Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-06

When the Tar Heels, in {
game that had been billed as 9
tossup, soundly spanked Geor.
gia, 2s-7, last Saturday, thi,
finally convinced some folks
who hadn't been. With q 81
record now. anybody should get
the message.
At the end, Georgia Coach
Johnny Griffith was talking of
the Tar Heels and Alabama in
the same glowing terms. The
Bulldogs threw Larry Rakes-
traw. the Nations third best
passer, against the Tar Heels.
The Carolina line threw his
statistics back, furnished. Sew
en- compilations in Is attempts.
q harmless So yards and two
interruptions.
just q year ago. the Tar Heel
defense had sunk about Is low
as 1t could 90. It was last In the
Atlantic Coast Conference.
which means behind even
Wake Forest. This year. 1t
ranks first.
More amazingly. perhaps, the
Tar Heel pass defense has
climbed all the way to-first ma
tionally. It Is permitting only
A yards q game. Now II Jim
Hickey can explain exactly how
this turnabout has happened.
there are folks at Ninth and H
streets NV. who viii pay for
the call.
The Tar Heels have pride
and momentum now. but rec
ognition even in Tobaccoland
came painfully slow. They
barely conquered Virginia in
their opener. led Wake Forest
only TO at the half. and were
mauled by Michigan State,
$40.
About this time, North Caro-
lima journeyed to College Park
and the Tar Heel insiders were
loaded with tips. TOO bad for
Hickey. a nice chap. really, but
he's had 1t as coach" one said.
The student newspaper broadly
limited 1t. too.
The Tar Heels caught the
Terps with q quarterback prob
lem. Dick Sinner was injured
and did not start. but in the
fourth quarter he rushed off
the bench and passed the
Terps 81 yards toward the UNC
goal. Then som ething hap
pened.
Eddie Kesler. althoug h
Knocked out on the play. halted
the drive with an end zone in
-terception. The Tar Heels pre-
vailed, l4-7, and 1t is now pos
.sible TO look back. point the
finger, and say this is where
the corner was turned. The
next week they smashed N. c.
state.
49,
There Is a suspicion that
Hickey, too. might be pleasant
.ly surprised by al this. There
Is the memory Of the pre-sea-
son ACC press tour. Hickey sat
at q table, toying with q cup of
coffee.
A fellow mentioned speed, or
Cardinals lack Of 1t, and Kick
ey said he was changing to q
big-back offense with Kesler
and 220-pound Ken Willard in
the same b ackfield. If the
speed wasn't there, he'd simply
use power and get better pass
protection, too.
II Just don't know how good
we are or will be-" Hickey said
honestly. I'VE have the exper-
fence. We played o lot Of people
last year and we thought we
we're improving every week. If
we pick up from there, we can
be as good as any Of 'em. The
key is our defense. Well have
to improve it."
The Tar Heel offenSe still
has difficulty getting points al
times, but in five straight ACC
triumphs, the defense has vel
to allow q touchdown from
scrimmage. Virginia got one or
Q kickoff return, Maryland got
one on Q Tar Heel tumble be.
hind the goal and N. c. STATE
got one on q 74-yard intercept
ton return.
The Tar Heels still have Il
play the ACES preseason ia.
vorites, Clemson and Duke
plus independent Miami. Glenn
son and Duke earlier hooked
w in q memorable passing due
and Miami has George Mira.
The Tar Heel pass defense
will have to maintain Its yigi-
lance. but 1t already lists Shin.
er, Rakestraw, Dan Reeves Of
South Carolina and Jim Ross
Of N. c. State among Its VIC
tins.
1t Is odd, perhaps that In
only three of their six triumphs
have the Tar Heels been IA
vored. Even the oddsmakers
had them moderated. They
vxvIII 49, - a~e IaaA~~