2
October 21, 1995
In the Trenches
Postseason Blues
With North Carolina’s mediocre 3-3 start this season,
howl invite and buffet of the century are in jeopardy
My expectations for the UNC football
team were sky high in January.
Dreams of a big bowl bid and a pos
sible top-10 finish waltzed through my
head daily. The offense looked good, and
the defense had a solid foundation to
build off of. The schedule seemed tailor
made for success.
Perhaps I let my UNC bias blind my
vision though. Or maybe it was the lackof
sleep suffered from Daily Tar Heel work.
Anyway, my hopes were well off base.
For those of us who decide to devote
our life to The Daily Tar Heel sports desk,
rooting for UNC can often be very com
plicated. Balancing our loyalty to our
school and objectivity as a journalist can
be extremely tricky. It’s hard to estimate
the on-field potential for a team we are so
close to. Especially when there’s a fringe
benefit involved.
Of course that fringe benefit involves
covering the teams wherever they roam.
When the UNC women’s soccer team
goes to the NCAA title game, so do we.
Likewise with the Final Four, ACC Tour
nament or exotic places like Los Angeles.
But in football, this w'as the year. After
covering many big regular season games
for the past two seasons, I knew this was
my turn to cover the postseason. Finally,
I had a shot at the big buffet line in the sky.
DTH Sport Schedule
SATURDAY
SOUTH
Clemson (3-3) at Maryland (5-1), Noon
Kentucky (3-3) at Georgia (4-3), 12:30 p.m.
Bethune-Cookman (2-4) at Albany, Ga. (6-1), 1 p.m.
Morgan St. (1-5) at Delaware St. (1-5), 1 p.m.
Vanderbilt (0-5) at South Carolina (3-3-1), 1 p.m.
N. Carolina St. (1 -5) at Duke (2-5), 1:30 p.m.
E. Tennessee St. (1 -5) at Furman (4-3), 1:30 p.m.
Wofford (2-5) at liberty (4-2), 1:30 p.m.
Tenn. Tech (1-6) at Morehead St. (1-5), 1:30 p.m.
Howard U. (3-3) at N. Carolina A&T (3-3), 1:30 p.m.
Wake Forest (1 -6) at North Carolina (3-3), 1:30 p.m.
Davidson (1-5) at Randolph-Macon (2-3-1),
1:30 p.m.
W. Michigan (4-3) at Auburn (4-2), 2 p.m.
Temple (1-5) at East Carolina (3-3), 2 p.m.
Citadel (2-4) at Georgia Southern (4-2), 2 p.m.
Stephen F.Austin (6-0) at Samford (4-2), 2 p.m.
Tennessee St (2-4) at Austin Peay (2-5), 2:30 p.m.
Tenn.-Martin (4-2) at E. Kentucky (5-1), 3 p.m.
Delaware (6-0) at James Madison (6-1), 3 p.m.
SE Missouri (2-4) at Middle Tenn. (4-3), 3 p.m.
Texas Southern (2-4) at Miss. Valley St (0-5), 3 p.m.
Alabama (4-2) at Mississippi (3-3), 3 p.m.
SW Texas St (2-4) at Nichofls St. (0-7), 3 p.m.
Georgia Tech (4-2) at Florida St (6-0), 3:30 p.m.
W. Carolina (2-4) at Tn.-Chatt. (2-4), 3:30 p.m.
Grambling St. (3-3) at Jackson St. (4-2), 3:30 p.m.
Nevada (4-2) at Louisiana Tech (4-3), 4 p.m.
Pacific (2-4) at SW Louisiana (3-3), 5 p.m.
Appalachian St. (6-0) at Marshall (5-1), 7 p.m.
Jacksonville St. (6-1) at Troy St. (7-0), 7 p.m.
Prairie View (0-6) at Alabama St. (2-3-1), 8 p.m.
North Texas (1-5) at LSU (3-3-1), 8 p.m.
Sam Houston St. (3-4) at McNeese St. (6-0), 8 p.m.
NW Louisiana (5-2) at NE Louisiana (2-5), 8 p.m.
Alcorn St. (3-3-1) at Southern U. (5-1), 8 p.m.
EAST
Army (1-3-1) at Boston College (2-4), Noon
Miami (2-3) at Pittsburgh (2-5), Noon
West Virginia (3-3) at Syracuse (5-1), Noon
Maine (2-4) at New Hampshire (2-4), 12:30 p.m.
Northeastern (1-5) at Boston 1). (2-4), 1 p.m.
Yale (2-3) at Columbia (2-2-1), 1 p m.
Others ventured to the land of year
long rain and flannel attire last spring to
cover the Final Four. I stood in line,
knowing the 1995 football season would
be the year my dream of covering a major
postseason event was to come true.
But sometime in betweenjanuary and
last weekend, the phrase “would be” has
quickly turned into “was.”
“Would be” was before the Tar Heels
turned the ball over 20 times and started
the season at 3-3. Because of the slow
start, UNC was going to a bowl game.
The sky was the limit before the sea
son. DTH Managing Editor Justin “The
Jets really are my team” Scheef and I had
begun browsing the bowl schedule be
fore Mack Brown had put his golf clubs
up for the year. Vigorously, w'e planned
our “graduation vacation” according to
the ACC deal in the Bowl Coalition.
Note: Scheef and I graduate in December.
However, as fall rolled into Chapel
Hill, those plans slipped right through
our fingertips
■ May, 1995... As I recall, we pon
dered the possibility of beating FSU and
challenging for the national champion
ship in the Fiesta Bowl. Uh, ah, no!
■ Sept. 2, 1995... Syracuse slips past
UNC in the fourth quarter. After that
contest, Scheef and I start thinking Gator
Division I Football
Richmond (5-1) at Fordham (3-4), 1 p.m.
Princeton (5-0) at Harvard (1-4), 1 p.m.
Lafayette (1-4-1) at Holy Cross (1 -5), 1 p.m.
Cornell (3-2) at Lehigh (4-2), 1 p.m.
William & Mary (5-2) at Massachusetts (3-3), 1 p.m.
Connecticut (6-0) at Rhode Island (5-2), 1 p.m.
Virginia Tech (4-2) at Rutgers (1-4), 1 p.m.
Cent. Conn. St. (1-5) at St. Francis, Pa. (0-7), 1 p.m.
St. Peter's (1 -4) at St John's, NY (1 -4), 1 p.m.
Bucknell (3-3) at Towson St. (4-2), 1 p.m.
lona (3-2) at Wagner (4-1), 1 p.m.
Canisius (2-4) at Marist (3-3), 1:30 p.m.
Colgate (0-6) at Dartmouth (3-2), 1:30 p.m.
Siena (0-5) at Duquesne (5-1), 1:30 p.m.
Charleston Southern (1 -6) at Hofstra (7-0), 1:30 p.m.
Villanova (2-4) at Navy (2-4), 1:30 p.m.
Brown (3-2) at Penn (3-2), 1:30 p.m.
Mercyhurst (3-3) at Robert Morris (4-2), 1:30 p.m.
WBDYfESY
Purdue (2-3-1) at Ohio St. (6-0), 12:30 p.m.
E. Michigan (4-2) at Ball St. (4-3), 1 p.m.
Toledo (5-0-1) at Bowling Green (3-4), 1 p.m.
Thomas More (5-0) at Butler (1-6), 1 p.m.
Kent (1-4-1) at Cent Michigan (3-3), 1 p.m.
Memphis (2-4) at Cincinnati (3-4), 1 p.m.
Dayton (6-0) at Drake (5-1-1), 1 p.m.
Colorado (5-1) at lowa St (2-4), 1 p.m.
Minnesota (3-2) at Michigan St. (3-2-1), 1 p.m.
Wisconsin (2-2-1) at Northwestern (5-1), 1 p.m.
Wingate (4-3) at Youngstown St (1-5), 1 p.m.
Michigan (5-1) at Indiana (2-4), 2 p.m.
Oklahoma St. (1-5) at Missouri (2-4), 2 p.m.
Penn St. (4-2) at lowa (5-0), 2:05 p.m.
Southern Cal (6-0) at Notre Dame (5-2), 2:30 p.m.
Evansville (3-3) at Valparaiso (3-3), 2:30 p.m.
SW Missouri St. (1-6) at W. Illinois (3-3), 2:30 p.m.
W. Kentucky (2-5) at Indiana St. (5-2), 3 p.m.
Kansas St. (6-0) at Nebraska (6-0), 3:30 p.m.
Ohio U. (1-4-1) at Akron (1 -5), 6 p.m.
S. Illinois (4-3) at N. lowa (4-2), 7:30 p.m.
SOUTHWEST
Virginia (6-2) at Texas (4-1-1), 1 p.m.
Texas A&M (3-2) at Baylor (4-1), 2 p.m.
Tulane (2-4) at Texas Christian (4-1), 3 p.m.
By James Whitfield
Sport Saturday Editor
Bowl.
“What a shame that Outback
Steakhouse still doesn’t sponsor that
game,” we thought on Labor Day.
I Sept. 9,1995... UNC loses its second
game of the season. Uh-oh, will the Tar
Heels even venture into postseason play?
Soon after that game, we started to
check into alternative vacation plans like
a ski trip.
Uh, maybe we’ll go to Florida anyway.
■ Oct. 14, 1995... The Tar Heels
drop their third game of the season. After
beating Virginia a week before, the bowl
hopes began to flicker again. But now,
put you’re money on UNC celebrating
Christmas and New Year’s at home.
With five games left, hopes for a bowl
game have evaporated. UNC still could
slip into the Peach Bowl or possibly the
Carquest Bowl.
More likely, the Tar Heels will be at
home over the holidays for the first time
in three years. That means Scheef and I
will be forced to look at that ski trip. Or
perhaps a three-day getaway to blow a
few chips in Las Vegas.
Any way you look at it though, UNC’s
.500 record has taken a little excitement
out of the season. And it sure has put
Scheef and I on the edge of our seat, still
dreaming of the big buffet line in the sky.
Rice (1-4-1) at Texas Tech (3-2), 3 p.m.
Kansas (6-0) at Oklahoma (4-1-1), 7:30 p.m.
Southern Meth. (1-5) at Houston (0-6), 8 p.m.
FAR WEST
Wyoming (3-2) at Brigham Young (2-3), 2 p.m.
New Mexico (3-3) at Colorado St. (4-2), 2 p.m.
Weber St (3-4) at Montana St. (5-2), 2 p.m.
Air Force (5-2) at Utah (3-4), 2:05 p.m.
UCLA (4-2) at Stanford (4-1 -1), 3:30 p.m.
S. Utah (2-5) at St. Mary's, Cal. (4-2), 4 p.m.
CS Northridge (1-4) at UC Davis (2-3-1), 4 p.m.
N. Arizona (5-2) at E. Washington (2-4), 4:05 p.m.
Sacramento St. (1 -4-1) at Cal Poly-SLO (3-3), 5 p.m.
Montana (6-1) at Idaho (2-3), 6:05 p.m.
Utah St. (1-5) at New Mexico St. (2-5), 8:30 p.m.
Idaho St. (5-1) at Boise St (3-3), 9:05 p.m.
San Jose St. (2-4) at San Diego St (4-2), 9:05 p.m.
Washington (4-2) at Arizona (3-3), 10 p.m.
Washington St (3-3) at Oregon (5-1), 10 p.m.
California (1-5) at Oregon St. (1-5), 10 p.m.
San Diego (4-2) at Redlands (3-2), 10 p.m.
Cent Florida (3-3) at Hawaii (2-3), 12:05 a.m.
NFL Week 8
SUNDAY
Houston (2-4) at Chicago (4-2), 1 p.m.
Miami (4-2) at New York Jets (1-6), 1 p.m.
Jacksonville (2-5) at Cleveland (3-3), 1 p.m.
New Orleans (1 -5) at Carolina (1 -5), 1 p.m.
Detroit (2-4) at Washington (2-5), 1 p.m.
Atlanta (4-2) at Tampa Bay (5-2), 1 p.m.
San Francisco (4-2) at St. Louis (5-1), 1 p.m.
Kansas City (6-1) at Denver (4-3), 4 p.m.
Minnesota (3-3) at Green Bay (4-2), 4 p.m.
Indianapolis (4-2) at Oakland (5-2), 4 p.m.
San Diego (3-4) at Seattle (2-4), 4 p.m.
Bye week: Arizona (2-5), Dallas (6-1), New York
Giants (2-5), Philadelphia (4-3)
MONDAY
Buffalo (5-1) at New England (1-5), 9 p.m.
DTH
Sport Saturday
COVER STORY
Octavus Barnes [T
UNC’s ‘go-to’ guy % f
Teams love to double- and
triple-team sophomore wideout &
Octavus Barnes. That’s what
happens when someone has four 0*0“
straight 100-yard games. Jjjjr it
By Alec Morrison fKj
jg| Caldwell can’t
i Wake Forest may he 1-6,
hut third-year Deacon
coach Jim Caldwell believes
he can build a winner in
- By Lisa Zaranek
EC ATIIDCC
rc AlUttcS
4" 5 ACC Gameday: Previewing today’s games
7 Sean Boyd he’s never missed a game at UNC
13 Pat Conneely back after multiple injuries
DEPARTMENTS
10-11 UNC sports pages
12 Sport Stats: ACC, UNC and Wake Forest statistics
14 End Zone: Why is Florida State in the ACC?
Cover photo: John White
Sports Editor DTH Sport Saturday Editor
Robbi Pickeral James Whitfield
Assistant DTH Sport Saturday Editors
Jonathan Hart and Joseph Rolison
Assistant Sports Editors
Todd Graff and Alec Morrison
Staff Writers
Wendy Goodman and Justin Scheef, senior writers ; Aaron Beard,
David Boyd, Brian Hamilton, Kimberly McCudden, Heidi
Schmitt, Tate Sullivan, Kurt Tondorf and Lisa Zaranek.
The Daily Tar Heel Editor
Thanassis Cambanis
Production Manager Photo Editor
Stacy Wynn Erik Perel
Business and Advertising: Kevin Schwartz, director/gineralmanagrr;(:b\rissy Mennitt, adrcrtiing director; Leslie
Humphrey, classified ad manager; Tetsuo Matsuda, business manager; Ashley VVidis, advertising manager. Business
Staff: Grace Consacro, assistant manager. Classified Advertising: Michelle Byrd, assistant manager; Wendy
Holmes, sates representative. Customer Service: I yah Richards, trainer; Dodie Brodsky, Angela Caruso, Tamara
Deloatch, Melanie Feliciano, Stephen Huhn, Melissa Levine, Rachel Lomaszjen Pilla Julie Robertson, Christi
Thomas, representatives. Display Advertising: Kristen Boyd, FJain Calmon, Aaron Henderlite, Eileen Hinlz,
Gidget Lamb, Traci Langdon, Megan Stephenson, Danielle Whalen and Tara Whalen, aeeount executives’;
Brendan Biamon, Megan Boyle, Shannon Hrdilicka, Henry Jay, Robin Knight, Tamara Reynolds andjonri
Scott, assistant account executives. Brendan Biamon, office assistant. Advertising Production: Beth Meinig,
coordinator; Richard D. Allen and Cindy Henley, assistants.
DTH Sport Saturday is published by the DTH Publishing Cotp., a non-profit North Carolina
corporation, on home football Saturdays. Advertisers should call dial 962-1163 between 8:30 a.m. and 5
p.m., M-F. Editorial questions should be directed to 962-0245/0246.
Office: Suite 104 Carolina Union
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