UNC football players step up to _¶ ll new roles

It's a good thing Maryland didn't start its scouting report for North Carolina a few weeks early.

The team that will take the field against the Terrapins this weekend is pretty far from the team that lined up in the season's early games — especially on offense.

T.J. Yates out on quarterback Cameron Sexton in.

Hakeem Nicks is no longer second-fiddle receiver to Brandon Tate — he's made a name for himself all on his own.

Greg Little started the season as a running back but was replaced after safety Shaun Draughn moved to the backfield" aided by a 30-pounds-lighter Ryan Houston.

""The running game" like a lot of things in this football program is still a work in progress coach Butch Davis said.

It's not where we would like for it to be for the remainder of this year and certainly in the future" but it's definitely improved.""

The rushing tandem of Houston and Draughn perhaps has been the biggest surprise this season"" and they're embracing the roles they've been placed in — Houston's ""thunder"" and Draughn's ""lightning" as seen by the messages on their eye-black Saturday.

Before the game I told Shaun that I was going to put my area code and ‘thunder' on and he needed to put ‘lightning"'"" Houston said Monday.

""We know we're both tremendous players with the ball"" so we just try to emphasize that.""

Now Houston is UNC's go-to guy for short yardages and bullish carries. The speedier Draughn" meanwhile is expected to squeeze through defensemen for long yards.

For Houston" it took a strict diet (""I was on the Jared plan"" eating Subway a lot"") and hard work during the offseason to go from short bursts to shiftier"" longer attempts.

""I feel like the weight loss has helped me tremendously" as in vision and cutting. Last year I could see the hole but I really couldn't get to it at my weight" said Houston, who went from 273 to 241 pounds this summer.

Now I feel like I'm more explosive and I can make moves and make people miss and just get yards.""

Houston and Draughn are comfortable in their dual roles on the field" and Little is getting set as a receiver Davis said Monday.

And now with Yates back" the Tar Heels might have another offensive threat up their sleeves.

Davis said Sunday that ""having T.J. back healthy is certainly good for our football team"" but that all his drive Saturday showed was that he had the ability to go into a game.""

And Sexton isn't worried about Yates looking over his shoulder (""as far as I know"" it's my team"") — actually" it's a good thing" he said.

""Of course it is. Two healthy quarterbacks — well" we've got four healthy quarterbacks but two pretty good ones. Anytime we've got depth" it's great. That's always a plus.""

For now" Sexton will just enjoy being the unexpected hero of the Tar Heel football team — well him and Houston and Draughn" and so on.

""I think that's just a testament to the character of our team. I think that we're kind of a team that we've been working really hard for a long time. And we haven't seen a lot of success"" and I think guys this year just kind of got tired of it.

""And I think that it's our due time to start getting some of these things we set out to get.""



Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.