Baiiy (Bar Med mpec£ North Carolina has never beaten Florida State. Is this UNC's year? By Brian Murphy Sports Editor When top-ranked Florida State takes the field Saturday against North Carolina, it will have anoth er ACC team on its mind. This would be good news for the Tar Heels in most cases. Most cases concern the opponent looking past a team to its next foe or still riding the crest of an emotional win, limiting its concentration on the task at hand. But this is not most cases because the Seminoles will not be remembering their 42-11 demolition of the Wolfpack last Saturday, nor will FSU be focusing its attention on a Oct. 5 contest with Duke. Instead the Seminoles’ thoughts will be on their 1998 game against N.C. State. That’s a bad thing for the Tar Heels. And that’s just the way FSU coach Bobby Bowden wants it. “We’ve been favored nearly every game for the past two or three years, so our motto is “avoid the upset,” Bowden said. “That’s exacdy what we talk to our players about. Avoid the upset. “Can it occur? Yes, it occurred last year against North Carolina State.” That’s what happens when your team has finished in The Associated Press top-4 for the past 12 years. That’s the mentality that accom panies a team penciled in for an Alliance Bowl bid and a possible NCAA championship each year. The Seminole dynasty has showed no signs of slowing in 1999. FSU enters Saturday’s contest 3-0 with conference victories against Georgia Tech and N.C. State, teams expected to be among its top chal lenges in the ACC. With four returning All-Americans, the Seminoles’ talent level is as high as ever. And this year, Florida State has other reasons to dominate its opponents. Wide receiver Peter Warrick is aiming for the Heisman Trophy. Quarterback Chris Weinke is battling back from a neck injury. The ’Noles are seeking the undefeated season that has eluded Bowden so far. Oh, add reasserting their belief that they, and they alone, rule the ACC to the Seminoles’ to-do list. Not that the Tar Heels are unaware of what they are up against. “It’s one of those games where you know you’re going against the best,” UNC left guard Mike Gimbol said. “We’ve just got to take every play, every snap and give it our best shot.” Two years ago, it was the Tar Heels who were poised to knock the Seminoles off their perch. North Carolina entered the Nov. 7th “Judgement Day” game unbeaten and ranked No. 5 in the country. The Seminoles, also unbeaten, brought the nation’s No. 3 ranking to Kenan Stadium. ESPN showed up. Fans nearly trapped themselves against the stadium gates before the game. Chapel Hill was at a fever pitch. The Seminoles crashed the party - quickly. FSU sacked Tar Heel quarterbacks nine times. They ended starter Oscar Davenport’s season with a broken ankle. After the 20-3 victory, they ripped up the Kenan Stadium sod and brought it home for their 'Sod Cemetery.’ Thus ended the first challenge to FSU’s conference supremacy. While the Seminoles have continued their course since the game two years ago, the Tar Heels have faced a number of challenges. Coach Mack Brown left for Texas after the 1997 campaign. A dismal 0-3 start over shadowed last season’s 7-5 record. This season, Virginia topped UNC on a last-second field goal. No. 1 Florida State at North Carolina 3MJ, 2*o in tM ACC I*l,M Kenan Stadium 3:30 p.m., Saturday Television: ABC: Radio: WCHLI36O-AM ||§|||l|i2 Series Record: Florida State leads 9-0-1 never . \ 1 <>eid “i"’' 1 Bo I m _ji k lllr fß****“ N *''*V j^*'* 1 * 111. 'S m ■ & ; ; / . gk BK IB ii-iS jr*- _ WB'j .7- ■" | MM - Ml sH I wKk st 3-0 ch and ■ , 4 ip chal- . | -Vamck return to the S k Chns and national, ;S eluded North Carolina with \ * Florida. They’ve got the id they resources, they’ve got the Xw '**' Jjjß| it. tradition, and I’ve always felt North Carolina j know way,” Bowden said. and Mike "When Mack Brown ’, every North Carolina, I told him. 'I ‘\££ f. thought you made a mistake - M o were going from North Carolina to •_ kjWttßZf . North Texas because I thought you had BB ” game one of the best jobs in the country.’ y. The I always felt like North Carolina was s No. 3 one of the choice jobs. “When you make a coaching change nselves there has to be a transition, and to me pel Hill they’re making that transition.” Transition. Something Bowden has not had to North Carolina y. FSU deal with in quite a while. And one reason that the linebacker • ended Seminoles enter the game thinking about avoiding Sedrick Hodge i ankle. the upset, while the Tar Heels are concentrating on (above) and nis Kenan their own strengths. teammates on the ir ‘Sod “The best thing to do is for us to just go out and Tar Heel defense have a play our game -to just go out and do what we can tall order to fill Saturday \ > ference do and not worry about what they can and can’t as they attempt to slow jLgtigL do,” said UNC tailback Anthony Saunders. Florida State course If the Tar Heels can accomplish that tall task, wide receiver e faced maybe they will get the Seminoles undivided atten- Peter Warrick left for fion. and the ferocious rt over- Seminole attack. But Bowden sees no reason why the Tar Jffl Heels won’t again return to the confer ence, and national, elite. ss* “I’ve always compared l|9|H| North Carolina with V3| Florida. They’ve got the Ys| resources, they’ve got the ty| tradition, and I’ve always felt l| North Carolina is the same V way,” Bowden said. “When Mack Brown left North Carolina, I told him, ‘I thought you made a mistake going from North Carolina to Texas because I thought you had one of the best jobs in the country.’ I always felt like North Carolina was one of the choice jobs. “When you make a coaching change there has to be a transition, and to me they’re making that transition.” Transition. Something Bowden has not had to deal with in quite a while. And one reason that the Seminoles enter the game thinking about avoiding the upset, while the Tar Heels are concentrating on their own strengths. “The best thing to do is for us to just go out and play our game - to just go out and do what we can do and not worry about what they can and can’t do,” said UNC tailback Anthony Saunders. If the Tar Heels can accomplish that tall task, maybe they will get the Seminoles undivided atten tion. The Sports Editor can be reached at sports@unc.edu. Key Players ■ UNC Q 8 Ronald Curry: The sophomore quarterback is the key to the Tar Heels' offense His ability to run and Hi Peter Warrick No. 1 Florida State at North Carolina pass will be essential to keeping the UNC offense on the field and moving. • FSU WR Peter Warrick: The speedy wideout will continue his Heisman Trophy campaign Saturday against tire Tar Heels' inexperienced secondary. It's a combinaiton which could produce spectacular highlights and plenty qf Seminole points. Key Matchups ■ FSU Wideouts vs. UNC Secondary: Warrick aid the other Seminole wideouts have speed to bum. ft's a speed the inexperienced Tar Heel secondary has not faced, and a trait game film cannot prepare one for. ■ UNC Offensive line vs. FSU Defensive line: For the Tar Heels to win this game, the front five must control the Seminoles' front seven. If UNC's linemen can give Curry time to throw and tailback Daniel Davis roan Ronald Curry to run, the Tar Heels can move the ball. If not Curry will be scrambling for his life not a sight UNC's coaches want to see. ifeil* feßßy ’ I*^ Talkative Davis Dazzles With Running Prowess By Evan Markfield Assistant Sports Editor The only part of Daniel Davis’ body that might move as fast as his legs is his mouth. The speedy freshman tailback has earned a reputation among his North Carolina teammates as not only a run ner with lots of potential but also a young man whose lips scarcely cease moving. “He has the gift of gab,” senior full back Deon Dyer said, laughing. “He’s a good kid though. Some people have to (talk a lot). That’s they’re personality.” Luckily for the Tar Heels, Davis’ sil ver tongue is complemented by his golden feet. The Stafford, Va., native scampered his way to 77 yards on 13 carries to lead UNC in his debut two weeks ago against Indiana. Davis had big runs on three Tar Heel touchdown drives in UNC’s 42-30 win. Davis rushed for 2,039 yards and 33 touchdowns in his senior year at Brooke Point High School, earning All-America honors. On top of that, he was the Gatorade and USA Today Player of the Year in Virginia. Now Davis’ performance in UNC’s practices and against Indiana has team mates talking about more than his chat ty nature. “(Davis) creates a threat back there that some of the other guys don’t create with his slashing,” Tar Heel quarterback Ronald Curry said. “He’s a very excel lent back.” While Curry added that Davis had some things to learn about running - to lower his shoulders more when he hit a hole, for instance - the sophomore quarterback also said he saw qualities that set Davis apart as a dangerous tail back. “You can’t coach his vision,” Curry DTH FILE PHOTO Ok # Djnict Davis Friday, September 24, 1999 DTH/MILLER PEARSALL said. “You can’t coach the moves he makes. That’s just him.” Those moves had Davis slashing and dashing his way to the best rushing per formance by a UNC freshman in his first game (in which he had a carry) since Leon Johnson - now playing for the New Yorkjets - rushed for 94 yards against Southern California in 1993. Davis’ status for Indiana had been questionable three days before the game because he developed an ulcer in his left eye caused by his contact lenses. But prescription goggles from the optical lab at UNC Hospitals arrived in Bloomington the morning of the game, paving the way for Davis to get his col lege football career off to a good start And with the kind of running he’s displayed thus far as a Tar Heel - like the 5.9 yards per carry average he tal lied against the Hoosiers - it’s only nat ural Davis might do a good deal of talk ing on the gridiron too. “He likes to talk on the field to keep his confidence,” Dyer said. “He’s very confident I’ll tell you that” Game-time talking aside, his mates in the backfield said Davis seldom missed an opportunity to put in his two cents off the field. “He can add on to any conversation,” fellow tailback Rufus Brown said. “He just talks.” Maybe that’s because Davis wants to be noticed all around Chapel Hill, not just in the cozy confines of Kenan Stadium when he’s carrying the football. “He’s the kind of person that loves attention,” Dyer said. “And he’s not gonna stop talking ’til he gets it” But as much as Davis might talk, when it comes to leg speed versus lip speed, Dyer said it was no contest: “The legs, definitely.” The Sports Editor can be reached atsports@unc.edu. Final Analysis/Prediction The contest lacks the hype of two years ago, a fecto that ccwld work in the Tar Heels' favor. With bigger games on their schedule, there is the chance that Florida State could overlook UNC. But Seminole coach Bobby Bowden will not let that happen. He will have Ns team ready to piay, as usual. And if that's the case, the Tar Heels iust do fist have the weaßSns match the SemimSes* b*zm arsenal. Look for Warrick to have a master game The Tar Heels will score early, but the Seminoles will score often. 7 North Carolina freshman tailback Daniel Davis, who ran for 77 yards against Indiana, should be the future of the Tar Heel rushing attack.