CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — In the end, the bands played on, a potential disaster averted. Florida A&M, undermanned and eventually overwhelmed, limped off the field at Kenan Stadium having put up a noble fight against North Carolina, even with a third of its roster back in Tallahassee, ineligible.
The Rattlers started with only seven offensive linemen. By the end, Cesar Reyes was on crutches, his right knee in a brace. Another, Bryan Crawford, had his right shoulder in a sling. A coincidence, perhaps. Injuries happen in football. But they happen more often when players are asked to do too much.
“You lose your starting right tackle the day before the game and move your left guard over there,” said Florida A&M coach Willie Simmons, the former Clemson quarterback. “Then you lose your left guard during the game. Then you lose the right tackle who’s supposed to be at left guard and now you find yourself playing freshmen. It was extremely difficult. But, again, that’s part of the concern we had when we decided to play the game.”
