ERST LESEN! » m-high 82 yards against BYU. Mix

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- North Carolina is about to begin a stretch of games when it might be able to settle in.The Tar Heels start a three-game homestand with Sunday afternoons outing against Radford.No. 3 North Carolina has been tested in various ways during the seasons opening weeks, and all except one of those games has been away from home.I like that part, coach Roy Williams said of the variety of venues the team has visited. Weve been tested (without our) crowd getting us going.The Tar Heels played three true road games, though the last one resulted in the teams first loss on Wednesday night at Indiana.So now comes the flip side when theres an array of home games for the Tar Heels (7-1), who played eight November games for the first time in the history of the program. It has been more than two weeks since North Carolina competed in its only home game so far this season.Williams didnt enjoy his 1,000th game as a college head coach when Indiana won 76-67, but he suggested it wasnt wise to make much of a milestone game.Sundays game is going to be 1,001, he said. And Ill be happy to get to 1,001 and 1,002 and on like that.Until the most recent game, the Tar Heels pretty much had their way with things. All seven North Carolina victories have come by 15 or more points.But more important were the experiences gained during that stretch.You dont want to peak around this time because its just the start of the season, North Carolina guard Joel Berry said.For Radford (3-4), which has won two of its past three games, there have been some rough experiences, including an 0-3 road record.But Radford sophomore guard Caleb Tanner is coming off a career-best 17-point outing in a 74-67 victory against Virginia Military Institute. In that game, the Highlanders had their best offensive performance against a Division I team this season, shooting 50 percent from the field and producing their biggest point total in regulation.Without many offensive highlights this season, Radford coach Mike Jones said his team has learned the importance of doing other things to compensate for that.Being able to handle that the right way, Jones said. You cant count on shooting every game.Jones was more interested on how the Highlanders performed at the other end of the court in their most recent game.I thought our defensive effort over the course of the game was really good, he said.But dealing with North Carolinas offense probably means the Highlanders will have to rise to another level. The Tar Heels have shot better than 50 percent in nine of their 16 halves this season, while to aid their cause they rank second nationally in offensive rebounding percentage, retrieving 44 percent of their misses.The North Carolina offense is coming in various forms as four players have scored 20 or more points in a game this season, including Berry, who has done it four times.For Radford, only freshman forward Ed Polite Jr.s 21-point game against Stetson falls into that category.North Carolinas only meeting with Radford came to open the 2009 NCAA Tournament, with the Tar Heels winning in a 101-58 romp in Greensboro.Ashley Young Jersey . Down by seven with 90 seconds left in regulation, thats where they looked comfortable. Matteo Darmian Manchester United Jersey . 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Clarksons actions one night earlier, leaping off the bench in defence of Kessel during a pre-season game against the Buffalo Sabres, will cost him the first 10 games of the regular season.Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen says a little bit of adversity isnt always a bad thing and tough times can make a team better.If thats the case, the Bulldogs hope the results come sooner rather than later.Theres no denying its been a rough first half of the season for Mississippi State (2-4, 1-2 Southeastern Conference), which has lost three of its last four games, including last weeks 28-21 double overtime loss at BYU.The BYU setback was undeniably frustrating -- especially since Mississippi State led for a big chunk of the evening -- but at least there was some reason for optimism. The Bulldogs were much more competitive than the week before, when they fell behind 35-0 at home before losing to Auburn 38-14.Mullen said the team played physical and hard in the BYU loss, but crucial mistakes -- including personal foul penalties and missed assignments -- are keeping the Bulldogs out of the win column.Some of the silly penalties we had overshadowed some tremendous efforts we had on the defensive side of the ball, but you see some young guys start to make plays and play a little better, Mullen said.Mississippi State appears to have a few winnable games ahead of it, starting with a road matchup against Kentucky (3-3, 2-2) on Saturday. The Bulldogs have won seven straight games in the series dating back to 2009.But Kentucky has played better of late, winning three of its last four.Mississippi State hasnt had nearly as much to celebrate lately.Mullen said he hopes the Bulldogs will do a better job in the passing game against Kentucky after an up-and-down week against BYU. Sophomore Nick Fitzgerald continued his inconsistent play, completing 17 of 36 passes for 214 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.ddddddddddddOne bright spot was Fitzgeralds short pass to freshman Keith Mixon, who ran 44 yards down the sideline for the Bulldogs first touchdown against BYU. Other than that, Mississippi State struggled to create big offensive plays.Mullen says hes willing to take shots downfield. Its up to his players to execute.I dont think weve decreased the number of shots we have taken down the field, Mullen said. I think weve decreased the efficiency of our shots downfield. I think we have to hit a couple of those.Mississippi States offense is working around the absence of starting running back Brandon Holloway. The senior missed the BYU game because of an ankle injury and his return for the Kentucky game is in doubt.Thats meant larger roles for others like sophomore Aeris Williams, who ran for a team-high 82 yards against BYU. Mixon, who has scored a touchdown in two straight games, and sophomore Malik Dear have also become a bigger part of the offense.Its just opportunities for someone else to take and step up, Dear said. Brandon (Holloway) is a great player and we are going to try to do what he does best and to fill his role. But Brandon can only be Brandon, Keith can only be Keith and Malik can only be Malik. So we are going to go out there and do what we can do.-----Follow David Brandt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbrandtAP . AP College Football website: www.collegefootball.ap.org . ' ' '