University of Virginia Library

Can Clinch Tie Saturday

UNC Hopes To Keep Streak Alive

By FLETCHER THOMPSON

For those of you who have
been paying at least minimal
attention to North Carolina
football fortunes, it may come
as somewhat of a surprise that
Tar Heel boss Bill Dooley has
tagged his team with the
nickname of "Cardiac Kids".

Dooley Comment

Claiming that his boys give
him something to worry about
every week, Dooley says, "We
seem to get ahead every
Saturday and then let the other
teams come back and make it
close. I'm beginning to think
these players like that
nickname and don't want to do
anything to ruin their
reputation."

It is probably not stretching
the imagination to say that
there are several coaches
around the country who would
love to be saddled with
Dooley's cardiac woes.

Going into Saturday's
Kenan Stadium contest with
the Cavaliers the Tar Heels
have won thirteen straight ACC
games, boast a 6-1 record on
the year and hold down the
seventeenth and eighteenth
spots in the Top Twenty polls.
Their only loss was a
respectable 29-14 effort against
fourth-ranked Ohio State.

Reaching For ACC Title

For the second year in a
row, the Heels will be
attempting to clinch at least a
tie for the league crown by
downing the Wahoos.

Carolina's principal weapon
in this campaign is a crowd of
powerful pigskin carriers
that has led the Heels to an
average of over 260 yards
rushing per game. All in all,
thirteen people have hit the
holes for the Carolinians this
year.

The mainstays of this
attack are Billy Hite and Ike
Oglesby who alternate at
halfback. They have racked up

over 800 yards and have been
pushed backwards only twice
for only four yards in losses.
Complementing this duo is
fullback Tim Kirkpatrick, who
has rambled for a six yard
average in 49 tries.

On those rare occasions,
when the Heels forsake the
ground they have an ample
passer in Nick Vidnovic, a
second team Washington
All-Met from JEB Stuart High
School.

Vidnovic has passed for 538
yards and five touchdowns on
36 completions out of 84
attempts. If Cavalier defensive
backs are planning on picking
off a few stray tosses, they
should take note of the fact
that he has thrown only three
interceptions.

His most frequent targets
are Ken Taylor and wingback

Jimmy Jerome who tie for the
Carolina receiving lead with 11
grabs each.

Deserving of much of the
credit for North Carolina's
success in advancing the ball in
the right direction is the
smallish offensive line.

Anchored by 223-lb. senior
guard Ron Rusnak, one of
several transplanted Virginians
to star for the Tar Heels, the
front five has been instrumental
in removing obstacles from the
ball carriers' paths.

His fellow travelers are
tackles Jerry Sain and Robert
Pratt, guard Ken Huff and
center Bob Thornton, who
comes off a stellar performance
in last Saturday's 26-10 win
over Clemson.

Defensively, the Heels have
also been impressive, although

not overpowering. Opposition
offenses have been allowed to
roll up over 300 yards a game
for almost 20 points, statistics
which will hardly rank UNC
among the nation's best.

The Heels appear to be
about equally vulnerable on
the ground or through the air.
Enemy runners have plodded
for 1081 yards and a 3.4
average while opposition
quarterbacks have completed
48.8 per cent of their attempts
for 1123 yards.

Unlike the Cavs, UNC has
been quick at the starting gun,
out scoring their opponents
102-37 in the first half. Second
halves have been a different
story as the opponents have
consistently managed to rally;
recording a 93-83 margin.