My relationship with North Carolina goes back to Dec. 13, 1966, when I covered the Tar Heels’ 64-55 victory over Kentucky in Lexington’s Memorial Coliseum. At that time, the young Carolina coach Dean Smith wasn’t far removed from the days when he was being hung in effigy on the Chapel Hill campus. I wrote a game story that complimented Carolina’s execution of Smith’s ball-control game plan – a “Picasso,” I called it – and Smith never forgot it.
The North Carolina football team rallied past Pittsburgh 40-35 Saturday afternoon thanks to a four-touchdown performance from quarterback Marquise Williams that electrified the Kenan Stadium crowd and evened the Tar Heels’ record at 5-5 overall and 3-3 in ACC play.
Through it all, the Tar Heels have continued to display a fighting spirit that filters down from two of their leaders – head coach Larry Fedora and signal caller Marquise Williams.