Head coach Dave Doeren of the North Carolina State Wolfpack started a firestorm after last season's 35-7 win over North Carolina by saying, "This is a blue collar school. This is a work ethic, hands-in-the-dirt school." Most fans, me included, took that as a shot directed at North Carolina. That quote was still all the rage a year later and those words never seemed to be far from the Tarheels minds.
They jumped on the Wolfpack from the opening kickoff to the end of the first quarter to the tune of 308 total yards and 35 points. Ironically, the score was 35-7 at the end of the first quarter. Tarheel linebacker Jeff Schoettmer found a certain symbolism in that score. The Tarheels did most of their damage on the ground. They had over 290 yards rushing in the first half and only had one rushing play in the entire game that lost yardage. The Tarheels played the game on the North Carolina State line of scrimmage for the entire fist quarter and held onto to win in the other three quarters.
Sophomore running back Elijah Hood had 220 yards on 21 carries and had two touchdowns. Junior running back T.J. Logan had 100 yards on only six carries and two touchdowns. North Carolina State seemed to center their defensive game plan around stopping the running ability of quarterback Marquise Williams. They did accomplish that goal as he only had 50 yards rushing and limited him to 174 yards passing. He did not need to pass.
North Carolina put it on cruise control in the second half and let North Carolina State pull to within 16 points at 42-26 but finally put them away for good. Beating North Carolina State was the last regular season goal the Tarheels had left to accomplish. There was no midfield celebration on the other team's logo, no trash talking, and no post game antics. It was a Tarheel blue collar win.
Monday, November 30, 2015
Saturday, November 28, 2015
The Secret Weapon
Tight End Brandon Fritts has to be one of the North Carolina Tarheels best kept secrets and one of their most underutilized weapons. He comes into their last game against North Carolina State with 12 catches for 146 yards and three touchdowns but he has really come on in the last two or three games. He repeatedly ran seam patterns against Virginia Tech wide open but was never thrown the ball. When Eric Ebron played at North Carolina, he was a major part of the offense and Ebron was able to parlay that into a top ten draft pick. Fritts may not be that much of a freak as Ebron was but they need to look for Fritts running those seam patterns against North Carolina State.
A Game That Means Something
The North Carolina Tarheels travel to North Carolina State this afternoon to take on the Wolfpack in a game that doesn't mean much in the greater scheme of things. North Carolina has already locked up the Coastal Division title and a berth in the ACC Championship game against Clemson. The game may not mean much in the standings but State gave the Tarheels a beating last year to the tune of 35-7. The Wolfpack let them know it before the game, during the game, and after the game.
North Carolina State has the type of team that matches up well with North Carolina. The Wolfpack runs virtually the same type of up tempo offense with a quarterback that can throw and run and is extremely hard to bring down. Like North Carolina's Marquise Williams, NC State quarterback Jacoby Brissette operates better when he gets outside of the pocket and makes things happen. The Wolfpack also has a strong running game and while the Tarheels defense has been better this season, they have have given up a chunk of yardage over the past three games.
State's defensive front four may be the strongest in the ACC and they can really bring the pressure. It is hard to forecast a low scoring game between two offenses like this but I am expecting a score along the lines of 24-17 in a game that could go either way. UNC really doesn't have a lot to play for in this game so I am hoping pride will be enough to carry them to victory.
North Carolina State has the type of team that matches up well with North Carolina. The Wolfpack runs virtually the same type of up tempo offense with a quarterback that can throw and run and is extremely hard to bring down. Like North Carolina's Marquise Williams, NC State quarterback Jacoby Brissette operates better when he gets outside of the pocket and makes things happen. The Wolfpack also has a strong running game and while the Tarheels defense has been better this season, they have have given up a chunk of yardage over the past three games.
State's defensive front four may be the strongest in the ACC and they can really bring the pressure. It is hard to forecast a low scoring game between two offenses like this but I am expecting a score along the lines of 24-17 in a game that could go either way. UNC really doesn't have a lot to play for in this game so I am hoping pride will be enough to carry them to victory.
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
A Bounce Back Win
North Carolina's 71-67 loss to Northern Iowa dropped them from #1 to #9 in the polls. It is hard for me to believe that a loss to a good Northern Iowa team could drop the Tarheels that far but that is just proof that early season polls mean absolutely nothing.
Sophomore Justin Jackson broke out of his early season slump in the loss to Northern Iowa with 25 points and he proved that wasn't a fluke by putting up 21 points and 13 rebounds in an 80-69 win against a Chris Collins coached Northwestern team. Chris Collins is a Coack K protégé and I guess they are finally starting to leave the nest. I did not care much for Collins as a player and I doubt that it is going to change now that he is a head coach.
Brice Johnson had another double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds and Theo Pinson continued his all around, stat stuffing play with 10 points and 8 assists. Pinson has shown great court awareness so far this season and an improved three point shot. He made the extra pass last night and continually found Kennedy Meeks and Justin Jackson for layups.
Sophomore Justin Jackson broke out of his early season slump in the loss to Northern Iowa with 25 points and he proved that wasn't a fluke by putting up 21 points and 13 rebounds in an 80-69 win against a Chris Collins coached Northwestern team. Chris Collins is a Coack K protégé and I guess they are finally starting to leave the nest. I did not care much for Collins as a player and I doubt that it is going to change now that he is a head coach.
Brice Johnson had another double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds and Theo Pinson continued his all around, stat stuffing play with 10 points and 8 assists. Pinson has shown great court awareness so far this season and an improved three point shot. He made the extra pass last night and continually found Kennedy Meeks and Justin Jackson for layups.
Saturday, November 21, 2015
The Escape
The North Carolina Tarheels escaped Virginia Tech and left Blacksburg, VA with a 30-27 Overtime win and the Coastal Division title in Hokies head coach Frank Beamer's final home game. The Hokies had the Tarheels set up for one of those Hollywood style endings where Beamer gets to walk off the field victorious, legend completely intact.
North Carolina held a 24-10 lead with just under three minutes to go and they could not seem to hang on to the ball. Tarheels quarterback Marquise Williams wanted to hold on to the ball just an extra second or two before making his reads and led two a couple of fumbles at the worst possible times. Virginia Tech scored the tying touchdown with 1:07 to go in the game, sending it to overtime.
Virginia Tech got the ball first and only managed a field goal for a 27-24 lead and Williams completed a 17 yard pass to Ryan Switzer on the first play of their possession and Williams then completed a five yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Quinshad Davis for the win, the title, and a spot in the ACC Championship game against Clemson.
North Carolina held a 24-10 lead with just under three minutes to go and they could not seem to hang on to the ball. Tarheels quarterback Marquise Williams wanted to hold on to the ball just an extra second or two before making his reads and led two a couple of fumbles at the worst possible times. Virginia Tech scored the tying touchdown with 1:07 to go in the game, sending it to overtime.
Virginia Tech got the ball first and only managed a field goal for a 27-24 lead and Williams completed a 17 yard pass to Ryan Switzer on the first play of their possession and Williams then completed a five yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Quinshad Davis for the win, the title, and a spot in the ACC Championship game against Clemson.
Inside Strength
In the North Carolina Tarheels first three basketball games of the season, they have had an obvious advantage on the inside in experience and length with big men Kennedy Meeks and Brice Johnson and Isaiah Hicks coming off the bench but they have not always taken advantage of it. The Tarheels did not force the inside against a smaller Fairfield team that played mostly zone and the 'Heels settled for medium and long range jumpers much to the dismay of head coach Roy Williams.
Wofford pulled to within 50-47 when the defense of Nate Britt, Joel Berry II, and Brice Johnson took over. Steals and blocked shots led to several breakouts by North Carolina and finished with a 28-11 run that gave them a hard earned 78-58 win over Wofford. Swing man Theo Pinson had the shot of the night but it was also his only basket. Meeks and Johnson both had 16 points and Hicks had a season high 12.
The outside duo of Joel Berry II and Nate Britt has proved to be formidable so far this season as Britt has provided the outside shooting and Berry II has provided a scoring touch that has them both averaging in double figures. Their play has opened up the possibility of going to a three guard offense whenever Marcus Paige does return from injury.
Wofford pulled to within 50-47 when the defense of Nate Britt, Joel Berry II, and Brice Johnson took over. Steals and blocked shots led to several breakouts by North Carolina and finished with a 28-11 run that gave them a hard earned 78-58 win over Wofford. Swing man Theo Pinson had the shot of the night but it was also his only basket. Meeks and Johnson both had 16 points and Hicks had a season high 12.
The outside duo of Joel Berry II and Nate Britt has proved to be formidable so far this season as Britt has provided the outside shooting and Berry II has provided a scoring touch that has them both averaging in double figures. Their play has opened up the possibility of going to a three guard offense whenever Marcus Paige does return from injury.
Winning On Emotion
North Carolina faces Virginia Tech today in Hokies Coach Frank Beamer's last home game. He announced his retirement a couple of weeks ago. It will be a game full of emotion for Hokies fans and players but will that be enough to carry the Hokies to a win?
It is hard to just play on raw emotion over the course of an entire game. The media, specifically ESPN who is carrying the game, will try to pump it full of emotion and turn it into a Frank Beamer "glory fest" (it is not even 8 A.M. and ESPN already has a sideline reporter in the stadium promoting Beamer).
What has largely been forgotten in the shuffle is that the North Carolina Tarheels also have something on the line here and that is their first Coastal Division title and a trip to the ACC Championship game against Clemson.
I have always believed that playing with emotion can get you through part of the game but it can also have the opposite effect of wearing you out. I have seen a lot of plas crash and burn when the adrenalin runs out and the talent and the X's and O's take over. Virginia Tech is not a bad team and is also going after their sixth win to make themselves bowl eligible.
North Carolina goes into the game as a four point favorite and have scored 125 points in their last two games (both home games) and the only two road wins they have on their resume is a 38-31 victory over Georgia Tech and a 26-19 win over Pittsburgh. GT started out the year in the top 20 and Pittsburgh has bounced in and out of the top 20 but in this game against Virginia Tech, the emotion will be the "x" factor.
It is hard to just play on raw emotion over the course of an entire game. The media, specifically ESPN who is carrying the game, will try to pump it full of emotion and turn it into a Frank Beamer "glory fest" (it is not even 8 A.M. and ESPN already has a sideline reporter in the stadium promoting Beamer).
What has largely been forgotten in the shuffle is that the North Carolina Tarheels also have something on the line here and that is their first Coastal Division title and a trip to the ACC Championship game against Clemson.
I have always believed that playing with emotion can get you through part of the game but it can also have the opposite effect of wearing you out. I have seen a lot of plas crash and burn when the adrenalin runs out and the talent and the X's and O's take over. Virginia Tech is not a bad team and is also going after their sixth win to make themselves bowl eligible.
North Carolina goes into the game as a four point favorite and have scored 125 points in their last two games (both home games) and the only two road wins they have on their resume is a 38-31 victory over Georgia Tech and a 26-19 win over Pittsburgh. GT started out the year in the top 20 and Pittsburgh has bounced in and out of the top 20 but in this game against Virginia Tech, the emotion will be the "x" factor.
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