Nov. 11, 2000

Lee Pace was live in the Kenan Stadium press box Saturday for Carolina's 13-10 win over Maryland. Here was his commentary from the game.

FIRST QUARTER

Lee Pace: Good afternoon fans. We're just underway here from Kenan Stadium. It's a beautiful day here in Chapel Hill. Email me your questions or comments throughout today's game.

We have a question from chuckyishere@webtv.net who asks what was done prior to the game to honor the seniors.
LP: After pre-game warmups, all the seniors were introduced with their parents. It's a nice moment for them to be recognized in front of their home fans for a final time. When you look at this year's senior class, you see guys like Alge Crumpler, Brandon Spoon and Sedrick Hodge who have been the transition from the Mack Brown-era to the Carl Torbush regime. Two of them have come through major injury problems and Hodge and Crumpler in particular are very high on pro scouts' lists.

Question from John Delk (UNC '61). Does the team appear to be up emotionally for the Terps?
LP: So far it's kind of a blah atmosphere. Neither team appears to be at a fever pitch. Both teams are going to have to create their own emotion and build off that at the game goes on. The stadium is probably two-thirds full so it's not very loud. And Maryland is not the type of opponent that brings out the type of fire and venom that NC State or Virginia might. So it's really hard to tell right now. Midway through the first quarter both teams appear to be trying to find their games.

Maryland PK Brian Kopka misses a 50-yard field goal and the Tar Heels will take over on downs at the 33 as time winds down in the first quarter.
LP: A very uneventful first quarter. Carolina can't get anything going on offense, while Maryland has looked pretty good moving the ball. UNC's offense is just out of sync so far, aside from Willie Parker's 37-yard run to start the game. I think it will come, because the Tar Heels do not believe that Maryland has a very physical front seven. They think they'll be able to move the ball eventually.

SECOND QUARTER

LP: The Tar Heels just got their second sack of the game and now are adding to a new single-season sack record with 47. Credit Anthony Perkins with the sack. Right there the defensive line played what defensive coordinator Kenny Browning calls a "game." Defensive lineman doing anything other than a straight rush is called a "game." That time Perkins ran around to the outside of Sims and Peppers, confusing the Maryland blockers and he had a wide-open shot at the quarterback. You can read more about games and Carolina's philosophy with its defensive front in Monday's Extra Points.

LP: In the 25 years I've been watching Carolina football and in the 10 I have been writing Extra Points, I cannot remember a more lackluster effort from the Tar Heels. The offense is struggling, the atmosphere is very dull. There's just not enough emotion for either entity to feed off the other. Willie Parker raced for a 61-yard run, but that run is a microcosm of the season. He gets a 61-yard run but then is not protecting the ball and has it easily stripped from behind. Just when it looks like something positive is happening, it becomes a negative.

The Tar Heels desperately need some momentum before the half ends to establish some emotion. There's just no emotion in this game.

LP: Jeff Reed connects on a 42-yard field goal for the game's first points.

Carolina 3, Maryland 0
Scoring Drive: 6 plays, 18 yards, 1:14

LP:Carolina really went for the safe play there late in the first half. They ran Willie Parker on 3rd-and-2 and were not successful. You may wonder why the Tar Heels would have a running play in that situation, but Curry has not been protected well today, he's been under pressure. And the Tar Heels just did not want to risk a sack that would have put them out of field goal range.

The team really needs to have a fire lit underneath it. They need some fire and emotion. We'll see what happens in the second half.

THIRD QUARTER

Question from Tommy Holland in Denver, Colorado. He asks if Maryland is good enough to receive a bowl bid this year?
LP: That can be answered very objectively by saying that if they win two more games, they'll have six and they probably will get a bid. But, if Carolina and Maryland are both at 6-5, with what we have been told today by Micron PC Bowl representative Mike Cochran, Carolina would be their team. Cochran said that the winner of this game will be in the driver seat for their bid.

LP: Jeff Reed connects on a 32-yard field goal at 10:07 in the third.

Carolina 6, Maryland 0
Scoring Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 1:24

LP: Brian Kopka connects on a 25-yard field goal at 5:01 of the third quarter.

Carolina 6, Maryland 3
Scoring Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 5:06

Question from James Weavil in Atlanta who writes "I thought the Carquest Bowl was replaced with the Micron PC Bowl? Are they not obligated to take 4th place finisher in the ACC?
LP: James, you are correct. It is the Micron PC Bowl rep we were talking to today. Not the Carquest. Nonetheless, they have the fourth selection after the BCS, the Gator Bowl and the Peach Bowl. Note, I say the fourth selection not the fourth place team. So, they get the fourth pick at an ACC school and with that pick they do not have to take the fourth place team. It is their decision, and they have made it clear that they would not necessarily take NC State ahead of Carolina, if of course the Tar Heels win their final two games and become bowl eligible. But again, it is the Micron PC with the fourth selection and not the Carquest. Thanks for the email.

FOURTH QUARTER

LP: Shaun Hill completes a 7-yard TD pass to Guillan Gary at 14:14.

Maryland 10, Carolina 6
Scoring Drive: 7 plays, 40 yards, 3:17

Maryland took the lead by going after Derrick Johnson, who has come in for an injured Michael Waddell. Johnson got beat by Gary and the Terps now have the lead. The Tar Heels desperately need some offense, but Jamal Jones was just wide open down the middle of the field and Curry overthrew him.

LP: Ronald Curry runs for his fourth TD of the year, a 25-yarder at 7:24 in the fourth.

Carolina 13, Maryland 10
Scoring Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 4:31

It was Carolina's longest drive and longest possession time of the game. Mike O'Cain probably called the safest play Carolina could possibly run -- keeping it in Ronald's hands. You have to give O'Cain credit for a great call on 3rd-and-7 there. The Tar Heels had the ball there for alomst five minutes and scored when they really needed some points. Their previous long drive was 2:44.

Question from Brent Morris in New York City. He asks about all the empty seats in the stands today, wonders what that means for the future of Carl Torbush as the UNC head coach and asks about how many Carolina would realistically travel to a bowl game if the Tar Heels were to receive a bid.
LP: It's definitely not a full house and it's definitely a sign of the ambivalence there is toward the program right now. I don't know that you can say it's the beginning of the end for Torbush. As for a bowl game. The Tar Heels didn't travel well to the Carquest Bowl in 1995. Regardless of how many tickets would be sold, a bowl game would give this team 20 extra practices and it would be a tremendous benefit to Ronald Curry and the rest of the program. That's something they definitely missed last season.

You know, there were only three seniors of any major significance that were introduced today. So, the best players on this team right now have one, two or three years left in the program. The program certainly has a bright future.

Final Score: Carolina 13, Maryland 10

Thanks for following along here on TarHeelBlue.com. Be sure to check out Extra Points on Monday.