UNC football loses valuable player on defense
No. 22-ranked North Carolina football's struggling defense has suffered a major setback on its front line where graduate nose tackle Ray Vohasek has been lost for the rest of the season due to injury.
UNC coach Mack Brown announced Monday that the 6-foot-3, 310-pounder has an "upper body injury'' that will require surgery. Vohasek had already missed the Miami and Duke games because of the injury.
"Ray Vohasek is done for the year. We hate that for Ray,'' Brown said, leading off his weekly press conference.
Vohasek, from McHenry, Illinois, has been a valued member of Brown's defensive line since transferring to UNC from DuPage junior in 2009. He's appeared in 41 games and made 29 starts, including the first five this season. Vohasek has recorded 96 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks as a Tar Heel.
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"Very disappointed for Ray, he’s one of our best players and a great young guy,” Brown said. "He’s such a great player and a tremendous leader. That’s a tough one for a senior that came back to help his team and have a chance to play in the NFL.”
North Carolina (6-1, 3-0 ACC) will have time to prepare Vohasek's replacement with a bye week before meeting defending ACC Coastal Division champion Pittsburgh on Oct. 29 in Chapel Hill.
Junior Kevin Hester started in Vohasek's place against Duke, but Brown said true freshman Travis Shaw and redshirt freshman Keeshawn Silver will also see more playing time at the position moving forward.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: UNC football loses valuable player on defense
