If you give most college football coaches enough time, they'll eventually start talking about the youth of their current team. Their ideal lineups would consist exclusively of fifth-year seniors, and every first-year player would sit out as a redshirt, but it never works out that way.

First-year North Carolina coach Butch Davis is one of the coaches who has talked a lot about the youth of his team this season. Here's the difference in his case: Regardless of the measuring stick, he's absolutely right, and he's not exaggerating.

Halfway through the 2007 season, the Tar Heels have five true freshmen (defensive tackle Marvin Austin, cornerback Charles Brown, linebacker Bruce Carter, h-back Zack Pianalto and linebacker Quan Sturdivant) who have started multiple games. Excluding kickers, the other 11 teams in the ACC — combined — have only four true freshmen who fit the same description.

"So many players on this team, they’re just struggling to be able to do the right thing. It’s a major accomplishment when they know their assignments," Davis said. "They just haven’t had enough opportunities. It comes. During this first year, there are no insignificant opportunities, whether it is games, practices, plays. Everything makes us better for the next week, the next season. It’s just building a body of work that you can pull upon.”

Overall, 11 first-year players have participated for UNC this season. Clemson and Miami also have played 11 true freshmen this fall. At the other end of the spectrum, Wake Forest has not used any of its true freshmen this season. Boston College (four), Florida State (three), Maryland (three), N.C. State (five), Virginia (five) and Virginia Tech (three) have used very few first-year players so far and expect to redshirt a large majority of their 2007 signees.

Even Miami, despite using many first-year players in complementary roles, has a huge edge in experience over the Tar Heels. The two-deep lineups from UNC's 33-27 victory over the Hurricanes proved that point well.

"Miami has 27 juniors and seniors in their top 44 (position players). We have 11. So that gives you just a little bit of insight into our juniors and seniors and where we are," Davis said. "But I think it bodes well for the future. No one wants to hear that and talk about it, but it's certainly going to pay dividends somewhere down the line."

When the conversation about youth is expanded to include redshirt freshmen, UNC's numbers again stand in stark contrast to most of those from the rest of the conference. Of the team's 84 scholarship players, exactly half (42) are either true freshmen or redshirt freshmen.

Among the redshirt freshmen, too, many players have worked their way into prominent roles. Cornerback Kendric Burney, tailback Johnny White, free safety Deunta Williams and quarterback T.J. Yates have become productive starters. Tailback Anthony Elzy and defensive end Darrius Massenburg have played well off the bench.

"We came here with the idea of taking over," Williams said. "We came to a program that  wasn't so good, so we knew we were going to hit the field early."

UNC's True Freshman Participants (11) — defensive tackle Marvin Austin (three starts), cornerback Charles Brown (three), outside linebacker Bruce Carter (two), tailback Ryan Houston, wide receiver Greg Little, strong safety Matt Merletti, h-back Zack Pianalto (three), defensive tackle Tydreke Powell, free safety Da'Norris Searcy, safety Jonathan Smith, outside linebacker Quan Sturdivant (two).

UNC's Redshirt Freshman Participants (13) — tight end Ed Barham, cornerback Kendric Burney (six starts), strong safety Shaun Draughn, defensive end Greg Elleby, tailback Anthony Elzy, offensive tackle Mike Ingersoll, cornerback Tavorris Jolly, defensive end Darrius Massenburg, offensive guard Alan Pelc, defensive end Darius Powell, tailback Johnny White (five), free safety Deunta Williams (six), quarterback T.J. Yates (six).