CHAPEL HILL – It appears that North Carolina interim coach Everett Withers is treating the Tar Heels’ rivalry with N.C. State differently from the way many perceived that Butch Davis did.
Davis’ 0-4 record against N.C. State led to complaints that he didn’t place enough emphasis on the rivalry.
Withers grew up a North Carolina fan and said Monday that he bleeds Carolina blue. Immediately after last week’s 49-24 defeat of Wake Forest, Withers began talking about the N.C. State game.
Players said Withers emphasized film study of the Deacons less and played up the rivalry more. Withers said some of the Tar Heels’ veterans have probably had the game marked on their calendar all year.
“It’s important. Sometimes you want to stay so focused that you want to say, it’s [just] the next game, it’s the next game,” Withers said. “But these kids were recruited by State, a lot of them. Some of them may not have been offered by State. They may not have had an opportunity. So I think it’s important when you have a school that’s only 20, 25 miles down the road, to be a rivalry.”
UNC freshman wide receiver T.J. Thorpe said he can sense the importance of this game among the Tar Heel veterans who have yet to win against N.C. State.
“That’s kind of sad on our part that we haven’t been able to accomplish what we wanted against them,” Thorpe said. “. . .They all really want this game, probably the most out of the ones we play.”
Ken Tysiac
Monday, October 31, 2011
Rivalry with N.C. State important to Withers
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10 comments:
We gave up Russell Wilson (like complete morons)...so here's your best shot!
I'd love to hear the thoughts of the idiot Carolina fans who love to swear up and down that State is not their rival, just to put themselves on some perceived higher pedestal.
In football state is our rival, in basketball, not so much. Hard to be a rivalry when one side wins consistently. Dook in Basketball, NCSU in football.
I agree with anonymous 2:10.
Most Tar Heel fans believe NC State is the rival in football, whereas others believe VT because they are a division foe.
Most NC State fans say the same about UNC, but they love to beat FSU and Clemson because they are in the division.
This has been one of the downfalls of expansion, but I am hoping the NC schools will be together (or at least the triangle schools) after the next expansion, but that may mean sacrificing VT as a yearly game. I don't see them separating UNC/UVA, unless there is a guaranteed matchup across divisions.
Bryn Renner: "The last 3 years, Russell Wilson's killed us. He has single-handedly beaten us...he was basically the whole team"
The Wolfpack love good bulletin board material.
As a Carolina grad - '89, I still consider State a rival. True, the competition may be lopsided in the different sports however, State continues to be just as much a rivalry to me when we play them. Just that they pretty much suck right now, basketball and football, etc.
Im a Tarheel born, Im a Tarheel bred and when I die, I'll be a Tarheel dead! Rah Rah Carolina lina, Rah Rah Carolina lina, Go to H#!! State (or Duke) take your pic.
State is apt this week!
Ewe-NC doesn't consider Moo U rivals for some reason, doesn't The Everett Withers Group understand the Carolina Way of only considering Dook their rival/
MooU: 31
UNCheats: 28
Farmers: 17
Cheaters: 10
Can't fight history...
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