UNC Tar Heels Football Team Falls Short Against the Aggies
by Derrick Clyburn
North Carolina wide receiver Josh Downs (11) grabs a pass for a touchdown during the second half of the Orange Bowl NCAA college football game against Texas A&M, Saturday, Jan. 2, 2021, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
The North Carolina football team fell short in the Orange Bowl. Even though they had four starters sitting out of the game they had chances to close out the win. The offensive coordinator didn’t stay aggressive enough by taking advantage of the strengths of the team to carry it to victory. Throughout the game, there were too many passing plays behind the line of scrimmage or in the shallow flats that gained very few yards.
Texas A&M couldn’t handle the Tar Heels vertical game. UNC didn’t exploit it enough. They did have two big drops by Khafre Brown and Dazz Newsome but they should have kept going back to them. All season everyone knew that the offense should carry the team. If the young defense has a good game that’s the icing on the cake.
UNC Game Stats
UNC Total Offense- 324 yards
Rushing 90 Passing 234
UNC Passing: Sam Howell 18-31-234yds 3TD’s 1 Int
UNC Rushing: British Brooks 15-53yds
UNC Receiving: Josh Downs 4-91yds 2TD’s, Dazz Newsome 6-68yds 1 TD
Texas A&M Total Offense- 457 yards
Texas A&M Passing: Kellen Mond 16-26 232yds
Texas A&M Rushing: Devon Achane 12-140yds 2TDs, Isaiah Spiller 11-50yds 2TD’s
Texas A&M Receiving: Ainias Smith 6-125yds
UNC Bright Spots
Sam Howell threw for 234 yards and three touchdowns.
Josh Downs had 4 receptions for 91 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Dazz Newsome had 6 receptions for 68 yards and 1 touchdown.
Needs Work
The defense needs to continue to get better at tackling in space and finishing the play when they are in a position to sack the quarterback.
The offensive play calling needs to be better. There were too many zero or negative pass reception yards.
Final Observations
Overall, this was a great season for the Tar Heels finishing 8-4. They had a chance to win the Orange Bowl with a few more catches that were dropped. The defense held up well for most of the game but we know that the offense is the bread and butter of the team. They needed to stay aggressive and carry the Tar Heels over the victory line.
UNC has a bright future. They have a very young defense that will be coming back that has shown vast improvement. Also, the reserve running backs and receivers show promise. I just hate to see this opportunity get away from them.