2008 North Carolina Tar Heels

2008 North Carolina Tar Heels Season, Game Recaps, Scores and Reviews

2008 North Carolina Tar Heels

Dec. 27
2008 Meineke Care Care Bowl
West Virginia 31 … North Carolina 30
Pat White became the first starting quarterback to win four bowl games as he battled for his first 300-yard passing game of his career. He connected on three touchdown passes with a 44-yard strike to Alric Arnett and a 35-yard pass to Bradley Starks in a wild first quarter, and he threw a laser beam to Arnett for a 20-yard score to give the Mountaineers the lead midway through the fourth. White had to be amazing to overcome a huge day from UNC WR Hakeem Nicks, who caught three touchdown passes with a deflected pass that went for a 73-yard first quarter touchdown, a 66-yard scoring play, and a 25-yard touchdown catch. But the West Virginia defense stiffened as the Tar Heels only managed a four-yard T.J. Yates touchdown run to take the lead in the third. An interception from Pat Lazear stopped UNC’s final drive.
Player of the game: West Virginia QB Pat White completed 26-of-32 passes for 332 yards and three touchdowns with an interception, and in a losing cause, North Carolina WR Hakeem Nicks caught eight passes for 217 yards and three touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: North Carolina - Passing: T.J. Yates, 15-25, 211 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Shaun Draughn, 17-65. Receiving: Hakeem Nicks, 8-217, 3 TD
West Virginia - Passing: Pat White, 26-32, 332 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Noel Devine, 13-61, 1 TD. Receiving: Alrick Arnett, 7-93, 2 TD
Inside The Box Score ... 5 Thoughts on the Meineke Car Care Bowl …North Carolina’s Quan Sturdivant led all tacklers with 11. … Third down conversions: WMU 12-of-19 – UNC 5-of-11. … Offensive plays: WVU 74 – UNC 55. … Sacks: UNC 4 – WVU 1. … Total yards: WVU 455 – UNC 370.

- 2008 UNC Preview
- 2007 UNC Season

2008 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 6-6
2008 Record: 8-5

Aug. 30 McNeese State W 35-27
Sept. 6  OPEN DATE
Sept. 11 at Rutgers W 44-12
Sept. 20 Virginia Tech L 20-17
Sept. 27 at Miami W 28-24
Oct. 4 Connecticut W 38-12
Oct. 11 Notre Dame W 29-24
Oct. 18 at Virginia L 16-13 OT
Oct. 25 Boston College W 45-24
Nov. 1  OPEN DATE
Nov. 8 Georgia Tech W 28-7
Nov. 15 at Maryland L 17-13
Nov. 22 NC State L 41-10
Nov. 29 at Duke W 28-20
Meineke Car Care Bowl
Dec. 27 North Carolina L 31-30

2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 3-9
2007 Record: 4-8

Sept. 1 James Madison W 37-14
Sept. 8 at East Carolina L 34-31
Sept. 15 Virginia L 22-20
Sept. 22 at South Florida L 37-10
Sept. 29 at Va Tech L 17-10
Oct. 6 Miami W 33-27
Oct. 13 South Carolina L 21-15
Oct. 27 at Wake Forest L 37-10
Nov. 3 Maryland W 16-13
Nov. 10 at NC State L 31-27
Nov. 17 at Georgia Tech L 27-25
Nov. 24 Duke W 20-14 OT

Nov. 29
North Carolina 28 … Duke 20
T.J. Yates connected on 15-of-19 passes with three touchdown passes including a 25-yarder to Hakeem Nicks in the second and a 32-yard play to Richard Quinn in the third to help North Carolina pull away. Shaun Draughn added two touchdowns for the Tar Heels including an 11-yard catch to tie it at 15. Duke bombed away with Thaddeus Lewis throwing 49 times, but the O only managed to get into the end zone on an eight-yard catch from Eron Riley on the opening drive. The D got the other touchdown as Vincent Rey returned a fumble for a 36-yard first quarter score, but Duke would only get two field goals the rest of the way.
Player of the game: North Carolina QB T.J. Yates completed 15-of-19 passes for 190 yards and three touchdowns with an interception, and Duke LB Michael Tauiliili made 20 tackles and an interception.
Stat Leaders: Duke - Passing: Thaddeus Lewis, 34-49, 278 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Jay Hollingsworth, 9-50. Receiving: Donovan Varner, 10-73
North Carolina - Passing: T.J. Yates, 15-19, 190 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Shaun Draughn, 29-110, 1 TD. Receiving: Greg Little, 4-67
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... North Carolina can breathe a sigh of relief with the tighter-than-expected win over Duke to end a two-game losing streak. T.J. Yates was fantastic as he hit all his midrange throws and he kept the offense moving. There’s still plenty of work to be done, the offense could use more work, but the young team finished with eight wins and will get the bowl game to get working towards next year. Finding ways to turn yards into points is job one.

Nov. 22
NC State 41 … North Carolina 10
Russell Wilson threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to George Bryan and a 21-yard scoring pass to Owen Spencer and the defense forced six turnovers as NC State cruised to the win. North Carolina sputtered, but a five-yard Ryan Houston touchdown run midway through the third brought the Tar Heels to within seven, but State closed out with the final 24 points. Andre Brown and Jamelle Eugene each ran for short Wolfpack scores in the second half.
Player of the game: NC State QB Russell Wilson completed 17-of-28 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns and ran 11 times for 50 yards
Stat Leaders: North Carolina - Passing: T.J. Yates, 10-22, 116 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Shaun Draughn, 13-56. Receiving: Hakeem Nicks, 4-56
NC State - Passing: Russell Wilson, 17-28, 279 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Andre Brown, 20-81, 1 TD. Receiving: Owen Spencer, 3-94, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Uh, did anyone get the number on the truck that just ran over the Tar Heel season? Not only wasn’t there any offense against NC State, but the defense stunk it up when it had to come through with a big stop to bail out the O. Six turnovers proved to be a killer, but the defense gave up some long drives, too. The Tar Heels are going bowling, but the ACC title dream is all but dead. The goal against Duke will be to establish something positive offensively. T.J. Yates has to get the passing game going again, while some semblance of a running game would be nice.

Nov. 15
Maryland 17 … North Carolina 15
Chris Turner led the Terps on a 19-play drive late in the fourth quarter finishing with a 26-yard Obi Egekeze field goal for the winning points with 1:42 to play. North Carolina’s offense couldn’t manage much in the rain getting 59 of its 285 yards on a Cooter Arnold touchdown catch. The Tar Heels took an early 5-0 lead off a bad punt snap and the first of two Casey Barth field goals, but a Da’Rel Scott three-yard touchdown run and a one-yard Davin Meggett gave the Terps the lead before Barth took it back with a 28 yarder. There weren’t any points in the second half until the late field goal. Maryland held the ball for 40:29.
Player of the game: Maryland RB Da’Rel Scott ran 29 times for 129 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Maryland - Passing: Chris Turner, 16-31, 141 yds
Rushing: Da’Rel Scott, 29-129, 1 TD. Receiving: Darrius Heyward-Bey, 5-43
North Carolina - Passing: Cameron Sexton, 10-24, 166 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Shaun Draughn, 13-46. Receiving: Hakeem Nicks, 3-57
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... For all the athleticism and all the strong young talent UNC has amassed, it can’t come up with the consistent drives when needed because the running game has been so poor. With just 75 yards against Maryland, there wasn’t any big drive to get any momentum, while going 1-of-11 on third downs didn’t help. The ACC title could still be there for the taking by winning out and getting a little help. This night not be the last time the Tar Heels and Terps meet.

Nov. 8
North Carolina 28 … Georgia Tech 7
North Carolina got run over by the Yellow Jacket offense, but fumbles turned into points as Ryan Houston ran for two short scores in the fourth quarter and Zack Pianalton caught an eight-yard touchdown pass on the way to a 21-0 lead. Georgia Tech started to make things interesting late on a 85-yard Jonathan Dwyer touchdown run, but Hakeem Nicks put the game away on a 31-yard touchdown catch. In all, Georgia Tech ran for 326 yards but turned the ball over three times.
Player of the game: North Carolina LB Mark Paschal made 10 tackles and recovered a fumble
Stat Leaders: Georgia Tech - Passing: Josh Nesbitt, 10-22, 97 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Jonathan Dwyer, 22-157, 1 TD. Receiving: Demaryius Thomas, 4-35
North Carolina - Passing: Cameron Sexton, 7-16, 100 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Shaun Draughn, 17-90. Receiving: Hakeem Nicks, 3-72, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The North Carolina offense was hardly a work of art against Georgia Tech, struggling to generate any consistency and only feeding off the turnovers forced by the offense, but it took advantage of every opportunity and came up with the win. The running game was just effective enough to get by, and while Cam Sexton was hardly special throwing the ball, he didn’t make a slew of mistakes. Now the division is there for the taking with three not-that-bad games to close out against Maryland, NC State and Duke.  

Oct. 23
North Carolina 45 … Boston College 24
Boston College got up 10-0, and then it was the Hakeem Nicks show. The UNC receiver caught three touchdown passes from 26, 40 and 43 yards, and he ran for 12 yard score as part of a 45-7 run with a 24-point second quarter. The defense got into the act with a 51-yard interception return for a score from Trimaine Goddard. Boston College’s defense got a 13-yard fumble return for a score from Kevin Akins, but the offense didn’t get into the end zone until late in the fourth.  
Player of the game: North Carolina WR Hakeem Nicks caught eight passes for 139 yards and three touchdowns, and he ran three times for 31 yards and a score
Stat Leaders: Boston College - Passing: Chris Crane, 28-42, 204 yds, 2 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Josh Haden, 6-25. Receiving: James McCluskey, 8-58
North Carolina - Passing: Cam Sexton, 19-30, 238 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Shaun Draughn, 18-64. Receiving: Hakeem Nicks, 8-139, 3 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... With Brandon Tate done for the year, Hakeem Nicks has stepped up to become the NFL caliber superstar he has been expected to grow into. He ripped up Boston College, as did the UNC offense, with the best performance of the season. Cam Sexton took three sacks, but he was red hot after the first quarter and did a good job of not making mistakes. The running game was fine against the tremendous BC D, but nothing special. It didn’t have to be. The UNC secondary has now gone to another level with three more interceptions.  

Oct. 18
Virginia 16 … North Carolina 13 OT
Down seven with just over two minutes to play and with 82 yards to go, Virginia QB Marc Verica led the Cavaliers quickly and efficiently down the field leading to a two-yard Cedric Peerman touchdown run with 47 seconds to play to force overtime. In the OT, North Carolina got a 28-yard Casey Barth field goal for the lead, but Virginia answered with 19-yard pass to John Phillips to set up a two-yard Cedric Peerman touchdown run for the win. The Tar Heels scored first on a one-yard Ryan Houston touchdown run, and the defense held tough allowing just a 37-yard field goal until the final few minutes.
Player of the game: Virginia QB Marc Verica completed 24-of-38 passes for 217 yards
Stat Leaders: North Carolina - Passing: Cam Sexton, 16-25, 166 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Shaun Draughn, 30-138. Receiving: Hakeem Nicks, 6-90
Virginia - Passing: Marc Verica, 24-38, 217 yds
Rushing: Cedric Peerman, 17-44, 2 TD. Receiving: Kevin Ogletree, 6-72
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... North Carolina is still a young team. It’s an extremely talented team, and an extremely athletic one, but it’s still young. It has found ways to pull off close wins over Notre Dame and Miami, but it’s just a few plays away from being unbeaten. Cam Sexton threw well and Shaun Draughn came up with a big day on the ground, but the O couldn’t close. It has to be a learning experience. The Tar Heels have big games against Boston College and Georgia Tech ahead which are now must wins to stay in the ACC title hunt.

Oct. 11
North Carolina 29 … Notre Dame 24
Notre Dame took a 17-9 lead into halftime helped by two Jimmy Clausen touchdown passes, and then North Carolina took over on both sides of the ball. The Tar Heels got a 32-yard interception return for a touchdown from Quan Sturdivant on the first play of the second half, but James Aldridge ran for a two-yard score to give the Irish an eight point lead. Ryan Houston ran for a one-yard score, but the Tar Heels missed on the two point conversion. Cam Sexton put UNC up for good on a four-yard touchdown run, and Deunta Williams helped put it away with a pick. The Irish had one final shot, but turned the ball over again. In all Notre Dame turned it over five times, North Carolina didn’t give it away.
Player of the game: North Carolina LB Quan Sturdivant made 10 tackles, half a tackle for loss, and an interception return for a score
Stat Leaders: Notre Dame - Passing: Jimmy Clausen, 31-48, 383 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Armando Allen, 11-60. Receiving: Armando Allen, 7-47
North Carolina - Passing: Cam Sexton, 18-32, 201 yds
Rushing: Shaun Draughn, 17-91. Receiving: Hakeem Nicks, 9-141
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Tar Heel defense is making everyone screw up. It’s giving up plenty of yards, but it’s forcing mistakes thanks to the pass rush from Bruce Carter and the line. The secondary is taking advantage of every opportunity. Notre Dame seemed to have problems with miscommunication on a couple of big plays, and the secondary didn’t miss. Cam Sexton was mistake free, failing to throw an interception, while Hakeem Nicks did a great job of picking up the slack with Brandon Tate out. The offense needs playmakers and can’t be without Tate.

Oct. 4
North Carolina 38 … Connecticut 12
Bruce Carter blocked three punts, with Matt Merletti recovering one for a second quarter touchdown, Marvin Austin returned an interception 23 yards for a touchdown, and Hakeem Nicks caught a 13-yard touchdown pass as North Carolina found ways to get past Connecticut. The Huskies outgained the Tar Heels 378 yards to 263, but could only manage two field goals before Donald Brown ran for a one-yard score in the fourth. The nation’s leading rusher, Brown, ran for 161 yards, but it was Carter who stole the show by giving the Tar Heels good field position with his blocked punts.
Player of the game: North Carolina LB Bruce Carter made seven tackles, made two tackles for loss, and blocked three punts  
Stat Leaders: Connecticut - Passing: Zach Frazier, 24-44, 210 yds, 3 INT
Rushing: Donald Brown, 33-161, 1 TD. Receiving: D.J. Hernandez, 7-103
North Carolina - Passing: Cameron Sexton, 9-16, 117 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Shaun Draughn, 19-109, 1 TD. Receiving: Hakeem Nicks, 3-55, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Bruce Carter has turned into a special punt blocker with a block against Miami last week before the three this week against Connecticut. The Tar Heel offense wasn’t anything special, but it didn’t have to be. The defense and special teams took care of things, but it’s not as if Cam Sexton and the offense didn’t do anything. Sexton was able to connect on a few big plays and Shaun Draughn ran for 109 yards and a 39-yard score. This was a nice win with Notre Dame coming to town this week.

Sept. 27
North Carolina 28 ... Miami 24
North Carolina got a 14-yard touchdown catch from Brooks Foster with 46 seconds to play to take the lead for good, but it took a big play in the end zone to secure the win. Miami got to the UNC 20 with 15 seconds to play, and it appeared that Robert Marve had connected with Kayne Farquharson for a touchdown, but the ball was bobbled and Tremaine Goddard picked it off for the win. The Canes jumped out to a 14-0 lead on two Marve touchdown passes, and a four-yard scoring pass to Aldarius Johnson in the fourth quarter made it a ten-point lead with under ten minutes remaining. UNC got back in it on a 74-yard Hakeem Nicks touchdown play.
Player of the game: North Carolina CB Tremaine Goddard made eight tackles and two interceptions with a broken up pass
Stat Leaders: North Carolina - Passing: Cameron Sexton, 11-19, 242 yds, 2 TDs
Rushing: Greg Little, 14-38, 1 TD. Receiving: Hakeem Nicks, 5-133, 1 TD
Miami - Passing: Robert Marve, 18-27, 135 yds, 3 TDs, 2 INTs
Rushing: Graig Cooper, 19-110. Receiving: Kayne Farquharson, 3-51, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Tar Heels showed just how athletic they are by hanging talent for talent with a young, fast Miami team. The running game got stuffed and the secondary had a few problems on third downs, but Cam Sexton played extremely well in place of T.J. Yates by leading the way for the big road win. If there's a more consistent power running game, and if Sexton can continue to play mistake-free, this will be a real, live contender in the ACC title race. There isn't another conference game until October 18th at Virginia, so the next two weeks against Connecticut and Notre Dame have to be used as tune-ups.

Sept. 20
Virginia Tech 20 ... North Carolina 17
Virginia Tech only came up with 268 yards of total offense, but it took advantage of several North Carolina mistakes to pull out a tough win. Down 17-3 late in the third quarter, Virginia Tech got a 10-yard Darren Evans touchdown run, an 11-yard Kenny Lewis touchdown dash, and helped by penalties, a 45-yard Dustin Keys field goal to complete the comeback. North Carolina, who was quarterbacked by Mike Paulus with T.J. Yates getting knocked out with an ankle injury, struggled to move the ball in the second half after getting a 32-yard Brandon Tate touchdown catch and a 50-yard Greg Little scoring run to take the lead.
Player of the game: Virginia Tech RB Darren Evans rushed for 61 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries, and had a reception for five yards.
Stat Leaders: Virginia Tech - Passing: Tyrod Taylor, 11-21, 125 yds, 2 INTs
Rushing: Darren Evans, 14-61, 1 TD. Receiving: Danny Coale, 4-54
North Carolina - Passing: T.J. Yates, 11-18, 181 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Greg Little, 18-71, 1 TD. Receiving: Hakeem Nicks, 4-51
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... North Carolina has only itself to blame for the loss to Virginia Tech. It didn't help that T.J. Yates was lost for the game with an ankle injury and Mike Paulus completed just 3-of-8 passes for 23 yards with two interceptions, but the entire team made mistakes. Virginia Tech wasn't playing well enough to win unless the Tar Heels screwed up, and there were 14 penalties for 121 yards and four turnovers. Considering Miami is starting to play better, next week's trip for Butch Davis and his crew is far more vital now than it looked halfway through the third quarter against the Hokies.

Sept. 11
North Carolina 44 ... Rutgers 12
Rutgers got out to a 3-0 lead going into the second quarter, and then it was all North Carolina as Brandon Tate scored on a 69-yard catch and a 12-yard run, Hakeem Nicks caught two touchdown passes, and the defense came up with four interceptions with Bruce Carter taking one 66 yards for a touchdown. The Scarlet Knight offense only managed two field goals before finally getting into the end zone in the fourth quarter when the outcome had been decided. Rutgers was 0-of-9 on third down conversions.
Player of the game: North Carolina QB T.J. Yates completed 14-of-22 passes for 221 yards and three touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Rutgers - Passing: Mike Teel, 25-40, 243 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Mason Robinson, 16-82. Receiving: Kenny Britt, 8-109
North Carolina - Passing: T.J. Yates, 14-22, 221 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Greg Little, 18-71. Receiving: Hakeem Nicks, 6-63, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Speed, explosion, and great play from the defense. North Carolina showed against Rutgers that it might be a major ACC player this year. Brandon Tate continues to be a do-it-all star, while the passing game showed the big play ability to put the game away. The defense swarmed all over the Rutgers running game and picked off Mike Teel four times, but most impressively, it didn't allow a third down conversion. This was a big win, but beating Virginia Tech and Miami over the next two weeks would really kick off a special season.

Aug. 30
North Carolina  35 ... McNeese State 27
Brandon Tate set a school record with 397 all-purpose yards with an 82-yard punt return for a score and a 57-yard touchdown catch, but North Carolina had to overcome a 21-20 fourth quarter deficit and had to hang on late. The Tate scoring grab was followed up by a 13-yard Shaun Draughn touchdown run and a five-yard Greg Little score, but MSU would rallied with a 16-yard Corday Clark touchdown catch with 1:47 to play. The Tar Heels were able run out the clock.
Player of the game: North Carolina WR Brandon Tate, ran three times for 106 yards caught four passes for 93 yards and a touchdown, and returned three punts for 142 yards and a score.
Stat Leaders: McNeese State - Passing: Derrick Fourroux, 14-26, 18 1yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Todd Pendland, 26-85. Receiving: Todd Pendland, 6-60
North Carolina - Passing: T.J Yates, 15-26, 221 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Brandon Tate, 3-106. Receiving: Hakeem Nicks, 6-110
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... McNeese State might be good, but it's a little concerning that it took so much to get by an FCS team. Brandon Tate needed to have one of the greatest games in Tar Heel history, and the offense needed to rally, or else this would've been a major black eye for the ACC. The team can't rely on the home run against Rutgers and Virginia Tech, and it'll have to do a far better job of getting the defense off the field after having the ball for just 24:44.

2008 Recruiting Class

Star of the Class

Ebele Okakpu LB 6-1 201 Roswell, GA
SuperPrep All-America ... Considered the No. 17 player in Georgia and the No. 25 linebacker in the country by SuperPrep ... Ranked the No. 11 middle linebacker in the country by Scout.com ... Named to the Georgia Football Magazine 2007 All-Classification All-State team ... Member of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100 ... Posted 151 tackles as a senior and returned a touchdown for an interception in the playoffs ... Led Roswell to a 10-3 record and a run to the third round of the 5-A state playoffs ... Had 121 tackles, nine tackles for loss, three sacks, and four fumble recoveries as a junior, helping lead his team to the state championship game, which ended in a 14-14 tie

Potential Instant Impact Players

Herman Davidson DB 6-3 215 Long Beach, CA
Ranked the No. 19 cornerback in the country by Scout.com ... Rated the 36th-best player in California by SuperPrep ... Finished the 2007 season (13-1) with 71 tackles and six interceptions and two fumble recoveries ... Saved the Poly season with a fumble recovery at the goal line in the final seconds of their 2-0 win over Orange Lutheran in the semifinals ... Helped the Jackrabbits to the 2007 CIF-SS Pac-5 Division title ... Earned first-team all-division honors ... Played sparingly as a junior for Long Beach (Calif.) Poly but moved into the starting lineup during his senior year ... Becomes the first native Californian to sign with the Tar Heels since Chris Keldorf in 1996

Melvin Williams DB 6-0 205 Coffeyville, KS
Enrolled at North Carolina in January after attending Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College ... First-team all-district and all-state cornerback for Wilson Central High School in Lebanon, Tenn. ... Can play either cornerback or safety ... Received a four-star rating from Scout.com  ... Earned All-Gridiron second-team junior college All-America honors ... Named honorable mention NJCAAAll-America ... Ranked second on Coffeyville's squad as a freshman with 87 tackles ... Had 52 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions forced a fumble and blocked two kicks as a sophomore ... Childhood friend of former North Carolina basketball player Brandan Wright ... Made his first visit to Chapel Hill when Wright came on an official visit for basketball in 2005-06

Rest of the Class

A.J. Blue	QB	6-3	208	Dallas, NC
Zach Brown	LB	6-1	210	Chatham, VA
Jonathan Cooper	OL	6-3	287	Wilmington, NC
Quinton Coples	DE	6-7	235	Chatham, VA
Dion Guy	LB	6-3	217	Washington, DC
Braden Hanson	QB	6-6	193	Charlotte, NC
Todd Harrelson	WR	6-0	181	Chesapeake, VA
Kenneth Harris	LB	6-4	194	Decatur, GA
Michael McAdoo	DE	6-7	220	Antioch, TN
Robert Quinn	DE	6-5	245	North Charleston, SC
Kevin Reddick	LB	6-2	208	New Bern, NC
Randy White	TE	6-5	228	Bristol, VA
Christian Wilson	ATH	6-2	228	McKees Rocks, PA
Jamal  Womble	RB	5-10	216	Sierra Vista, AZ

2007 Recap

Recap: Despite winning only four games, new head coach Butch Davis laid the foundation for the future in Chapel Hill, filling his two-deep with a number of freshmen and sophomores that’ll benefit from this year’s hands-on experience.  Save for games at South Florida and Wake Forest, the Heels were competitive every Saturday, picking up building-block wins over Miami and Maryland along the way.  Sensing that far better days lie ahead at Carolina, Davis remained committed to the program, even after other schools showed interest in his services in December.     

Offensive Player of the Year: WR Hakeem Nicks

Defensive Player of the Year: LB Durell Mapp

Biggest Surprise: The Oct. 6 upset of once-beaten Miami.  The Heels jumped all over the ‘Canes, holding on for a 33-27 win, and handing Davis his first signature win versus his former employer.  It was the type of victory that the neophyte Carolina program will point to when it eventually makes it back to the postseason.

Biggest Disappointment: Losing to NC State on Nov. 10.  Although the Tar Heels probably grew numb to close defeats by the final month of the season, this one really stung.  North Carolina blew a fourth quarter lead, rallied back down the field, but stalled on the Wolfpack 7-yard line with a few ticks left on the clock.

Looking Ahead: Don’t get bogged down solely by wins and losses when evaluating North Carolina’s progress as a program.  Davis is back in his element, rebuilding a sleeping giant with budding talents on both sides of the ball, such as QB T.J. Yates, DT Marvin Austin, and S Deunta Williams.  If Yates continues to develop and the Heels learn to win the close ones, they’ll be competing for more than just moral victories next November.