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UNC's Little learning lessons
Submitted by rpickeral on 09/17/2008 - 13:45
CHAPEL HILL — As North Carolina running back Greg Little continues to learn the running back position, he’s already realized a valuable lesson this season: “You can’t hit a home run on every play," he said. "But if you just try to get a base hit, then another base hit, than another, the home run will eventually come.”
It has been a somewhat frustrating lesson to learn through the first two games of the season. The Tar Heels are 2-0 entering Saturday’s game against Virginia Tech, but Little — who made the transition from wideout to tailback during the second half of last season — has gained only 108 yards on 32 carries.
It’s not the start the sophomore imagined after gaining 247 yards in the final two games of last season, but he still thinks he can reach 1,000 this year.
“If you look at a 1,000 yard back, they’re consistent throughout the whole season,’’ he said. “That’s what I need to be.”
To that end, he’s been working on hitting holes faster and finishing runs this week. He says he feels physically good, and thinks his early 2- and 3-yard gains the first two games have helped pave the way for longer runs by back-up Shaun Draughn (15 carries, 74 yards) in the later stages of the game.
“I feel like we can out-man teams in the fourth quarter because we’re mentally and physically conditioned to do that,’’ he said.
That is, if he continues to look for better and better base hits.
“That’s what’s just in me, to make so many moves and just try to get a home run off one play,’’ he said. “And that’s not how a running back is; you’ve got to take the 1- or 2-yard gains sometimess. … And then once you break that long one, it’s all about rejoicing.”
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Robbi Pickeral
Robbi Pickeral has covered ACC sports for The News & Observer since 2003. She can be reached at robbi.pickeral@newsobserver.com.
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Comments
far be it from me to offer advice to a Hole...
Wed, 09/17/2008 - 14:36 — izzykareembut...Little just needs to run. He runs like a sissy dancing around before he gets plastered. The reason Shaugn Draughn does so well is because he just runs and runs hard. UNC-CH fans, go back and look at the Rutgers game especially, you'll see it. Little tiptoes around like twinkle toes, Draughn runs hard.