North Carolina prepares for rare game with Clemson

By Stephen Jerdan  |   Thursday, September 21, 2006  |  Comments( 1 )

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Entering Week 4 at 1-2 (0-1), the North Carolina Tar Heels are preparing for a unique conference game that pits them against the Clemson Tigers.

Although only separated by four hours of rolling hills and farmland, traveling to Death Valley doesn't seem like anything out of the ordinary for two ACC schools. This game, however, will be a rare challenge for both schools to face one another given the ACC schedule following the conference's recent expansion.

This year's meeting will be the first since 2003 that the two have squared off on the gridiron, when the Tar Heels fell to the Tigers in Clemson, 36-28. It will also be the last meeting until 2010, when the Tigers will visit Chapel Hill for the first time in what will be eight seasons.

As the Heels prepare for one of the most hostile environments in college football, however, there are many questions surrounding junior Joe Daily and freshman Cam Sexton at the quarterback position.

Daily, a Nebraska transfer who started in all 11 games for the 'Huskers in 2004, began the season as the Heels' starter. Daily went 24-of-36 for 234 yards, two interceptions and a touchdown, and also rushed for 38 yards and a score on eight attempts against the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers. His two interceptions, however, came late in the game and ended the Heels' chances at victory.

Daily's interceptions came back to haunt him in his second game as a Tar Heel, which pushed Sexton into the starting role. Although Daily went 10-for-17 for 55 yards against Virginia Tech, he gave up two key interceptions early on that resulted in a moral collapse for the Heels. Sexton, who was not expected to play, entered the game out of shear desperation to cushion the 35-10 blowout - going 9-or-21 for 124 yards, two interceptions and his first collegiate touchdown.

Due to Daily's interceptions and inability to complete passes under pressure, head coach John Bunting awarded Sexton with his first ever start the following week versus the Furman Paladins, a Division 1-AA school out of Greenville, S.C. Furman, an elite program in the D-1AA ranks, put up a fight against Bunting's young North Carolina squad, but Sexton stepped up and delivered an impressive performance that included 256 yards and two touchdowns in the Heels' 45-42 victory.

He ran the offense efficiently, he did what he had to do, he delivered the ball, and he was poised," receiver Jesse Holly said about Sexton's performance, which earned him Rookie of the Week honors in the ACC.

"That's what we need in this offense."

For the upcoming Clemson game, however, Bunting might resort back to experience.

"I'm hoping that Cam can play well. But I'd like to play Joe again - that hasn't changed."

While the quarterback position is full of question marks pertaining to Saturday's game, Bunting feels the Heels' secondary will be important for a win versus a very talented Clemson offense.

"The line of scrimmage is fine for the most part inside. It's the perimeter where we really get burned a lot," Bunting said. "I hope to see improvement on defense, particularly in the back end in terms of the passing game."

Winning will be no easy task for Bunting and his young team, though.

With the 1981 Clemson team being present to celebrate the silver anniversary of the Tigers' lone national championship, Death Valley is expected to be exceptionally loud on Saturday. It will also be the first home game for the Tigers following consecutive road trips to Boston College and Florida State.

Although the Heels appear a heavy underdog, UNC should by no means be underestimated. This is the same Carolina team that upset Miami in 2004 and prevented Boston College from winning the ACC Atlantic Division with a late upset last season. Under head coach Tommy Bowden, the Tigers also have a history of dropping a woulda-coulda-shoulda game following an upset over a big-time program, such as last week's Florida State-Clemson game.

While Clemson should be expected to beat the Heels, a down-to-earth approach will be necessary if the Tigers expect to prevent this talented North Carolina squad from stealing the win.

Get more on the Clemson Tigers and North Carolina Tar Heels rare matchup at RealFootball365.com
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