CHAPEL HILL — Playing in a bowl game doesn't just mean extra practice time to prepare for West Virginia, North Carolina coach Butch Davis said Tuesday, but for beyond.
"As the NCAA has scaled back spring practice, to where there's only 15 days, and there's only a limited number of those days where you're actually allowed to have equipment on, and maybe not even full contact, the additional 10, 12, 14 practices for a bowl game is really a huge advantage for a football program,'' said Davis, whose 8-4 Tar Heels will play in the Meineke Bowl on Dec. 27.
"The teams that traditionally have gone to bowl games each year, you can see it in the development of their younger players as they go into spring practice and as they try to get those kids prepared to go into next fall."
To that end, UNC ended Tuesday's practice with an 18-play scrimmage that featured mostly redshirt players, and freshmen who had served in back-up roles during the regular season. Davis said that 80-85 percent of the team's practice time is spent on preparing for the bowl, but the other 15 to 20 percent is spent on developing youth.
INJURY UPDATE: Davis said fullback Anthony Elzy (fractured shoulder), wide receiver Brooks Foster (knee surgery) and tight end Zack Pianalto (fractured fibula) are "working back in on a limited type of basis. Some of them are doing a little bit more, but all of them are back out there doing something.
"As the week goes along, we'll get a better and clearer picture as to whether we think any of those guys will have a chance to play."
GODDARD SECOND TEAM ALL-AMERICAN: Senior safety Trimane Goddard was named a second team All-American by the Associated Press, after finishing the regular season tied for the national lead with seven interceptions.
"Trimane's got enormous poise and maturity,'' Davis said. "I think he is one of those guys that is always diligent about doing the right things. And his performance this year, you couldn't be happier for a kid because of the number of tough things he's had to go through during his career, the injuries.
"And to have him go through a whole season being 100 percent healthy, you got to see how many plays he actually could make and his awareness -- a lot of the pro scouts coming through here are very impressed with what they've seen on film and it doesn't surprise me."
Robbi Pickeral has covered ACC sports for The News & Observer since 2003. She can be reached at 
