Mack Hollins was one of the first Tar Heels at Navy Fields Wednesday afternoon for the first Carolina football practice since classes began a day prior. "Yeah!" the senior wideout said, bouncing between fields. "Ten days away, baby!"
Today, it's nine. Nine days until September 3rd and the Tar Heels' Georgia Dome date with the Georgia Bulldogs in the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game. Nine days. It's still hot outside. Traditional-calendar schools are just underway or about to be. Kids are still splashing around in the pool. And yet Carolina football is just nine days away.
The Tar Heels' game with Georgia is a non-conference matchup, is a season opener that won't necessarily determine the tone of the whole season.