Game Time: Noon (Raycom Sports)

All-Time Series: North Carolina leads 56-53-4 (last meeting in 2008: Virginia won 16-13 in OT and has won 9 of the last 11 in the series)

Virginia (0-3; 0-0 ACC)

Head Coach: Al Groh (82-87; 3-2 in bowl games)

Famous Alumni: Katie Couric, Edgar Allen Poe, Woodrow Wilson, Georgia O’Keeffe, Tina Fey

Fun Facts:

1)      UVa has a per student endowment of 191,000 dollars. That’s over 3 times the per student endowment of UNC-Chapel Hill (55,000) and highest among all public schools.

2)      However, UVa is not well endowed on the offensive line or in the offensive backfield because the Cavs are 112^th in the nation in rushing yards per game.

3)      The Cavaliers were the best protectors in the ACC last year, giving up only 16 sacks. In three games this year though, they’ve already surrendered 13.

4)      Al Groh has coached at UNC for one more year (Assistant Coach: 1973-1977) than Butch Davis has.

5)      UVa cornerback Vic Hall compiled 13,770 total yards as a quarterback in high school. That’s just 603 yards—or approximately 300 Al Groh headset tosses short of what UVa’s offense totaled from 2005 to 2008.

6)      Groh has a 9-5 record after bye weeks, a .648 winning percentage. He has a .544 winning percentage overall.

(Funny, Out of Context) Quotables:

“We keep on getting better, and obviously our hard work has paid off…”—Virginia CB Chase Minnifield, on the Hoos’ 37-34 loss to unranked Southern Mississippi, which dropped them to 0 and 3.

When asked how his Cavaliers looked during their bye week, Groh said Virginia “looks better on the practice field.” (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/28/AR2009092803226.html)

Without ever having seen the Cavs practice, I agree. Keep up the hard work against UNC this week, Cavaliers. Please!

Offensive Preview

2009: 89 yards rushing (112^th in the nation), 190 yards passing (80^th in the nation) = 278 total yards per game (111^th in the nation)

2008: 96 yards rushing (108^th in the nation), 203 yards passing (69^th in the nation) = 300 total yards per game (105^th in the nation)

UVa’s transition from 3 tight end, power football to Gregg Brandon’s wide open spread scheme has gone pretty poorly so far. The Hoos’ offensive offense ranks 111^th in the nation—and that’s after games against an FCS school and two mid-major opponents. However, Al Groh and Brandon made some adjustments to the offense before the Southern Miss game, employing less empty backfield sets and more traditional shotgun looks. The changes improved the pass protection and helped the Hoos ring up a season high 390 yards and 4 touchdowns—2 by air and 2 by ground delivery.

This offense is weak at running back and wide receiver, but with an experienced quarterback, 4 returning starters on the offensive line, and the element of surprise on their side, they could give the Heels some problems in Saturday’s game.

Quarterbacks:

6’3 225 lb SR Jameel Sewell (41-81 512 yards, 4 TD 5 INT; 107.7 rating; 98 yards rushing, 3 TDs)

Jameel Sewell is a lot like ECU’s Patrick Pinkney. He’s been pretty unimpressive this year, but he’s crafty and experienced enough to worry UNC’s defensive coaching staff. Sewell is inaccurate (50.6% completions this year) and not a dangerous downfield passer (about 6 yards per attempt for his career), but he’s a pretty capable runner (11 rushing TDs in 19 games played) and he knows how to win close football games. In 2007, he led the Cardiac Cavs to 9 wins—an NCAA record 5 of which were won by two points or less.

MATCHUP:

Sewell takes lots of sacks (13 in 3 games), and is pretty average as a passer. However, after Gregg Brandon simplified the offense a little bit– he came into his own last week against a pretty good Southern Miss team. If Jameel plays extremely well, he could give us trouble, but I really don’t see that happening, especially given the lack of talent surrounding him.

One other thing to watch out for is the “Wild Cav” formation with CB Vic Hall—who finished 5^th all time in high school history in total offensive yards. The option look out of this formation could be a problem for the Heels, especially considering how much the Heels struggled with Georgia Tech’s option last week. However, Hall has missed the last two games with a hip injury and is questionable for this Saturday’s showdown.

Running Backs:

6’0 195 lb FR RB Torrey Mack (5 carries 12 yards; 6 catches 38 yards)

Mack, a 4 star recruit who Tiki Barber has called the next great Cavaliers tailback, has seen limited action this season. That should change Saturday. He will probably see a lot of touches this week, especially if Simpson is still out. According to his recruiting profile on ESPN, he’s speedy but more of a “change of pace” type back due to his lack of big time strength. However, he’s a solid receiver out of the backfield, and certainly a future contributor for UVa.

6’1 200 lb SR RB Mikell Simpson (13 carries 64 yards; 8 catches 37 yards)

Mikell Simpson is a speed back who’s recovering from a gash to the shin suffered a few weeks ago. He’s very dangerous when healthy. In 2007, he replaced an injured Cedric Peerman and had some remarkable performances, running and catching the ball—including a 271 total yard, 2 TD showing at Maryland. Last year he was banged up, and was much less effective, averaging just 3 yards per carry.

6’1 245 lb SR RB/FB Rashawn Jackson (8 carries 17 yards; 3 catches 44 yards)

Jackson was listed as a fullback in the preseason (much like being listed as a wide receiver for Georgia Tech’s offense), but he ascended the depth chart after injuries to Simpson and Dominique Wallace and the transfer of Keith Payne. He’s big and powerful, but a bit of a misfit in the spread offense.

MATCHUP:

Yet again, the Cavaliers are struggling to stay healthy in the backfield. But, as UVa founder Thomas Jefferson once said, “bodily decay is gloomy in prospect, but of all human contemplations the most abhorrent is body without mind.”

Well, these guys will get a great education at UVa, so they’ve got that going for them—which is nice.

What’s not nice for the Cavaliers is that their running backs match up very poorly with North Carolina’s defense. Mack is talented, but his lack of experience will certainly have an effect on play-calling and blitz pickups. Jackson is a power back and will also have trouble getting much going against a tough Carolina defensive line. Simpson is an injured speed back, and that doesn’t bode well for his chances, especially against the fastest linebackers in the ACC.

Wide Receivers:

5’11 190 lb SOPH WR Kris Burd (12 catches 133 yards, TD)

5’11 175 lb FR WR Javaris Brown (5 catches 113 yards, TD)

6’0 175 lb FR WR Tim Smith (4 catches 102 yards, 2 TD)

Smith is a 4 star recruit who’s shown some explosiveness in the early going this season.

6’2 180 lb SOPH WR Jared Green (8 catches 58 yards)

Jared Green is the son of NFL Hall of Famer, Darrell Green.

6’5 250 lb JR TE Joe Torchia (1 catch 15 yards)

Torchia, also a former 4 star recruit, is a holdover from UVa’s conservative, 3 tight end power football days. He’s not much of a factor in the Cavaliers’ passing game this year.

MATCHUP:

We know all about the difficulties of throwing the ball effectively to freshmen and sophomore receivers. Virginia will have that problem all day Saturday, especially against experienced cornerbacks Charlie Brown and Kendric Burney.

Offensive Line:

6’7 275 lb SOPH OT Landon Bradley (1 appearance in 2008)

6’7 320 lb SR OT Will Barker (started 40 straight games)

6’7 315 lb SOPH OG Austin Pasztor (8 starts in 2008)

6’6 305 lb JR OG BJ Cabbell (12 starts in 2008)

6’5 285 lb JR Jack Shields (11 starts in 2008)

MATCHUP:

This is a good offensive line that held UNC to just 1 sack last fall. They struggled in the first two games with the wide splits of the Gregg Brandon spread scheme, but they’ve looked more comfortable as the offense has moved to a more traditional shotgun set up. These guys are enormous and experienced enough to give Sewell time. However, I don’t think they’ll be able to pave running lanes for the young Cavalier tailbacks. Look for DEs Robert Quinn and Quentin Coples to give weak link Landon Bradley some trouble at the right tackle spot.
Defensive Preview

2009: 181 yards allowed per game rushing (102^nd in the nation), 164 pass yards allowed per game (25^th in the nation) = 344 total yards allowed per game (58^th in the nation)

2008: 150 yards allowed per game rushing (72^nd in the nation), 184 yards passing allowed per game (26^th in the nation) = 333 total yards allowed per game (42^nd in the nation)

Al Groh is the big cheese of the defense, and his units have actually been pretty strong in the past. He relies on a 3-4 scheme straight out of Bill Parcells’ playbook. This year’s defensive unit features some fresh faces at linebacker after the departures of Clint Sintim, Jon Copper, and Antonio Appleby.

The Wahoos are a little bit undersized in the front 7—especially for a 3-4 defense, and it appears to be a problem for them in the running game. Nonetheless, depth and talent in the secondary, plus great overall defensive discipline make this a pretty decent unit.

Defensive Line:

6’2 290 lb SR DE Nate Collins (17 tackles, 1 TFL, sack)

6’7 270 lb SOPH DE Matt Conrath (19 tackles, 2 TFL, sack)

6’3 285 lb SOPH NT Nick Jenkins (17 tackles, TFL, sack)

MATCHUP:

All three of these guys saw a lot of time last year and were fairly effective. Against the Tar Heels, they were unable to get much penetration, allowing Shaun Draughn to rush for a career high 138 yards. However, they buckled down in the red zone and they did not allow Draughn any big plays. Against UNC’s erratic offensive front, I can see this line keeping UNC’s running game between 3 and 4 yards per carry.

Linebackers:

6’4 245 lb SR LB Denzel Burrell (15 tackles, TFL, sack)

6’5 245 lb SR LB Aaron Clark (7 tackles)

6’1 230 lb SR LB Darren Childs (21 tackles)

6’2 225 lb FR Steve Greer (24 tackles, 1.5 TFL, sack)

MATCHUP:

Burrell and Childs have seen plenty of game action in the past while Greer and Clark were both sought after, 3 star recruits. This unit has talent, but also the benefit of playing for one of the best linebacker coaches in the country. I can see Draughn and Houston giving these guys problems.

Secondary:

6’2 200 lb JR CB Ras-I Dowling (15 tackles, .5 TFL; 2^nd team all-ACC in 2008)

6’2 210 lb SR CB Chris Cook (8 tackles, TFL, INT)

6’0 185 lb SOPH CB Chase Minnifield (13 tackles, TFL)

5’10 200 lb SOPH S Corey Mosley (24 tackles, TFL, INT)

5’10 185 lb SOPH S Rodney McLeod (19 tackles, 3 TFL)

MATCHUP:

The secondary is without a doubt the strength of this defense. Dowling is one of the best cover corners in the ACC while Cook and Minnifield are big, experienced starters with plenty of ACC talent. Groh does a pretty good job of scheming to take away a top receiver, and with this unit, I can see him effectively taking away WR Erik Highsmith. This matchup certainly favors Virginia.

Special Teams:

K Robert Randolph (2-2 FGs; long of 34)

P Jimmy Howell (42 yards per punt)

KR Chris Cook

PR Chase Minnifield

MATCHUP:

This is a unit that we just don’t know too much about at this point. Kickoff specialist Chris Hinkenbein averages kicking 4 yards deep into the end zone, but other than that, the Cavalier special teams aren’t strong. For starters, the kick coverage unit is giving up an average of 34 yards per return. (Although the Cavaliers haven’t been kicking off too much this season, for obvious reasons.)

Virginia Game Plan:

If I’m Al Groh, I start by finding a Bill Belichick, short sleeve UVa sweatshirt from a local thrift store (trust me; there’s practically a UVa football section of Fan-Tastic Thrift in Richmond when the Cavaliers are having a down year on the gridiron). I bust it out just before game time to give my players a little extra spark.

Then, I do what Georgia Tech did to UNC in the early going. I stack the line of scrimmage, and I take away the Tar Heel running game. When UNC is faced with lots of 2^nd and 3^rd and longs, they can be terribly ineffective in the passing game. I’d roll safety help over towards WR Erik Highsmith because frankly, he’s the only Tar Heel wideout who’s produced consistently this season.

On offense, I’d try to roll Sewell outside of the pocket as much as possible so when passing plays go awry, he can pick up 2-3 yards and keep the Hoos out of 2^nd and 3^rd and long situations. I’d shy away from the screen game which has not worked for anyone against Carolina this year, and I’d take some deep shots down the field in the early going. If the Hoos can complete a couple of them, this defense won’t be as aggressive as usual, and that’d be a major plus for the Cavs.

North Carolina Game Plan:

Butch Davis shouldn’t have any problems riling up the troops for this one. Just one year ago, the Tar Heels allowed UVa 3^rd string QB Marc “Vertical” Verica to drive the Cavaliers 82 yards for a game-tying TD in the final minute of the game. One second, the UVa student section is grumbling about the cold weather, and the next second, they’re storming the field like the biggest fans in the history of college football. Unbelievable.

Anyway, if I’m Butch Davis, I would make sure that my starters know it: your starting spots are not guaranteed anymore. If RB Shaun Draughn does not produce in the early going (a disturbing trend for him), then I will not hesitate to put in Ryan Houston or even Jamal Womble. If it takes a few stern kicks to the rear to move this offensive offense out the tar, then so be it.

That being said, I would try to throw the ball more on first downs. Last week, we ran on 5 of the first 6 first downs, and then threw on all of the remaining first downs. That’s hardly an unpredictable offensive scheme, and against Al Groh’s sharp defensive mind, it will not succeed.

Defensively, I challenge UVa to run the ball on first downs. I just don’t think that they can do it. These guys couldn’t run on the Philadelphia Passion of the Lingerie Football League, so they really shouldn’t have much success against the Heels. Once the Cavs are in 3^rd and long situations, I’d sit back in a zone (with ends in the “contain” position to neutralize the QB run) and make Sewell beat me with his arm.

Virginia Wins If…

-          Jameel Sewell throws for 300 yards without turning the ball over

-          The Cavaliers hold Shaun Draughn to under 40 yards rushing

-          The Tar Heels turn the ball over 3+ times

(If Virginia Wins…)

-          This blog will self-destruct.

-          I will change my name and move to Iceland.

-          UNC will not go bowling this year.

Score Prediction:

The Cavaliers are no strangers to bad starts. Last year, they started 1-3 before reeling off 4 consecutive wins and (temporarily) seizing control of the ACC Coastal Division. In 2007, they lost to Wyoming in the opener before winning 7 consecutive games and making an appearance in the Gator Bowl. To Al Groh’s credit (and deserving of another contract extension in my opinion)—the Hoos have done a great job of never giving up.

This game will come down to the intensity and execution of the Tar Heel offensive line. If these guys knock some Cavalier defenders off their horses (or if the Cavaliers just fall off of their horses), then the Tar Heels win in convincing fashion. If not, this one will be very, very close.

At this point, I still have faith that LT Kyle Jolly and QB TJ Yates can turn this offense around this week, leading the Tar Heels to a big win.

North Carolina 24 Virginia 13

On the Road Again…

Maybe it was the noon kickoff time. Maybe it was the quirky Georgia Tech option offense. Maybe it was the weather. Maybe the team had a bad batch of Bojangles last night.

Whatever it was, UNC continued its road woes under Butch Davis in embarrassing fashion today, dropping a 24-7 decision to an angry and persistent Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets squad.

As usual, the road Heels left their run blocking skills back in Chapel Hill. After rushing for a respectable 148 yards against a powerful ECU front last weekend, the Heels rushed for just 17 yards today (approximately 20 yards less than I paced through my living room during the game) on 18 carries against what I’d consider to be an inferior Georgia Tech front 4—a front four that was missing starting DE Robert Hall.

The bitter loss leaves Tar Heel fans feeling lower than Al Groh’s approval rating. If we don’t drastically improve our execution on both sides of the ball, we’ll be stuck with the “potential” label the way that Jared is stuck with the Subway label. Except where Jared gained his label for his discipline and execution of a plan, we’ll keep our label for lack of discipline and execution.

Don’t get me wrong. I think that Butch Davis has this program going in the right direction. However, when I take a look at the way his Carolina teams have performed on the road, I start to wonder how great of a coach Davis really is. Anyone can win at home, but only the best teams can take care of business out of town. And the Tar Heels simply have not done that in Davis’ tenure—even in the church-like ACC environments of Scott Stadium, Byrd Stadium and today—Bobby Dodd Stadium.

“No one told you when to run
You missed the starting gun”

-          Pink Floyd, “Time”

For some reason, the Tar Heels have continually missed the starting gun in first quarters on the road. In Butch’s 13 away games as coach of the team, the Heels have been shut out 9 times in the first quarter.

Not surprisingly then, UNC has won just 4 of 13 road games under Butch Davis. It’s hard enough to win on the road as it is, but when you bury yourself alive in the first stanza, it’s extremely difficult. As we all know, only Uma Thurman can dig out of her own grave in such circumstances.

A large part of this scoring problem comes from the Heels’ hapless rushing attack. UNC has averaged just 78 yards per game on the ground on just 2.3 yards per carry in road games under Davis. To put that in perspective, UNC averages 4.0 yards per carry and almost twice as many yards rushing (148) in home games during his tenure.

We’re in the year 3 B.D.E. (Butch Davis Era). Experience isn’t an excuse any more. We have a junior quarterback. We have veteran backs and some experience on the offensive line. We have five star recruits and four star recruits and Parade All-Americans and guys on Mel Kiper’s Big NFL draft board. But until these highly touted tough guys get hungry, all that hype’s meaningless.

Let’s toast to effort, to pride, and to hunger. Do we want to become a top flight ACC program or do we want to muck around in ACC mediocrity every season? This team needs to answer that question—and not in cocky interviews (that means you, Marvin Austin). This team needs to go out and prove itself on the field.

Laugh all you want, but 0-3 Virginia comes into Chapel Hill this weekend with a chip— (or better yet, a Captain’s Wafer smeared with Gorgonzola ) on its shoulders. They have been disrespected all year after their 0-3 start and they’ll have an extra week to prepare for us. If we don’t amp up the energy and execution, we could be the Cavaliers’ first victim.

As the game clock expired and you looked up at the scoreboard, the final was #22 North Carolina 7 Georgia Tech 24. Unfortunately for the Tar Heels this is the first loss, but as much as the Yellow Jackets had to do with the loss, so did the Triple T. What is that you will ask, and the answer is simple: Tempo, Time of possession and Turnovers. If you watched the game, or if you even peeked at the box score, all three were won by Ga Tech, and unfortunately for head coach Butch Davis and his team, very few teams can win games without having those elements on their side.

{Picture From: Jason Peck}

Tempo. The Yellow Jackets wanted to run, that’s their style of play. Gaining 317 on the ground they did exactly that. What hurt even more is that plenty of those yards were gained on third down conversions, keeping the UNC defense on the field and getting to the second element: Time of possession. Last Monday night Peyton Manning was able to win a game being on the field for about 15 minutes, but as much as I like T.J. Yates (and I am not the only one that does check out the pic below) he is no Manning. Being on the field for 22 minutes is just not enough time for the Carolina quarterback to muster up enough offense to keep up with Georgia Tech. However, Yates hurt himself by committing too many of the third element: Turnovers. In all Carolina committed three of them, two interceptions and a fumble, and that, on the road, against a good team who wants revenge from a season ago, just cannot happen.

{Picture From: TwitPic}
 
Call it the perfect storm, call it whatever you wish, this game for the Tar Heels is one that they need to forget and get back on track for their next matchup, the home opener in the ACC at Kenan Stadium, against Virginia on October 3rd, which can be seen on Raycom as well. Until then I am sure that the coaching staff will be implementing a new Triple, this time it’s the Triple W: Want it, Will it, Win it!

#22 North Carolina @ Georgia Tech

Last meeting- 2008 UNC 28 Georgia Tech 7

Georgia Tech

2009: 2-1 (1-1 ACC); def Jax. State 41-14; def. Clemson 30-27; lost @ Miami 33-17

Head Coach: Paul Johnson (56-34; 2-3 in 5 bowl appearances)

Famous Alumni: Jimmy Carter, Jeff Foxworthy, Mike Duke (CEO of Wal-Mart)

Fun Facts:

1)      Paul Johnson is one of 4 coaches in the history of college football to win 50 games in his first four seasons as a head coach. But…

2)      He’s just 3-10 in his career against top 25 teams.

3)      Other than Demaryius Thomas, GT wide receivers have combined for just 13 catches in the last 16 games. UNC’s 2^nd WR Erik Highsmith is just 3 catches away from matching that total by himself after just 3 college games.

4)      Georgia Tech is one of few teams in college football to wear white uniforms at home. The most notable other example is LSU, who spanked Georgia Tech 38-3 in the Chic-Fila Bowl to claim white home uniform supremacy in the southeast.

5)      Georgia Tech only loses 3 starters from last year’s defense. However, those three starters (all on the defensive line and all NFL draft picks) combined for 36 tackles for loss and 12 sacks! As for their replacements…

6)      Coming into this season, the replacements for last year’s “Big 3” on the defensive line had combined for 5 career tackles. The Tar Heels return 8 defensive linemen who had that many tackles last year (9 if you count Greg Elleby). Six Tar Heel defensive linemen already have more tackles this year than these new guys have in their careers.

Georgia Tech Offense:

2009: 381 yards per game (57^th in the nation); 244 yards rushing per game (16^th) and 137 yards passing (110^th)

2008: 372 yards per game (50^th in the nation); 273 rushing (4^th) and 99 yards passing (116^th)

In 2008, the Jackets’ offense sent ACC defenses into anaphylactic shock, stinging opponents with all sorts of creative counter option plays. In the offseason, Paul Johnson insisted that opponents would not bust out the Raid on his stinging offense this fall just because they’ve seen it before.

Why? His offense has worked everywhere he’s been, every year. Defenses might be more familiar with the scheme, but so are the offensive players. Additional experience in the system also means more wrinkles and tricks (although, interestingly, it does NOT mean less fumbles by the offense) that the defense will have to prepare for.

As smart as Johnson is, he’s really going to have to stretch his brain to orchestrate a successful offensive performance this week.  The Jackets match up terribly against a North Carolina defense that ranks 7^th in the nation in rushing defense and 10^th in tackles for loss.

Additionally, the offensive hive could be lacking a key component this week: ACC Offensive Player of the Year Jonathan Dwyer is listed as questionable after a shoulder injury suffered against Miami last week. A-Back Roddy Jones is back in the rotation at tailback, but he broke his wrist this summer and has looked a little rusty so far this year.

Georgia Tech Offense:

Quarterbacks:

6’1 214 lb JR QB Josh Nesbitt (119 yards per game passing, 37.5% completion, 2 TD, 2 INT; 71 yards per game rushing, 4.6 ypc, TD)

Nesbitt was a 4 star QB recruit in the class of 2007. It’s a testament to his pure athletic ability that he was able to transition from Chan Gailey’s west coast offense to Paul Johnson’s spread option scheme over the course of one year. As a passer, he’s erratic and inaccurate (37.5%), although he does have a strong arm. In the running game, he is a crafty runner with speed to get through holes and power enough to drag some defenders with him. He rushed for 151 yards in Blacksburg against a very good Virginia Tech defense, so we know that he likes the big game environment.

MATCHUP:

Nesbitt will perform as well as the Georgia Tech interior running game does. If the Jackets are unable to run the ball up the middle, they will be forced into a number of passing situations, and that means doom for Josh Nesbitt. Everett Withers has sent a lot more blitzes on passing downs this year, and if the Heels manage to knock out Nesbitt, freshman Tevin Washington would have to step in. (Last year’s backup Jaybo Shaw is out with an injury). If we can force Nesbitt into passing situations, it’ll be a very long game for Georgia Tech.

6’0 235 lb JR RB Jonathan Dwyer (29 carries for 94 yards; 3.24 yards per carry with the exception of his opening run against Jax State; he’s recovering from a shoulder injury and is questionable)

JD 21 is a powerful inside runner projected to go in the mid-first round in this spring’s NFL draft. Dwyer averaged 9 yards per carry on first down last year, including 11 yards per first down carry at home! For his efforts, he took home ACC Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2008. If Dwyer does not succeed in loosening up defenses on the interior, this offense suddenly becomes a lot more predictable. Last year, he rushed for just 59 yards per game* in losses to LSU, UNC, VT and UVa. With the exception of a 74 yard TD run to open the season, teams have shut down Dwyer all year long so far, and not surprisingly, GT’s other backs have failed to pick up the slack.

*This does not count his 85 yard TD run against UNC that came with 6 minutes left in the 4^th quarter and GT down 21-0.

5’9 195 lb SOPH RB Roddy Jones (11 carries for 29 yards, 2.6 yards per carry; came back from broken wrist recently)

In the 2008 GT option offense, Dwyer was the sting and Jones was the wings. When teams overcommitted to the dive play, Jones burned them on the outside, leading the nation in yards per carry with 8.5! This year, he’s looked a little bit out of whack after missing a chunk of summer practice with a broken wrist. Jones will not hurt anyone on the interior, but he’s extremely dangerous on perimeter toss plays.

6’0 225 lb JR RB Anthony Allen (14 carries 190 yards, 2 TD, 13.6 ypc; 2 catches, 50 yards, TD)

Allen is a huge transfer from Louisville with surprising speed. He’s had an unbelievable start to the season thus far, averaging over 13 yards per carry in 3 games. Unlike Jones, he complements his speed with power.

MATCHUP:

If Dwyer does not play, this is a huge matchup advantage for the Heels. Dwyer’s backups at B-back (Lucas Cox and Preston Lyons) are much less dangerous and will likely be unable to get much going against UNC’s powerful defensive tackles. As for Georgia Tech’s other running backs, I think they will struggle with the speed of the UNC linebackers. We’ve all heard it a million times, but it’s worth noting that LB Zack Brown runs a sub 4.3 40. Quan Sturdivant and Bruce Carter also have great speed, so it’s hard to imagine Georgia Tech busting any big runs on us this year.

Wide Receiver(s)

WR Demaryius Thomas (109 yards per game; 25 ypc; 2 TD)

WR Tyler Melton (53 yards last year; 0 yards this year)

Remind me why wide receivers choose to go to Georgia Tech? On nice college fields, there aren’t even flowers to pick or grasshoppers to play with during the game. Yawn.

WR Jeff Foxworthy? (1990 Stand Up Comic of the year; 3 million copies of “You might be a redneck if…” sold; 6.72 in the 40 yard dash)?

If I were Johnson, I’d let a famous alumnus be the honorary #2 receiver every week. It’d be a great way to energize the sleepy confines of Bobby Dodd stadium. Foxworthy would be a great guy to start the festivities.

MATCHUP:

There is no receiving threat on this team, other than DeMaryius Thomas. Literally. No other receivers have caught a pass this season! Thomas has done two WRs worth of work though in the opening three games. He’s enormous at 6’3 229 lb, but he is not just a power receiver by any means. Over the last two years, he’s torched defenses for gains of 35, 39, 42, 56, 56, and 88 yards. He leads the ACC in receiving yardage and yards per catch, and he will be a great test for UNC’s smaller cornerbacks Charles Brown (5’10) and Kendric Burney (5’9).

Offensive Line:

6’2 252 lb SR OT Brad Sellers (3 starts)

6’3 254 lb JR OT Austin Barrick (7 starts)

6’3 300 lb SR OG Cord Howard (19 starts)

6’4 288 lb SOPH OG Joseph Gilbert (15 starts)

6’1 268 lb JR C Sean Bedford (3 starts)

Like the defensive line, this unit has seen some major attrition since last fall. They have lost both offensive tackles from last year in Andrew Gardner (NFL draft) and Nick Claytor (injury), as well as returning starter Dan Voss at center.

MATCHUP:

These guys are smaller and more athletic in order to effectively cut block defenders and open up space in Paul Johnson’s option attack. This week, they will face the best defensive line in the ACC and one of the top 10 in the country. Carolina’s top 4 defensive ends are all bigger than Georgia Tech’s starting tackles. That usually wouldn’t be a problem for Georgia Tech, but these Tar Heel defensive linemen are also extremely athletic. Clemson and Miami have similar talent and experience on the defensive lines and they were able to neutralize the Georgia Tech ground game. I like the Tar Heels to dominate this matchup, forcing Georgia Tech into a number of uncomfortable passing situations.

Georgia Tech Defense

2009: 87^th in the nation at 377 yards allowed per game: 136 rushing (67^th); 241 passing (85^tb)

2008: 25^th in the nation at 313 yards per game; 120 rushing (24^th); 193 passing (41^st)

Defensive Coordinator Dave Wommack must have felt pretty good coming into his 2^nd season as Georgia Tech Defensive Coordinator. His defensive unit returned 8 starters, including the entire back 7 after finishing 25^th in the nation in total defense last fall. However, as Wommack has learned so far, the losses of defensive linemen Daryl Richard, Vance Walker, and Michael Johnson devastated this defensive front. After finishing 13^th in the nation in tackles for loss last year, the Jackets have been blown off the ball in 2009. They currently are 74^th in the nation in tackles behind the line, and the effect reverberates throughout the entire defense.

Since the first half of the Clemson game, Georgia Tech hasn’t been able to stop anyone. Miami torched Wommack’s defensive unit for 454 yards and 33 points on Thursday night. Georgia Tech looked out of shape and out of sync, as they were unable to take away Miami’s running or passing game.

Excuse the pun, folks, but this defense is a ramblin’ wreck. The Jackets are currently 87^th in the nation in total defense, and there’s not much to suggest they’re going to improve. 2 starters on the already thin defensive line will not play Saturday due to injuries, and Georgia Tech will be breaking in a relatively new 4-3 defensive set after spending the first games in a lot of 4-2-5 looks.

If I’m North Carolina Offensive Coordinator John Shoop, this is the week I want to play Georgia Tech!

Defensive Line

DE 6’4 270 lb JR Derrick Morgan (16 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 5 sacks)

Morgan was a 3^rd team all-ACC selection last year, hiding in the shadows of Johnson, Walker, and Richard. This year, with the spotlight on him, Morgan has put up staggering numbers. Morgan took over the Clemson game in the first half, but he looked exhausted all game against Miami.

DE 6’4 256 lb JR Anthony Egbuniwe (5 tackles, TFL)

Prior to this season, Egbuniwe had seen practically no time. He’s relatively small and very inexperienced.

DT 6’2 274 lb JR Ben Anderson (2 tackles, TFL)

Anderson also did not play much last year, as he was buried behind NFL Draft Picks Daryl Richard and Vance Walker. He had just 2 tackles in 2008, and he’s the most experienced Yellow Jacket defensive lineman.

DT 6’2 290 lb SOPH Logan Walls (4 tackles)

Coming into this year, Walls had just 1 career tackle.

MATCHUP:

For the first time since the home opener vs. Citadel, I feel good about our offensive line’s matchup with the opposing defensive line. Georgia Tech has very little size and almost no experience up front. These guys aren’t terrible against the run, but they’re certainly not going to produce the constant stream of negative plays that last year’s line did. In fact, their defensive tackles have combined for just one stop behind the line ALL YEAR! Making matters worse, starting DT Jason Peters and starting DE Robert Hall are out for the game with injuries. It’s also important to note that the Tar Heels linemen will be more than ready, having faced two of the nation’s best defensive ends the last two weeks in ECU’s CJ Wilson and Connecticut’s Lindsay Witten. I like UNC’s chances of running for 150+ yards against this weak defensive line. If we can keep DE Morgan in check, Georgia Tech has very little chance of holding us under 375-400 yards.

Linebackers

5’11 239 lb SR Sedric Griffin (16 tackles, .5 TFL)

6’2 236 lb JR Brad Jefferson (17 tackles, 1.5 TFL)

5’10 210 lb FROSH Julian Burnett (14 tackles, .5 TFL, .5 sacks)

MATCHUP:

Griffin and Jefferson are solid ACC players, but they’re certainly suffering from the losses of last year’s 300 lb+ defensive tackles Daryl Richard and Vance Walker (both signed with pro teams as part of the NFL’s cash for clunkers project). Those guys occupied offensive linemen and allowed the linebackers to roam free and make plays. This year, that’s not happening and it’s reflected in the lower production from these linebackers. Look for the Heels to take advantage of first time starter Julian Burnett in the play-action passing game.

Secondary

CB 6’0 189 lb SOPH Jerrrard Tarrant (20 tackles, 2 passes broken up)

CB 6’1 181 lb JR Mario Butler (9 tackles, .5 TFL, INT)

S 6’1 210 lb JR Morgan Burnett (14 tackles, TFL, INT; 3^rd team all-America in 2008)

S 6’4 195 lb SOPH Cooper Taylor (16 tackles, INT)

S 5’11 195 lb SR Dominique Reese (14 tackles, TFL)

MATCHUP:

Georgia Tech is blessed with a ton of experience in the secondary. In fact, they’re so deep that two of their starters from last year (S Dominique Reese and CB Rashaad Reid) are seeing time with the 2^nd team this year. Nonetheless, this unit has underachieved so far, surrendering TDs of 77, 63, and 40 in the first three games. Miami QB Jacory Harris has gotten all sorts of hype for his performance against the Jackets, but after watching the game myself, I think Lee Corso could have thrown a few TDs in that game. Once again, I think part of this drop-off in performance can be attributed to the lack of pressure from the defensive front. When you have to cover for a few seconds longer, it can be a lot harder (ask UNC’s secondary from last year). The Jackets have to be concerned with the play of the Heels’ offensive line last week. If they gave Yates as much time as he had last week, speedster Jheranie Boyd might get another deep shot against this underachieving secondary.

Special Teams

K Scott Blair (0 for 6 from 40+ last year; 5 of 7 FG this year)

P Scott Blair (41.7 yards per punt)

KR Orwin Smith (24 yards per return)

PR Jerrard Tarrant (43 yards per return; 2 TD)

MATCHUP:

Blair is a lot like Casey Barth in the kicking game, but a lot better than Grant Schallock in the punting game. Tarrant is one of the best punt returners in the country, so I think the Tar Heels are at a disadvantage on special teams. Watch out for (illegal)* fake field goal passes. Paul Johnson is a gutsy play caller who is not afraid to gamble on fourth down.

*Against Clemson, Kicker Scott Blair threw a TD pass to Demaryius Thomas, who was hiding on the sideline. The play was later ruled illegal by ACC officials.

Georgia Tech game plan:

If you’re Georgia Tech, you must establish the dive aspect of the option in the early going. If you don’t, you can kiss this one goodbye. If I were Paul Johnson, I might also try throwing some on first down to keep this UNC defense off balance because I can tell you— running at Marvin Austin and Cam Thomas on first and 10 isn’t going to yield a lot of yardage. Offensively, Georgia Tech will have to execute very, very well to win this game.

Defensively, I’d be very aggressive at the line of scrimmage and I’d try to take away the Tar Heel running game. (What else is new?) If you can make the UNC offense one-dimensional, you have a pretty good chance at stopping it. Georgia Tech’s secondary has been awful so far this year, but they’re very experienced and they could have the matchup advantage against UNC’s young receivers—especially on the road.

North Carolina game plan:

Offensively, I would try to run right at Georgia Tech’s young defensive tackles. If UNC gets the running game going early and is able to set up the play-action game, Georgia Tech will have a lot of trouble getting stops. To attack freshman linebacker Julian Burnett, I’d try the play action FB flare to Anthony Elzy as well as a number of dumps and screens to Draughn.

On the defensive end, I’d use the Bud Foster method of defeating Georgia Tech. I’d pinch tackles Marvin Austin and Cam Thomas on every play to take away the dive play and force Georgia Tech to the outsides where UNC is faster and more athletic than the Jackets. If the Heels can force some passing situations, I’d bring a lot of pressure at Josh Nesbitt for two reasons. First, he doesn’t have a suitable backup. Second, our corners should be able to handle the Jackets’ passing game without much trouble.

Georgia Tech wins if…

-          Dwyer plays—and rushes for over 140 yards

-          The Tar Heels turn the ball over 3 or more times

-          UNC rushes for less than 50 yards

Or…

-          Georgia Tech alumnus and Wal-Mart CEO Mike Duke gives each referee a Wal-Mart Supercenter in exchange for some home cookin’ penalty calls.

Score Prediction:

This is an excellent matchup for the Heels, but they will be playing an angry Georgia Tech team with a lot on the line. All of a sudden, no one respects Georgia Tech, and the Jackets don’t like it. Additionally, the Jackets are basically playing to save their chances at an ACC Coastal Division title.

That being said, I just don’t think Georgia Tech has the firepower on the offensive and defensive lines to take down a very talented and confident North Carolina team.

#22 North Carolina 26 Georgia Tech 10

Thank you Paul Johnson! …I’m real happy for you…introducing us to your little tricky offense. IMMA LET YOU FINISH but North Carolina has one of the Best DEFENSES  of ALL TIME!!

Paul Johnson, Carolina is 3-0 baby. We are ranked #18 by USA Today! We’ve got the #6 ranked Defense in the Country, dog!

I saw your defensive line looking all tired in the 2nd half against Clemson and Miami…you need to keep those boys away from the burgers and shakes over at The Varsity.

Bring on your Veer or Flexbone or whatever your offense is called. UNC Has the Best Defense of all TIME!

What? What did you say , Paul?  Our Special teams? Well, sure you have an advantage there. We’ve struggled a little with consistency hitting field goals. Our punting needs a little work….BUT we have the Best DEFENSE of all Time!

Did you mention swine flu , Paul? No, we are over that now.

Huh? Freshman WR’s at UNC. Yes, that’s true. Yes, Pianalto is out. Yes, Coach Blake is filling in at left tackle. I have just one word for you.  Highsmith.

I know you Jawja Tech boys have Dwyer back, and Anthony Allen and Nesbitt ready to go.

But, truth be known, we have a really good looking defense. We have Ryan Houston ( All he does is score touchdowns ) and Shaun Draughn. They are  the best RB tandem UNC has had in a long time. We have a healthy TJ Yates…we can always win games with a healthy TJ Yates. and we have Butch Davis..I don’t know how to say this but..Butch Davis is a Big Deal.

Good luck PJ…may the best team win.

( and did I mention that we have the BEST Defense of all Time! )

MrTarHeel

mrtarheel.com

Before the season began, one could peruse the full ACC schedule and highlight several games as being extremely important to how the division races would unfold.  In the Coastal Division, any game involving the projected top four of Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, UNC and Miami would fit the bill.  The first of these happened last Thursday with Miami sending a message to the rest of the ACC by dominating Georgia Tech.  On Saturday two more of these games will take place with Miami at Virginia Tech and UNC traveling to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech.

While this will be the ACC opener for UNC, Georgia Tech will be facing their third ACC opponent in as many weeks.  Heading into the season, Georgia Tech was seen as a possible dark horse to win the Coastal Division much like UNC was in 2008.  The prevailing logic said the Yellow Jackets would be fully acclimated to head coach Paul Johnson’s triple option as well as having preseason ACC Player of the Year, Jonathan Dwyer. Georgia Tech began the season with some elevated expectations.  Through three games, Georgia Tech has been a tad of a disappointment for a team some thought could win the division. The Jackets were taken to the brink after running out to a 24-0 lead on Clemson and then were promptly pushed off the edge at Miami the following week.  At the same time, the much talked about Georgia Tech offense has been a huge letdown. The passing game has never materialized and Dwyer is not producing at a level consistent with the preseason hype.  On Saturday, Georgia Tech is facing a potentially disastrous situation in terms of their divisional aspirations. A loss in this game would drop the Jackets to 1-2 in the ACC and well behind the eight ball in terms of tiebreakers within the division.  Granted Georgia Tech would still be alive in the race for the ACC title game but in a tremendous hole.  Since the Jackets will be at home and facing down a crippling start to the ACC season, the pressure to win will be a two ton gorilla on their back.

For UNC, this game is all about opportunity.  UNC’s 3-0 start this season is the best opening win streak since 1997 when the Heels started 8-0. With a hapless Virginia team the following week and FCS team Georgia Southern after that, UNC has a good shot at starting the season 6-0 should they beat Georgia Tech in Atlanta.  Yes, the back half of the schedule is brutal but nothing builds confidence better than getting off to a hot start.  In terms of the ACC race, UNC can kill multiple birds with one stone.  For starters it is an ACC win and puts UNC in the mix with the winner of the Miami-Virgina Tech game being played later in the day.  Secondly, a win against Georgia Tech all but knocks the Yellow Jackets out of contention and at minimum places them behind UNC in the pecking order going forward.  Finally, a win on the road is well…a win on the road.  Not only is it like stealing something that does not belong to you but where UNC is concerned is another statement how far this program has come in only three years.  Prior to last season, the Heels were infamous for not being able to win outside of the state of North Carolina.  UNC broke that losing streak last season and this season already has a win at UConn.  Another win on the road not only gives the Heels a game that is really a toss-up but it provides this team a sense that they can win anywhere.

In many ways Georgia Tech has more riding on this one than UNC does.  Losing a game on the road to a Georgia Tech game that will likely be very motivated given the circumstances is not unusual. That being said, UNC can really take a huge step forward.  Heading into this season, the Tar Heels faced numerous questions about replacing the passing game as well as the offensive line.  The defense was expected to be very good, if not great and so far it has been.  For two games, some of those questions about the offense were well founded but against ECU on Saturday the Heels put together a well rounded offensive performance. If that offense shows up in Atlanta and the defense is disciplined enough to contain triple options, UNC could put itself in prime position to challenge for the Coastal Division.  Even more, UNC’s season would be off to a rolling start with two weaker opponents ahead. I am not privy to what Butch Davis and his coaches are using as motivation this week.  The good money is on challenging this team to head down to Atlanta and prove they can be one of the best teams in the ACC.  At the same time, UNC can also approach the game a little looser than the Jackets.  Yes, getting a win here is incredibly important but there is far less pressure bearing down on the Tar Heels versus Georgia Tech who probably feel like their season is about to slip away from them.

At high noon on Saturday, Georgia Tech will be looking for redemption as well as a path back to divisional viability.  UNC will be looking to make a statement on the road and thrust themselves on a collision course with the victor between the Hokies and Canes.  College football does not have a playoff, yet the stakes in Atlanta and Blacksburg could not be much higher where the fate of the ACC crown is concerned. Buckle up, Saturday is going to be a wild ride.

Overall UNC put together as close to a complete team game as they could on Saturday versus ECU with the notable exception being the kicking game.  Both kicker Casey Barth and punter Grant Shallock had sub-par games.  Barth missed a tough but makeable 38 yard field goal while Shallock’s longest punt all day was 38 yards. UNC was able to win the game but the punt and kicking issues set up some less than ideal situations for the defense to deal with as well as leaving the door ajar for the Pirates.

First of all, UNC punter Grant Shallock was completely outclassed by ECU punter Matt Dodge.  On average Dodge’s punts were 17 yards longer than Shallock’s including punts of 59, 49 and 55 yards.  Those punts resulted in UNC starting drives from the 19, 8 and 23 yard lines.  In all three of those instances UNC failed to move the football and in giving the ball back to ECU handed them prime position near midfield.  Because UNC relies heavily on the defense there may be games where field position is everything.  Had this been one of those games where the offense was unable to move the football resulting in more punts, the field position game would not have favored UNC since there was a huge disparity between the punters. The best way Shallock could probably improve is getting off some longer punts here and there.  Sure it would be nice to have Shallock booming them 45 or 50 yards every time out, but that is probably not realistic.  Nailing an occasional long one, especially when penned back in his own end would do wonders for the  field position exchange on punts.

In terms of FG kicking, it is not nearly as alarming but at the same time I am not sure the confidence is there in Casey Barth.  With the Heels ahead by 10 in the fourth quarter, Barth lined up for a 38 yard field goal which he missed. The miss could have been costly.  ECU drove the field following the miss and had the option to kick a FG on fourth down since they were only down ten.  Had Barth made the FG, ECU would have been forced into a two TD situation to rally, a much tougher task against the UNC defense.  Granted 38 yards is nothing to sneeze at but at the same time, it would be nice if anything inside 40 yards could be a 90% proposition.  So far this season Barth is 4 for 6 on FG but 1 for 3 outside 30 yards. In 2008 Barth was 10 for 15 on FGs with three of those misses coming inside of 40 yards. One was a 26 yard FG attempt versus Maryland that ended up being a huge factor in the Heels’ loss. Last season Barth shared the kicking duties with Jay Wooten who left this past summer for South Carolina.  The job is all Barth’s and how he reacts to the pressure could win or lose games for UNC.

While UNC can probably work around a punter coming up with short kicks, what Barth does is a much bigger issue.  Getting into the endzone once you move past the 25 yard line can be tough so knowing your kicker can at least give you three points is important.  Also, at this point the UNC offense is still a mystery where consistency is concerned.  No one can say for sure which version will be on the field at any given point so having a reliable FG kicker might be the only means of getting points in certain games.  UNC has proven it can keep teams off the scoreboard so it is possible that a TD and a pair of FGs might be all UNC needs to win a game versus a Virginia Tech or NCSU. However if the FG kicking is not there or the punter loses the field position game, the Heels could end up falling short without solid performances in these specific areas.

At this juncture in the season, the kicking game is a concern.  I imagine Butch Davis is not panicked about Barth and Shallock’s performances but at the same time I am sure he’d sleep better if they were both more consistent.

#24 North Carolina 31 East Carolina 17

This afternoon, Offensive Coordinator John Shoop earned his paycheck.

Since the NFL Draft in April, John Shoop has been tormented with injuries, dismissals and embarrassments like Ben Stiller in Meet the Parents. Shoop never did tell Robert DeNiro that he milked his cat—but in offensive personnel terms, he had almost come to that point.

In April, he lost his best playmakers in Hakeem Nicks, Brandon Tate, and Brooks Foster, all of whom are playing on Sundays this fall. Months later, starting offensive lineman Aaron Stahl quit the team while projected contributor Kelvin Bryant left school with an assault charge.

In the summer, OT Carl Gaskins tore his ACL and starting WR Dwight Jones had knee surgery. In the home opener, starting offensive linemen Lowell Dyer and Jonathan Cooper each went down with injuries, forcing two inexperienced players into action on the front against Connecticut. In that game, nothing went right until TE Zack Pianalto exploded for 87 yards and a late touchdown. Not surprisingly, Pianalto went down as well, injuring his toe while celebrating his touchdown.

I was thrilled to see us escape Connecticut with a win, but I was worried for this week’s game against ECU. We’d lost yet another bullet from the offensive revolver (more like BB gun). And in a fight with pirates, you always want to have lots of ammo.

I projected that we would score 13 points today, and I don’t think it was a bad prediction. ECU had a powerful, experienced front 7 that should have dominated our offensive front. However, John Shoop made some great adjustments to the game plan and the offensive line executed his plans beautifully. The result? The limping, lumbering, inexperienced Tar Heel offense made East Carolina look like a bunch of peg-legged pansies. Let’s find out how!

Adjustments:

The most important adjustment that John Shoop made today was instituting a bit of big 12 style no-huddle offense. Our offensive coaching staff visited the Sooners in Norman, Oklahoma this summer, but the only evidenced I’d seen so far was our putrid running game, which looked a lot like a Conestoga wagon getting pillaged from all sides by plain raiders.

Usually, we play traditional ACC offense—that is to say—the quarterback talks to his huddle about the Tila Tequila rerun from Wednesday night until there’s about 5 seconds on the play clock—then, we point some fingers here and there and snap the ball with 2 seconds left on the play clock, allowing the opposing defense to time its blitzes perfectly. However, today we increased the tempo, throwing ECU off completely.

On the first play of the game, the offense sprinted out onto the field and snapped the ball with about 25 seconds left on the play clock (believed to be a UNC record). ECU Defensive Tackle Linval Joseph swallowed Draughn up for a loss of two, but it was worth it. All of a sudden, ECU’s defensive front had something to think about other than their new Captain Hook inspired post-sack dance. The speed of this tactic certainly caught up to ECU on some plays later in the game, as we will discuss shortly.

Secondly, Shoop added some variety to the running game. Rather than trying to fit a Shaun Draughn sized running back through Trindon Holliday size holes on traditional dive plays, Shoop decided to try out some shotgun draw plays. Instead of following a lead blocking fullback through the hole, Draughn would follow a pulling offensive guard inside. As long as the guard blocked well (check), that play was pretty successful. Why else was it successful you might ask?

Because we were able to spread the Pirates out by throwing the ball effectively on the perimeter! TJ Yates’ 5 favorite bouncers didn’t invite any Pirates to the sack party, allowing him plenty of time to find WRs Greg Little, Jheranie Boyd, Josh Adams, and Erik Highsmith. (Even more impressive was the fact that none of these youngsters dropped any passes!) These wide receivers proved every college football writer in the country wrong—most prognosticators thought the departure of our top 3 wide receivers was an apocalyptic blow, but we now know that wideout could be a position of strength for this team!

Thanks to the success of the shotgun draw play, we were able to nail ECU with some first down quick hitters to WR Erik Highsmith, one of which went for 43 yards against a noticeably exhausted defense.

Lastly, Shoop did a great job of breaking some tendencies in this game. We’ve already talked about his changes in tempo and running play selection, but Shoop really punished ECU with a couple of trick plays. The “Diesel” formation (with AJ Blue at QB, usually running the ball) had seen some moderate success this season. However, we’d seen defenses start to overplay it, especially since Blue had run with the ball all 7 times that we’d run the play this season.  In the game today, Blue lost a fumble on the first edition of the Diesel formation. On the second Diesel try (I can’t say I was excited that we were retrying it), Shoop punished an overaggressive defensive unit with a Diesel pass. Blue put it right on the money and the offense gained 24 yards.

The Heels also successfully ran a HB toss-pass with Shaun Draughn throwing to Greg Little, who might have made the best catch of his life on the play.

Defense

Defensively, we don’t need to talk about much. For the third straight week, we surrendered less than 250 yards of offense. ECU’s talented running backs combined for just 63 yards on 24 carries, and their passing game didn’t fare much better. Other than a gadget WR-toss pass, the Heels did not surrender any passing plays longer than 19 yards.  The Pirates’ longest run was just 12 yards.

When the Pirates went to the quick passing game, Charlie Brown and Kendric Burney made great open-field tackles. When they went to the screen game, Quan Sturdivant was there waiting for it. Essentially, the Pirates couldn’t run the ball, and they couldn’t neutralize the Tar Heel pass rush with screen passes and draw plays. They were forced to hold up a vicious line, headed by DE Robert Quinn (2 sacks) and the newly energized Marvin Austin (5 tackles, .5 TFL, pass broken up) and try to throw downfield. And against this defense, they had no luck.

I honestly think that this defense could be a top 5 defense in the nation. After 3 games, I just don’t see any weaknesses.

The Tar Heels are currently ranked 6^th in the nation in total defense (198 yards allowed per game), 7^th in rushing defense (52.33 yards per game), 16^th in pass efficiency defense, 11^th in scoring defense (11 points per game), 29^th in sacks (2.67 per game), and 10^th in tackles for loss (8.67 per game). In all categories, the Heels have made major improvements from last year.

Overall:

I love where this team is going. Thanks to the UNC football team for giving me an amazing 31-17 birthday present this Saturday, and thanks to you for reading! Go Heels!

TO CHECK OUT MY WEEK 3 ACC POWER RANKINGS, check out:

http://tarheeltds.wordpress.com/2009/09/20/week-3-acc-power-rankings/

Fans of the Atlantic Coast Conference, let me introduce you to the early front runner for ACC Rookie of the Year, Erik Highsmith, a 6′3″/175 lbs. wide receiver from Vanceboro N.C. Yesterday, against East Carolina, the young man who wears 88, the number that was worn by Hakeem Nicks last season, had 113 yards and a touchdown. Having lost the top three wide outs from last season North Carolina was looking for someone to step up at that position, Highsmith did exactly that, something that not many might have expected.
 
Last year, head coach Butch Davis brought four receivers to Chapel Hill, two four star, one three star and Highsmith, a two star player (data from Rivals.com). While both Joshua Adams and Jheranie Boyd have been contributing, neither has had a game anywhere close to Highsmith’s against East Carolina. If you believe in karma, this break out game comes against the perfect opponent. ECU has always used the “you were not recruited by the ACC” speech to motivate their players, but yesterday head coach Skip Holtz’ defense was torn up by a freshman he thought wasn’t good enough to recruit to East Carolina.
 
‘”I tried to embarrass them a little bit,” Highsmith said with a big smile.’ After a game like that I would be smiling as well! Will he be able to keep up this type of play and win the Rookie of the Year award? No way of telling, but if no one knew who Highsmith was before Saturday they know who he is now and that is good enough for me.