The Daily Tar HeelTuesday, April 11,1 9899
Sports
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By DAVE GLENN
Sports Editor
The scoreboard in Kenan Stadium
flashed "Carolina 31, Visitors 0"
Saturday afternoon after two football
teams, clad in blue and white uni
forms, slopped through the mud for
almost three hours on a cold, rainy
spring afternoon.
Unfortunately for Mack Brown's
Tar Heels, this clash wasn't UNC
Duke, and the score won't count in
the ACC standings.
But a lot of things did count for
the second-year UNC football coach.
It was Blue-White football, and
Brown got a much-needed chance to
see and evaluate the progress of his
1989-90 team minus the incoming
freshmen, of course.
Though the scoreboard didn't
reflect it, the game boiled down to
a battle between the first string and
second string. An unofficial scorecard
gave the nod to the first team by a
score of 28-3.
Brown said the game was a great
opportunity for the coaching staff to
get a look at the returning players
in what has become a completely
revamped line-up.
So, leaving super recruit Chuckie
Burnette in the proverbial phone
booth for another day, Brown spoke
about his latest number-one
quarterback.
Meet senior Jonathan Hall, last
year's sometimes-starter, who com
pleted 12 of 20 passes for 133 yards
and two interceptions on the day.
"We now know more about what a
Jonathan Hall can do offensively
than we did before," Brown said. "We
never got a good look at him in the
fall because of his (injured) shoulder."
Brown said the fans and media
aren't the only ones who have been
concentrating on the quarterback
spot. uWe felt the number one thing
we had to do was get solid at that
position," Brown said, "and Jonathan
Hall has become our first-team
player."
The ACC's leading rusher in 1988,
junior tailback Kennard Martin
gained only. 21 yards in a cameo
appearance, but senior running back
Aaron Staples lit up the defense for
114 yards on 20 carries against the
second stringers.
A particularly good sign for the Tar
Heels was the work of the offensive
line, which lost four starters from last
year's powerful crew. The Tar Heels
latest combination cleared the way
for Staples and junior fullback
Michael Benefield throughout the
afternoon. Benefield, who gained 29
yards on seven carries, notched the
game's first two scores on runs of two
and three yards.
Led by senior center Carl Watts,
who moved over from guard in the
offseason, and All-America candi
date Pat Crowley at right guard, the
UNC offense marched downfield on
the ground time and time again.
Meanwhile, 6-foot-9, 280-pound
tackle Bill Boyd and redshirt fresh
man guard Alec Millen opened holes
on the left side of the UNC line by
driving "defenders four and five yards
off the ball.
Brown beamed about the play of
Crowley, a senior. "He was all
conference last year, and he's a better
player now," Brown said. "He has
graded over 90 percent in every
scrimmage. IVe never seen anything
like him."
Going to the air, a well-protected
Hall went early and often to split end
Eric Blount, who gained 92 yards on
seven receptions. Hall and Blount
hooked up on a 35-yard pass play
to finish the scoring for the day. Hall
passed quickly to Blount in the left
flat, and the silky sophomore juked
his way past two defenders on the
wet turf and into the end zone for
the final six.
Other players in the spotlight on
Super Saturday were offense-to-defense
transfers Torin Dorn (from
running back to cornerback) and
Reggie Clark (from wide receiver to
safety). Both backs played well and
displayed the kind of quickness that
Brown has been looking for from day
one.
Brown said he is pleased with the
progress that has resulted from the
spring changes. "The moves that
we've made have made us a better
football team," Brown said. "It's
shown the defense a commitment to
stopping people when we move two
outstanding athletes over to that
side."
Brown added that now is the best
time to get players accustomed to new
positions, not during the regular
season as was the case in many
situations last year. "Torin Dora is
On Tap
Today
BASEBALL at Duke, 330 pm
LACROSSE at C.W. Post GreenvaJe,
MY, 3:00 pm
SOFTBALL at UNC-Wilmington, 3.00
430 pm
MEN'S TENNIS at Wake Forest,
Winston-Salem, 230 pm
WOMEN'S TENNIS vs. N.C. State, UNC
Tennis Center, 200 pm
Wed., April 12
BASEBALL vs. UNC-Wilmington,
Boshamer Stadium, 6.00 pm
Thur., April 13
BASEBALL vs. Coastal Carolina (DH),
Boshamer Stadium, 3.007:00 pm
MEN'S TENNIS vs. Duke, UNC Tennis
Center, 200 pm
Summer Employment
Opportunity
Jobs available with the UNC
Physical Plant-Housing
Support Paint Crew.
Applications available at
Physical Plant Personnel
Office
1 68 A Airport Road
CB18CO
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
duo April 14, 1989
Laserset
resumes
LASER PRINTERS
rushes possible
on Franklin Street above Sadlack's
967-6633
making mistakes now, whereas guys
were making mistakes in the fall last
year," Brown said. "You can teach
some new things during the year, but
it's difficult because you're also
getting ready for the next team all
week."
One team that was ready Saturday
was the Tar Heels number-one
defense, a squad that gave up more
points than any team in UNC history
in 1988.
Though the defensive unit was
without linebackers Willie Joe
Walker and Bernard Timmons due
to injuries, sophomore sensation
Dwight Hollier stepped forward with
an excellent performance. Hollier
helped stuff the run on a defense that
put consistent pressure on second
team quarterbacks Todd Burnett and
Deems May.
Ready to scrimmage again tomor
row, Brown said this year's entire
UNC squad has a few particular
things at the top of its priority list
for spring practice. "We have been
focusing on a few different areas,"
Brown said. "Especially third down
and critical situations. That includes
goal-line situations, third and long,
and the two-minute offense."
In other words, those things that
can mean the difference between a
win and a loss.
And for Mack Brown on Saturday,
that was much more important than
the numbers on the scoreboard.
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DTH David Surowiecki
North Carolina football players get their feet wet (and muddy) in Saturday's Blue-White game
66 1 wasn't rubbing
it in-I just wanted
Eddie to know
the score of
last night's garnet
iff?.
a ? t 4-"
eh
1
Alex Sum University of Washington- Class of 1990
Go ahead and gloat. You can
rub it in all the way to Chicago
with AI83T Long Distance Service.
Besides, your best friend Eddie
was the one who said your team
could never win three straight.
So give him a call It costs a
lot less than you think to let him
know who's headed for the Playoffs.
Reach out and touch someone.
If youd like to know more about
AI&T products and services, like
International Calling and the AI8T
Card, call us at 1 800 222-0300.
i
M3T
The right choice.
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if