2007 North Carolina Tar Heels football team
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| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Atlantic Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 10 Boston College x | 6 | – | 2 | 11 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 21 Clemson | 5 | – | 3 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wake Forest | 5 | – | 3 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Florida State | 4 | – | 4 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Maryland | 3 | – | 5 | 6 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NC State | 3 | – | 5 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coastal Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 9 Virginia Tech x$ | 7 | – | 1 | 11 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Virginia | 6 | – | 2 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgia Tech | 4 | – | 4 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| North Carolina | 3 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Miami (FL) | 2 | – | 6 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Duke | 0 | – | 8 | 1 | – | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championship: Virginia Tech 30, Boston College 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2007 North Carolina Tar Heels football team represented the University of North Carolina in the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Tar Heels played their home games at Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina competed in the Atlantic Coast Conference. They were led by first-year head coach Butch Davis.
Previous season
The 2006 North Carolina football team began with the Tar Heels unranked in the AP and coaches' preseason polls. Despite the fact that they were receiving little national attention, there was much optimism in the state of North Carolina. The team got off to a shaky start losing six out of their first seven games. Just days after playing their seventh game of the season, a 23-0 loss to Virginia in Charlottesville, the University of North Carolina announced that head coach John Bunting would be relieved of his duties at the conclusion of the season."[1] After the announcement of Bunting's firing the team arguably became much more competitive and won their last two games of the season, 23–9 against North Carolina State and 45-44 against Duke.
Preseason
Immediately after Bunting's firing on October 22, 2006 there was much speculation over who UNC would name their new football coach. Rumors immediately started to circulate that former head coach of the Cleveland Browns and Miami Hurricanes, Butch Davis, was highly interested in the position."[2] Athletic director Dick Baddour confirmed the accuracy of the rumors when he announced on November 13, 2006 that Butch Davis had agreed to become the new head football coach."[3] Soon after his hiring, Butch Davis began to assemble his coaching staff. He was able to lure Offensive Coordinator John Shoop and Defensive Coordinator Chuck Pagano from the Oakland Raiders of the NFL, and Defensive Line Coach John Blake from Nebraska. Blake is regarded by many to be one of the best recruiters in all of college football."[4]
As of March 2007 many publications began releasing preseason rankings for the upcoming football season. Although UNC still ranked in the lower tier of the Atlantic Coast Conference, many publications were impressed with the Tar Heels' hiring of Butch Davis and their top ranked recruiting class."[5]
Recruiting
The Tar Heels received 20 letters of intent on National Signing Day, February 7, 2007. Three student athletes had already enrolled before National Signing Day making this class relatively large with 23 commitments.
| US college sports recruiting information for recruits | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | 40‡ | Commit date |
| Marvin Austin DT |
Washington, DC | Ballou HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 295 lb (134 kg) | 4.68 | Feb 7, 2007 |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 85
| ||||||
| Charles Brown WR |
Maple Heights, OH | Maple Heights Senior HS | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 4.47 | Jan 29, 2007 |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 73
| ||||||
| Kevin Bryant OT |
Lauderdale Lakes, FL | Boyd H. Anderson HS | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 375 lb (170 kg) | 5.87 | Feb 7, 2007 |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 82
| ||||||
| Albert Craddock LB |
High Point, NC | Southwest Guilford HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | 4.45 | Mar 4, 2006 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 75
| ||||||
| Mike Dykes OG |
Pittsburgh, PA | Woodland Hills HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 275 lb (125 kg) | 5.20 | Jan 24, 2007 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 77
| ||||||
| Linwan Euwell DE |
Tarboro, NC | Southwest Edgecombe HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | 4.65 | Feb 2, 2007 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 78
| ||||||
| LaCount Fantroy CB |
New Berlin, NY | Milford Academy | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 4.50 | Jun 17, 2005 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 40
| ||||||
| Carl Gaskins OT |
Melbourne, FL | Palm Bay Senior HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 255 lb (116 kg) | NA | Feb 4, 2007 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 40
| ||||||
| Brian Gupton WR |
Nashville, TN | Pearl-Cohn HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 4.50 | Feb 4, 2007 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 40
| ||||||
| Cameron Holland OG |
Pittsburgh, PA | Perry Traditional Academy | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 280 lb (130 kg) | 4.95 | Jan 24, 2007 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 72
| ||||||
| Ryan Houston RB |
Matthews, NC | David W Butler HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 245 lb (111 kg) | 4.58 | Jan 21, 2007 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 79
| ||||||
| Dwight Jones WR |
Burlington, NC | Hugh M Cummings HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | 4.61 | Feb 7, 2007 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 81
| ||||||
| Greg Little WR |
Durham, NC | Hillside HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | 4.55 | Feb 7, 2007 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 84
| ||||||
| Rashad Mason WR |
Nashville, TN | Pearl-Cohn HS | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | 4.50 | Feb 4, 2007 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 40
| ||||||
| Matt Merletti CB |
Cleveland, OH | St. Ignatius HS | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 4.48 | Dec 12, 2006 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 40
| ||||||
| Mike Paulus QB |
Syracuse, NY | Christian Brothers Academy | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | 4.90 | Apr 28, 2006 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 79
| ||||||
| Zach Pianalto TE |
Springdale, AR | Springdale HS | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | 4.63 | Jan 2, 2007 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 78
| ||||||
| Tydreke Powell DT |
Ahoskie, NC | Hertford County HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 295 lb (134 kg) | 4.90 | Jan 21, 2007 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 81
| ||||||
| Devon Ramsay RB |
Red Bank, NJ | Lawrenceville Prep | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 242 lb (110 kg) | 4.60 | Jan 7, 2007 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 68
| ||||||
| Da'Norris Searcy LB |
Decatur, GA | Towers HS | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 4.50 | Dec 10, 2006 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 40
| ||||||
| Jonathan Smith LB |
Durham, NC | Hillside HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 4.6 | Apr 11, 2006 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 78
| ||||||
| Quantavius Sturdivant LB |
Oakboro, NC | West Stanly HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 227 lb (103 kg) | 4.55 | Nov 16, 2006 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 79
| ||||||
| Jay Wooten K |
Laurinburg, NC | Scotland HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 4.8 | May 19, 2006 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 73
| ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 15 Rivals: 16 | ||||||
Sources:
| ||||||
Coaching staff
| Name | Position[6] | Seasons in Position |
|---|---|---|
| Butch Davis | Head Coach | 1st |
| John Blake | Associate Head Coach / Recruiting Coordinator / Defensive Line | 1st |
| Ken Browning | Running Backs | 14th |
| Jeff Connors | Strength and Conditioning Coordinator | 7th |
| Steve Hagen | Tight Ends | 1st |
| John Lovett | Special Teams Coordinator / Defensive Assistant | 1st |
| Chuck Pagano | Defensive Coordinator / Defensive Backs | 1st |
| Sam Pittman | Offensive Line | 1st |
| John Shoop | Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks | 1st |
| Tommy Thigpen | Linebackers | 3rd |
| Charlie Williams | Wide Receivers | 1st |
Schedule
September 16:00 PMJames Madison*
ESPN360W 37–14 58,500 September 86:00 PMat East Carolina*
CSTVL 31–34 43,387 September 1512:00 PMVirginia
- Kenan Memorial Stadium
- Chapel Hill, NC (South's Oldest Rivalry)
Raycom/LFSL 20–22 58,000 September 2212:00 PMat No. 24 South Florida*
ESPNL 10–37 37,693 September 2912:00 PMat No. 14 Virginia Tech
Raycom/LFSL 10–17 66,233 October 612:00 PMMiami
- Kenan Memorial Stadium
- Chapel Hill, NC
ESPN2W 33–27 59,000 October 133:30 PMNo. 12 South Carolina*
- Kenan Memorial Stadium
- Chapel Hill, NC
ABCL 15–21 61,000 October 2712:00 PMat Wake Forest
Raycom/LFSL 10–37 33,023
November 33:45 PMMaryland
- Kenan Memorial Stadium
- Chapel Hill, NC
ESPNUW 16–13 56,000 November 1012:00 PMat North Carolina State
Raycom/LFSL 27–31 57,583 November 1712:00 PMat Georgia Tech
Raycom/LFSL 25–27 45,490 November 243:30 PMDuke
- Kenan Memorial Stadium
- Chapel Hill, NC (Victory Bell Game)
ESPNUW 20–14 OT52,000
Did not play: Boston College, Clemson, and Florida State.
Team Statistics
| Passing Leader | Cmp | Att | Yds | TD | Int |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T. J. Yates | 218 | 365 | 2655 | 14 | 18 |
| Rushing Leaders | Car | Yds | Long | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnny White | 95 | 399 | 39 | 0 |
| Anthony Elzy | 92 | 321 | 39 | 5 |
| Greg Little | 59 | 300 | 38 | 2 |
| Ryan Houston | 44 | 145 | 10 | 1 |
| Brandon Tate | 12 | 131 | 54 | 1 |
| Receiving Leaders | Rec | Yds | Long | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hakeem Nicks | 74 | 958 | 53 | 5 |
| Brandon Tate | 25 | 479 | 51 | 5 |
| Brooks Foster | 29 | 417 | 65 | 2 |
| Kicking | XPM | XPA | FGM | FGM | Long | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connor Barth | 21 | 23 | 19 | 22 | 51 | 78 |
References
- ^ "Pickeral, Robbi (October 22, 2006). "UNC's Bunting Out at End of Season". The News & Observer. Raleigh. Archived from the original on November 18, 2006. Retrieved March 4, 2007.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Butch Davis jumps to top of list for North Carolina job." ESPN.com. Retrieved on March 4, 2007.
- ^ "Butch Davis hired to coach at UNC." sportingnews.com. Retrieved on March 4, 2007.
- ^ "John Blake Hired As North Carolina Assistant Football Coach." tarheelblue.com. Retrieved on March 4, 2007.
- ^ "Inside Spring Drills: ACC Preview." rivals.com. Retrieved on March 4, 2007.
- ^ "North Carolina Coaching Staff Archived 2007-12-14 at the Wayback Machine." tarheelblue.com. Retrieved on March 4, 2007.