Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / Sept. 8, 1989, edition 1 / Page 18
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o o o ocoami comtinLDires imoroe 10Fo'otball Wrh'e' Daify T4f heelnday, SejAemter&!'iiac Mack the Ma Tar Heels mix quick defense with green offense for '89 show By DAVE GLENN Sports Editor Put UNC head coach Mack Brown in a desert, and he'll find a way to make a living selling umbrellas. And that is a very good sign for a down-but-not-out North Carolina football program. The Tar Heels, coming off one of their worst seasons in history, face an uphill battle again in 1989. But, somehow, coachsalesmanpsycholo gist Brown managed to convince an ultra-talented group of freshmen to come to a 1-10 team with great hopes and expectations. There is certainly no talk in Chapel Hill of a conference championship or a bowl game. A winning record? Possible, but unlikely. But don't say it too loudly. Brown sticks to a more basic ap proach. "The number one thing we have to do is get our players to have a better self-image and gain confi dence," Brown said. "Once we put ourselves in a position to win a close game, we have to have what it takes to go ahead and win it. A lot of that simply comes with confidence." A lot of that confidence began to take root during an intense off-season conditioning program under the tutelage of Athletic Fitness Director Rich Tuten, a name spoken more and more often in all UNC athletic circles. Tuten, in his second year at UNC, has helped produce an improved combination of speed and strength evident on the practice field in the spring and summer months. Add that to the new and improved 6 o&oos & VJezi ., , ny . . Start "A New' Carolina Football Iradition Today Our wonderfully prepared multi-ethnic menu is augmented daily with Chef s Specials. Service is outstanding. Our atmosphere is definitely memorable. Specializing in pasta, seafood, chicken, salads & desserts. 919-929-1551 Hours: Mon.-Fri 11:30-2:30 (lunch) University Square Mon.-Thurs. 5:30-10:00 (dinner) Lower Level Fri.& Sat 5:30-1 1 :00 (dinner) Chapel HiUr NC 27514. . ' NO RESERVATIONS schedule which replaces Oklahoma and Aubum with VMI and Navy in the first four weeks of the season and the Tar Heels seem well along the road to respectability. Of course, glaring problems cer tainly exist. Start with a defense that gave up the most points in the history of North Carolina football. Add in the depar ture of tailback Kennard Martin (see accompanying story), who led the ACC in rushing a year ago, and a serious lack of depth and experience at all positions, and you have quite a different scenario. Suddenly, 1-10 seems a realistic possibility once again. But Mack Brown has a plan, just as he did at Tulane five years ago, when his team went from 1-10 to 4-7 to the Independence Bowl in his first three years. However, this one is quite a bit-different. From the originator of the power ful "Mack Attack" offense at LSU, where Brown was offensive coordi nator in 1982, comes a faster, stronger Tar Heel defense as the building block of a restructured program. Yes, this is much of the same de fensive unit that gave up almost 400 points a year ago. But there are some new faces, some experienced faces and some faces from the other side of the ball. Welcome ex-tailbacks Reggie Clark and Torin Dorn to the defen sive backfield. Move impressive sophomore Doxie Jordan to free safety, his natural position, and throw in the steady, experienced hand of ;-::::x:::::::::-::-- - '"::v' ::':";:f::p'l'':'';':':'' ';'' ''''''' ' 7 - xf--'- X:.. x::y.-..-5.-::. : :: 'Miinnii 'M ' nimii .rff.. J " J ,, 'J , , II I,' ...I..... Second-year head coach Mack senior Clarence Carter and you have quite a foursome. How well they work together remains to be seen, but the talent is there, something that could not be said a year ago. The Tar Heels' defensive front seven is confronted with the job of stopping the run between the tackles, a task too tough for last year's per sonnel, and putting some pressure on the passer. Biter Brown's magic wand once again. The Tar Heels' second-year head coach shifted sophomore tackle Roy Barker to nose guard in the spring, a move that enabled a bulked-up Den nis Tripp to move back outside to tackle. At the other tackle is a slimmed-down version of manmoun tain Cecil Gray, a popular preseason pick for All-ACC honors. The ripple effect of the moves on the shallow front line enabled 6-1, 245-pound Willie Joe Walker to move to linebacker in a further effort to stop the run. But the bulk of that job will fall to the Tar Heels' leading tacklers a year ago, jnside lineback ers Dwight Hollier and Bernard Tim mons. Hollier was possibly the best freshman linebacker in the country last year, and Timmons is fully re covered from off-season knee prob lems. Senior John Reed, junior Don Millen and sophomore Eric Gash will also see time in the second line of defense, perhaps the only area of the team where UNC can go two deep at each position with confidence. Last year, a horrendous defense made anything produced by an aver age Tar Heel offense a moot point. This year, the roles may be reversed. Problems abound for Brown al most everywhere on the offensive side of the ball. All-America candidate Pat Crowley, a 6-3, 283-pound sen ior at right guard, is an island of con sistency amidst a sea of disarray. Without Martin , at tailback, the school with more 1,000-yard rushers than any other is frighteningly thin at the position. Senior Aaron Staples, who carried the ball just six times last year, is backed up by speedy sophomores Randy Jordan and Eric Blount (a wideout last year) and fresh men Antuam Williams and Derrick Brown hopes his positive attitude will Henderson. Of those four, only Blount has ever suited up in Tar Heel blue. In any case, fullback Michael Bene field will be heading the charge. The 5-8, 205-pound junior has become a leader by example. Brown has temporarily silenced talk about much-heralded freshman quarterback Chuckie Burnette by firmly handing the job to senior Jon athan Hall, who seems to be back on track after a seemingly endless struggle with his right (throwing) shoulder. Brown said he wouldn't put Burnette into a situation that he didn't think he could handle. Of course, Brown didn't have to say that. Should Hall falter, the newest Burnette looks like the odds-on choice to get the call. Joining Crowley in his attempt to protect Hall and lead the way for Benefield and Co., senior center Carl Watts and junior transfer Kevin Donnelly have filled two of the voids 1988: 1-10, 1-6 ACC, seventh place. 42 Returning Lettermen; 10 Returning Starters. Key Offensive Starters Back: Two-time All-ACC guard Pat Crowley, quarterback Jonathan Hall, wide receiver Eric Blount. Key Defensive Starters Back: Linebackerleading tackier Dwight Hollier, defensive tackle Cecil Gray, nose guard Roy Barker, converted tailbackcomer back Torin Dorn, free safety Doxie Jordan. Key Losses: 1988 ACC rush ing leader Kennard Martin, four starting offensive linemen, lead ing receiver Randy Marriott, full back James Thompson, linebacker Antonio Goss, safety Terrence Fedd. Strengths: Brown's conta gious positive attitude defensive speed, kicking game, big-play ability of Eric Blount. Question Marks: Inexperi ence at tailback, tight end and of fensive line; lack of depth every where; Where, will the points come from? translate into UNC wins in 1989 left by the departure of stalwarts Jeff Garnica, Darrell Hamilton, Creighton Incorminias and Steve Steinbacher. Freshman Alec Millen, who looks like the heir apparent to Crowley in a long list of successful Tar Heel of fensive linemen, takes over at left guard. Sophomore Andrew Oberg gets the nod at right tackle, while junior behemoth Bill Boyd (6-8, 288) waits in the wings. Brian Bollinger, a 6-5, 238-pound sophomore tight end, will usually serve as a sixth offensive line man on the field in the UNC offen sive sets. Blount's move to tailback turned the UNC receiving corps into the Green Team. That is, senior Kurt and a parade of talented but untested fresh men. Speaking of Parade, watch out for high school All-American Julius Reese, a real burner. Other candi dates for the starting positions in clude Raleigh Millbrook High stand out Bucky Brooks, Durham Jordan High's Randall Felton and a pair of Virginians, Corey Holliday and Joey Jauch, a red-shirt freshman. A recent injury to Green, a broken clavicle that will sideline him for at least six weeks, means this group will have to grow up in a hurry. The kicking game could be a strength for the Tar Heels in 1989. The much-traveled leg of punter Scott McAlister returns for his sophomore season, while Clint Gwaltney, a sav ior as a freshman last year, is the front-runner for the placekicking duties. The Tar Heels' alter ego seems ready to surface for the 1989 football season. A stronger, faster and deeper defense should give the Tar Heels' offense a chance to pull out a few victories. Unfortunately for Mack Brown, he may have fewer offensive weapons than at any time in his ca reer. A .500 season would be an over whelming success in Mack Brown's second year at the helm of the UNC program. All he needs is a productive quar terback, a cohesive offensive line, a few freshman contributors and an injury-free season to get it done. Anybody want to buy an umbrella?
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Sept. 8, 1989, edition 1
18
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