| Matt Baker |
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Sat patiently behind starter Darian Durant for three seasons and now has a chance to be the starting quarterback for the first time in his career.
2004 - Junior season
Completed 23 of 36 passes (.639) for 326 yards and one touchdown •Played in five games • Entered the Duke game in the first half when Darian Durant injured his shoulder and completed 3 of 5 attempts for 27 yards • Played the entire second half against Utah after Durant sprained his right (throwing) elbow •Completed 6 of 13 attempts for 54 yards with one interception against the Utes •Directed a 25-yard scoring drive in the third quarter, tossing a 23-yard pass to Jesse Holley in the five-play drive •Saw action in the fourth quarter against FSU and completed both pass attempts for nine yards •Played the entire fourth quarter against Louisville • Completed 4 of 7 attempts for 65 yards and had one interception • Played nearly the entire fourth quarter at Virginia and threw for a career-high 171 yards, completing 8 of 9 attempts • Tossed a 52-yard touchdown pass to tailback Chad Scott against UVa.
2003 - Sophomore season
Completed 12 of 19 attempts for 166 yards, one touchdown and one interception • Had a pass efficiency of 143.39 • Played in two games - against Florida State and at NC State • Threw for a then-career-high 146 yards against NC State • Completed 7 of 9 attempts, including a 76-yard touchdown pass to Adarius Bowman against the Wolfpack • That was the longest pass play of the season for the Tar Heels • Completed five of 10 pass attempts for 20 yards in the season opener against Florida State • Threw an interception against the Seminoles.
2002 - Freshman season
Played in three games: vs. Maryland, vs. Clemson and at Florida State • Saw his most extensive action against Maryland, completing 4 of 12 passes for 54 yards • Completed 9 of 25 attempts for 131 yards and one touchdown on the season •Threw his first career touchdown pass in Carolina's loss to Florida State, a 14-yard scoring dart to Danny Rumley in the back of the end zone • Redshirted in 2001.
Brother Rice High School
Led his team to the state championship and a 12-1 record as a senior • Became a starter as a sophomore and led Brother Rice to a 23-4 combined record in his last two seasons • Team was 11-3 and advanced to the state championship game as a junior • Named first-team all-state • No. 23 Blue Chip prospect in Michigan • Passed for over 2,000 yards and 21 touchdowns and rushed for 324 yards and four touchdowns as a senior • Had only three interceptions • As a junior, he completed 113 of 224 passes for 1,500 yards with 14 touchdown passes and just four interceptions • Coached by Albert Fracassa • Outstanding lacrosse player • Was named the Midwest Player of the Year in lacrosse.
Personal
Born Matthew David Baker on May 11, 1983 in East Lansing, Mich. • Son of Dan and Beth Baker • Greatest athletic moments came during his senior year at Brother Rice, winning state championships in football and lacrosse and the Midwest Championship in lacrosse • His father, Dan, played football at Kalamazoo College and his grandfather was the head coach at Kalamazoo • Models his game after Green Bay's Brett Favre • Earliest football memory was playing in the Detroit Silverdome in the fourth grade • Economics major.
