Through its first two games in 2016, the UNC football team has gashed opponents with its rushing attack when it’s chosen to do so—as tailbacks Elijah Hood and TJ Logan work to carve out an identity for this year’s Tar Heel squad.

The beginning of the Mitch Trubisky era at quarterback received much of the attention surrounding the team throughout spring practice and training camp.

Since then, Trubisky has played solid but has appeared a bit timid at times—especially when it comes to making deep throws downfield.

For the most part, though, UNC’s potent offense has been led by Hood and Logan.

Elijah Hood entered 2016 with enormous expectations, but has seen those taper off a bit with the emergence of TJ Logan as a consistent big-play threat. (Smith Cameron Photography)

Elijah Hood entered 2016 with enormous expectations, but has seen those taper off a bit with the emergence of TJ Logan as a consistent big-play threat. (Smith Cameron Photography)

On just 40 carries this season between the two backs, they’ve gained a staggering 294 yards and three touchdowns.

The combination of Hood’s raw power and Logan’s blinding speed has been a nightmare for opponents when they’ve been given the opportunity—making the transition for Trubisky that much easier.

“It takes the load off [me] a lot,” Trubisky said at Monday’s press conference. “I mean, that’s what we want to do. We want to be balanced on offense. We want to run the ball. We want to get the ball into our playmakers’ hands.

“When Elijah and TJ run like they [have been], it opens up everything for us,” he continued. “And that’s when we’re at our best.”

Anyone who watched UNC play last season—when Hood posted the second-highest rushing total in school history–knew that he was due for another great year.

On the other hand, Logan finished 2015 on a hot streak, having broken free for a number of long touchdowns over the Tar Heels’ final three games. Still, though, the Greensboro native didn’t enter this year with many expectations.

Logan's speed is an attribute not many opposing defenses will be able to match this season. (Smith Cameron Photography)

Logan’s speed is an attribute not many opposing defenses will be able to match this season. (Smith Cameron Photography)

Now, he’s forced his way into the spotlight with his fantastic production—which includes nine yards per carry on the ground, a 24-yard receiving touchdown against Illinois and a kick return touchdown to open the second half against Georgia.

Head coach Larry Fedora sees the senior’s success as no surprise, especially since he’s able to measure his players’ work rates in practice with fancy GPS tracking systems.

“I just think that all the hard work TJ puts in is paying off,” Fedora said. “You really see it on the field. He looks like he’s at a different speed than the other players on the field.

“You go back and look at his GPS numbers from fall camp until now and he’s gonna be the highest—if not the second-highest—on the team every single day,” the coach continued. “All that’s paying off for him.”

Logan’s emergence as a high-level threat has had the residual effect of decreasing the heavy workload Hood took on in 2015.

After the season opener against Georgia where he had just 10 carries for 72 yards, Hood struggled throughout most of the Illinois game thanks to the Illini’s defensive strategy, which focused on slowing him down.

Contributions from Logan meant that Hood was still fresh at the end, leading to a 62-yard touchdown run from the junior that all but clinched the UNC win.

It was yet another way the two backs have helped each other out, as Fedora gives credit to Hood for Logan’s newfound ability to fight through defenders.

“The difference I see in him is he’s finishing runs off now,” Fedora said of Logan. “He’s always finishing off, nobody’s hitting him and stopping him right there. He’s gonna get a couple more yards, or another yard and a half. That’s huge.

“That’s one of Hood’s strengths is how he runs, finishing every run off,” he added. “And now I think TJ has seen that, and it’s made him a better runner too.”

Fedora cited Hood's influence as a big reason for Logan being more physical as a runner so far this season. (Smith Cameron Photography)

Fedora cited Hood’s influence as a big reason for Logan being more physical as a runner so far this season. (Smith Cameron Photography)

Despite the success the two tailbacks have had in the Tar Heels’ first two games, the team ran twice as many pass plays as they did runs in the season-opening loss. In the win last Saturday, 36 run plays were used compared to just 25 passes.

Trubisky even got in on the fun against Illinois himself, showing he isn’t afraid to take hard hits with a pair of physical touchdown runs.

Fedora doesn’t see it this way, however, and has noted that many of the Tar Heel play calls are option plays where the quarterback reads the defense then decides whether to run or pass.

“I like balance,” Fedora told reporters. “But balance to me isn’t the same thing as balance to y’all. Balance to y’all is 40-40 [passes to runs]. I don’t look at carries or throws or any of that.

“If we rush for 100 yards one game and throw for 300, then turn around the next game and rush for 300 and throw for 100—that’s balance to me,” he continued. “Because I look at the end of the year, where we’re at [statistically]—not how many carries, how many runs.

“It’s where were we productive with both styles of offense? Throwing and running.”

With that in mind, one of the few certainties about this Tar Heel team so far is that when Hood or Logan get their hands on the ball–good things happen.