2007 North Carolina Tar Heels football team

	2007 ACC football standings
	Atlantic
	Coastal
	Championship: Virginia Tech 30, Boston College 16
	† – BCS representative as champion ; ‡ – BCS at-large representative ; x – Division champion/co-champions ; Rankings from AP Poll

North Carolina Tar Heels football
	2007 North Carolina Tar Heels football
Conference	Atlantic Coast Conference
	Coastal Division
2007 record	4–8 (3–5 ACC)
Head coach	Butch Davis (1st season)
Offensive coordinator	John Shoop (1st season)
Offensive scheme	Pro-style
Defensive coordinator	Chuck Pagano (1st season)
Base defense	4–3
Home stadium	Kenan Memorial Stadium; (Capacity: 60,000)
	Seasons ← 2006 2008 →

The 2007 North Carolina Tar Heels football team represented the University of North Carolina in the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Tar Heels played their home games at Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina competed in the Atlantic Coast Conference. They were led by first-year head coach Butch Davis.

Previous season[]

The 2006 North Carolina football team began with the Tar Heels unranked in the AP and coaches' preseason polls. Despite the fact that they were receiving little national attention, there was much optimism in the state of North Carolina. The team got off to a shaky start losing six out of their first seven games. Just days after playing their seventh game of the season, a 23-0 loss to Virginia in Charlottesville, the University of North Carolina announced that head coach John Bunting would be relieved of his duties at the conclusion of the season."^[1] After the announcement of Bunting's firing the team arguably became much more competitive and won their last two games of the season, 23–9 against North Carolina State and 45-44 against Duke.

Preseason[]

Immediately after Bunting's firing on October 22, 2006 there was much speculation over who UNC would name their new football coach. Rumors immediately started to circulate that former head coach of the Cleveland Browns and Miami Hurricanes, Butch Davis, was highly interested in the position."^[2] Athletic director Dick Baddour confirmed the accuracy of the rumors when he announced on November 13, 2006 that Butch Davis had agreed to become the new head football coach."^[3] Soon after his hiring, Butch Davis began to assemble his coaching staff. He was able to lure Offensive Coordinator John Shoop and Defensive Coordinator Chuck Pagano from the Oakland Raiders of the NFL, and Defensive Line Coach John Blake from Nebraska. Blake is regarded by many to be one of the best recruiters in all of college football."^[4]

As of March 2007 many publications began releasing preseason rankings for the upcoming football season. Although UNC still ranked in the lower tier of the Atlantic Coast Conference, many publications were impressed with the Tar Heels' hiring of Butch Davis and their top ranked recruiting class."^[5]

Recruiting[]

The Tar Heels received 20 letters of intent on National Signing Day, February 7, 2007. Three student athletes had already enrolled before National Signing Day making this class relatively large with 23 commitments.

Recruits

Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	40^‡	Commit date
Marvin Austin DT	Washington, DC	Ballou HS	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)	295 lb (134 kg)	4.68	Feb 7, 2007
Marvin Austin DT	Scout:File:5 stars.svg.png Rivals:File:5 stars.svg.png ESPN grade: 85
Charles Brown WR	Maple Heights, OH	Maple Heights Senior HS	5 ft 9 in (175 cm)	190 lb (86 kg)	4.47	Jan 29, 2007
Charles Brown WR	Scout: Rivals: ESPN grade: 73
Kevin Bryant OT	Lauderdale Lakes, FL	Boyd H. Anderson HS	6 ft 6 in (198 cm)	375 lb (170 kg)	5.87	Feb 7, 2007
Kevin Bryant OT	Scout:File:4 stars.svg.png Rivals: ESPN grade: 82
Albert Craddock LB	High Point, NC	Southwest Guilford HS	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)	205 lb (93 kg)	4.45	Mar 4, 2006
Albert Craddock LB	Scout: Rivals: ESPN grade: 75
Mike Dykes OG	Pittsburgh, PA	Woodland Hills HS	6 ft 3 in (191 cm)	275 lb (125 kg)	5.20	Jan 24, 2007
Mike Dykes OG	Scout: Rivals: ESPN grade: 77
Linwan Euwell DE	Tarboro, NC	Southwest Edgecombe HS	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)	210 lb (95 kg)	4.65	Feb 2, 2007
Linwan Euwell DE	Scout: Rivals: ESPN grade: 78
LaCount Fantroy CB	New Berlin, NY	Milford Academy	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)	170 lb (77 kg)	4.50	Jun 17, 2005
LaCount Fantroy CB	Scout: Rivals: ESPN grade: 40
Carl Gaskins OT	Melbourne, FL	Palm Bay Senior HS	6 ft 5 in (196 cm)	255 lb (116 kg)	NA	Feb 4, 2007
Carl Gaskins OT	Scout: Rivals: ESPN grade: 40
Brian Gupton WR	Nashville, TN	Pearl-Cohn HS	6 ft 3 in (191 cm)	185 lb (84 kg)	4.50	Feb 4, 2007
Brian Gupton WR	Scout: Rivals: ESPN grade: 40
Cameron Holland OG	Pittsburgh, PA	Perry Traditional Academy	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)	280 lb (130 kg)	4.95	Jan 24, 2007
Cameron Holland OG	Scout: Rivals: ESPN grade: 72
Ryan Houston RB	Matthews, NC	David W Butler HS	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)	245 lb (111 kg)	4.58	Jan 21, 2007
Ryan Houston RB	Scout:File:4 stars.svg.png Rivals:File:4 stars.svg.png ESPN grade: 79
Dwight Jones WR	Burlington, NC	Hugh M Cummings HS	6 ft 5 in (196 cm)	210 lb (95 kg)	4.61	Feb 7, 2007
Dwight Jones WR	Scout:File:4 stars.svg.png Rivals:File:5 stars.svg.png ESPN grade: 81
Greg Little WR	Durham, NC	Hillside HS	6 ft 3 in (191 cm)	215 lb (98 kg)	4.55	Feb 7, 2007
Greg Little WR	Scout:File:4 stars.svg.png Rivals:File:4 stars.svg.png ESPN grade: 84
Rashad Mason WR	Nashville, TN	Pearl-Cohn HS	6 ft 6 in (198 cm)	215 lb (98 kg)	4.50	Feb 4, 2007
Rashad Mason WR	Scout:File:4 stars.svg.png Rivals:File:4 stars.svg.png ESPN grade: 40
Matt Merletti CB	Cleveland, OH	St. Ignatius HS	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)	185 lb (84 kg)	4.48	Dec 12, 2006
Matt Merletti CB	Scout: Rivals: ESPN grade: 40
Mike Paulus QB	Syracuse, NY	Christian Brothers Academy	6 ft 5 in (196 cm)	220 lb (100 kg)	4.90	Apr 28, 2006
Mike Paulus QB	Scout:File:4 stars.svg.png Rivals:File:5 stars.svg.png ESPN grade: 79
Zach Pianalto TE	Springdale, AR	Springdale HS	6 ft 4 in (193 cm)	220 lb (100 kg)	4.63	Jan 2, 2007
Zach Pianalto TE	Scout:File:4 stars.svg.png Rivals: ESPN grade: 78
Tydreke Powell DT	Ahoskie, NC	Hertford County HS	6 ft 3 in (191 cm)	295 lb (134 kg)	4.90	Jan 21, 2007
Tydreke Powell DT	Scout:File:4 stars.svg.png Rivals:File:4 stars.svg.png ESPN grade: 81
Devon Ramsay RB	Red Bank, NJ	Lawrenceville Prep	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)	242 lb (110 kg)	4.60	Jan 7, 2007
Devon Ramsay RB	Scout: Rivals: ESPN grade: 68
Da'Norris Searcy LB	Decatur, GA	Towers HS	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)	195 lb (88 kg)	4.50	Dec 10, 2006
Da'Norris Searcy LB	Scout:File:4 stars.svg.png Rivals: ESPN grade: 40
Jonathan Smith LB	Durham, NC	Hillside HS	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)	190 lb (86 kg)	4.6	Apr 11, 2006
Jonathan Smith LB	Scout: Rivals: ESPN grade: 78
Quantavius Sturdivant LB	Oakboro, NC	West Stanly HS	6 ft 3 in (191 cm)	227 lb (103 kg)	4.55	Nov 16, 2006
Quantavius Sturdivant LB	Scout:File:4 stars.svg.png Rivals: ESPN grade: 79
Jay Wooten K	Laurinburg, NC	Scotland HS	6 ft 3 in (191 cm)	180 lb (82 kg)	4.8	May 19, 2006
Jay Wooten K	Scout: Rivals: ESPN grade: 73
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 15 Rivals: 16
‡ Refers to 40 yard dash Note: In many cases, Scout and Rivals may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time. In these cases, an average of the two was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2007 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. http://www.rivals.com/TeamRank.asp?type=0&sort=0&year=2007. Retrieved March 4, 2007.

Coaching staff[]

Name	Position^[6]	Seasons in Position
Butch Davis	Head Coach	1st
John Blake	Associate Head Coach / Recruiting Coordinator / Defensive Line	1st
Ken Browning	Running Backs	14th
Jeff Connors	Strength and Conditioning Coordinator	7th
Steve Hagen	Tight Ends	1st
John Lovett	Special Teams Coordinator / Defensive Assistant	1st
Chuck Pagano	Defensive Coordinator / Defensive Backs	1st
Sam Pittman	Offensive Line	1st
John Shoop	Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks	1st
Tommy Thigpen	Linebackers	3rd
Charlie Williams	Wide Receivers	1st

Schedule[]

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 1	6:00 p.m.	James Madison*	Kenan Memorial Stadium Chapel Hill, NC	ESPN360	W 37–14	58,500
September 8	6:00 p.m.	at East Carolina*	Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium Greenville, NC	CSTV	L 31–34	43,387
September 15	12:00 p.m.	Virginia	Kenan Memorial Stadium Chapel Hill, NC (South's Oldest Rivalry)	Raycom/LFS	L 20–22	58,000
September 22	12:00 p.m.	at No. 23 South Florida*	Raymond James Stadium Tampa, FL	ESPN	L 10–37	37,693
September 29	12:00 p.m.	at No. 17 Virginia Tech	Lane Stadium Blacksburg, VA	Raycom/LFS	L 10–17	66,233
October 6	12:00 p.m.	Miami	Kenan Memorial Stadium Chapel Hill, NC	ESPN2	W 33–27	59,000
October 13	3:30 p.m.	No. 7 South Carolina*	Kenan Memorial Stadium Chapel Hill, NC	ABC	L 15–21	61,000
October 27	12:00 p.m.	at Wake Forest	BB&T Field Winston-Salem, NC (rivalry)	Raycom/LFS	L 10–37	33,023
November 3	3:45 p.m.	Maryland	Kenan Memorial Stadium Chapel Hill, NC	ESPNU	W 16–13	56,000
November 10	12:00 p.m.	at North Carolina State	Carter–Finley Stadium Raleigh, NC (Carolina–State Game)	Raycom/LFS	L 27–31	57,583
November 17	12:00 p.m.	at Georgia Tech	Bobby Dodd Stadium Atlanta, GA	Raycom/LFS	L 25–27	45,490
November 24	3:30 p.m.	Duke	Kenan Memorial Stadium Chapel Hill, NC (Victory Bell Game)	ESPNU	W 20–14 ^OT	52,000
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

Did not play: Boston College, Clemson, and Florida State.

Team Statistics[]

Passing Leader	Cmp	Att	Yds	TD	Int
T. J. Yates	218	365	2655	14	18

Rushing Leaders	Car	Yds	Long	TD
Johnny White	95	399	39	0
Anthony Elzy	92	321	39	5
Greg Little	59	300	38	2
Ryan Houston	44	145	10	1
Brandon Tate	12	131	54	1

Receiving Leaders	Rec	Yds	Long	TD
Hakeem Nicks	74	958	53	5
Brandon Tate	25	479	51	5
Brooks Foster	29	417	65	2

Kicking	XPM	XPA	FGM	FGM	Long	Pts
Connor Barth	21	23	19	22	51	78

References[]

↑ "Pickeral, Robbi (October 22, 2006). "UNC's Bunting Out at End of Season". The News & Observer (Raleigh). Archived from the original on November 18, 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20061118004708/http://www.newsobserver.com/758/story/501763.html. Retrieved March 4, 2007.
↑ "Butch Davis jumps to top of list for North Carolina job." ESPN.com. Retrieved on March 4, 2007.
↑ "Butch Davis hired to coach at UNC Archived 2007-10-02 at the Wayback Machine." sportingnews.com. Retrieved on March 4, 2007.
↑ "John Blake Hired As North Carolina Assistant Football Coach." tarheelblue.com. Retrieved on March 4, 2007.
↑ "Inside Spring Drills: ACC Preview." rivals.com. Retrieved on March 4, 2007.
↑ "North Carolina Coaching Staff Archived 2007-12-14 at the Wayback Machine." tarheelblue.com. Retrieved on March 4, 2007.

[1] "Pickeral, Robbi (October 22, 2006). "UNC's Bunting Out at End of Season". The News & Observer (Raleigh). Archived from the original on November 18, 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20061118004708/http://www.newsobserver.com/758/story/501763.html. Retrieved March 4, 2007.

[2] "Butch Davis jumps to top of list for North Carolina job." ESPN.com. Retrieved on March 4, 2007.

[3] "Butch Davis hired to coach at UNC Archived 2007-10-02 at the Wayback Machine." sportingnews.com. Retrieved on March 4, 2007.

[4] "John Blake Hired As North Carolina Assistant Football Coach." tarheelblue.com. Retrieved on March 4, 2007.

[5] "Inside Spring Drills: ACC Preview." rivals.com. Retrieved on March 4, 2007.

[6] "North Carolina Coaching Staff Archived 2007-12-14 at the Wayback Machine." tarheelblue.com. Retrieved on March 4, 2007.

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