“Gio the Great” rushed 27 times for a grinding as well as electric 177 yards (a 6.6 average) and registered two first half touchdowns. Additionally, he caught four passes for 36 yards, including a 16 yard, shoe string grab on 4th and 6 that would make even Jerry Rice proud. That catch kept the momentum going on a key drive and led UNC Coach Larry Fedora to say, “Gio’s a complete player. Whether it’s pass blocking on protections, catching the ball or running, he’s going to do whatever he can to help us win.” Coach Fedora calls him complete – I call him the most dynamic player in the ACC this year. He is running behind an offensive line that ESPN NFL gurus Mel Kiper and Todd McShay have called the best O line in the country so there is a growing chemistry working where the boys up front have Gio’s back and he has theirs.
Other Florida products wearing the Tar Heel blue made their presence felt on Saturday as well: LB Tommy Heffernan (Miami, Florida) came up huge with a big time sack on Miami’s final drive and continues to be a new fan favorite with his underdog story and tough play; Tre Boston (Fort Myers, Florida) had a huge game and highlighted great Tar Heel secondary play with one pick and another one called back due to a questionable pass interference call. Boston is one of three UNC defensive backs from the great state of Florida with the final spot being occupied by Virginia product Tim Scott. Boston knew what to expect when he said, ”South Florida boys can run, and that’s exactly what I am,” and indeed our defensive skill players were stride for stride with Miami’s running backs and receivers.
So as trilled as I am by getting our first road win in Miami, I’m also excited about what this does for the game within the game. W’s like this help give Coach Fedora and his staff an upper hand when it comes to the game of recruiting. Coach Fedora has stated on record very clearly that his first and foremost goal in recruiting is to put a barbwire fence around the state of North Carolina and make sure that the most talented prospects from this state commit to the flagship University in North Carolina where they will have the opportunity to experience what I did six years ago – the magic of being a Tar Heel and everything that it stands for. I am 100% on board with this strategy but, at the same time, you cannot ignore the hot beds of talent that sit in close proximity to us in Florida and Virginia respectively. With two great back-to-back wins over perennial Coastal Division juggernauts Virginia Tech and Miami, Fedora and his staff will have a great selling tool and recruiting momentum when they enter the living rooms of high school prospects this off-season to sell them on the dreams of where this program is going. The culture change of Carolina Football has been front and center the last two weeks in the ACC and people are taking notice. You can see below that our current starters have a strong Virginia and especially Florida background and I know we will build on this going forward.
Offense
LT – James Hurst (Plainfield, IN)
LG – Jonathan Cooper (Wilmington, NC)
C – Russell Bodine (Scottsville, VA)
RG – Travis Bond (Windsor, NC)
RT – Brennan Williams (West Roxburry, MA
TE – Eric Ebron (Greensboro, NC)
QB – Bryn Renner (West Springfield, VA)
TB – Giovani Bernard (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
WR – Erik Highsmith (Vanceboro, NC)
WR – Sean Tapley (Jacksonville, FL)
WR – Quinshad Davis (Gaffney, SC)
Defense
DE – Kareem Martin (Roanoke Rapids, VA)
DT – Sylvester Williams (Jefferson City, MO)
NT – Tim Jackson (St. Petersburg, FL)
BANDIT – Dion Guy (Washington, D.C)
WILL – Travis Hughes (Virginia Beach, VA) / Tommy Heffernan (Miami, FL)
MIKE – Kevin Reddick (New Bern, NC)
RAM – Gene Robinson (Memphis, TN)
CB – Jabari Price (Pompano Beach, FL)
SS – Tre Boston (Fort Myers, FL)
FS – Sam Smiley (Jacksonville, FL)
CB – Tim Scott (Fredericksburg, VA)
Next stop: Duke under the lights, protect the Victory Bell at all cost!!
Smart. Fast. Physical.
Recruiting Wars
“Run Gio Run” has become a constant chant that builds and builds each Saturday as we anticipate Gio Bernard accelerating through a hole and with one cut, he’s off to the races. So it wasn’t too surprising when the Hurricanes of Miami saw up close “Run Gio Run.” Many times. A monster performance in Gio’s homecoming (he grew up in Fort Lauderdale and went to nearby St. Thomas Aquinas High School) propelled the Heels to a gutty 18-14 win while knocking Miami from the ranks of the ACC unbeatens (Canes are now 3-1 in league).
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