Friday Items

-- Let's hope Tom O'Brien can help us reverse our fortunes:

UNC has owned this series since winning 11 of 14. Brown's latter teams were more talented than Mike O'Cain's, beating MOC in all seven matchups.

Then MOC lost two in Charlotte he probably should have won 37-34 in OT in 1998 and 10-6 in 1999, definitely the latter which featured the aforementioned Williams, a converted safety, at quarterback.

I didn't think it could get more painful than that '99 game...then 2004 happened. NC State hasn't won a close game against Carolina since 1992, which is probably why I usually feel a bit of dread mixed in with the excitement that leads up to this game. It seems like the Heels are always the ones catching the breaks needed in order to win. Hopefully that changes tomorrow.

By the way--don't forget to wear red!

-- WRAL looks at what it cost State and Carolina for the night prior to their respective season openers.

Carolina spent $17,616.55 for the night. State spent $9,507.

Carolina coach Butch Davis had a two-room suite; State coach Tom O’Brien didn’t stay with his team. Carolina had 69 total rooms and housed 86 players. The Heels also brought coaches, graduate assistants, video assistants and even two police escorts and three bus drivers.

Oooh, a two-room suite.

-- Mike Archer, not forgotten in Lexington.

-- I'm getting tired of reading this:

It’s plain and simple. The key to the Wolfpack’s success is whether Boston native and former O’Bryant standout Farnold Degand can effectively run the team.

It is not even close to that simple. But I'll save the in-depth discussion for next week.

-- Also: "Heels' title hopes pinned to defense."

Sigh...

Last season's Tar Heels played better defense than the 2005 national championship squad.