Keldorf Is Rusty, but the Tar Heels Grind Out a Win

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. —  Chris Keldorf’s hectic off-season was followed by an inauspicious opener for No. 7 North Carolina.

The senior quarterback, coming off back and ankle surgery and a weight loss of 30 pounds, threw three interceptions Saturday in the Tar Heels’ 23-6 victory over Indiana.

However, the team’s struggling passing game was bailed out by tailback Jonathan Linton, who gained a career-high 121 yards in 22 carries.

“He deserves all the credit because he kept us in the game,” Keldorf said of Linton, whose previous career high was 102 yards against Maryland in 1995.

The North Carolina defense, which returned nine starters from the nation’s No. 1 unit in ‘96, also had five first-half sacks and limited the Hoosiers to two field goals in Cam Cameron’s first game as Indiana coach.

“You need four downs against this defense to get 10 yards,” Cameron said in reference to his gambling play-calling. Indiana went for it on fourth down five times.

Keldorf shouldered the blame for his poor performance, calling his play “ugly.”

“It can’t get much uglier than what I did today,” said Keldorf, who did rally to finish 11 of 22 for 159 yards and two touchdowns. “Once again, hats off to the defense. They kept us in the game the whole game. I need to become more consistent. I have a lot of work to do next week.”

North Carolina Coach Mack Brown said he gave no thought to replacing Keldorf to start the second half despite the senior’s two-for-eight passing effort and two interceptions in the first two quarters.

“I don’t think we had any choice but to go back with Chris for the best of this football team because we know Chris is a really good football player,” Brown said. “What he was trying to do was take the whole football team on his shoulders and go win the game and you can’t do that.”

With North Carolina clinging to a 10-3 lead, Dre’ Bly intercepted Indiana’s first pass of the third quarter deep in Hoosier territory, setting up the first of Keldorf’s two second-half touchdown passes that partly redeemed his poor opening half.

Bly picked up where he left off a season ago when he became the first defensive player to be named first team All-American as a freshman. He picked off 11 passes to lead the nation in ’96 and added two more in the team’s bowl victory.

Six seconds after the interception, Keldorf, who completed as many passes--two--to Indiana as his own team in the first half, found Octavus Barnes on a 26-yard scoring pass to give the Tar Heels a 17-3 lead.