Tar Heels hope to send Withers out with a win

The curtain will fall on North Carolina's football season today, and the two most tainted years in the program's history will move closer to an end.

North Carolina will play Missouri in the Independence Bowl in a battle of 7-5 teams. Kickoff will be 5 p.m. EST in the Tar Heels' bid to win a bowl game in consecutive years for the first time since the 1997 and '98 seasons.

The game will be the last at North Carolina for Everett Withers, the defensive coordinator who stepped forward in late July to take over the team on an interim basis. Withers took over after Butch Davis was fired as the result of nine major NCAA rules violations and two investigations into the program.

Withers held the season together during difficult times. North Carolina quarterback Bryn Renner said that the players' motivation is to send Withers and the assistants out with a win before the program is taken over by Larry Fedora, formerly the Southern Mississippi coach.

"I think it's huge," Renner said. "I really think this team is on the same page and that's what the whole goal is for this trip. We want to win for the coaches and the (17) seniors.

"They've all meant a lot to this program. I would go on record as saying they turned this whole program around. The biggest thing we can do is play hard for them."

The teams appear evenly matched as far as Renner can tell. If that proves to be the case, Renner is confident that the Tar Heels' "X" factor can be its determination to win one for Withers.

"We want it really bad," Renner said. "I think coach Withers did a great job this year. We would love to have him for our coach for a long time, but I don't make those decisions. The way this university handled it was a great job, but we definitely love coach Withers."

Withers will be headed to Ohio State after the bowl game. He will be the defensive co-coordinator on the first-season staff of Urban Meyer. Withers said his concern is the same that he had in late July when he was promoted — what's best for the players.

"The life of any football team is not long," Withers said. "All your teams are special to you. This one's special because of what these kids have gone through.

"My only focus is the seniors. My obligation is to help the seniors go out the right way."

Both teams are recent postseason veterans. The Tar Heels will be playing in their fourth consecutive bowl game, the Tigers in their seventh. Both appear to have capable offenses.

The Tigers averaged 32 points in the regular season, finishing 5-4 in Big 12 Conference play. Their production was split evenly, with an average of 236 yards rushing and 236 yards passing.

Sophomore tailback Henry Josey averaged 116.8 yards in the regular season. He averaged 8.1 yards a carry and scored nine touchdowns. Sophomore quarterback James Franklin has completed 63.2 percent of his passes (223 of 353). He has 20 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions. Four Missouri receivers, led by junior T.J. Moe, each have at least 23 catches. Moe caught 54 passes for 649 yards and scored four touchdowns.

Missouri's defense begins with three active linebackers. They are the top three tacklers, starting with sophomore Andrew Wilson, with 89 stops.

"They're very good," Renner said of Missouri's defense. "They've played a lot of different style offenses in the Big 12.

"Definitely they're fast and they're physical. I think their defensive line is one of the best in the country."

Some wounds caused by the past two seasons might start to heal when the season is over and Fedora takes charge. A win would ease some disappointment and provide a lift for the offseason for both the returning players and for Fedora.

Defensive tackle Sylvester Williams was ready in July to start his first season at North Carolina after transferring from junior college. He said he hurts as much about what has happened to the program since then as the team's veterans who went through two years of turmoil.

"I've been through some of the stuff, but obviously those guys have the most scars," Williams said. "I'm just hurting from the outside in. Those guys are hurting on the inside as well.

"So I want to go out and play my butt off to get a win for them and the coaches. I've got a huge amount of respect for this coaching staff, and I want to get those guys another win as we part ways."