North Carolina Tar Heels Season Preview

Butch Davis comes into Chapel Hill with a record of 28-23 (15-17 ACC) including back to back to back eight win seasons. Before taking over Tar Heel nation, Davis led the Miami Hurricanes to a No. 2 Final AP Poll ranking and an 11-1 season.

With all of the improper benefits his players received, he was kicked out the door which is awkward since the program waited way too late to decide. Everett Withers, who has coached the defense for the previous three seasons, now takes over.  

Last year was quite the albatross of a season, as they lost nearly their entire defense due to suspensions. Their two All-American defensive linemen did not play a single down yet in defensive end Robert Quinn (No. 1 DC STL) and tackle Marvin Austin (No. 2 DC NYG) who were both drafted high.

Yet, UNC was still in seemingly every ball game and the opener against LSU came down to a phantom no call which was clearly pass interference that helped give LSU to the near 30-24 victory. They followed that tough loss with the exact same result at home against Georgia Tech.

Close Calls

They rattled off four straight until eventually getting smoked on the road by the ‘Canes. Upsetting the ‘Noles and losing to the Hokies was not a bad way to finish the season until they had yet another heart wrenching loss to their in-state rivals.

After what was thought to be a loss in regulation against Tennessee in the Music City Bowl, a second was added on as kicker Casey Barth sent the game into OT after he drilled the tying 39-yard field goal. The Heels then prevailed in double overtime 30-27 to finish the season 8-5.

UNC loses their all-time leading passer in TJ Yates (9,377) who also threw for the most yards in a single season (3,418). It is funny how well Yates played because most wanted the backup to beat out T.J. for the starting gig. Yates is now in the NFL so redshirt sophomore Bryn (Brin) Renner finally gets the starting gig.

Rameses Has Grown

UNC loses their all-time leading passer in TJ Yates (9,377) who also threw for the most yards in a single season (3,418). It is funny how well Yates played because most wanted the backup to beat out T.J. for the starting gig. Yates is now in the NFL so redshirt sophomore Bryn (Brin) Renner finally gets the starting gig.

Renner saw hardly any action and because of it comes into the 2011 season with only one career completed pass (14 yards). He was among the top 20 QBs recruited in the 2009-2010 high school season. He has solid size at 6’3”, 215 pounds and can throw darts in the dark.

He will be protected by one of the premier lines in the ACC thanks to three mammoth starters returning. Cam Holland is my top center in the ACC and Jonathan Cooper (Second Team ACC LY) and James Hurst (First Team Frosh AA LY) are both studs paving the way.

It is not just those three starters that are beasts as nobody inside the entire two deep is under 305 pounds.

Loaded Receiving Corp

The backfield is not empty like last year, but it is still not loaded either. Being ranked 79th and 94th the past two years without averaging 135 or more yards per game is a joke. If they ever want to get a chance at winning 10 in a season, they need to be able to eat more clock and just kill defensive teams on the ground.

Ryan Houston has run for only 1,157 yards the past three seasons (suspended all of last year) though he has reached paydirt 18 times. He will be backed up by Giovanni Bernard and Hunter Furr. Bernard was redshirted last year and Furr only ran five times for 29 yards. (Note: Furr just transferred to East Carolina)

The receiving core is polar opposites compared to the backfield. There are three or four future stars that could be performing in the NFL sooner rather than later. The star of the team is Dwight Jones (6’4”, 225 pounds) caught 62 passes for 946 yards and four TDs) who can simply do it all. He is the best pass catcher in the ACC and is a top 10 wideout in America. 

Not far behind are teammates Jheranie Boyd (junior), Erik Highsmith (junior) and Joshua Adams (sophomore). Boyd is a big play receiver who can stretch the defense (22.1 YPC) and Highsmith is a tremendous possession type who can move the chains. Adams is still a youngster but can flat out jump out of a building. This receiving core is the ACC’s best and they should feast against opposing secondary’s in the ACC.   

North Carolina Come on and Raise Up!

The defense returns seven starters and many of these players had to step in and start right away a season ago because of all the suspensions that were handed out. The front four was supposed to be great if Quinn and Austin came back, but it is going to be great despite losing the two to suspension and eventually to the NFL Draft. 

Quinton Coples is arguably the best defensive/defensive linemen in arguably both the ACC and the entire country. Brandon Jenkins from FSU could make the same case, but Coples last year had 10 sacks, 59 tackles, 5.5 tackles for losses, two pass break-ups and 12 QB hurries.

He is a freak bursting off the edge to harass and cause nightmares for ACC coaches and quarterbacks. Joining him on the line will be pass rushing specialist Donte Paige-Moss and tackles Tydreke Powell and Sylvester Williams. 

Powell is one of the premier tackles in the conference and Paige-Moss is exceptionally athletic for a 6’4”, 260 pound non-stop motor type of player. They were all extremely highly recruited out of high school and though Williams is a JC recruit he too was highly touted. 

Can Secondary Step Up?

The linebacker corp loses Bruce Carter but returns Zach Brown and Kevin Reddick (both expected to become All-ACC performers). They both led the team in tackles with over 70 and should easily top those numbers this season.

The secondary is not similar to the linebacker corp as it lacks the superstar talent though senior leaders Matt Merletti and Charles Brown are no slouches. The secondary is the weak link of this team as last year (50th) they gave up on average 213 yards per game.

Drama's Forecast

The schedule sets this team up for a sensational season if they can start out 6-0. They should be favored by double digits in all of those first six outside of a trip to Atlanta against the Yellow Jackets. They then host Miami and travel to Clemson in back to back weeks without a bye week meshed in between.

If they can find a way to split those games a 10 win regular season is likely, but Miami and Clemson are expected to be two of the most improved teams in the ACC. If they cannot win a game there, it will not be considered a deal breaker assuming they lose to Virginia Tech since they get WF, NCST (lost last four years) and Duke. The fifth year may be a special one for Withers and the ‘Heels.

Predicted Finish: 10-3, 5-3

Predicted Bowl: Champs Sports Bowl 

Predicted order of finish in ACC: Third in Coastal, Fourth Overall