Tar Heels Get Steak & Lobster Dinner

After an 0-5 start, North Carolina returned from a win over EastCarolina to the first "Victory Dinner" of the season Sunday nightat Kenan Stadium.

"Man that was terrific," Bunting said Tuesday. "You playfootball hard and fast and for 60 minutes together because you lovethe game and to compete. But the reward is the win.

"It's really important for our football team to experience thethrill of victory because they've certainly suffered a great dealwith some of the tough losses to some pretty good football teams."

Bunting missed out of celebrating with his team after Saturday's28-17 win over the Pirates, stopping for a television interview onthe field.

He got the reviews later.

"I heard our players were dancing with the band and singing thefight song inside the locker room. That's just great," he said.

"We've been one play away, two plays away, three plays away.Well, now we've made enough plays to win, enough plays to get itdone. That's what it's all about. I hope our players understandthat ever better now."

The mood is different in Chapel Hill now, one of hope headinginto the second half of the season.

"It gives you a sense of purpose," defensive lineman ChasePage said. "I was eager to go to practice and eager to watch film.It's definitely a confidence builder and it will make things alittle easier around here for everybody."

However, there is little time to celebrate with a talentedArizona State team coming to town Saturday. The Sun Devils (3-3)lost three in a row before destroying Oregon 59-14 last weekend.

"They're back on track," Bunting said. "They're scary.They're the complete package."

Bunting acknowledged Tuesday that the young Tar Heels remain awork-in-progress and are far from being a total team.

"I have a task at hand to build this program and it's going totake time," he said. "I'm not going to panic, I'll let otherpeople do that for me.

"And I am not going to get too up about a win and not very downabout a loss. But when you have five (losses) in a row and youhaven't won at home those things start to wear on you a little bit.I'm a human being just like the kids are and sometimes we'refragile. But I've got to count on the leadership of our seniors andDarian Durant. I'm counting on those guys to help me out."

NOTES:

North Carolina has lost a school-record nine straighthome games. ... Freshman LB Larry Edwards has led the Tar Heels intackles the last two weeks and is now listed as the starter. ...The 17 points allowed against East Carolina were the fewest since a16-10 win over Auburn in the 2001 Peach Bowl.