII
ACC pre-season team. Tim Woody and Willy
Joiner will be on hand when Wysocki needs
a rest
"We feel we've got our five best linemen
spread out on our line," Claiborne said. "But
our challenge will be depth on our defensive
line and we don't have a letterman on our
secondary."
"We have no one who has kicked the ball r
la a game, but we'll have someone who'll
kick it well when the season starts," he said.-:
Claiborne also said that he is undecided
as to who his quarterback will be.
Duke
The Blue Devils are lead this year by ACC
1930 Rookie of the Year Ben Bennett and the
team could be a surprise this year.
Duke is picked by the coaches to finish
fifth and by the media to finish swth, but
Coach Red Wilson is optimistic about his
team's chances.
"This is the first year that we have had a
team that is made up entirely of people that
I brought in," Wilson said. "They are
thinking the way we want them to think and
doing what we want them to do.
"We saw a different team in overall
attitude this spring from last year's squad
and it was a very rewarding impression."
The Blue Devils should see a big
improvement on defense with nine
experienced players returning, but the team
faces a tough schedule and will be tested
early, their first game being against Ohio
State.
Virginia
Cavalier head coach Dick Bestwick said
that even though his team is picked to finish
last by the coaches and fifth by the media,
that the Cavaliers may be the dark horse
team in the conference.
Virginia's strength will be on defense led
by senior linebacker Stuart Anderson.
"Anderson is the best player I've ever
coached in 16 years," Bestwick said "Were
going to use him the way Pitt used Hugh
Green last year. We're just going to line him
up and let him go."
Senior Todd Kirtley will lend experience
at quarterback. "Todd will have experienced
receivers to throw the ball to," Bestwick
said. "He should return to the form of his
sophomore year.
The Cavalier's kicking game will be
handled by Wayne Morrison and Ce;twick
said th.it he is one cf the best kickers in the
conference if not in the country.
Wake Forest
The Demon Deacons, under first year
coach Al Croh, are picked to finish last by
the media and second to last by the
coaches.
Croh, who replaced John Mackovic, said
that he is concerned with his quarterback
situation and running game. "Ifs important
that we establish who will be our
quarterback, but I feel that we've got two
first team-quality guys.
"Kenny Duckett at wide receiver is the
most respected, fastest, and strongest player
on the team," Croh said. "He epitomizes the
principals of a team personality."
Croh said that his defense is youn, and
inexperienced but has made "greaf
progress. He said that the team's long-range
goal is to add stability to the" program.
Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech is not yet eligible to win the
conference crown, but head coach Bill Curry
is preaching improvement and optimism to
his players.
"Last year we had some young people
who were forced to play and to improve,"
Curry said. "As the season wound down, we
began to see what it takes to win and we
began to see fiber and quality."
The Yellow J ackets face a tough schedule
including Cecrgia and Alabama. "You never
know what a young player Will do in Bir
mingham and we have to go there Sept 17,"
Curry said.
Tech's kicker Jeff Pierce, was the pre
season All-ACC pick at that position. Curry
said that the team should be improved in all
areas and that "in the fourth quarters this
season we may b &lJe to find ways to win
instead of lose."
14 AThe Tar MeclThunday, August 6, 1931