UNC football ready for kickoff

With the college football season just around the corner, the North Carolina football team and 13 other ACC teams sent representatives to Greensboro Sunday and Monday for the 2014 ACC Football Kickoff.

After a disappointing 1-5 start last season, the Tar Heels won five of their last six games to secure a trip to the Belk Bowl, where they defeated the Cincinnati Bearcats 39-17.

Now with the team getting prepared for the start of practice, the Tar heels are looking forward to carrying their late-season momentum into the upcoming season.

“Coming off a winning record and a winning bowl game, that gives you the next step in taking it to the next season,” said redshirt junior quarterback Marquise Williams. “And we’re ready for that, and we’re going to do our best and come to compete at the highest task this year and do whatever it takes.”

Williams, who replaced Bryn Renner as the starting quarterback last season, was a key component to the team’s late-season success — taking over the position during the team’s turnaround and finishing the season as the team’s leading rusher.

But as he announced on Feb. 20, Coach Larry Fedora said during his media availability Monday that the starting quarterback position is still an open competition between Williams and redshirt freshman Mitch Trubisky.

“They have done a tremendous job pushing each other all spring, all summer,” Fedora said. “And I would say right now watching them develop as leaders has been really pleasing for me, so I’m excited to see how this thing shakes out.”

While the quarterback competition ensues on the offensive side of the ball, the defense continues to fix its kinks.

The UNC defense allowed an average of 182.5 rushing yards per game and 403.2 total yards per game last season. But despite losing three key starters in the NFL draft, senior bandit Norkeithus Otis said the defense is making adjustments.

“I’ve seen a major difference,” said Otis, who finished last season with 7.5 sacks and 13.0 tackles for loss. “I’ve seen the guys working harder, watching film, teaching the younger guys, trying to get better each and every day.”

Despite receiving the second-most first place votes, the Tar Heels were selected by the media to finish fourth in the up-for-grabs Coastal Division behind Miami, Duke and Virginia Tech.

UNC has reeled off six consecutive winning seasons but hasn’t recorded more than eight wins in a single season since 1997. But Fedora said the team is continuing to make progress toward getting over that hump.

“We have a sound philosophy, and we have a proven plan, so now it’s working that plan,” Fedora said. “I think we’re making the progress that we’ve expected to make. Now it’s just continuing that and staying on track.”

The Tar Heels open their season with a night game on Aug. 30 at Kenan Memorial Stadium against the Liberty Flames.

With each day bringing the team closer to the start of the season, Williams said he and his teammates are looking forward to showing everyone that their hard work this summer has paid off.

“We’re going to come out and compete,” Williams said. “We’ve been really impressed with this summer. Coaches are really glad with what we’ve brought to the table this summer and guys are buying into what Coach Fedora is trying to do.

“That’s the only thing we need, we need everybody to stay on one train and not 10 guys and one guy is off by himself. We’re going to come together as one unit and compete at the highest state and play Carolina football: smart, fast and physical.”

Contact the desk editor at sports@dailytarheel.com.