NASHVILLE, Tenn. — North Carolina running back Anthony Elzy's absence from the Music City Bowl is academic related, coach Butch Davis said Wednesday.
Elzy, who emerged in the final three regular season games as UNC's top offensive threat, did not make the trip to Nashville.
"He didn't fulfill his academic requirements," Davis said Wednesday at a press conference at LP Field.
North Carolina tailback Anthony Elzy did not travel with the team to Nashville, and will not play in the Thursday’s Music City Bowl, because he did not meet his obligations as a student athlete at UNC, team spokesman Kevin Best confirmed today.
With Johnny White and Giovani Bernard injured, Ryan Houston redshirting and Shaun Draughn in and out of the lineup, Elzy's ascent from second-string fullback to starting tailback had been key at the end of the season for the Tar Heels. In UNC’s final three games, he rushed for 236 yards and caught 20 passes for 301 yards.
CHAPEL HILL —Virginia Tech's second win in the state of North Carolina this season just might lead to a third, in Charlotte on Dec. 4.
The 16th-ranked Hokies beat North Carolina 26-10 on Saturday to take a step closer to their fourth Coastal Division title in six years and a trip to Charlotte for the conference championship game.
In addition to the 13 players that missed UNC's opener against LSU, the Tar Heels also have injuries to deal with before their next game on Sept. 18.
Cornerback Mywan Jackson, who was starting in place of the suspended Kendric Burney, suffered a concussion againt LSU in the first half. He did not practice Tuesday and wont' practice today, UNC coach Butch Davis said today on the ACC teleconference.
CHAPEL HILL — With three court dates looming this month for three players affiliated with the program, UNC coach Butch Davis spoke about protecting the Tar Heels' image on Friday.
"We don't condone anything like that," Davis said. "We don't want that to happen."
UNC running back Anthony Elzy is due in court on Aug. 24 for a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge, according to Orange County court records.
Elzy, the second-team fullback, was charged on May 22 for possessing less than half of an ounce of marijuana. The junior from Warren, Ohio has already been disciplined by Tar Heels coach Butch Davis, according to a team spokesman.
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.
CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina fullback Anthony Elzy fractured his shoulder blade during Saturday’s loss at Virginia and is sidelined for at least six weeks, coach Butch Davis said Monday.
He is the third offensive starter the Tar Heels have lost for significant time, joining quarterback T.J. Yates (broken ankle, out for at least two more weeks) and wide receiver Brandon Tate (knee, out for the season).
