North Carolina State University Athletics
Tony Haynes: Players Have Final Say in State, UNC Tilt
9/23/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 23, 2005
By Tony Haynes
Raleigh, N.C. - The angle is always just too good to pass up. John Bunting, the tough, hard-nosed former linebacker from North Carolina coaching against Chuck Amato, the tough, hard-nosed former linebacker from NC State. Bunting bleeds Carolina blue just as much as Amato bleeds Wolfpack red. Every year at this time, media coverage of the rivalry gives you the feeling that Bunting and Amato will simply don those sumo wrestling outfits you see at minor league baseball games and go bounce off each other for about three rounds to decide who owns the prized bragging rights for another year.
But here's the dirty little secret: The 95th meeting between the Heels and Pack - just like the previous 94 - will be decided by the players on the field.
Bunting, Amato and their respective staffs will do a tremendous job of preparing their teams for Saturday's 12 noon shootout at Carter-Finley, but once the ball travels through the air and lands in the hands of one of the return men to start the game, the athletes between the lines will ultimately possess most of the power to determine who wins or loses.
They're the ones who either catch or drop passes; they're the ones who either hang onto the ball or fumble it; they're the ones who either carry out their assignments or lose focus and line up incorrectly.
Yes, NC State offensive coordinator Marc Trestman will send in plays that he thinks will work against the North Carolina defense, but it will be out of his hands once quarterback Jay Davis takes the ball from center Leroy Harris.
No matter what defense is called from the sidelines, the Wolfpack secondary will have to do a good job of covering North Carolina's athletic wide receivers. Tar Heels offensive coordinator Gary Tranquill has an excellent offensive mind, but his schemes will be meaningless if the UNC offensive line can't block the likes of Manny Lawson, Mario Williams and John McCargo up front.
"I have a great deal of respect for their defensive ends and their defensive tackle," Bunting said. "McCargo is a beast in there, he really is. They're going to come after you. They're going to be aggressive. That's the nature of their defense. They're very talented."
Yes, talent does account for something. Look no further than the plight of two former Wolfpack assistant coaches. Nobody denies the fact that Reggie Herring is an outstanding defensive coordinator, something that was confirmed last year when he directed an NC State defense that finished No. 1 in the nation statistically. This year, however, Herring is working with a lot less talent at Arkansas and it hasn't been pretty.
Last week, The Razorbacks gave up 70 points in a lopsided loss to top ranked USC. You mean Southern California is still lighting up the scoreboard like a pinball machine without Norm Chow? Yep...Chow, who spent one year as NC State's offensive coordinator, is now calling the shots for the NFL's Tennessee Titans. He's no longer needed in the land of Troy, not with the type of offensive weaponry head coach Pete Carroll has assembled. Sans Chow, Southern California has averaged nearly 67 points in two games.
In order to beat North Carolina on Saturday, NC State will have to limit big plays in the passing game and to make sure the Tar Heels don't get their sputtering running game untracked. Through two games, the Heels are averaging only 59 rushing yards per contest. The failure of that ground attack has made life awfully difficult for UNC quarterback Matt Baker, who looked like Rocky Balboa trying to withstand Apollo Creed haymakers last weekend against Wisconsin's pass rush.
"Coach Bunting - like every other coach - wants to establish a running game," Amato said. "One of these days it's going to happen; we just hope it doesn't happen against us. We've got to stop the run. We go into every game saying we have to stop the running game and then if we know when they have to pass, it makes stopping that a little easier."
Said Bunting: "Anybody that knows me, knows I like to run the football. I do expect that we'll get better with each week from here on out. Last week we took a baby step; I want to see us take another step this week with that run game."
Man, these two guys are starting to sound like each other. What kind of rivalry is that?
About an hour before Saturday's game, Bunting and Amato will shake hands and endure the pregame small talk at midfield that most coaches actually loath. When it's over, they'll shake hands and - in a moment of disingenuousness - will wish each other luck for the rest of the season.
In between, however, they'll be separated by 53 and 1/3 yards and 22 players, 22 student athletes who will have the most prominent impact on the outcome.
