CHAPEL HILL -- North Carolina quarterback Bryn Renner referred to tailbacks Ryan Houston and Gio Bernard as “Thunder and Lightning” earlier this week for their bruising and quick styles, respectively.

But the duo came up with their own tongue-in-cheek nickname over the last couple of weeks, as they stood on the sidelines in non-contact orange jerseys: “We’ve called ourselves the ‘Orange Crush team,” Bernard said, laughing.

The moniker officially went away Tuesday, as both were expected to resume contact drills in preparation for Saturday’s season opener against James Madsion. Houston, a redshirt senior who was named the starter on Monday, has been limited all training camp because of offseason shoulder surgery. Bernard, a redshirt freshman, suffered a non-displaced fracture of his left hand on August 13, and was held out of contact drills after that.

CHAPEL HILL – Redshirt senior Ryan Houston, limited to non-contact drills during training camp because of an off-season shoulder surgery, has said all month he would be ready for North Carolina’s opener against James Madison.

He’s so ready, he will start Saturday.

Interim coach Everett Withers said Monday that the 6-feet-2, 245-pound bruiser from Charlotte has earned the opening nod because of his experience; both Houston and redshirt freshman backup Gio Bernard (hand injury) will strip off their orange don’t-hit-me jerseys this week and return to contact drills.

“We like to [think] that we start three tailbacks -- one guy just has to take the first snap,’’ Withers said. “But we like to consider Ryan and Gio and A.J. [Blue] as guys that are going to play a lot at tailback for us.”

CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina tailback Ryan Houston continues to wear a precautionary orange don’t-hit-me jersey in practice, but said he can’t wait to take it off.

“So eager, I just can’t wait to go to my metal locker and see, ‘blue jersey!’” Houston, a redshirt senior, said today. “Know what I’m saying? I just can’t wait for the day. It [will] be like Christmas, whenever they give me that blue jersey.”

Houston, who had shoulder surgery after fracturing his right scapula during the Spring Game, is extra eager because he hasn’t played for more than a year. After sitting out the first five games of last season as the NCAA investigated the football program for academic misconduct and impermissible benefits, Houston was cleared, but opted to redshirt the rest of the season.

CHAPEL HILL – Four players were missing from UNC Photo Day this morning:

• Mywan Jackson, a junior cornerback who started five games last year, will not return to UNC because of personal reasons, team spokesman Kevin Best said.
• Senior running back Ryan Houston, who was still in Charlotte attending to personal business. He was expected to arrive on campus in time to attend when the team opens fall practice at 1:30 p.m. today, Best said.
• Defensive tackle Brandon Willis, who transferred from UNC to UCLA, only to transfer back to UNC, has decided to transfer again.
• Freshman defensive back Brandon Ellerbe, who is still waiting to be OK’ed by the NCAA Clearinghouse.

Meanwhile, new interim head coach awarded three scholarships last night to senior fullback Curtis Byrd, holder Trase Jones and deep snapper Mark House.
 

PINEHURST -- UNC tailback Ryan Houston, who had shoulder surgery after spring practice, will go non-contact when the Tar Heels open fall practice on August 5.

“In talking to Scott Trulock, our trainer, he’s not going to be available for contact until probably somewhere between the 10th and the 15th of August,’’ UNC football coach Butch Davis said. “And then obviously, we’re going to be extremely smart about what you bring him back to do; you don’t put him into a 70-play scrimmage the very first day. Let him get hit a little bit, and build his confidence back up. We fully expect at this time that he’ll be ready to go at the start of the season.”

Houston redshirted last season, after rushing for 713 yards and nine touchdowns in 2009.

UNC confirmed this afternoon that Greg Little is the former football player who received 93 parking tickets associated with five different vehicles.

Those vehicles had nine different license plates on them, apparently from the use of dealer tags.

Little has declined to comment since last week when — in the wake of a court ruling — the university released public records revealing that some Tar Heels football players had racked up 395 campus parking tickets totaling $13,125 in fines over a three-and-a-half year span.

North Carolina senior tailback Ryan Houston fractured his scapula (shoulder blade) Saturday during the Tar Heels' spring football game, according to a news release issued by UNC this morning.

Houston is scheduled to undergo surgery Thursday afternoon at UNC Hospitals. According to the release, his status will be updated at that time.

North Carolina running back Ryan Houston might play against Virginia Tech. Then again, he might not.

Tar Heels coach Butch Davis said the decision to use Houston against the Hokies, or maintain his redshirt, will likely be made on Saturday.

It's possible that running back Ryan Houston might play against Virginia Tech on Saturday, UNC coach Butch Davis said today.

Houston, the team's leading rusher in 2009, has not played this season, missing the first five games because of the NCAA investigation. Houston had planned to redshirt the season before starter Johnny White was injured against Florida State last Saturday.

CHAPEL HILL — Ryan Houston still might play football for North Carolina this season, UNC coach Butch Davis said Thursday, then again, he might not.

Houston did not play in the first five games because of the NCAA investigation. He was cleared to return before the Virginia game but did not play against the Cavaliers because UNC and Houston were exploring the option of redshirting this season.