UNC Tar Heels Football Team Continue Losing Close Games
by Derrick Clyburn
The Tar Heels football team plays so hard but can’t get out of its own way. Penalties, miscues, and broke coverages describe a great deal of what has happened to North Carolina all season. They score enough points to win games, but they can stop the other team from scoring in crucial moments. UNC gave up 629 yards and 186 of those yards to Duke’s quarterback Daniel Jones which is totally unacceptable. He gashed the Tar Heels all game with explosive runs. They did not spy him after he hurt them for big gains in the first half. The coaches don’t help this team make the adjustments to win games.
Game Stats
UNC Total Offense – 536 Yards
Rushing 315, Passing 221
UNC Passing: Nathan Elliott 27-43-221yds 1TD
UNC Rushing: Michael Carter 18-148yds 1TD, Dazz Newsome 1-84yds 1TD, Anthony Ratliff-Williams 1-13yds 1TD
UNC Receiving: Dazz Newsome 6-66yds, Anthony Ratliff-Williams 4-54yds
Duke Total Offense – 629 Yards
Duke Passing: Daniel Jones 31-54-361yds 3 TD’s
Duke Rushing: Daniel Jones 15-186yds 1TD, Deon 17-78yds 1TD
Duke Receiving: T.J. Rahming 9-98yds, Chris Taylor 4-95yds 1TD
Bright Spots
Michael Carter ran for 148 yards on 18 carries and 1 touchdown.
Dazz Newsome scored a touchdown on an end and around from 84 yards out.
Needs Work
The Tar Heels need to play mistake-free football on both sides of the ball. Fedora and the coaching staff have to help this team finish games. The coordinators need to be more aggressive with their play calling. The offense had five 3 and out series in a row in the second half.
Final Observations
There are only two games remaining in this disappointing season. Both are home games. Maybe this team can finish on a high note by winning the last two games.