Carolina might just match State's intensity this time around

UNC coach Butch Davis said after last week's 26-10 loss to Virginia Tech that eliminated the Tar Heels from any chance at the ACC championship game, it's important to bounce back psychologically and emotionally this week. Being that this week's game is at home against a good N.C. State team that is a chief rival, that will help the Heels "get over the funk of last week's game," Davis said.

He said it's an important week for the Tar Heels, who are looking to fix their problems from last week's game, mostly the six turnovers. It's important especially to the 17 seniors who in three tries have yet to beat the Wolfpack. But some observers claim that the State players care more about the rivalry in good measure because State coach Tom O'Brien stresses the rivalry aspect of the game each year.

"I have no idea what they stress," Davis said. "We want to play extremely well every single week. Obviously certain games are going to carry more magnitude but if you are going to win the ACC, you gotta win all the ACC games, not just play well in one game."

The strategies have worked somewhat for both coaches. O'Brien's players have seemed more fired up and focused on beating the Tar Heels when the two play while UNC has had a better overall record over the last three seasons. This year State (7-3) comes in with the better record and Carolina (6-4), though depleted as well documented, seems to be fired up and focused themselves this time around.

"It's very important to our football team and the program," Davis said.

Senior Deunta Williams said, "We can't go out on no 'L.' That's just what we're thinking about, in our last game at Kenan, especially against N.C. State."