Football team hopeful after disappointing year
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By: From Staff Reports
Issue date: 4/25/08 Section: Sports
Slideshow: Football team defeats Duke
On just his second snap of April 7's Spring Football Showcase, Greg Little took a handoff and began running upfield - only to get smothered by a swarm of white jerseys and driven backward into the ground.
But the sophomore tailback would carry four more times on the drive and eventually wind up in the end zone after a tough five-yard scamper.
The drive - the first featuring the top offensive and defensive units - was part of a trend in which the North Carolina offense ran all over the Tar Heel defensive unit during much of the game.
"I got to give big ups to the offense," safety Deunta Williams said after the practice. "We talked a lot of smack coming out, so they really hit us in the mouth the first half of scrimmage."
The spring game came off a disappointing 2007 season that saw North Carolina endure its share of highs and lows on the way to a 4-8 finish, 3-5 in the ACC.
For every win against a Miami or Maryland that seemed to send the program in the right direction, crushing losses at East Carolina and N.C. State moved it back a few steps.
But the Tar Heels' record does not tell the full story. Six of UNC's eight losses came by seven points or less, showing that the team was competitive and had a chance to win in most games. The Tar Heels just weren't able to get over the humps and turn a few of their losses into Ws.
The trend of close losses might shift next year as the 51 freshmen who were on the roster last fall will be sophomores in 2008, giving the young team more experience.
But the departure of several seniors, namely Kentwan Balmer, Hilee Taylor and Durell Mapp on defense, are big holes that will need to be filled.
This year's round of spring practices was used predominately to find players to fill those voids in the depth charts, also seeing which players made the most out of their offseason workouts.
On just his second snap of April 7's Spring Football Showcase, Greg Little took a handoff and began running upfield - only to get smothered by a swarm of white jerseys and driven backward into the ground.
But the sophomore tailback would carry four more times on the drive and eventually wind up in the end zone after a tough five-yard scamper.
The drive - the first featuring the top offensive and defensive units - was part of a trend in which the North Carolina offense ran all over the Tar Heel defensive unit during much of the game.
"I got to give big ups to the offense," safety Deunta Williams said after the practice. "We talked a lot of smack coming out, so they really hit us in the mouth the first half of scrimmage."
The spring game came off a disappointing 2007 season that saw North Carolina endure its share of highs and lows on the way to a 4-8 finish, 3-5 in the ACC.
For every win against a Miami or Maryland that seemed to send the program in the right direction, crushing losses at East Carolina and N.C. State moved it back a few steps.
But the Tar Heels' record does not tell the full story. Six of UNC's eight losses came by seven points or less, showing that the team was competitive and had a chance to win in most games. The Tar Heels just weren't able to get over the humps and turn a few of their losses into Ws.
The trend of close losses might shift next year as the 51 freshmen who were on the roster last fall will be sophomores in 2008, giving the young team more experience.
But the departure of several seniors, namely Kentwan Balmer, Hilee Taylor and Durell Mapp on defense, are big holes that will need to be filled.
This year's round of spring practices was used predominately to find players to fill those voids in the depth charts, also seeing which players made the most out of their offseason workouts.
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