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 — Considering he’s the only player on the team with a national championship ring, from his 2005 walk-on season with the North Carolina basketball team, you’d think wide receiver Brooks Foster would flash the bling around the football locker room once in a while.

Nope. Not his style.

CHAPEL HILL — Brooks Foster knows that many consider him North Carolina's third receiver, behind play-maker Hakeem Nicks and speedster Brandon Tate. 

But after a summer of building his leg strength to try to ward off injury, he's determined to surprise some people.