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UNC players say that short trip to Charlotte bowl will not be a letdown
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Published: December 9, 2008
CHAPEL HILL
North Carolina won't escape winter's chill or visit an exotic locale to play its first bowl game in four years, but no one in the program is complaining about the events of Selection Sunday.
UNC will have only a short bus ride to Charlotte for the Meineke Car Care Bowl and a game against West Virginia of the Big East Conference on Dec. 27. Playing in any bowl game was one of the season's main objectives set by the players in building Coach Butch Davis' program.
Deunta Williams, a safety, was elated when he learned that UNC had been selected for a game, after feeling empty a year ago when the team's 4-8 record did not qualify for a bowl.
"I was just concerned about going to a bowl game," Williams said. "Once we made it, I was satisfied. I felt like we needed one more game to get things rolling for next season and finish off this season very nicely. Every bowl game is good from what I hear."
UNC appeared in position in early November with a 7-2 record for a more significant postseason, possibly in a game on New Year's Day. Consecutive losses to Maryland and N.C. State knocked UNC out of contention for the ACC's Coastal Division title and a shot at the conference championship game and a BCS bowl berth.
Clemson, which finished with seven wins, one less than UNC, will play in the Gator Bowl and Georgia Tech, a team that UNC beat, will play in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, but Davis does not feel that his team was shortchanged in the selection process.
"We had a chance to win the ACC (division title) and go to Tampa," Davis said. "That's kind of what you want. You want to kind of control your own destiny. If you don't take care of business, we unfortunately had some slipups near the end of the season that certainly played a factor in where we ended up going."
Davis is certain that the game at Bank of America Stadium, home of the NFL's Carolina Panthers, will help his program in several ways. Recruiting will be enhanced. More practice time will be available, especially for young players.
Zack Pianalto and Anthony Elzy, injured offensive players, could play if their recovery continues. Some players might move positions to get a head start on building for the 2009 season. A game in North Carolina will assure a large contingent of fans in attendance.
Ryan Houston, a tailback, attended high school just outside of Charlotte in Matthews and said that he will need about 100 tickets to accommodate the family members and friends who want to see the game.
"I feel that some people might be upset we're not going to a trip to Orlando or somewhere down in Florida but it's a bowl game and I'm happy to just go to a bowl game," Houston said.
"I feel like it's a big accomplishment just to make it to a bowl. Playing in front of my home crowd will be fun."
Quarterback T.J. Yates had no preference for any bowl game. After missing seven games because of a broken ankle before returning on Nov. 22 for the final two games, Yates only wanted another game to play this season.
Yates will welcome the chance to play against an established team such as West Virginia, which last season belted Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl and this season has two of college football's top offensive players in quarterback Pat White and running back Noel Devine.
"It would be nice to play anywhere but the opportunity to play a bowl game is awesome," Yates said. "I think it's going to be great because Charlotte is going to be like a home game, probably.
"We're going to have a lot of fans. It's going to be an exciting atmosphere to play in an NFL stadium. It would have been nice to go somewhere a little bit warmer, maybe, but it's definitely going to be a lot of fun. I'm really excited."
First-semester final exams will end at UNC on Friday. Davis will meet with his players Friday afternoon and the team will practice on Saturday. The players have been off since Nov. 30, the day after the regular season's last game.
Davis said that the first two practices will be devoted to working on team problems. Specific preparation for West Virginia will begin later for five practices before the team breaks for the Christmas holiday.
Davis wants his players to enjoy the bowl experience but will ask them to take a serious approach to the game.
"The bowl is a reward the kids, clearly," Davis said. "This has been a 10-month process to get to the bowl game. It's didn't just start in August. The groundwork and preparation for a bowl started last January.
"You want them to have a great time. But by the same token, the best way to have a great time is to win the game. You want to play well and end the season on a positive note. I think you can have a good time at a bowl game and still play well."
■ Bill Cole can be reached at bcole@wsjournal.com.
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