By Doc Kennedy
Part of the challenge of UNC football’s second year under Bill Belichick has been the inability to provide a proof of concept. In particular, during this season, the Tar Heels’ progress was followed by big steps backwards. A strong season opener was followed by the collapse at Clemson. Big road wins in the league were followed by disappointment at home against Syracuse. After facing the No. 1 team in the country last week against Miami, could Carolina pull off a victory over an average UConn team as an 8½-point favorite?
For a while, it felt like another edition of “here we go again.” The offense was stuck at a standstill, Bad Billy showed up for the first time since Syracuse and the defense couldn’t get off the field. A defensive score primed the pump, and the offense took advantage of another turnover (as questionable as it was) to build a 28-14 lead.
Part of the proof of concept was the Tar Heels being better in the second half, and again, for a while, Carolina was as sloppy as the weather in the second half. But UNC’s defense clamped down on the Huskies, converting on UConn’s third turnover of the day and leaving East Hartford with a 38-21 victory.
After failing to score 30 points against FBS competition in the first 19 games of the Belichick era, UNC scored 30 or more for three straight weeks and the defense had three sacks and another tackle for loss to go along with the three forced turnovers. Not a bad day at the office.
With that in mind, here is the UConn edition of the Good, Bad and Ugly report:
Jelani Thurman
Ohio State transfer and favorite target Billy Edwards had seven receptions for 64 yards and 2 scores, but more importantly, they tied UNC’s single-season record for touchdown receptions by a tight end.
Benjamin Room
Hall (pictured top) returned to leading duties for most of the game, with nine carries for 81 yards and a score before leaving the game with an injury. Hall led a resurgence in the running game as the Tar Heels, ranked among the bottom FBS teams in rushing yards per game, amassed 164 rushing yards.
Peyton Seelmann
The Richmond transfer was expected to be a defensive star this season and had a big day, with nine tackles and two sacks.
Timir Hickman-Collins
The second-year linebacker ran a rush drill and ended up with a 62-yard pick-six.
Penalties
Although the Tar Heels are among the least penalized teams in the conference, UNC was flagged 6 times for 50 yards, including pass interference, two killer catches on the offensive line, and an unusual illegal defensive formation penalty on a punt.
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Big games
Carolina’s defense allowed 13 plays of 15+ yards. In a game where UNC controlled time of possession and forced three turnovers and three more turnovers on downs, the damage caused by missed tackles and missed coverages was fortunately limited.
In the end, UNC succeeded, something it is not always known for doing. The Tar Heels picked up their fifth win of the season, needing just one win in their last three to be bowl eligible. But the proof of concept will have to be demonstrated again next week when a Louisville sports team comes to Chapel Hill for homecoming. Can Carolina take the next step, or will it be another step on a rake? Regardless, UNC has exceeded expectations for the season, but the proof of concept remains.
Doc Kennedy is an alumnus, longtime UNC fan and former high school and college basketball coach who wrote this report for years on the Tar Heel Blog.
Photo via @UNCFootball
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