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15
North Carolina
This is what's new in Chapel Hill: the coach and 14
starters. This is what's old: coming up short against
Florida State
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Davenport is being counted on to hold the inexperienced offense together. (Damian Strohmeyer) |
While tending
the
full-service pumps at the
Eastgate BP gas station in
Chapel Hill this summer, North Carolina quarterback Oscar
Davenport got used to hearing two phrases. "Fill 'er
up" was the first. Davenport would promptly flip on
the pump and offer to check the customer's oil while Tar
Heels linebacker Brandon Spoon
washed the vehicle's windows. Both players then waited for the
driver to lean out the window and yell, "Hey, when are
you guys going to beat Florida
State?''
Talk at the pump is generally brief, but a more pertinent
question would have been, "Hey, how are you guys going
to deal with losing your coach and an ACC-high 14 starters,
including three defenders who were taken in the first round
of the
NFL draft,
most of your offensive line, your only 1,000-yard rusher and
your tight end?"
The play of the
6'4" Davenport, a fifth-year senior who is in his first
season as the full-time starter, may provide the best
answer to that question. Despite a fractured right fibula
that kept him out of the final two games of the regular
season and a 42-3 romp over
Virginia Tech in the Gator Bowl, he was the team's offensive
MVP last year and is equally dangerous as a passer (his
63.7% career completion rate is the best in school history) and a
scrambler. To help avoid the nagging injuries that have
hampered him
throughout his college career, Davenport pumped plenty of iron as
well as gas this summer. He will start the season at
210 pounds, 20 more than last year.
With mostly unproven underclassmen behind him in the
backfield and just one returning starter in front of him on
the offensive line, Davenport must remain healthy if
North Carolina, which is coming off its highest final ranking
since 1948, is to stay within striking distance of
perennial
ACC champ Florida State. "We've won a lot of games because
our defense has been one of the best in the country,"
says Davenport. "It's
time for the offense to step up to a new
level."
Under new coach Carl Torbush, who was promoted from
defensive coordinator after Mack Brown left for Texas, the
Tar Heels plan to open up their
offense. Davenport will call more audibles to isolate his deep and
talented receiving corps led by seniors
Na Brown (107 catches in the past two years) and L.C. Stevens
(45 catches in '97). But will Davenport have enough time to
throw? After tight end Alge Crumpler blew out his knee in
the spring, junior guard Mike Gimbol was left as the only
returning starter
from a line that was arguably the team's weak link (36
sacks allowed) last year. "Without a doubt," says
Torbush, "the biggest key to our season is getting
guys to step forward on our offensive
line."
Rebuilding the defense will require a similar commitment.
Torbush lost seven starters from the 1997 unit, which
ranked second in the country in total defense and held
opponents to zero or negative yardage half the time.
However, one of the returning
first-teamers is two-time All-America cornerback Dre' Bly, the
most dominant defender to wear Carolina blue since Lawrence
Taylor. In his two seasons in Chapel Hill, Bly has
intercepted 16 passes, one short of the ACC career record
held by five players.
This fall he vows to be an even more forceful presence.
"This is my team now," he says. "I can't
wait. All I've ever wanted to do is lead this team and be
the Man. My job is simple: After last year we have no
choice but to go
12-0."
No choice? With all the turnover on the North Carolina
roster, it's more like no
chance. —David
Fleming
Fast Facts
1997 record: 11-1 (7-1, 2nd in
ACC)
Final ranking: No. 6 AP, No. 4 coaches'
poll
| 1997 Averages | Offense | Defense |
| Scoring | 27.8 | 13.0 |
| Rushing Yards | 117.1 | 77.9 |
| Passing Yards | 261.8 | 131.4 |
| Total Yards | 378.9 | 209.3 |
|
Pivotal Players
Quarterback
Oscar Davenport
set the school record last season for most consecutive
passes without an interception
(154).... Defensive end
Ebenezer Ekuban
could see double duty as a tight end, covering for
Alge Crumpler, who will miss the season due
to a severe knee
injury.... Cornerback
Dre' Bly
will double as a kick returner—not as a wideout, as
had been
rumored.
Key Games
Schedule strength: 40th of
112
Oct. 31 at Florida
State The Tar Heels have not scored a touchdown against the
Seminoles in their last two
matchups.
Nov. 14 at Virginia
Under George Welsh, the Cavaliers have dominated North
Carolina in Charlottesville, winning all eight
meetings.
Bottom Line
The Tar Heels have established themselves as a top program,
but a lack of depth makes a serious challenge to Florida
State
unlikely.
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