Top 25 Countdown: #14 North Carolina

#14

2009 Record – 8-5, 4-4 ACC
Bowl Game – Meineke Car Care Bowl – Lost to Pittsburgh 17-19
Letterman Returning: 39
Stadium – Kenan Memorial Stadium (60,000)
College Location – Chapel Hill, NC
Coach – Butch Davis, 20-18 (4^th year)

OFFENSE: (10)

Key Returnees – WR Greg Little (below), RB Ryan Houston, QB TJ Yates, G Alan Pelc, TE Zach Pianalto

Key Losses – T Kyle Jolly

- If only UNC could just play defense. More often than not it was the Tar Heels offense that left the team behind in games last season. The team returns 10 starters, yet the offense still seems a few players short of being special. Returning starting quarterback, senior, TJ Yates, passed for 2,136 yards last season with a 60 percent completion percentage, yet his 14 touchdowns to 15 interceptions outweigh the latter. Yates should be better in his final season in Chapel Hill and if not, will be pushed out of the job by redshirt freshman, Bryn Renner. The rushing game returns its top two leading rushers from last season in seniors, Shaun Draughn and Ryan Houston. Houston led the team with 713 yards and nine scores but averaged just 3.7 yards a carry. Draughn brought in 567 yards on a 4.6 yard average. The coaching staff was excited about true freshman Giovanni Bernard but a torn ACL in summer workouts will put the freshman on the sidelines for the season. The receiving corps for the Tar Heels features the team’s most dynamic offensive player in senior wideout, Greg Little. Little, picked up the slack left by NFL draftees, Hakeem Nicks and Brandon Tate, bringing in 62 catches for 724 yards and five scores last season. Carolina should be looking for more ways to get Little the ball in 2010 as he is a physical and dynamic weapon in the passing game. Sophomores, Jheranie Boyd and Erik Highsmith, bring reliable pass catching and added height to the receiving core as well. Senior tight end Zach Pianalto came on strong last season becoming a safety blanket for Yates. Pianalto caught 33 passes for 334 yards last season and should be a larger part of the offense this year. The offensive line remains the only part of the 2010 offense which losses a starter. The unit returns all-conference linemen Alan Pelc but will need to find a replacement at left tackle for Kyle Jolly. Heralded true freshman recruit, James Hurst, may be an option.

DEFENSE: (9)

Key Returnees – OLB Quan Sturdivant (below), DT Marvin Austin, DE Robert Quinn, OLB Bruce Carter, S Deunta Williams, CB Kendric Burney, CB Charles Brown

Key Losses – DE EJ Wilson, DT Cam Thomas

- Come next year’s NFL Draft, Commissioner Roger Goodell may feel a sense of Déjà vu coming over him after consecutive podium visits ending with: “From the University of North Carolina.” With five potential first round picks on the Carolina defense, the Saturday lineup for the Tar Heels reads like an NFL owners Christmas list. Unfortunately for the Tar Heels though, the football offseason has been littered with agent talk and claims of violations surrounding some of Carolina’s top defensive talent that has brought more drama to campus than an episode of Jersey Shore. All allegations aside, however, the Heels boast three of the top units in college football. Along the defensive line, senior tackle, Marvin Austin, is considered by some the top NFL prospect in college football. Austin has 25 starts in his career, bringing in 106 tackles – in constant double teams. Junior defensive end, Robert Quinn, came on strong as a sophomore last season, earning second team All-American honors, while also drawing the eyes of NFL scouts. The 6’5’’ 270 pound now junior registered 19 tackles for a loss last season with 11 sacks. Defensive tackle, Tydreke Powell and end, Quinton Coples, step into full time starting duty for the first time this season. Nowhere in college football will you find a more athletic duo of outside linebackers than in Chapel Hill. Seniors, Bruce Carter and Quan Sturdivant, are as good as they come. Carter may be one of college football’s most athletic players and remains perhaps the top NFL prospect at outside linebacker. Quan, who has experience in the middle as well, is another of Carolina’s future first round picks. The two combined for 19.5 tackles for loss last season while finishing first and third on the team in total tackles. Sophomore middle linebacker, Kevin Riddick, stepped into starting duty in seven games last season as a true freshman, finishing with 42 tackles with 5.5 for a loss. The defensive secondary wreaked havoc on opposing quarterbacks last season. All four starters return for the Tar Heels after a season in which the group came away with a combined 14 interceptions. Senior safety, Deunta Williams and senior corner, Kendrick Burney, provide star power to the backfield. Williams himself came away with 14 passes defended and six interceptions. Senior corner, Charles Brown and senior safety, Da’Norris Searcy, are reliable starters as well. Brown finished second on the team in tackles with 66 and second in passes defended with 12.

SCHEDULE:

- North Carolina is and will always first be known to most as a basketball school. A rich basketball tradition and multiple national championships in the sport have made it so. Quietly, however, the Tar Heels are returning back to a balanced two sport program under head coach, Butch Davis. The Heels have put together two 8-5 seasons back-to-back and have an impressive 8-2 record against non-conference opponents over the last two seasons. Unfortunately for the Tar Heels, they remain a second tier team in the ACC, with just an 8-8 record in the conference, over the last two seasons. There are bright spots in UNC’s ACC matchups – three consecutive wins against Miami – but there are also shallow ends – three straight losses against rival NC State. This season, UNC will look to keep the non conference wins rolling with an early season matchup against LSU, Sept. 4 in Atlanta. An early conference meeting where offense-vs.-defense collides against Georgia Tech is set for Sept. 18, followed by non-conference meetings at Rutgers and East Carolina at home. ACC meetings in the middle of October include Clemson in Chapel Hill, at Virginia and at Miami, Oct. 23. November starts out with a trip to Florida State Nov. 6, followed by two straight home meetings against Virginia Tech and NC State. The Heels will need to get over their NC State itch as of late, if they want to take the next step in the conference. A trip down the road to Duke ends the season Nov. 27.

Schedule rating: B+

Red = Toughest Game. Blue = Pivotal to conference.

Top Incoming Freshman:

1.) James Hurst, *#3 OT, 6-5 285, Plainfield, IN

Hurst will get an opportunity to start right away with a vacancy at the tackle position.

2.) Brandon Willis, #21 DT, 6-3 255, Duncan, SC

Willis is undersized for a tackle but uses it to his advantage splitting often double teams and getting after the quarterback.

3.) Giovanni Bernard (left) #13 RB, 5-9 195, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Bernard came in with high hope of the running back job but will sit the season out with a torn ACL in workouts.

4.) T.J. Leifheit, #23 OT, 6-7 315, Wilmington, NC

Leifheit has college ready size already. Can play guard or tackle.

5.) Kareem Martin, #34 DE, 6-6 235, Roanoke Rapids, NC

Martin has room to grow on his 6’6’’ frame and could explore options besides defensive end in college.

*Rankings according to scout.com

Photos:

Little: Bob Donnan/US Presswire

Sturdivant: Starnewsonline.com

Bernard: South Florida Sun Sentinel