Aug. 29, 2006

By Lauren Brownlow

It's the return of Carolina football, which means it's the return of the Game Guide. Every Tuesday, check TarHeelBlue.com for the latest edition, which provides all the information you need to get ready for gameday.

The Basics

Clean your grills, dust off your pompoms and get ready to get loud. Carolina will face the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the season opener at home this Saturday, the first of three home games in a row. The Knights are coming off their second bowl season ever after a 7-5 record in 2005 and a bowl loss against Arizona State. Carolina is 0-2 all time against Rutgers, and did not manage a point in either loss, getting shut out 19-0 in 1919 and 5-0 in 1894.

Game Time: Rutgers at North Carolina, 3:30, ABC

Carolina's game notes can be found here and the Rutgers official football site is here

Gameday Weather: Check the local weather forecast before heading for the game.

Injury Report: Trimane Goddard re-fractured his surgically repaired foot and was lost for the season. Linebacker Durell Mapp has a sprained right knee.

Radio Coverage: Tar Heel Sports Network coverage begins at 2:30. The radio broadcast is also available on XM Channel 194. Since it's a home game, the Tar Heel Sports Network broadcast can be heard on XM.

TV Coverage: The game will be shown on ABC Sports.

Game week TV/radio coverage: John Bunting Live airs Thursday night at 7 and the John Bunting TV show airs Saturday morning at 9 a.m. on FOX Sports.

Game week THB.com coverage: Check back this afternoon for quotes from John Bunting's weekly press conference, plus quotes from Jesse Holley and Shelton Bynum. Wednesday will bring a story on defensive end E.J. Wilson, and Thursday features a profile of Jesse Holley you won't want to miss. Friday, as always, means it's time for Lee Pace's reader Q&A (Send your questions in now). If you haven't perused the training camp story index, check it out. It's got all the stories, practice notes, and photos you need to be the most informed fan in your section on Saturday.

Tar Heel Monthly football preview: If you haven't ordered your full-color, all-glossy Tar Heel Monthly football preview, there's still time. New subscribers get the issue--packed with information about the 2006 Tar Heels--free.

Storylines

Carolina defense continuing to improve
Carolina's defense went from 109th in the country in 2004 to 42nd last year. The defensive line is led by seniors Brian Rackley, Melik Brown, Kyndraus Guy and Shelton Bynum. The starting cornerbacks, Jacoby Watkins and Quinton Person, also have significant game experience. Larry Edwards is a preseason All-ACC candidate, and strong safety Kareen Taylor will be a defensive leader. But despite last year's improvements, the defense was still a group plagued by miscues, and they will be without team leader Tommy Richardson to show them the way.

"Tommy Richardson did an unbelievable job running the defense last year," John Bunting said. "More than one guy has to replace him. Those guys can't rely on Tommy anymore. They've got to work hard to mentally prepare for every game so we can be sound. We can't have missed assignments. We're not that good yet. If we have missed assignments, we won't be very good. We have to be a smarter overall defense."

Quarterback questions
Who will it be--Joe Dailey or Cameron Sexton? Don't look for the answer here--you won't find it.

The best answer right now is both, to some degree. Dailey, who started 11 games at Nebraska and is three years older than Sexton, was thought by many to be the likely starter. But Sexton came on strong in the spring and fall workouts, and the quarterback race has been--and continues to be--a dead heat. The likely scenario is that both will see playing time on Saturday, and if it happens that the different (and complementary) skill set of both quarterbacks works better as a tandem ala Curry and Durant, then that is what they'll remain.

"Cameron, I think he throws the ball maybe a little bit better, (he's) more patient when it comes to checkdown routes," tight end Jon Hamlett said. "If it's not there, Joe can take off running and he can make things happen with his feet, like Durant used to be."

Season openers and second-half struggles
Carolina is a woeful 1-4 in season openers under John Bunting, with the only win coming against 1-AA William and Mary. This game against Rutgers will be an early--and significant--test for the 2006 team.

"We've been watching Rutgers tape since early in the summer," middle linebacker Mark Paschal said. "I can't speak for the offense, but as a defense we'll be as prepared for this game as any we've ever played. It was a sour taste for me last year because I lost the first game where I was wearing Carolina blue. I don't want my second season to start that way."

The Heels generally played a strong first half last year, scoring 117 points to their opponents' 122, but they were generally blown out in the second half, when their opponents scored a total of 163 to a mere 81 for Carolina.

"I made our entire staff watch the opening series--offense, defense, and kicking--of the start of the second half in every game last year," Bunting said. "We saw poor execution, penalties, and poor field position. We feel like the spirit of our football team is different from last year and there will be more excitement coming out of the locker room...I may keep a Larry Edwards inside the locker room at halftime if he's a captain rather than sending him out on the field. He gets the guys jacked up."

At The Game

Listening to the Tar Heel Sports Network at the game: WCHL 1360 is the local affiliate. The station plans to broadcast the game in real time, so Kenan patrons should be able to listen without the annoying delay.

Parking/construction update: Plan to arrive early at Kenan Stadium this Saturday, and take note of parking and pedestrian route changes. The changes are significant and all fans should plan to add some time to their pregame routine in order to arrive in time for kickoff.

Pregame activities: Tar Heel Town opens Saturday at 12:30, and the 2006 Tar Heels will make this season's first Old Well Walk at 1:15. For some people, the Marching Tar Heels are the true signal that football has begun--check out the drumline warm-ups 90 minutes before kickoff at Tar Heel Town. The full band performs a quick collection of favorites in front of Wilson Library one hour before kickoff and then marches to the stadium.

Postgame activities: To avoid dealing with the inevitable traffic jam that comes with 60,000 people trying to leave Chapel Hill at the same time, consider taking part in some of the expanded postgame activities at Kenan Stadium. Fans who stay at Kenan after the game is over will enjoy live coverage of John Bunting's postgame press conference and the complete Tar Heel Sports Network postgame show.

Watching At Home

Turn down the sound: If you're watching at home while listening to the radio or over the computer via Carolina All-Access, there will inevitably be some delay. For the reason - and a possible solution - click here.

A full list of THSN affiliates can be found here.

ABC coverage: The game is available to most of the East Coast. View the coverage map for the specifics.

Names To Know

Cooter Arnold
Cooter Arnold started last year's season-opener at tailback, and he will start this year's season-opener, too--at free safety. With Trimane Goddard's season-ending injury, Kareen Taylor was moved from free safety to strong safety, and with senior D.J. Walker hampered by injuries, the starting job looks to be Arnold's for now. The coaches see him as a fast, physical player who can learn on the job.

Mark Paschal
Mark Paschal spent last year winning John Bunting's heart with his gritty play, primarily as a special-teams player. But while starting middle linebacker Victor Worsley was out with an injury in the spring, Paschal impressed coaches with his strong play at the position. The battle for the starting slot continues, as Worsley is now back and healthy in the fall. Regardless of who starts, Paschal, who managed only seven tackles last year, will see significant playing time.

Scott Lenahan
After coming back from three surgeries - two on his knee, one on his wrist - the junior Scott "Tank" Lenahan worked all spring and fall to likely secure the starting center job on Saturday. The Heels will need him to replace last year's graduated starter Steven Bell. The quarterback-center exchange is an area in which the Heels have struggled lately, as this year will mark the third new quarterback in the last three years. If Lenahan, whose playing future was very much in doubt at one point, can stay healthy, the transition will be a lot easier.

Brian Leonard/Ray Rice
Heisman Trophy candidate and first-team All-America fullback Brian Leonard will test the Heels' improved run defense early and often. He decided to forego a chance at the NFL to come back for his senior season and has already garnered all kinds of preseason honors--he's widely recognized as the best fullback in the country. Leonard gained 740 yards and scored 11 touchdowns on the ground in 2005, and combined that with a team-leading 55 receptions (six for touchdowns). He finished last season tied for second in the Big East in receptions per game (4.5), fifth in all-purpose yards per game (105.8) and points per game (8.2) and seventh in rushing. He can run, he can catch, and he can hit--hard.

Freshman All-American tailback Ray Rice's 2005 debut saw him finishing fourth in the Big East in rushing with 1,120 yards, five touchdowns and a staggering average of 5.7 yards a carry. He is the other half of what many termed a "thunder-and-lighting" combination with Leonard last year, and the storm is likely to continue.

Jeremy Ito
Twenty of 27 field goals is not exactly an impressive stat by itself, but Ito was 8-of-12 from 40 yards or more, including two from 50 yards or more. If the Heels manage to keep the Knights out of the end zone, it's likely they'll have to contend with the strong leg of the junior kicker.

Lauren Brownlow is the managing editor of Tar Heel Monthly.