UNC

The first Thursday night home game in Carolina history. They had to kick the students off campus to pull it off (it was "Fall Break" - the kids needed to recharge the batteries before hoops season). The five on-campus hospitals sent their staff home early (Do not get sick tonight, or you get the all-consonant I have no family in this country ER team), and the Heels came out in Duke colors. Two teams without conference wins in a game most pundits thought preseason would be a title game prelude. It was not. Nice fans, nice weather. Nice win.

If there was any doubt as to the fact that this is actually two completely separate teams in action every Saturday, let me bang home the point with what we witnessed at UNC. After ingesting more than our fair share of Carolina barbeque and down home sweet tea, we meandered into the stadium a mite earlier than is typical even for us. First on the field was Jimbo and the QB's. While they were going through an impressive rapid-fire series of drills, Trickett and Dawsey and the lilliputian Dex led the untaped OL, RB's and the WR's and punt and KO specialists through their paces. Every drill was purposeful and closely monitored. Granted this is all before the jerseys are on and the official team warm-ups began. In fact, the Nole offense were the only players from either side on the field.

During this period, Chuck Amato was working the stands, gladhanding every alumni with a decent 401k in the vicinity. He continued jawjacking until about 35 minutes before kickoff and not coincidentally, his LB's were the last ones out of the locker room. Odell was standing alone leaning against a wall for 45 minutes, and Jody Allen was literally in the stands eight rows in front of us sharing some laughs with family or friends in attendance. I say this just to point out the incredible dichotomy between our two units. One is meticulously prepared and focused to details, and the other is the 107th ranked unit in college football and well...not well coached.

Jimbo Fisher said after the game that he would not trade Christian Ponder for any other QB in the country. I agree. He is clearly the best signal caller in Seminole history with a non "W" last name, and I would argue with anyone that he has passed the baseball player. Obviously it was nice to see the huge day that Rod Owens had, but the maturation of Bert Reed impressed me even more. That little man got absolutely walloped on that big 3rd down conversion, and although when he got up he asked why Jane Fonda was leading the newest offensive into Afghanistan (good question). When Jarmon Fortson grows up and can focus enough to consistently make every catch, our WR corps will be in good hands. Back to Christian, how about the pump and lookoff he had on the pass to Reliford. Great playcall and incredible execution under duress. On the last offensive drive of the game, we had two true freshman in the backfield the entire series, Lonnie Pryor and Chris Thompson. Jimbo clearly runs a merit-based system (as opposed to Mickey who rumor has it plays his kids based on how many jack & cokes they can legally buy him after the game), but I can still not understand why Jermaine Thomas is not in the game more than he is...

Well we have checked out the eyes, nose and teeth, and on the other side of the pony...let's look at the defense. The worst offense in the ACC gets the ball and immediately marches 80 yards down our throat. We stop them on third down on the next series, and the entire Seminole section felt like we just beat Nebraska in '93. What is that guy doing lining up 12 yards behind the line of scrimmage? Holy crap, he is going to kick it to us? Coooool!! I absolutely feel terrible for poor little Korey Magnum. He is a CB that our mensa staff has decided is going to play safety. UNC threw 5 straight passes at whomever he was covering. 4 completions. Is it his fault that we keep trotting him out there to get scorched. No it is not. he is the best he can be, and a 5'10" Barney beanbag with Napoleonic arms will not be ever be able to perform at a high level. When Nick Moody, Terrance Parks or Jujuan Harkey are on the field, we simply play better. Why poor Korey is out there 80% of the time only Mickey (although the secret pictures of Coach Andrews and Oprah in Costa Rica in 1998 that Korey's dad has may be a factor) knows.

The most encouraging item in this ensuing chapter of a defensive debacle had to be the play of now un-redshirted DT Justin Mincey and Jacobbi McDaniel. When these two were in the game, school moved outside. Granted our Defensive Ends have the mental acuity of a tire iron and often look like late night Mardi Gras revelers in their angles to the backfield, so running outside is manna for most opposing clubs. Buuut, my point is that when we choose to employ an entire defensive line (please throw away the "prowler" defense), we can build from the middle with hope...

Our unique vantage point this week of 10 rows behind the Nole bench allowed us a special window into the idiocy that is the Atlantic Coast Conference Officials. As most of you know, when you run a pass play on or behind the line of scrimmage, you can run a pick play and openly block the defender. In fact, most pass plays run within the 5 yard free-chuck zone of the line, the officials will allow contact on both sides. We ran a screen on the line in the first quarter to Fortson (went for 60 yards) that had a pick block. It may not have been behind the line, but it was not more than maybe a yard over. The line judge throws a flag for interference and our bench goes nuts. Jimbo is yelling at this dude "Do you know the rule?" over and over until finally, the ref tells him to stop. Then at the end of the half, this same Dorothy-discovered-Scarecrow ignores our sideline repeatedly trying to call Time Outs at the end of the half. Twice in one series, he looks away when Jimbo and Ponder are signalling for a stoppage. Incredible. Dude should be fired. As the teams came back on the field after the half, Jimbo gets in this guys grill again, and the ref admitted he blew the interference call. Seems he did not know the rule. Ugh.

So, because we compete in the remedial half of the ACC this season, amazingly enough the year is still in front of us. If we win out in conference (not likely given the way Clemson is playing, but considering that NC State is 0-4 in conference and we should win this weekend 81-79, Wake lost to Navy who did not pass in the game, and Maryland lost to Duke....yes Duke), we can still potentially fill this scribes wishes of competing in Tampa in December...Having hope is nice.

Go Noles!