The North Carolina Nightmare

What's happening with the North Carolina situation with all the suspensions? One of our new Inglourious Bloggers, Kevin Behan, breaks down exactly what's happening, who's suspended, and what this means for the Tar Heels.

Kevin Behan

The Bomb Drops

After a week of widespread speculation regarding which players will not be eligible to play in Saturday’s season opening game against LSU, on Friday North Carolina released the names of those who will not travel to Atlanta.

The news could not have been much worse for Tar Heel fans.

Thirteen players were ruled out of the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game as a result of a two-pronged investigation regarding NCAA violations and academic misconduct. North Carolina will be without eight starters at the Georgia Dome on Saturday night.

Defensive tackle Marvin Austin, cornerbacks Charles Brown and Kendric Burney, wide receiver Greg Little and defensive ends Robert Quinn and Michael McAdoo have all been ruled ineligible for violating school and/or NCAA rules.

Running backs Shaun Draughn and Ryan Houston, safeties Da’Norris Searcy, Jonathan Smith and Brian Gupton and defensive end Linwan Euwell will be withheld from the game while the investigation continues.

Safety Deunta Williams did not travel with the team on Friday and will not play as the NCAA has requested more information in his case.

The one bit of good news the program received came on Friday evening when linebackers Bruce Carter and Quan Sturdivant were cleared to play. Like Williams, they did not accompany the team in the morning but were expected to arrive in Atlanta on Friday night.

Although it may only be a band aid to cover a large gash, the return of Carter and Sturdivant is crucial to a reeling Carolina defense. Both players were considered the top senior linebackers at their respective spots according to ESPN’s Mel Kiper, Jr. Along with sophomore Kevin Reddick, the starting linebacker position remains intact while the units in front and behind them are suddenly manned by backups.

Despite the clearance of the senior linebackers, Friday’s rulings gut North Carolina’s highly-touted defense of ten players, including six starters. They will have to play without their entire starting secondary as well as their best interior presence in Austin and top pass rusher in Quinn. McAdoo was not listed as a starter on the team’s preseason depth chart but worked with the first unit during fall camp as Austin’s uncertain status relegated him to second team.

While the personnel losses are fewer on the offensive side, they are just as damaging. The Tar Heels lose their top player on that side of the ball in Greg Little as well as their top two running backs in Draughn and Houston. Carolina must now rely heavily upon quarterback T.J. Yates to move the offense. Yates, who was under fire all offseason after throwing 15 interceptions against 14 touchdowns in 2009, was only recently named the starter after holding off redshirt freshman Bryn Renner in camp.

The number of games missed by the 13 players who were either suspended or withheld from Saturday’s contest has not been determined. North Carolina officials will continue to investigate the players’ roles in both agent-related and academic issues.

Perhaps the most disappointing part of the news for Tar Heel fans is the individual players involved in the investigation. Nine of the 13 players who will not suit up in Atlanta are seniors. Those players have combined for 180 career starts. This total does not include junior Robert Quinn, who has started 25 games in his Carolina career and is considered the team’s best player.

The 2010 season was supposed to be a breakout season for the North Carolina football program. They returned 10 starters on offense and nine on a defense that could have featured at least six players who could potentially be selected in the first two rounds of next year’s draft. They were athletic, fast and experienced and were expected to compete for the program’s first conference title in 30 years.

The Tar Heels are now decimated and must face a ranked SEC team while all of their dirty laundry is aired in front of a national television audience. In addition to the day’s jarring news which leaves them severely undermanned against a quality opponent, a pall has been cast over the team on the eve of their opener. With unanswered questions about the length of suspensions, job security of their head coach and reputation of the program, North Carolina’s problems won’t end with the final tick of the clock on Saturday night.

The breakout season appears to have been broken apart before the first snap of year.