Sept. 22, 2003

John Bunting promised better special-teams play in 2003. For the most part, the Tar Heels are delivering. Carolina's coaching staff entered Saturday's game at Wisconsin believing the Tar Heels had an advantage in the kicking game, that they were faster and more athletic than the Badgers. They believed they could return a kick-off or a punt for a score and that they could block a punt.

They were almost right on every count.

Michael Waddell returned the opening kick 97 yards for a score and, after Wisconsin started squibbing its kick-offs to help prevent another long return, Waddell fielded the ball at the 15 and advanced to midfield, needing only to beat the kicker. In total, Waddell returned four for 197 yards. He was also setting sail in the third quarter to notch a potential major punt return before falling untouched to the ground with a sprained ankle -- all of that despite the remnants of a turf toe suffered against Syracuse. That injury prevented Waddell from playing more on defense. Had it not been important to limit his snaps Saturday, perhaps Waddell could have spelled starting cornerback Derrick Johnson, who struggled in covering ace Badger receiver Lee Evans.

Freshman Mike Mason added a spark as well with two kick-off returns for a 35-yard average, one going for a TD before being called back.

Meanwhile, Topher Roberts nailed two of his five kick-offs into the end zone, and on the other two, the Heels limited Wisconsin to returns of 17 and 19 yards.

Carolina ranks ninth among 117 Division I-A schools in kick-off returns at nearly 30 yards a pop and is 15th in punt returns at 14.6 yards a return.

"I'm encouraged," Bunting says. "We're going to continue to get better. Coach Webster is doing a great job with those kids and they're giving tremendous effort."

Assistant coach James Webster spends 100 percent of his time on the kicking game with help from the rest of the staff on certain units.

"One thing I like about our players is they are really, really enthusiastic about having a contribution in the kicking game," Webster says. "They're excited about their roles. That's the first order of business-be excited about your job."

Bunting has gotten some static in some circles for not playing more freshmen, but in fact the kick-off return team that's playing so well has five true freshmen in the starting lineup. They are Kareen Taylor, Fred Sparkman, Larry Edwards, Melik Brown and Joe Kedra.

And of the five front-line players -- the ones lined up at mid-field to check for an onside kick before retreating to block -- three are true freshmen and one a red-shirt freshman. D.J. Walker, Carolina's special-teams captain, joins Taylor, Sparkman and Edwards along the front with veteran Brandon Russell.

"Every kick is a learning experience with that group," Webster says. "They'll get better as the year goes along."

"It shows the athleticism and speed we have," Bunting says. "That's what special teams are all about-playing in space."

The second wall of four players lining up across the field in front of the two return men features Brown, Kedra and Madison Hedgecock at all times, with the fourth being either James Gibson or Ronnie Bryant, depending on the return call. When Waddell, a senior, was injured Saturday, the return men were sophomore Wallace Wright and Mason.

That's a lot of freshmen and sophomores with outstanding athletic ability who one day will take those skills more prominently to offense or defense.

"A point I make over and over to them is that if they do a good job on special teams, they'll be a better position player when the opportunity comes," says Webster.

Webster had a stunt installed Saturday to hopefully break Walker free on a punt rush. The gimmick worked and Walker came within a whisker of blocking the punt. Fortunately for Wisconsin, its personal protector lunged at Walker and grabbed him by the arm.

The weak link so far has been the Tar Heel punt team. It's protected well and for the most part covered well if it's had a quality punt to cover. But first-team punter John Lafferty had a poor game at Wisconsin, hitting three punts for an average of 32.7 yards. The Badgers started their ensuing drives at the Tar Heel 46, their own 39 and at midfield.

"We averaged about 32 yards a punt and three yards a return," Webster said. "That's a net of 29 yards. That's not acceptable. We have competition at punter with Lafferty and David Wooldridge. We're going to have to evaluate that this week and make a decision."