Brown and Ford meet again

Sporting News, The, Dec 18, 1995 by Doug Doughty

Although North Carolina was a missed two-point conversion from not qualifying for postseason play, Coach Mack Brown is making no apologies for the Tar Heels' presence in the Carquest Bowl opposite Arkansas.

"I'm like every Carolina fan in wishing our record was better than 6-5,' Brown says, but there are going to be other 6-5 teams in bowls."

Expectations were much higher for North Carolina at the beginning of the season, but the Tar Heels squandered double-digit leads in dropping their first two games, 20-9 to Syracuse and 32-18 to Maryland.

North Carolina ended its slide by beating Louisville, 17-10, but after three games, the Tar Heels had committed 15 turnovers. For the season, North Carolina had a minus-18 turnover margin to rank 105th out of 108 Division I-A teams.

Fifth-year quarterback Mike Thomas shattered the single-season school record by passing for 2,436 yards, but was victimized for an ACC-high 19 interceptions in his first full season as a starter.

"Too many people talk about their talent and make innuendoes (about underachieving)," Duke Coach Fred Goldsmith says. "I don't think it's a mystery what happened to Carolina this year. It's all in the turnover margin."

KEY MATCHUP

An injury to All-SEC tailback Madre Hill will put Arkansas at a disadvantage against a Tar Heels club ranked, sixth in total defense with an average yield of 267.3 yards - almost 60 yards less than any other ACC team.

North Carolina senior Marcus Jones, Defensive Player of the Year in the ACC, overcame injuries and double-teaming to tie for the league lead in tackles for loss (19) and break Lawrence Taylor's school record for sacks (24).

Hill, who underwent surgery December 5 for a torn anterior cruciate ligament will be replaced by senior Marius Johnson, who had 40 carries for the season before the SEC title game. He faces a Tar Heels defense that held six of 11 opponents under 100 yards rushing.

North Carolina has been prone to interceptions and must handle the pressure of 6-foot-5, 229-pound defensive end Steve Conley, who had a team-high 14 sacks.

The Razorbacks' leading tackler is linebacker Mark Smith, who needs to watch the underneath pass to tailback Leon Johnson. Johnson had a school-record 54 receptions and also rushed for 963 yards.

WHAT IT MEANS

The Razorbacks' improvement from last season, when they were 4-7, represents one of the biggest turnarounds in Division I-A. However, Arkansas, playing in its first bowl since the '91 season, has lost its last two games by a combined score of 62-3.

North Carolina needs to beat Arkansas to extend its streak of winning seasons to six. It has been fashionable to knock the Tar Heels this season, but they are a young team, with three senior starters on either side of the ball.

SKULL SESSION

Arkansas senior quarterback Barry Lunney has option capability, but has done most of his damage through the air, passing for 2,181 yards and 12 touchdowns in '95. J.J. Meadors, a 5-6, 153-pound senior, had a team-high 62 receptions but only two touchdowns.

Carolina is more athletic and much quicker on defense, and the Tar Heels have big-play capability on offense, despite Mike Thomas' history of interceptions.