Ready or not, it's Remi time

The knob reported to The Citadel last month with no football scholarship, a famous last name and a likely redshirt season in his future.

On Saturday, he's slated to start at running back for the Bulldogs against No. 21 North Carolina, in front of some 60,000 fans against one of the nation's most highly regarded defenses.

Welcome to college football, Remi Biakabutuka.

"It will be a little bit different from what they are used to," Citadel coach Kevin Higgins said Tuesday, referring to Biakabutuka and his backup, fellow walk-on freshman Bucky Kennedy.

Biakabutuka, 5-8 and 180 pounds, is the younger brother of former Michigan and NFL star running back Tim Biakabutuka. He'd be a redshirt candidate this season if not for a remarkable string of bad luck that's seen eight Citadel running backs either be injured or leave the team since last season.

The most recent losses -- Terrell Dallas to a knee injury suffered last season, Rickey Anderson to a broken leg and freshman Van Dyke Jones to a broken hand -- left Biakabutuka and Kennedy, a 5-10, 193-pounder from Ridge View High School in Columbia, as the last backs standing.

But that doesn't mean they are without some skills, Higgins said.

"They are both great kids, tough kids," he said. "I think they will handle themselves extremely well."

Remi Biakabutka, who speaks with a lilting French-Canadian accent, played football at Vanier College, a prep school near Montreal where

Tim and three other brothers also played. After signing day passed without a scholarship offer last February, Tim contacted The Citadel about his brother. Now, Remi is starting against the Tar Heels.

"It will be my first experience, but I think the coaches have done a good job preparing me for the game," Remi said. "I'm surprised, but this is football, and you never know when guys are going to go down."

That doesn't mean Biakabutka and Kennedy will have to carry the load against UNC, which returns nine starters on defense, including All-ACC performers in tackle Marvin Austin, linebacker Quin Sturdivant and cornerback Kendric Burney.

Higgins and offensive coordinator Dave Cecchini will find several ways to get the ball to receivers Andre Roberts and Kevin Hardy, and to get quarterback Bart Blanchard and his backup, Miguel Starks, involved in the running game, too. Remember, the Bulldogs put up 427 yards on Clemson last season, just 89 of those on the ground.

"We're going to have to come up with some things that will give us a chance to be successful," Higgins said.

With a week off after the UNC game, the Bulldogs should get Dallas and Jones back in time for Princeton on Sept. 19. But after this preseason, Biakabutuka knows the situation could change at any moment.

"You have to always be ready," he said.

--The Citadel ticket office reports that tickets for the UNC game are still available. Tickets are $50 each and can be purchased until noon on Thursday at the McAlister Field House ticket window or over the phone at 843-953-DOGS.