Kickin' Up Their Tar Heels

But those superior defensive stats are only one indication that Carolina is a good team getting better. The Heels are also very opportunistic. With their offense still a little draggy—the much-heralded Famous Amos Lawrence was held to a mere 49 yards rushing by the Wolf-pack—Steve Streater went back to punt with 8:36 to go in the second quarter of an 0-0 game. But observing an end peel back, leaving only a slow-footed tackle to rush, Streater tucked the ball under his arm and ran 37 yards untouched for a TD. "I'd like to do that every time I go back to punt," says Streater. In fact, Crum often gives him the license to run.

This play so unnerved N.C. State that Avery fumbled on the first play of the ensuing series when he was folded, spindled and mutilated by Tar Heel Left Tackle Donnell Thompson, who says, "I'll tell you what comes to my mind when I'm getting ready to make a hit like that—winning." Moments later, from the Wolfpack 22, sophomore Quarterback Rod Elkins passed to Split End Victor Harrison for the score. That made it 14-0, and State wasn't going to score 14 points against the Tar Heel defense if the two teams kept playing till the dogwoods bloomed again. North Carolina scored twice more in the second half before allowing State a meaningless TD near the end.

Despite the outstanding defensive effort, Crum said after the game, "I'm not ready to say just how good this defense is. I want to wait a little bit longer." Such caution is understandable what with the Sooners waiting in Norman. But some teams never succeed big because they don't dream big. That prompts Center Rick Donnalley to say, "We're a Top 10 football team. We know that. And each week we find out more and more about ourselves. We can be as good as we want to be."