By now you realize I can't dwell on losses long. From Sunday to Saturday, I have a pretty good schedule.
Let's see:
Saturday: the game
Sunday-Monday: Celebrating a win or dwelling on a loss.
Tuesday-Friday: Looking ahead to next week.
Which leads me back to Saturday. Tomorrow.
The Tar Heels take the field at N.C. State to take on a hungry Wolfpack team.
A team that hasn't forgotten the game in Kenan last year.
A team that feels it was cheated.
A team that is dwelling on a loss.
The Pack have a good team this year. I won't take anything away from them.
They're fast on defense. They get to opposing quarterbacks. They won't go easy
on Matt Baker just because he's a first-year starter.
The Pack are pretty good on offense, too. Jay Davis has a year under his belt post-Philip.
I guess you would call this 2 A.P. (After Philip). T.A. McLendon is gone, but his successors are
capable. The immortal Tramaine Hall still lines up at wide receiver.
So they've got weapons.
So what about the Tar Heels?
The defense is improved, as we've seen so far.
In fact, the defense has not lost a game yet for the Heels. The offense just hasn't won one.
Doug Justice is out for the season. It's a big loss, sure, but there are backups capable of stepping in.
Matt Baker has looked alright so far in his appearances under center.
The key to this game and to every game this season for Carolina is simple.
The offensive line has to protect Matt Baker. Give him time to throw to his dangerous receivers.
For Carolina to be competitive, this has to happen.
Will it happen Saturday? I hope so.
The intangibles appear to swing to the Tar Heels.
N.C. State hasn't played a division 1-A opponent in three weeks. They looked good in a home loss to
Virginia Tech, sure, but they weren't challenged by the Eastern Kentucky Colonels.
Carolina has studied film this week and knows what they have to do to improve.
They also must prove last year wasn't a fluke (although Pack fans will say so no matter what the outcome in 2005).
So here's hoping the Heels hit on all cylinders Saturday in Carter-Finley. Because if it doesn't happen now, it's not likely to all season.