UNC Tar Heels Football Team Holds Off Georgia St. for the Victory
by Derrick Isaiah Clyburn
The North Carolina football team traveled down to Georgia to face off against Georgia State on Saturday afternoon. The Tar Heels got off to a quick start with an opening touchdown drive and a 3 and out on defense to set the tone for the game. After scoring 63 points in last week’s win, the offense picked up where they left off last week scoring 3 touchdowns out of their first five drives.
The defense came out and played well forcing some early punts and the Heels were up 21-3 with 8:58 left in the second quarter giving Carolina all the momentum. However, over the next few possessions, the offense stalled and struggled to move the ball down the field for the first time this season. This was crucial because all those Heels’ offense possessions were under two minutes and didn’t give the defense much time off the field. The defense did step up and allowed only 10 points going in the first half.
In the second half, the offensive struggles continued for the Tar Heels. The first three offensive possessions for UNC resulted in two turnovers and a punt. The momentum had completely shifted to Georgia State as they took the lead 28-21 after scoring 18 unanswered points. The Tar Heels finally stopped the bleeding on the next possession with a 58-yard touchdown run by Omarion Hampton to tie the game at 28.
After a key stop by the defense, UNC marched down the field with a 92-yard touchdown drive on their very next offensive possession to take a 35-28 lead. North Carolina’s defense’s play was huge down the stretch as they stepped up and made big stop after big stop to hold Georgia State scoreless in the fourth quarter. Unlike the last two weeks, UNC’s defense was the better unit on the field and helped them pull out the 35-28 victory over Georgia State.
UNC Game Stats
UNC Total Offense- 467 yards
Rushing 183 Passing 284
UNC Passing: Drake Maye 19-24-284 yards 2TDs 1 INT
UNC Rushing: Omarion Hampton 16-110 yards 2TDs, DJ Jones 10-61 yards 1TD
UNC Receiving: Kamari Morales 3-71 yards 1TD, John Copenhaver 2-64 yards, Kobe Paysour 5-61 yards 1TD
Georgia State Total Offense- 419 yards
Georgia State Passing: Darren Grainger 16-24-184 yards 3TDs
Georgia State Rushing: Tucker Gregg 18-79 yards, Darren Grainger 18-75 yards
Georgia State Receiving: Robert Lewis 7-115 yards 2TDs, Jamari Thrash 5-53 yards, Kris Byrd 2-6 yards 1TD
UNC Bright Spots
Drake Maye threw for 284 yards and two touchdowns.
Omarion Hampton had 17 carries for 110 yards and 2 touchdowns.
DJ Jones had 10 carries for 61 yards and 1 touchdown
Kamari Morales had 3 catches for 71 yards and one touchdown
John Copenhaver had 2 catches for 64 yards
Kobe Paysour had 5 catches for 61 yards and one touchdown.
Needs Work
The offensive play calling needs to be better in critical situations. In this game, Phil Longo called too many complex plays that were unnecessary and it put the offense behind the sticks. When the play caller doesn’t make it simple for the offense, it puts more pressure on your freshman quarterback to make plays, which cost them some possessions in this game.
The secondary continues to struggle and is responsible for most of the defensive struggles at this point. They are not breaking on enough balls and are out of position. This includes blown assignments and coverages and opponents are taking full advantage.
Final Observations
The North Carolina football team moves to 3-0 on the season for the first time since 2011. It was the Tar Heels’ first back-to-back win on the road since 2016. It was not easy for the Tar Heels as they were in a very intense game with Georgia State. The UNC offense was not as explosive as the last two weeks, had some adversity, and struggled for certain stretches of the game.
It shows just how good this offense is that they were able to score 35 points and are still seen as struggling. The struggles were partly due to the play calling and the three turnovers committed. The defense stepped up this game and had their best performance of the season, leading the Tar Heels to this win. They made stops in the most crucial moments and showed some heart out there on the field.
The secondary still needs work, especially with their communication and blown assignments, but with the bye week coming up it can continue to be addressed by the coaching staff. The bye week comes at the best time for the Tar Heels. Both sides of the football have improvements to make and should address their issues during this time before the tough part of the schedule comes up.
In addition, players such as wide receiver Josh Downs and Antoine Greene, and defensive back JaQurius Conley have a chance to make a return in the next game in two weeks after being out with injury, which would be a huge boost to this team going forward. Next up is Notre Dame on Saturday, September 24th.