Sept. 29, 2003

by Lee Pace, EXTRA POINTS

Some of the key juncture in Saturday's game and what the principals had to say about them:

* On State's early offensive domination--12 snaps, 144 yards, two touchdowns, nine straight pass completions.
"State always does a lot of formations and shifts to try to confuse you a little, and you never really know at first what they're doing," Tar Heel defensive tackle Chase Page said. "The first series is always tough because you're kind of adjusting."

"We made some adjustments after a couple of series and the kids picked up on it, and we started to slow them down," John Bunting said. "The kids settled down and played tough football. There is no quit in this football team."

* On the Wolfpack's block of David Wooldridge's punt out of the end zone in the first quarter.
"That's inexcusable," Bunting said. "We work on that too much to let that happen. But that's what the home-field advantage can do for you. It was very loud and a very high-pressure environment down there. Still, it should never happen."

"We always say that if our special teams beat theirs, we'll win the same," said State's Manny Lawson, who's blocked four punts this year and fell on Saturday's for the TD. "We depend on special teams a whole lot."

* On tailback Jacque Lewis's 64-yard screen pass for a TD and the Heels' ability to exploit the flanks for big yards.
"They're an attacking defense," said receiver Jarwarski Pollock, who caught 11 passes for 134 yards. "They love to get up the field quick. We thought we could hit them with a couple of screens and slow them down. We got some big plays out of the screen game."

"Great execution and great blocking on those plays," Bunting added.

* On the four-year career of State QB Philip Rivers, who was 3-1 against the Tar Heels, passed for an average of 275 yards a game in four meetings and threw just one pick.
"Rivers for president," State coach Chuck Amato said.

"I'm glad I don't ever have to see him again," Bunting said.

* On Rivers' 80-yard TD pass to Jerricho Cotchery to open the second half, a play marked by a coverage bust in the secondary and one glaring missed tackle:
"When I went in motion, they weren't paying attention to me," Cotchery said." I turned around after I caught the ball and I was shocked. I've never been that open."

"It killed us," said linebacker Jeff Longhany. "We came out in the second half with all the momentum, and that play turned the momentum all at once."

"That put the fight, the energy, back into the crowd," Darian Durant said.

"That was a dagger in the heart," Page said.

* On the Tar Heels' continued plight of missing tackles.
"Teams are not beating us driving the ball long distances," Longhany said. "If they move slowly, we normally stop them. Teams beat us with big plays when we miss tackles."

"In time, we will be a good tackling team," Bunting said. "I will not settle for anything less. We will be sound fundamentally and technique-wise. We're just not there yet."