CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - One of the nation's toughest schedules has produced a 1-6 record and a tag North Carolina would just as soon do without.<br>
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``I was talking to my dad and he said it's nothing to be proud of but we're the best 1-6 team in the nation,'' senior offensive guard Jeb Terry said Tuesday. ``It's not a title you want to have. It stings to know that our record could be a lot better than it is.''<br>
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North Carolina's schedule is rated the ninth-toughest in the country heading into this weekend's game against Clemson. Opponents have a combined 30-20 record.<br>
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But the Tar Heels could easily be 3-4. North Carolina led Syracuse in the final seconds before losing the lead and eventually the game in overtime. And this past weekend, Arizona State scored on the last play to pull out a 33-31 victory.<br>
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Both agonizing losses have come in Kenan Stadium, where the Tar Heels have lost 10 straight.<br>
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``People are still having trouble smiling around here,'' Terry said. ``As a senior you try to put on a good face after a loss to keep guys focused and upbeat, but it was particularly hard after this game. You could tell the attitude was pretty downtrodden Sunday and Monday.''<br>
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Coach John Bunting was glad to hear it, saying he wanted his team to feel the pain of a tough loss over the weekend.<br>
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He now wants his team getting ready in practice to play the Tigers (4-3) and not thinking about the past.<br>
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``You can't feel sorry for yourself because that is a waste of time,'' Bunting said. ``You can stew about it and I was very angry about it and I told the players that I wanted them to suffer, but there comes a point where you have to put it behind.''<br>
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Terry said the Tar Heels aren't about to let down at this stage of the season, pointing to an improved running game the last two weeks and an easier schedule down the stretch that could produce some wins.<br>
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``If you lay down and let the rest of the season roll by, you are going to regret that the most,'' Terry said. ``I don't think we have any players on the team that want to do that. We've got players who want to fight. We want to earn some respect the rest of the way, especially from our fans. We don't want to let those people down.''<br>
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Star quarterback Darian Durant said it's not as difficult as people think to rebound after difficult losses since progress is being made on both sides of the ball.<br>
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``You can tell we're almost there,'' said Durant, who hasn't thrown an interception in four games. ``We've seen what we can do when we're clicking. But we've yet to put together a complete game. Hopefully we can start ASAP.''<br>
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NOTES: Carolina's last four wins have been on the road. ... Freshman linebacker Larry Edwards has led the Tar Heels in tackles each of the last three weeks. ... Defensive back Dexter Reid had a career-high 22 tackles against Clemson last season. ... The Tar Heels are 3-15 when trailing at the half under Bunting.
