5 questions with a UNC beat writer

BLACKSBURG, VA - OCTOBER 21: Wide receiver Josh Cabrera #13 of the North Carolina Tar Heels makes a reception while being defended by safety Terrell Edmunds #22 of the Virginia Tech Hokies in the first half at Lane Stadium on October 21, 2017 in Blacksburg, Virginia. (Photo by Michael Shroyer/Getty Images)

Credit: Michael Shroyer

Credit: Michael Shroyer

BLACKSBURG, VA - OCTOBER 21: Wide receiver Josh Cabrera #13 of the North Carolina Tar Heels makes a reception while being defended by safety Terrell Edmunds #22 of the Virginia Tech Hokies in the first half at Lane Stadium on October 21, 2017 in Blacksburg, Virginia. (Photo by Michael Shroyer/Getty Images)

Georgia Tech plays its ninth game of the season Saturday against North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C., a place where the Yellow Jackets have lost in their past two trips.

For more insight on the Tar Heels, we turn to Jonathan Alexander, who covers them for the News & Observer of Raleigh, N.C. You can follow him on Twitter here and read his coverage here.

Q: Paul Johnson said this week that if North Carolina puts it all together, “they’re going to beat the bejesus out of somebody.” First, what do you think, and second, if it is, what are the chances this happens?

A: I think he's being a little kind.

I do think North Carolina is better than its record suggests. It likely should have beaten both Virginia Tech and Syracuse. But make no mistake, this is still a bad team. The Tar Heels have trouble stopping the run. Their quarterback play has not been good at all, and their secondary has a tendency to get exposed if the defensive line doesn't get enough pressure on the quarterback. With that being said, I think Tar Heels can beat Georgia Tech, but I doubt they would beat the "bejesus" out of the Yellow Jackets.

Q: Who’s the best player, regardless of position, on the team? Without having seen the team much, I might guess DE Malik Carney.

A: It's most definitely Malik Carney. In the first three games he played, he had 5.5 sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss. He was suspended prior to the season, and had it staggered because the Tar Heels were low on defensive lineman. So he's played on and off.

But he's served all of his suspension and he's back full time now. His speed off the edge makes him a threat against any team.

Q: The Tar Heels were 11-3 in 2015, 8-5 in 2016, 3-9 last year and now 1-6. It’s easy to say it’s a clear trend, but I think sometimes things aren’t always what they seem. I know you’re new to the beat, but what’s your perspective on North Carolina’s recent fortunes?

A: So UNC officials have called last season "an anomaly," because of the many injuries. UNC doesn't reveal its injury reports, but one player told me the Tar Heels had 17 people go down for the season last year. Their first day starting lineup looked totally different from their starting lineup in the final game. So part of the reason the Tar Heels finished 3-9 was because of that. But they were also a poor team last year with a bad defense and no quarterback.

UNC coach Larry Fedora has struggled in recruiting over the last two years. So unless he can attract some recruits in the future and land a quality quarterback, this trend could continue.

Q: It looks like Nathan Elliott is a decent passer and appears to have some capable targets. What is he best at when throwing the ball?

A: Nathan Elliott throws the short pass effectively and has shown an ability to throw the intermediate pass well when given time. He struggles throwing the deep ball though. Elliott is at his best when the running game is effective and he isn't faced with a third-and-long. If Georgia Tech's defense can get Elliott in third-and-long situations, it can make things difficult for the quarterback.

Q: I see that Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant will be taking an official visit to UNC this weekend and presumably will be at the game Saturday. What do you think about UNC’s chances?

A: Right now UNC has as good of a chance as anybody. Bryant says he's not close to making a decision yet, so a good visit could do wonders for the Tar Heels.

But the Tar Heels don't have much going for them at the moment. The future of their coach is uncertain. Fans appear done with the season. UNC is a basketball school. All of those things are not in its favor. Based on that information, I don't know that its chances are good.