Monday. September 11, 1972
Vidnovic molt a sure he
ye
The Daily Tar Heel
vHH?
by David Zucchino
Sports Editor
There he stood, sweating and grinning,
and maybe even secretly pleased that half
a dozen middle-aged sports reporters were
competing for his attention.
Nick Vidnovick leaned back, his right
leg braced against a bench in the Carolina
dressing room, and tried as politely as
possible to answer all the questions. Stark
naked, withoul the loose blue uniform
3nd the bulky shoulder pads, he looked
shorter and lighter than the men who
threw the questions at him.
The questions were all the same. Will
you start next week? If not. then who
will? Did you think you had it made after
the two touchdowns? What about Klise
and Kupec?
No. he didn't think he had it made.
And no. he didn't know who would start
at quarterback next Saturday. And what
about Klise and Kupec they're good
quarterbacks, not his competition.
Vidnovic fingered a strawberry the si.e
of an omelet on his right leg and sniffed
several times to clear his sinuses from the
pounding they had taken on the field.
Last year Paul Miller answered all the
questions. This year it's Vidnovic for
the opening game, at least.
-That's the problem. Vidnovic. who
didn't know for sure he was starling at
quarterback until 15 minutes before
game-lime, came up with touchdowns the
firsl two limes the UNC offense got the
ball. . After- that, though, some missed
assignments kept Carolina off the
scoreboard until just before the first half
ended.
Vidnovic got the starting call after
competing in a four-way battle for most
of fall practice. One of the quarterbacks,
sophomore Charles Baggett, was
red-shirted last week bul Bill Dooley still
Maryland
tie 24-24
State
as State froshQE plays
by Carl Neal
Sports Writer
Dave Buckey had the honor of being
one of the first, if not the first, freshman
quarterbacks to play in a varsity game in
recent history when he played in the N.C.
State game Saturday, the first ACC game
of the new season.
The 18-year-old freshman came in the
game for the first time to give starter
Bruce Shaw a breather and again when
Shaw was injured in the second quarter.
Buckey, and all freshmen, are eligible
for varsity play under the new
freshmen-eligible rule that enables a
coach to use his freshmen in the regular
varsity line-up.
State Head Coach Lou Loltz appeared
ii ii mm ii mm ii ii ii mum n mint n mm
to be satisfied with Buckey's playing:
"Glad he's at State. He missed six
practices. He's got a lot of talent, but he's
got a long way to go. He handled himself
well and he needs just to hang in there."
Buckey favors the freshmen-eligible
rule, "There is no comparison to the
junior varisty experience with the
varsity," he said. "Even if I don't get to
play that much with the varsity I think
the experience is better."
The freshman quarterback was more
critical of his performance than was his
coach, "I made two or three bad rads on
the option that just stopped our drive and
a couple of passes that I wish I could
throw over again. I couldn't say 1 was
pleased with the way I played."
o -mmm o -mmm- o mmm- o mmm- o mmm- o mum- o -mum
Holtz's attitude towards Buckey's
playing was the same as the rest of the
team. Iloltz put all the blame on himself"
for letting a 14-point lead slip away, "If
there was a turning point in the ball game
it had to be with my thinking in getting a
little too liberal," he said.
Holtz. as well as the whole State team,
appeared to have lost a game instead of
being involved in a tie.
Holtz admitted to calling "about 95
percent of the plays from the sidelines,
although the quarterback could check toff
the plays at the line. I grab-bagged, we
threw here, we ran here, we did this, we
did that, we didn't play methodically -one
thing off the other - like we did at
first. If there is anybody to blame for us
losing our momentum, it's me."
has Vidnovic. Chris Kupec and Johnny
Klise to chKsc from.
"Today's game didn't decide a thing,"
Vidnovic said between sips of coke. "It's
gonna be a game-!o-game thing really. If I
can't get the job done, then Coach
Dooley can fall back on Johnny, and if he
can't do it we have Chris."
He paased, sniffed a couple of times
and nervously rattled the jee in the coke
cup.
"I think we're very fortunate to have
three quarterbacks who are ready to go at
any time without sacrificing anyting," he
continued. -
All three . quarterbacks saw action
Saturday, but Dooley went with Vidnovic
for most of the game. Vidnovic finished
as the Tar Heel's second-leading ground
gainer with 49 yards on II carries and
completed four of nine passes for another
34 yards. He also punted five times for a
40.0 yard average.
Klise got results on his very first play
from scrimmage. With only 1:20 left in
the first half, and the ball on the
Richmond five, he replaced Vidnovic.
Taking the snap, de dropped back to pass,
then tucked the ball under his arm and
sprinted around right end for Carolina's
third score.
Klise hit all three passes that he
attempted and picked up 36 yards on six
carries.
"Klise looked real good after he went
in," Vidnovic conceded. "He certainly
deserved a chance to show what he could
do, especially after we started missing on
some of our plays after the first quarter."
Kupec, however, got in for only one
series. He spent most of his time on the
sidelines, working on holding the ball for
extra point and field goal attempts.
That's the way it is when you're
number three. But number three at
Carolina in 1972 might just as well be
number one.
n 7
Tar Heel starting quarterback Nick Vidnovic scrambles for the safety of the
sidelines during first quarter action in Saturday's 28-18 win over Richmond. Vidnovic
got in more playing time than either of Carolina's other two quarterbacks Johnny
Klise and Chris Kupec b.ut he still doesn't have the merry-go-round quarterback job
nailed down. (Staff Photo by Cliff Kolovson.)
WASH
DRY
FOLD
oat
"DIRTY CLOTHES"
npn
TED
WASH-DRY
10$
Pound
By The Cleanest & Most Modern Laundromat In Town.
Bailey's Mini-Cleaners. Attendant On Duty For
Wash Dry Fold Service. Vailey's Mini-Cleaners Is
Located In The University Mall Next To Winn-Dixie.
Tuesday, September 12, 1972
8 p.m. Until?
The Electric Company
the area's largest nightclub
F ngate Shopping Center
Cover Charge $2.00
Sponsored by the Jaycees
Gate proceeds to be donated for
Chapel Hill-Carrboro Youth Activities
Tickets may be purchased at door
s or from any Jaycee.
VILLAGE OPTICIANS
Prescriptions Accurately
Filled
Lenses Duplicated
Headquarters For Quality
Sunglasses
Contact Lenses Fitted
Contact Lens Accessories
Contact Lenses
Cleaned and Polished
John Southern
121 E. Franklin Street
Between Varsity Theatre and Intimate
TTdDDS
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ON CAMPUS"
933-5086
UMiVSISIITY OP GWIT CAROLINA
8:30 A.M. -9:00 P.M. Mon. - Fri.
8:30 A.M. -1:00 P.M. Sat.
19
""""
io wars
(99 cents in Yankee money)
while they last AT th' Student Stores
I
I".
'IT!