picked apart the Carolina D for the last 1:47, culminating in a pass over the middle and an illfated attempt by Michael Floyd to lateral inside the Carolina 10. The lack of pressure was also a factor in the only game where UNC failed to be competitive, a 41-10 loss against N.C. State. With the time he was given to throw (and the ability to make plays outside the pocket), Russell Wilson turned in a flawless performance while Carolina laid an egg. His poise, mobility and accuracy spelled ‘K-R-Y-P-T-O-N-I-T-E’ for a young defense playing in a zone that loosened as the year progressed. In the bowl game against West Virginia, Pat White had the game of his life. Time and time again, he found holes in the zone and converted 12 of 19 third downs. You’re not going to win many games when allowing even a ’scrambling’ QB such as White the time to complete 26 of 32 passes! Da’Norris Searcy brought some heat from the hybrid safety/LB position and got two sacks, but this pressure simply wasn’t enough to throw White out of his rhythm. Clausen: 31-48 (65%), 383 yds, 2 TD 2 Int, 10-16 3rd down Wilson: 17-28 (61%), 279 yds, 2 TD 0 Int, 8-17 3rd down White: 26-32 (81%!!!), career-high 332 yards, 3 TD 1 Int, 12-19 3rd down Analysis, what must change Looking back at the big picture, the ‘bend-but-don’t-break’ philosophy tended to break more often in the latter parts of the season. Whether this is quality QB’s or coaches adjusting to the system, I don’t know, but I do know that early games against Rutgers (0-9 on 3rd downs) and Connecticut showed the value of getting a QB out his rhythm. In those games, Carolina rattled mediocre QB’s into a combined 7 interceptions (and averaged a 29 point margin of victory). For the season, however, the numbers seem a bit bleaker. The D ranked 11th in the ACC in total defense (hardly a glowing endorsement for a breakout season) and the starting defensive linemen combined for 5, yes, 5 sacks on the season. There is a lot of work to be done based on last season’s results. There is reason to be hopeful for this system. The Heels forced 20 interceptions last year, good for a top 10 ranking nationally. DE’s Robert Quinn, Quinton Coples, and Michael McAdoo, while immensely talented, were all true freshmen last year. They’ll be the key to this year’s pass rush. Maybe, with another year under the belts of most of the returning players, the back 7 will be able to play a tighter zone that forces more incompletions and interceptions. My best guess is that we had a young and vulnerable defensive backfield last year, and we’ll open the playbook a little bit this season. With such great speed in the linebacking corps, I can’t imagine that the coaches wouldn’t be inclined to force a little bit more chaos this season.
5 Breakout Players in 2009 August 30, 2009 In the 2 and a half years that Butch Davis has been at the helm at UNC, there have been many changes to the football program. The team we have now is better coached and there is an excitement surrounding the program not seen here since the late 1990’s. Not that I’m going out on a limb by proclaiming this or anything, but talent is the single most important aspect to any college football team’s chances to win. It was once said “It’s not the X’s and the O’s, but the Jimmy’s and the Joe’s,” and the talent upgrades Coach Davis and his staff have brought in have raised performance and expectations for the Tar Heels.
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