Andrew Carter, veteran North Carolina beat writer for the News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C., lent his insight into the Tar Heels by answering five questions about Georgia Tech's opponent Saturday. You can follow him on Twitter here and read his coverage of North Carolina here.
Q: Former UNC quarterback Marquise Williams gave Georgia Tech a lot of trouble the past two years. How do you compare him with Mitch Trubisky?
A: They're similar in that both had success, but they generate that success in completely different ways. Williams was such a great adapter and improvisor. He could take a broken play and turn it into something, and Larry Fedora and the coaching staff loved using the read option with Williams. He had a great knack for that particular play, and he was as capable of connecting on a long downfield pass as he was escaping the pocket for a 10- or 15-yard run. Williams was difficult to scheme against because you never quite knew what he was going to do play-to-play.
The offense has probably become a bit more predictable with Trubisky at quarterback, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s a testament to how good Trubisky has been that teams probably know what’s coming more often than not — a pass — and yet defenses are still often helpless to defend it. Trubisky probably could run as effectively as Williams did, but he’s much more of a pass-first quarterback. We heard raves for years about his accuracy and arm strength, and those raves, it turned out, were true. He has been incredibly accurate and he can make all the throws, as they say.
Q: A year after making the ACC title game for the first time in school history, the Tar Heels are in the Top 25 again. North Carolina has typically seemed to underperform based on recruiting, but the past two years seems to have turned a corner. What has Larry Fedora done to make this happen?
A: Above all, Fedora has established a culture in which winning is expected, that no matter the circumstances the players always have a chance to come back. That culture probably originated, by the way, with that victory down in Atlanta last year. That game was clearly a turning point, and I see we'll be talking more about that in a bit.
Beyond that, Fedora has done a great job of recruiting players who fit his particular offensive scheme. He identified Trubisky early on and made him a clear recruiting priority with the belief that Trubisky would be UNC’s quarterback of the future. Fedora and his staff successfully recruited other skill players that fit his scheme well, guys like T.J. Logan, Elijah Hood and Ryan Switzer.
Fedora has such confidence in his offensive scheme that he believes if he has the right players, the offense shouldn’t be stopped. That’s essentially become the reality at UNC, though next year will be a challenge because the Tar Heels will lose a lot after this season. So above all, Fedora accomplished his main goal. He has built a machine on offense. Other things have fallen in place around that.
Q: Last year’s game, when North Carolina won after falling behind 21-0, seems to have been a turning point for both teams. What have coaches or players said about what that game did?
A: Fedora addressed that game earlier this week and basically conceded that the Tar Heels wouldn't be where they are now had they not won that game. It sounds corny to say, but that game was much more than a single victory for UNC. The Tar Heels reaped the benefits of that comeback over and over again last season, and it really inspired a lot of faith and belief among the players.
Fedora often talks about “grit.” It’s the one characteristic above all that he wants his teams to have. In overcoming that 21-0 deficit on the road, in a stadium where UNC hadn’t won in nearly 20 years, the Tar Heels proved they had that grit that Fedora had been trying so long to instill. That win filled UNC with hope, this notion that anything was possible.
The Tar Heels went on to win the Coastal Division. They didn’t lose a conference game last year, and that run began with that improbable comeback in Atlanta. It’s crazy how much of a difference one game can make. If UNC loses that game, who knows what happens to the rest of the season? Maybe it’s a success, still, but maybe guys lose confidence and chemistry becomes a problem again, like in 2014.
That victory was a clear program-changer for Fedora and his program. It’s a dividing line. Before it, the Tar Heels were kind of stuck in neutral — a cycle of two steps forward, one back; or two back and one forward. Amid that comeback, UNC began a clear upward trajectory that has continued into this season.
Q: The numbers would indicate that the Tar Heels defense has improved its play in the past three games. What have you seen?
Well, for one thing, they’ve seen easier competition. The Tar Heels’ schedule was front-loaded with the most difficult games during the first half of the season. During the first month, UNC played against Nick Chubb, James Conner and Dalvin Cook — and those guys can make a lot of defenses look bad. So for one, the competition has become easier, and that helps UNC.
Beyond that, though, I’d say that several players in the front seven have grown into their roles. The Tar Heels probably missed Jeff Schoettmer and Shakeel Rashad, two departed linebackers, a lot more than they thought they would. It has taken a while for Andre Smith, the middle linebacker, and Cole Holcomb, another linebacker, to grasp the defense.
Up front, on the defensive line, the Tar Heels were beset with injuries early on. UNC was reliant for a few weeks on guys who hadn’t played a lot and their inexperience showed. The defensive line, in particular, has come a long way. Naz Jones and Jeremiah Clarke have both improved tremendously on the inside of the line. Jalen Dalton, a former top prospect, continues to improve and develop.
The strength of the defense was supposed to be the secondary and, oddly, UNC is still waiting for its first interception of the season. The lack of interceptions continues to be troubling, but there’s a lot to like about what UNC has done defensively — especially during the past games, victories at Miami and Virginia.
Q: How much has the team’s success last year, and Fedora’s tenure overall, raised interest in football among UNC fans?
A: It's difficult to quantify. Season ticket sales were up this season, if only slightly. One of the real downsides of playing the Virginia Tech in tropical storm-like conditions on the outskirts of Hurricane Matthew was that it probably cost the Tar Heels what would have been one of their best home environments in years.
UNC was back in the national rankings, fresh off a crazy, last-second victory at Florida State. The Tar Heels were hosting Virginia Tech in a key divisional game. And then this storm comes and people make the wise decision to stay home rather than sit in a steady downpour with consistent 25-mph winds. UNC hasn’t been at home since, so I’m intrigued what the turnout will be on Saturday.
That said, UNC still has a long, long ways to go to establish the kind of fan culture that Fedora wants. The only thing that will create the desired environment is sustained success. Last season was a great start, but it’s going to take more time.
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