By Eddy Landreth
Staff Writer
North Carolina finished off its second consecutive season of unholy stress in style with a 37-21 victory over Duke at Kenan Stadium in the regular-season finale for both teams.
Freshman runner Giovani “Gio†Bernard burned the Blue Devils for 165 yards and a touchdown.
The victory assures the Tar Heels of their fourth straight winning season, and they now have a chance to win an eighth game in whichever bowl they attend.
Carolina ends the regular season 7-5. The last two years, these players and their coaching staff have weathered the loss of eligibility from eventual first- and second-round NFL draft picks because of NCAA violations. The program has been hammered by an NCAA investigation and a string of internal and external allegations, some true and some false.
They even lost their head coach just one week before the start of training camp. The journey might have crippled a lesser group, and when one stands back and looks at the team’s body of work, it’s difficult not to admire what these players have accomplished.
“These kids are tough, mentally and physically,†interim coach Everett Withers said after probably his final game as head coach at Kenan Stadium. “They mean an awful lot to me. They are resilient. They work their butt off every day. They try to do everything we ask them to do.
“They didn’t bat an eye [when coach Butch Davis was fired],†Withers said. “They came to work. I didn’t know how they would react initially. When we started camp it was, ‘OK, here we go.’
“Once we got about three or four days into it, it was like, ‘OK, they’re going to respond.’ As coaches,†Withers continued, “we had to respond because they did. I’m as proud of this football team as any I’ve ever been on.â€
The players awarded Withers with the game ball to honor his stepping in to be the head coach under trying circumstances.
The Tar Heels had their tough moments, but overall they refused to let the adversity tear them apart.
“This team and last year’s team, there is a great family bond,†Bernard said.
Bernard has been impressive all season, never more so than in this game.
“[Bernard is a shifty runner],†Duke coach David Cutcliffe said. “And one of the things with Carolina’s big offensive line, if we leave a gap uncontested, it’s very difficult for a safety to get in there quick enough to stop a youngster like him. And when they get moving down on people, it minimizes your backer’s ability to get to a gap; it minimizes your safety’s ability to field.
“I thought they got more movement than most people have against us.â€
Bernard gained 1,222 rushing yards in 12 regular-season games. His production on Saturday gave him seven 100-yard rushing games this season, breaking the freshman record of six held by Amos Lawrence.
He missed last season with a knee injury.
“Even when I was not on the field last year, I felt that family bond,†Bernard said. “That is one of the reasons I came to this school, that family tie. We’ve done a great job of finishing strong, even through the hard games and the hard losses.â€
The success on the ground helped quarterback Bryn Renner and wide receiver Dwight Jones enjoy one of their finest days together, too.
Renner completed 21 of 34 passes for 274 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Jones, a senior, caught 10 passes for 101 yards and three touchdowns to finish his career at Kenan Stadium.
“Dwight, for maybe the last month of so, you could see he cherished every day that he has been out there on the field, whether it’s been the practice field or game field,†Withers said. “Every day he has come to work, it has been, ‘I know I want to make sure I give everything because this game isn’t promised to you.’
“You could tell that in his eyes,†Withers said. “Dwight has become the guy in that locker room. He doesn’t say a whole lot, but when Dwight talks, there are a lot of people in that locker room who listen.â€
The coaching staff moved defensive end Quinton Coples back to defensive tackle, the spot he played last season, and he led a Carolina defense that held Duke to 46 yards rushing.
“We don’t have an answer for Coples, obviously,†Cutcliffe said. “We saw that.â€
Coples finished tied for second on the team with six tackles, while leading in sacks with two and posting three total tackles for losses. He also forced a fumble and recovered one.
“It was my last game at Kenan Stadium,†Coples said. “I’m a senior, and it’s a rivalry, so it’s more personal. I think I was more into it mentally.â€
There was also the matter of finishing with a winning record instead of breaking even.
“It’s huge,†Withers said. “All we want is the opportunity to win eight. When we stepped into this week, we said, ‘Let’s win seven,’ first things first.
“Now let’s see if we get to a bowl and win eight.â€