The North Carolina football team already knew that it would be without Mack Hollins, it’s top deep-threat receiver for the rest of the season. But Thursday, the Tar Heels received even more bad news with the loss of two more key players. Senior offensive guard Caleb Peterson, who like Hollins was a second-team All-ACC selection last season, and true freshman linebacker Jonathan Smith are both listed on the injury report for UNC’s game at Virginia as “out for the season.” Peterson will undergo back surgery on Friday at The Carrell Clinic in Dallas, Texas. A native of Auburn, Ala., Peterson started 42 games for the Tar Heels, with 30 consecutive starts before missing the Virginia Tech game on Oct. 8. Redshirt freshman Tommy Hatton will start in his place at left guard. Smith, meanwhile, underwent surgery to repair a fracture in his right foot suffered in practice before the Virginia Tech game. The Laurinburg native played in six games with one tackle. He was listed as the top reserve at the Mike linebacker position. His injury is even more damaging, considering that starting Mike linebacker Andre Smith, UNC’s second-leading tackler, must sit out the first half of Saturday’s game against Virginia after being called for a targeting penalty in last week’s game at Miami. It was announced on Monday that Hollins would miss the rest of the season with a broken right clavicle suffered while making his only catch in the Tar Heels’ 20-13 victory against the Hurricanes.
