UNC football head coach Larry Fedora says he can’t help but worry that this week’s focus on an off-the-field incident has taken some of his player’s focus off of Liberty.

UNC Investigating Football Training Camp Incident

“You know me, I worry about every kind of thing that could be a distraction,” Coach Fedora says. “But, I know this: we’ve got a large amount of players on this football team that have worked their rear ends off for a long (time) to get to this point. So, it would be a shame and a tragedy to let any kind of distraction to keep you from playing at your best. So, that’s my job is to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Wednesday’s announcement of four suspensions removes cornerbacks Des Lawrence, M.J. Stewart, and Brian Walker, as well as Donnie Miles from the season opener against the Flames.

UNC Football: Four Suspended Vs Liberty

Coach Fedora says he’s confident those suspensions won’t limit what the Tar Heels can accomplish this weekend.

“We’re not going to change the game plan or anything,” Coach Fedora said. “We’ve got other guys that have been preparing to play in those positions all, also, so now there’s just less depth defensively and on special teams. A couple of guys may have to move around a little bit to help us in some positions, but we’ll get it covered.”

No. 23 North Carolina and the FCS Big South’s Liberty kick off at 6:00 p.m. Saturday at Kenan Stadium. Pregame coverage on WCHL begins at 3:00 p.m. with the UNC Health Care Countdown to Kickoff with Ron Stutts presented Stanley Martin Homes live from Franklin Street on the lawn of University United Methodist Church. That will be followed by The Good Sports with Art C and BobLee before we send it off to the Tar Heel Sports Network at 5:00 p.m.

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