BY TONY HAYNES
Raleigh, N.C. – A little more than 24 hours after his team had disposed of Miami in the Orange Bowl last weekend, NC State coach Tom O’Brien proved to Wolfpack fans that he was already looking forward to this Saturday’s game against North Carolina. Ripping a page out of basketball coach Sidney Lowe’s stylebook, O’Brien donned a bright red jacket on his weekly TV show last Sunday night.
“I think it’s about time we brought out the red jacket,” O’Brien said at the beginning of the show. “The weather is changing and Carolina is coming to town.”
And although O’Brien will be coaching in this rivalry for the first time when the Wolfpack (4-5, 2-3) hosts UNC (3-6, 2-3) Saturday at noon, he’s not totally in the dark about a series that dates back to 1894. During his time as an assistant coach at Virginia from 1982 to 1996, O’Brien became quit familiar with ACC culture.
“When you’re in Charlottesville for 15 years, I knew the A-B-C rule and knew it was probably founded here in Raleigh,” O’Brien.
And for those of you who’ve been stuck under a rock for the last century, A-B-C translates to “Anybody But Carolina.”
So it is on Saturday that grandfathers and grandsons, uncles and aunts, fathers, mothers and siblings will park themselves in front of TVs or beside radios for the 97th meeting between the Tar Heels and Wolfpack. As is so often the case, there will be split allegiances in many families. Somewhere in the state of North Carolina, newlyweds will – for a day – forget about wedded bliss when one wears Carolina blue and the other NC State red.
Fans of the losing team will dread returning to work on Monday. It’s a trip back to the office that Pack fans have not enjoyed the last three years. Carolina’s current three-game winning streak started in controversy when an apparent game-winning touchdown was wiped off the board.
After watching the replay thousands of times, UNC fans still say T.A. McClendon’s knee was indeed down before the ball crossed the goal line. NC State followers, of course, see it differently.
Their perspectives are as different as red and light blue.
Proving the old, if not overused adage “you can throw out the records,” the Wolfpack has been favored the last three years, yet has lost all three. The Pack will be a slight favorite again on Saturday.
“It means a lot,” NC State guard Kilani Heppe said when asked what this game meant to the players. “Yomi [Ojo] and I were talking and we were just redshirts the last time we beat them. Since we’ve been on the field, neither one of us have beaten them. With them being NC State rivals and being right down the road, it means a lot. It should be fun.”
It will be fun if the Wolfpack can continue its trend of winning the turnover battle. After posting a dreadful turnover margin of minus-17 in the first half of the season, NC State has made an about face the last three weeks, collecting four more takeaways than its opponents.
“The coaches have been stressing it and since the beginning of the season, we’ve known that’s been the formula for success,” said Pack quarterback Daniel Evans, who has six touchdown passes and only two interceptions the last three weeks. “I think it was just a matter of seeing it work itself out after that East Carolina game. We could all take that as a tangible thing that we could build on. The last three games, we’ve won or tied the turnover margin. Hopefully that formula continues to work itself out.”
While North Carolina doesn’t have as many wins to show for it, the Tar Heels have also continued to grow as a football team. After dropping four of its first seven games by seven points or less, the Tar Heels closed out a close one in last week’s 16-13 triumph over Maryland.
The Heels have been particularly impressive on defense lately, holding South Carolina, Wake Forest and Maryland to an average of just 284 yards the last three weeks. Defensive end Hilee Taylor is second in the ACC with eight sacks, while tackle Kentwan Balmer is a handful up front.
After doing a good job against Virginia’s Chris Long and Calais Campbell of Miami the last two weeks, the Wolfpack offensive line has yet another difficult assignment this weekend.
“It’s going to be a great challenge for us,” Heppe said. “It will test us and see if we’re as good as we’ve shown these last two weeks. They’re big boys, use their hands well and have good speed. It’s going to be kind of a hard hitting deal.”
On offense, North Carolina’s T.J. Yates has been on the type of roller coaster ride normally associated with first-year starting quarterbacks, but he has enough arm strength to take advantage of a pair of big-play receivers. Hakeem Nicks is one of the ACC’s most dangerous wideouts with 57 catches for 702 yards, while Brandon Tate does damage with both his receiving and kick return skills.
“They throw a lot of deep passes and they have enough speed to get to the levels and depths that you need to get too to make it work,” O’Brien said. “As coaches go around the league and talk to people, one thing that was said about the Carolina receivers is that they’re better than the Florida State kids and better than the Miami kids.”
When O’Brien and Butch Davis face off on Saturday, it will mark the first time these two teams have met with first-year coaches since 1934 when Carl Snavely coached at Carolina and Hunk Anderson at NC State.
“One thing I do know about all rivalries is that they are important and they take on a magnitude,” Davis said. “It’s a very important week.”
Important to a lot of people, including a pair of coaching newcomers to the rivalry.
“I’m looking forward to this game and this rivalry on Saturday,” said O’Brien. “I think it’s going to be a great experience and I want to be a part of it.”
Injury Update: NC State released its updated injury report on Friday. Strong safety Javon Walker, who injured a knee at Miami, has now breen declared out for the rest of the season. O'Brien said either Robbie Leonard or J.C. Neal will start in Walker's spot against North Carolina. The Pack will also be without fullback Ced Hickman (shoulder strain) on Saturday. Tackle Julian Williams (knee) and receiver John Dunlap (ankle) have been cleared to play.
Courtesy: Associated Press
