2011-2012 Football Previews – Atlantic Coast Conference – UNC Tar Heels
Between unsavory academic behavior and improper dealings with student-athletes hiring agents, it has been a shaky boat recently in Chapel Hill.
ACC 2011-12 Football Previews: North Carolina Tar Heels
Coach: Everett Withers
2010 Record: 8-5
North Carolina Gambling Odds from Sportsbook.com to win BCS: +10000
UNC Team Page – Players Stats – Roster – 2011 Schedule –>
North Carolina just lately fired head coach Butch Davis and school AD (Athletic Director) Dick Baddour also resigned.
In steps former defensive co-ordinator Everett Withers, who has experience as a position coach in the NFL and as the “D” co-ordinator at Minnesota before Davis brought him in at UNC in 2008.
Amidst all this scandal and bad press, lost is the fact that Davis has been yielding strong recruiting classes for the past several years. The Tar Heels finished 8-5 last year despite having a slew of players suspended, and several former Carolina starters have graced NFL depth charts in the past few years.
If the Tar Heels’ players and coaching staff can put all the nonsense behind them, the talent is still very much present in 2011 – North Carolina could field a highly competitive ACC team.
Team Strengths
One thing Davis seemed especially good at was signing defensive players with NFL-calibre tools. There are a few in the 2011 starting lineup who certainly fit the bill: DE Quinton Coples, DT Tydreke Powell, LB Kevin Reddick and CB Charles Brown all have the skill to potentially be first-team ACC players. The “D” should be big, fast, and able to generate turnovers.
On the other side of the ball, there is less star power, but the brightest star is WR Dwight Jones. The senior had 62 receptions last year to lead the team, and nearly cracked 1,000 yards receiving (946).
The offensive line looks decently promising with junior guard Jonathan Cooper and sophomore tackle James Hurst.
Senior K Casey Barth is also a good one.
Team Weaknesses
The Heels must replace veteran pivot T.J. Yates, who departs as the school’s all-time leading passer. There are some highly-touted prospects waiting in the wings, but the likely starter is sophomore Bryn Renner. Renner could be a decent starting QB, but to fill Yates’s shoes is obviously a significant challenge. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Starting RB Ryan Houston has suffered through injuries and suspensions in his time donning the baby blue, he should be back this year but is a 245-lb slobberknocker who lacks home-run speed. A change of pace in the backfield must be found; perhaps that job can fall to 5”10, 185-lb freshman Romar Morris.
Put simply, after WR Jones, there really isn’t a tremendous amount of talent at the offensive skill positions.
2011-12 North Carolina Football Prediction: 9-4
North Carolina has a lot of adversity to overcome and if it didn’t have such a powder-puff schedule this season, I would call for a poorer finish. However, UNC could very well start the season 6-0.
The schedule doesn’t get honest until Oct. 15, when the Heels face Miami and Clemson in consecutive weeks.
Withers must calm his players and provide focus, as this football program desperately needs to restore some integrity.
A nine-win or perhaps a double-digit win season would do wonders to achieve that end – provided UNC players can start cracking the books and stop hiring agents and scamming people.
2011 UNC Tar Heels Schedule
9/3/11 3:30 PM ET JMAD
9/10/11 12:30 PM ET RUTG
9/17/11 3:30 PM ET VIRG
9/24/11 12:00 PM ET @GATCH
10/1/11 12:00 PM ET @ECAR
10/8/11 12:00 PM ET LOU
10/15/11 12:00 PM ET MIAMI
10/22/11 12:00 PM ET @CLEM
10/29/11 12:00 PM ET WFRST
11/5/11 12:00 PM ET @NCST
11/17/11 8:00 PM ET @VATCH
11/26/11 12:00 PM ET DUKE
