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North Carolina Pre-Game Notes

by Rick Fields
Sep 24, 2005

Oh you've got to love these rivalry games and the one thing that makes this game special every year for both State and Carolina fans is that despite the disparity on paper, in recent years, the games have been nail biters with the underdog often having the upper hand by the end of the game.

This year is no different as the Tar Heels appear to be huge under dogs on paper coming in. The problem this year is that the odds appear almost insurmountable due to the deficiencies of one team and the strength of the other. Up to this point in the season, the Tar Heels have been unable to muster any type of running attack whatsoever and they will be facing one of the most talented and feared defensive fronts in the entire country at NC State.  If the Heels are unable to generate any type of running attack, quarterback Matt Baker will have a long day trying to elude the fierce pass rush of NC State.

If UNC can generate a run attack and enough of the intangibles go their way (turnovers and State's knack of untimely penalties during key stretches of the game), you just never know what the results might generate in a rivalry game such as this even with the on-paper disparities being much greater than they've been in many years.