Can North Carolina survive bout with the injury bug?

By Lee Roberts  |   Wednesday, October 15, 2008  |  Comments( 2 )

North Carolina Tar Heels
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Butch Davis has the North Carolina rebuilding job way ahead of schedule, as the Tar Heels are 5-1 and ranked 18th in the AP college football poll. Unfortunately for the Heels, two of their top playmakers, quarterback T.J Yates and wide receiver Brandon Tate, are suffering through injuries that will cost them significant time. Can UNC continue to win despite these injuries?

Commentary: Yates suffered a broken ankle in the second half against Virginia Tech, which led to the Heels' lone loss this season. One of the reasons UNC has coped with the loss of its starting quarterback has been the play of Tate -- who was the team’s second-leading receiver and biggest deep threat while also being its third-leading rusher. Tate had a 100-yard ground effort against McNeese State earlier this season. Oh, and he’s the NCAA’s all-time leader in kick return yards.

Yates’ loss was also eased by the steady play of Cameron Sexton. While he hasn’t done a lot of spectacular things, Sexton also hasn’t made any big mistakes. Yates expects to return in a few weeks, but Sexton has become an excellent game manager. He allows guys like Tate, Hakeem Nicks, Shaun Draughn and the defense to make the big plays.

The loss of Tate is much more significant because it affects more aspects of the game and he won’t be returning. One of the reasons Sexton’s been able to be comfortable is the field position Tate provides with kick and punt returns. Having two NFL-caliber receiving threats in Tate and Nicks also provided Sexton multiple safety valves when plays break down.

No one player will be able to replace Tate. The Heels will turn to receivers Brooks Foster, Kenton Thornton and Cooter Arnold to step up in the passing game. Greg Little will likely move from his running back slot to wide receiver. A bevy of Tar Heels will attempt to replace Tate in the return game, but that’s easier said than done. Davis talks about recruiting for depth, and we’ll see if he’s been able to recruit enough depth to survive the latest serious injury.

Fan Pulse: UNC fans are hoping Little, who came to UNC as wide receiver before switching to running back, can fill the void left by Tate.

Injury Watch: Yates is out for 2-3 more weeks, Tate is out for the year and tight end/h-back Zack Pinialto is questionable with a sprained ankle for this week’s game at UVA.
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About Lee Roberts

Born in Richmond, Va, I moved south to UNC-Chapel Hill for college and received a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. I currently live in Charlotte, NC and cover Auburn, LSU and the ...
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