Aztecs Will Be Tested by Ranked Tar Heels

Whenever I think of North Carolina and football I can still feel the grit in my teeth from that windy nightmare, the Las Vegas Bowl in 1998. Ted Tollner’s Aztecs outgained the Tar Heels 295-196, had a 20-8 edge in first downs, but lost, 20-13. The score was disappointing enough, but the 50 mph winds blew sand into everyone’s face to make it even less enjoyable.

But that’s ancient history now, and it was the only time we’ve ever played UNC in football. Tonight, in 63,000-seat Kenan Stadium, the Aztecs will face a much tougher challenge than last Saturday’s home opener. The Tar Heels are now a nationally ranked team - 21, 22 or 23, depending on which poll you follow.

They have a well-balanced offense, with two excellent QBs, and strong running backs. Their defense is experienced and tough. Early in the 56-29 win over Liberty in their home opener, they were a little sloppy on both sides of the ball. But Coach Larry Fedora, now in his third season at UNC, made the adjustments needed and they went on to the big-margin score.

As Rocky has said, the Aztecs showed a lot of room for improvement on both sides of the ball. Sloppy tackling hurt the defense, especially during the third quarter letdown. And the passing game was a mix of good and bad, with some great catches along with too many drops and bad passes. The brightest part of the game was special teams.

With a chance to learn from their mistakes, the Aztecs should be much improved in this second game. But the opponent is much more challenging. The betting line is something like 15 points. An Aztec win would mark a giant step forward.

Aztec WR Lonny Mitchell recovered a fumble and returned it 60 yards for
the first score in the 1998 Las Vegas Bowl vs. North Carolina (AP photo)

GO AZTECS!