Disappointing End To Football Season
I've almost gotten over yesterday's loss in the Tire Bowl, but I need to
emphasize the word "almost." I surprised even myself at how excited I had gotten
over our selection to play in a post season game, and the fact that it was
played in Charlotte and so enthusiastically supported by Tar Heel fans made it
even better. I didn't get to attend the game, but I followed every detail on the
internet and I could almost feel the enthusiasm of those who were fortunate
enough to be present for the event. There was the pep rally in which Ric Flair
participated, posts on message boards from hotel room on what was transpiring,
great restaurants being described, strip joints being critiqued for new visitors
to Charlotte and, of course, the daily account of activities involving the team.
This includes the bombardment of the practice field by some traveling geese
which held up practice until some cleaning up took place. I had to wonder if the
geese were really Eagles in disguise.
I really thought we would beat Boston College. In retrospect, I probably allowed
BC's loss to Wake Forest to overly influence my thinking. Also figuring into the
equation was BC's one-sided loss in the last game of the season to Syracuse. It
didn't help that I didn't and don't have a lot of respect for the teams
remaining in the Big East.
It's hard to tell if it was Boston College that was responsible for the outcome
of the game or if Carolina did as much to seal it's own fate as did the Eagles.
I didn't think UNC played with very much energy in the first half, but we were
tied at halftime and, in my opinion, should have been leading. The penalty on us
for celebrating was deserved even though it is not totally clear exactly what
caused the penalty to be called. The rule states that celebration is not to be
allowed. I have now been told that the rule only covers on the field behavior
and that the wording covers players calling attention to themselves. I need to
get a rule book but the last time I tried to get one, I finally gave up. I
thought it would be easy just to go to a sporting goods store and purchase an
NCAA College Football Rule Book. Not so. I was told that I would have to secure
the book from the NCAA and, for some forgotten reason, I didn't pursue the
matter. Some people have suggested that verbal activity is included in the rule,
and that could have been involved here. I only saw the Carolina player,
Mitchell, I think, cross his arms and look at the stands like, "What do you
think about that." Maybe it was taunting and not celebration, but that's what
the announcers said and they gave two not one Carolina players' numbers.
Anyhow, that penalty turned out to be disastrous as BC scored a touchdown with
approximately 30 seconds left in the first half. We should have been able to
hold them from a touchdown in the period of time involved.
I would like to forget the second half. By halftime, it was obvious to me that
we were not going to be able to stop BC and that our only hope for a win was to
be able to outscore them. 3 points in a halftime of football won't get it done.
Not only did we not score like I thought we would, we seemed to have little
life. I had thought the players would be sky high for this game after all we
have been through this season, but such was not the case. Some say that is a
coaching deficiency, but I say, I just don't know. There is enough blame here to
go around. What I do know is that damage has been done to the program in the
sense that the momentum we had going is now diminished. Quite frankly, I think
the effects of a win and the continuation of momentum as it relates to
recruiting was the principal benefit to have been gained by winning. We seem to
be in it for some real good prospects and who knows what the loss will do to
their thinking. I have to constantly remind myself that we are dealing with 17
and 18 years olds and, in some instances, overly involved parents in the
recruiting process. We will know in the next several weeks how we do with these
highly sought after prospects, but we may never know the role that losing the
game played in their final decision.
The fake field goal was particularly painful. Several people have said that
numerous people seated near them at the game, UNC and BC fan alike,, were
shouting that the field goal was a fake. Accounts of the game say that the
Carolina players were focusing their attention on Peterson and his injury while
BC was huddling and planning the fake. Some want to blame the special team's
coach for not alerting the players that a fake was possible. For all I know, he
did. If so, the it was even worse than I thought. The "kicker" was an
established running back according to one of my friends and the fact that BC had
experienced so much difficulty with their kicking game should have made anybody
suspicious. Had we gotten the ball, at that point, we had plenty of time to
overcome a 3 point deficit.
Oh well. The game's over. The pads and helmets will be packed away for a while
and we can all wonder if we will do any better next season. We have a lot of
problems to solve and only time will tell whether we have solutions for these
obvious problems. I am told we are going to get some good news soon regarding
recruiting, but my source won't tell me what it is.
It's basketball season and our boys seem to be doing pretty well. We'll know a
lot more after the Maryland game on January 8th. These teams we are playing now
aren't giving us much of a test, but then Terps should be ready for us. Defense
looks much improved, but teams are getting too many good shots against us. Maybe
that's the price we pay for playing a gambling defense. You generally give up
something when you gain something. It's the nature of the activity.
Please excuse any misspellings or typos until I can get used to my new
equipment. My new upgraded machine does not have spell-check and I have to get
used to the fact that I have no one looking over my shoulder to help me with my
copy. Maybe I'll use what subordinates used to say to me when I would point out
a deficiency/error and I would ask what corrective action they would take. Often
they would say, I'm going to try harder. Often, I would question whether that
was going to be enough..
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" This is not a Duke kind of crowd. It's more like a cheese-and-wine crowd. Kind
of laid back."
Sam Cassell, Florida State University basketball player, on UNC basketball fans
at the Dean E. Smith Center, December 1991.