Rutgers-North Carolina: 12 UNC Players Expected to Miss Saturday's Game

The Rutgers football team has every chance to go out and prove that they have the talent to beat a solid NCAA Division I squad at home against UNC in Week 4 of the season.

Well, sort of.

UNC, a program ranked as high as No. 18 in the nation late in the preseason, is slowly seeing 2010 fall down the drain, as they have succumbed to a NCAA investigation involving “agent related benefits and academic fraud.”

Would-be starting cornerbacks Kendric Burney and Deunta Williams are the only players on the UNC roster who have officially received sanctions from the NCAA thus far.

Both Burney and Williams will have to repay a fairly modest sum to a charity of their choice, a donation of $575.19 and $450.67 respectively.

Burney will be sitting for a total of six games, while Williams will be benched for four games overall. Neither player has seen the field yet this season in light of the investigation.

While they have not been issued sanctions yet, cornerback Charles Brown and safety Da’Norris Searcy are just about guaranteed to be watching this one from the sidelines as well.

Therefore, expect to see UNC deploy its second-string secondary for the third time this season.

The unit has let up 60 points in their two outings this season, where UNC lost heartbreakers to then-No. 21 in the nation LSU and ACC division rival Georgia Tech.

Both games were tightly contested, with the Tar Heels getting edged out 30-24 both times.

Based on the passing statistics from Rutgers' first two games, UNC’s secondary may not have much to worry about.

Sophomore quarterback Tom Savage has just 220 yards, one touchdown, and one interception on the season. RU ranks a lowly 113th overall in passing yards.

Rumblings for true freshman backup QB Chas Dodd have already been overheard.

Nevertheless, Savage has remained optimistic to the media in the days leading up to the first true test of the season for the Scarlet Knights.

Part of this is likely due to the fact that Rutgers will likely have an upgrade at slot receiver for this week going forward.

True freshman slot receiver Jeremy Deering has been invisible thus far, failing to make a single catch yet.

That is why sophomore Quron Pratt is expected to start in his place this week, with another true freshman, J.T. Tartacoff, also in the mix to get some looks.

Pratt returned to practice this week after nursing a shoulder injury since the summer.

RU’s lineup issues are not solved there either though, as junior starting running back Joe Martinek is a questionable start against UNC.

This is a real shame since UNC has been terrible against the run, ranking 113th.

The Knights' run game may not be a lost cause though, as Jordan Thomas and De’Antwan Williams have performed admirably on limited touches so far this season.

Also, do not forget about Mohamed Sanu. Although he is listed as a wide receiver, he is the Knights’ Wildcat QB and rushed for a 24-yard score against FIU in Week 2.

Another intriguing point of this matchup is that this elite Rutgers defensive unit will square off against a top-notch UNC passing attack.

RU is currently ranked third in the nation for points against, allowing an impressive average of a measly seven points a game.

While this is through only two games against lackluster opponents, anyone who watched the games would be hard pressed to argue that this Knights defense did not look exceptional.

Whether it has been making interceptions, forcing fumbles, or blocking kicks, RU has been doing it all defensively.

Strong safety Joe Lefeged, cornerback Brandon Bing, and defensive end Alexis Silvestro have been at the forefront of the Knights' defensive attack thus far.

Despite top receiver Greg Little being among the suspended bunch, UNC has still managed to rank 11th overall, averaging 310.5 passing yards per game. 

This is largely due to the tremendous play of super senior quarterback T.J. Yates, who has 621 yards and four touchdowns on the season alongside zero interceptions. 

Sophomore Jheranie Boyd has stepped up as the team’s top receiver in the midst of turmoil, reeling in 221 yards and a touchdown despite catching only six balls so far.

On a final note, defensive end NFL prospects Marvin Austin and Robert Quinn are among those suspended, as well as running back Ryan Houston.

It is very unlikely any of the three will see snaps in this one.

A downgraded UNC pass rush could be critical in seeing Savage have his first big passing game in 2010. 

Regardless of the outcome, it looks to be an exciting matchup at RU’s renovated stadium in Piscataway on September 25th at 3:30 PM Eastern time.