The North Carolina Tarheels proved they are ready for prime time with a 26-19 win over #23 Pittsburgh on the road in front of a national audience on ESPN. Both teams were 6-1 headed into the game and undefeated in the ACC Coastal Division. Although North Carolina had beaten Georgia Tech on the road earlier in the season, many considered Pittsburgh North Carolina's first road test and the Tarheels built a fairly sizable halftime lead and held on for the win.
Tarheels Quarterback Marquise Williams set the tone early in the second quarter when he dropped back to pass, stiff armed an onrushing Pittsburgh lineman while being grabbed by the facemask, and threw a strike to Wide Receiver Ryan Switzer who had slipped behind the Pittsburgh defense for a 71 yard touchdown and a 10-3 lead. In watching the replay, I noticed that Williams readjusted his facemask before throwing the pass. That is cool under pressure.
The Tarheel defense under the leadership of defensive coordinator Gene Chizik is finally starting to get the credit they deserve. Chizik has instilled an "assignment first" philosophy and this has resulted in a "bend but don't break" defense. They displayed a much better pass rush against Pittsburgh and came up with five sacks nearly matching their season total of six. The Tarheel defensive backs also set a season high for passes defensed with eight as Des Lawrence and M.J. Stewart continually broke up Pittsburgh pass attempts.
The win puts North Carolina at 7-1 on the season and should boost them into the top 25. The Tarheels haven't had this much excitement surrounding their football team since the Mack Brown era ended in 1997. The Tarheels are not just playing for a bowl game this season (they already have more than enough wins to qualify), they are playing for a spot in the ACC Championship game, a championship they have not won since Lawrence Taylor roamed the field at Kenan Stadium.
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