UNC won't turn down a bowl, Withers says

North Carolina has no plans to turn down a bowl invitation as it awaits the NCAA ruling in its investigation of the football program, coach Everett Withers said Monday. Miami recently announced it would not go to a bowl because of its ongoing NCAA investigation.

"As far as I'm concerned, it hasn't been discussed, no," Withers said when asked if the Tar Heels would consider a self-imposed bowl ban.

The interim coach said he hopes the Tar Heels play in a bowl for the fourth straight season.

"Well, we're bowl eligible, you know," he said. "Bowl eligible doesn't mean you automatically go ... I hope we go, yeah. Until somebody says we're going, I don't know."

Bernard evaluated: Withers said freshman running back Giovani Bernard did "some limited work" in practice Sunday after he suffered a concussion in Thursday night's loss at then-No. 9 Virginia Tech.

Medical personnel were planning to evaluate Bernard on Monday, Withers said, and he hoped Bernard would be able to practice today. Withers said Bernard wanted to play against the Hokies after suffering the concussion.

"Gio wanted to go back into the ballgame Thursday," Withers said. "He wanted to go back and play. We just couldn't do that ... he was fine (Sunday) and hopefully we'll have him back full speed" today.