Tar Heels finally get to start the Davis Era

Since taking over at North Carolina nine months ago, Butch Davis has answered questions about everything from stadium expansions to locker room renovations to uniform changes.

But the nine months of talking about off-the-field issues ends Saturday, when the former coach at Miami and in Cleveland with the NFL's Browns leads North Carolina onto the field for the first time.

"I'm excited about it," Davis said of the Tar Heels' opener against James Madison. "But more importantly, this game is about the kids. It's not about me. It's about their opportunity to build a program that hopefully can become the face of (Atlantic Coast Conference) football, and I'm excited to be a part of it."

For Tar Heel fans, the feeling is mutual. They have desperately sought a return to the glory of just a decade ago, when Mack Brown led North Carolina to consecutive top-10 seasons before bolting for Texas. Two coaches have come and gone since, the last tenure ending with the school firing John Bunting during last season's 3-9 debacle.

Bunting lasted six seasons at his alma mater, but his teams were marked by perennially porous defense and an inability to sustain momentum after big wins. The Tar Heels now have the kind of big-name coach they've sought ever since Brown left, with Davis boasting a resume that includes rebuilding Miami into a national power in the 1990s and leading the Browns into the playoffs.

"I expect there will be a lot of excitement around campus," safety Trimane Goddard said. "Everyone's ready for the season to start and for him to put the headset on and be on the sideline."

From there, he'll coach an extremely young team. The Tar Heels figure to have at least a dozen first-time starters against James Madison, including redshirt freshman T.J. Yates at quarterback and sophomore Richie Rich (one carry for minus-1 yard and a fumble last season) at tailback.

North Carolina's last two games against Football Championship Subdivision opponents (formerly Division I-AA) were closer than expected, a 49-38 win against William & Mary in the 2004 opener to a 45-42 win against Furman last year.

James Madison (9-3) won a national championship in 2004 and earned an NCAA playoff appearance last year. The Dukes' offense has the kind of experience the Tar Heels don't in senior tailback Eugene Holloman, who ran for 1,085 yards last year, and senior receiver L.C. Baker, who recorded eight touchdown catches.

Still, James Madison coach Mickey Matthews is wary of the challenge his players face in Chapel Hill.

"You watch the tape on them from last year, and certainly you're looking at individuals, not schemes, because you have no idea what they're going to do," Matthews said. "They're North Carolina. There's not many guys on our team that they recruited or even talked to, so we know their personnel's good. ... I'm sure Butch has got them going down there."