# 2008 North Carolina Tar Heels football team

The 2008 North Carolina Tar Heels football team represented the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a member of Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) during the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by second-year head coach Butch Davis, the Tar Heels played their home games at Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. North Carolina finished the season 8–5 overall and 4–4 in ACC play to tie for third in the Coastal Division. The Tar Heels lost to West Virginia in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. In 2011, North Carolina vacated all its wins from the 2008 and 2009 seasons.

## Recruiting

The Tar Heels received 16 letters of intent on National Signing Day, February 6, 2008. One student athlete had already enrolled before National Signing Day and one signed several days later, making this class smaller and less-heralded than the previous year's class.
US college sports recruiting information for recruits :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | 40$^‡$ | Commit date |
| A. J. Blue QB | Dallas, North Carolina | North Gaston HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 208 lb (94 kg) | 4.6 | Jan 18, 2008 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 75 |||||||
| Zach Brown LB | Columbia, Maryland | Hargrave Military Academy | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 213 lb (97 kg) | 4.42 | Jan 20, 2008 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 79 |||||||
| Jonathan Cooper OG | Wilmington, North Carolina | John T. Hoggard HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 296 lb (134 kg) | 5.1 | Jan 25, 2008 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 78 |||||||
| Quinton Coples DE | Kinston, North Carolina | Hargrave Military Academy | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 237 lb (108 kg) | 4.65 | Feb 6, 2008 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 78 |||||||
| Herman Davidson S | Long Beach, California | Polytechnic HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | 4.5 | Feb 6, 2008 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 40 |||||||
| Dion Guy LB | Washington, D.C. | Woodson HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 219 lb (99 kg) | 4.61 | Feb 4, 2008 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 40 |||||||
| Braden Hanson QB | Charlotte, North Carolina | Charlotte Latin HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 197 lb (89 kg) | NA | Jul 10, 2007 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 73 |||||||
| Todd Harrelson WR | Chesapeake, Virginia | Oscar F. Smith HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 188 lb (85 kg) | 4.53 | Jun 28, 2007 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 78 |||||||
| Kenneth Harris LB | Decatur, Georgia | Columbia HS | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 206 lb (93 kg) | 4.60 | Feb 3, 2008 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 40 |||||||
| Dwight Jones WR | Burlington, North Carolina | Cummings HS | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | 4.61 | Jan 26, 2007 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 81 |||||||
| Michael McAdoo DE | Antioch, Tennessee | Antioch HS | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 228 lb (103 kg) | 4.75 | Jan 31, 2008 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 77 |||||||
| Ebele Okakpu LB | Roswell, Georgia | Roswell HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 208 lb (94 kg) | 4.50 | Aug 4, 2007 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 75 |||||||
| Robert Quinn DE | North Charleston, South Carolina | Fort Dorchester HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 250 lb (110 kg) | 4.72 | Feb 6, 2008 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| Kevin Reddick LB | New Bern, North Carolina | New Bern HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | 4.57 | Jan 13, 2008 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 78 |||||||
| Joseph Townsend DT | San Jose, California | Foothill College | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 290 lb (130 kg) | 4.87 | Feb 9, 2008 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: NA |||||||
| Randy White TE | Bristol, Virginia | Virginia HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 234 lb (106 kg) | 4.79 | Jun 15, 2007 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 73 |||||||
| Melvin Williams S | Lebanon, Tennessee | Coffeyville CC | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 203 lb (92 kg) | 4.55 | Oct 23, 2007 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: NA |||||||
| Christian Wilson TE | McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania | Montour HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 235 lb (107 kg) | 4.60 | Feb 6, 2008 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 81 |||||||
| Jamal Womble RB | Sierra Vista, Arizona | Buena HS | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 221 lb (100 kg) | 4.41 | Dec 5, 2007 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 78 |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 15 Rivals: 16 |||||||
| ‡ Refers to 40 yard dash Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2007 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved March 4, 2008. |||||||

## Coaching staff

After signing a contract extension at the end of the 2007 season, Butch Davis enters his second season as head coach. Chuck Pagano resigned as defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach to become an assistant coach with the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL. He was replaced by Minnesota assistant Everett Withers.
| Name | Position | Seasons in Position |
| Butch Davis | Head coach | 2nd |
| John Blake | Associate head coach / recruiting coordinator / defensive line | 2nd |
| Ken Browning | Running backs | 15th |
| Jeff Connors | Strength and conditioning coordinator | 8th |
| Steve Hagen | Tight Ends | 2nd |
| John Lovett | Special teams coordinator / Defensive Assistant | 2nd |
| Sam Pittman | Offensive Line | 2nd |
| John Shoop | Offensive coordinator / quarterbacks | 2nd |
| Tommy Thigpen | Linebackers | 4th |
| Charlie Williams | Wide Receivers | 2nd |
| Everett Withers | Defensive coordinator / defensive backs | 1st |
* Brad Davis (graduate assistant)

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 30 | 6:05 p.m. | McNeese State* | | Kenan Memorial StadiumChapel Hill, NC | ESPN360 | W 35–27 (vacated) | 58,000 |
| September 11 | 7:45 p.m. | at Rutgers* | | Rutgers StadiumPiscataway, NJ | ESPN | W 44–12 (vacated) | 42,502 |
| September 20 | 3:30 p.m. | Virginia Tech | | Kenan Memorial StadiumChapel Hill, NC | ABC/ESPN | L 17–20 | 59,800 |
| September 27 | 12:00 p.m. | at Miami (FL) | | Dolphin StadiumMiami Gardens, FL | ESPN2 | W 28–24 (vacated) | 35,830 |
| October 4 | 7:00 p.m. | No. 23 Connecticut* | | Kenan Memorial StadiumChapel Hill, NC | ESPN2 | W 38–12 (vacated) | 59,500 |
| October 11 | 3:30 p.m. | Notre Dame* | No. 22 | Kenan Memorial StadiumChapel Hill, NC (rivalry) | ABC/ESPN | W 29–24 (vacated) | 60,000 |
| October 18 | 3:30 p.m. | at Virginia | No. 18 | Scott StadiumCharlottesville, VA (South's Oldest Rivalry) | ABC/ESPN2 | L 13–16 $^{OT}$ | 52,342 |
| October 25 | 12:00 p.m. | Boston College | | Kenan Memorial StadiumChapel Hill, NC | Raycom | W 45–24 (vacated) | 48,000 |
| November 8 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 20 Georgia Tech | No. 19 | Kenan Memorial StadiumChapel Hill, NC | Raycom | W 28–7 (vacated) | 59,000 |
| November 15 | 3:30 p.m. | at Maryland | No. 17 | Byrd StadiumCollege Park, MD | ABC/ESPN | L 15–17 | 46,113 |
| November 22 | 12:00 p.m. | North Carolina State | | Kenan Memorial StadiumChapel Hill, NC (rivalry) | Raycom | L 10–41 | 60,000 |
| November 29 | 3:30 p.m. | at Duke | | Wallace Wade StadiumDurham, NC (Victory Bell) | ESPNU | W 28–20 (vacated) | 30,322 |
| December 27 | 1:00 p.m. | vs. West Virginia* | | Bank of America StadiumCharlotte, NC (Meineke Car Care Bowl) | ESPN | L 30–31 | 73,712 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time ||||||||

## Game summaries
### McNeese State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| McNeese State | 0 | 14 | 6 | 7 | 27 |
| North Carolina | 7 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 35 |
Brandon Tate put on a dazzling one-man show, scoring on an 82-yard punt return and putting North Carolina ahead for good with a 57-yard touchdown catch to help the Tar Heels hold off McNeese State 35-27. Tate finished with a school-record 397 all-purpose yards for the Tar Heels, who showed little else in an unimpressive start to their second season under Butch Davis. In a game suspended nearly two hours due to weather, they blew a 14-0 first-half lead and had to rally from a third-quarter deficit against Football Championship Subdivision McNeese State, who outplayed the Heels much of the way. T. J. Yates had 221 passing yards and 2 touchdowns.

### Rutgers

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| North Carolina | 0 | 17 | 21 | 6 | 44 |
| Rutgers | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 12 |
T. J. Yates threw three touchdown passes and the Tar Heels won for the first time outside North Carolina since 2002, beating error-prone Rutgers 44-12 in a nationally televised game that pitted Butch Davis against his former pupil, Greg Schiano. Hakeem Nicks and Brandon Tate combined for 10 catches, 204 receiving yards, and three touchdowns as the Heels offense rolled over Rutgers. Carolina's defense generated 4 Rutgers turnovers (3 INTs and a fumble) and scored off of a 66-yard interception return by Bruce Carter.