UNC football opened its first game as a top 25 ranked team since 2010 against the Liberty Flames Saturday, and the win was a good sign to those nervously anticipating another winning season from the Heels.
GAME RECAP: Tar Heels Extinguish Flames 56-29
Carolina had a slow start in the first half, trailing by one point in the early minutes of the third quarter. Just as it seemed the second half wasn’t going to be much better than the first, the momentum was quickly shifted by a 33 yard catch from starting quarterback Marquise Williams to receiver Mack Hollins, and then an explosive 19 yard pick-six from Jeff Schoettmer 13 seconds later.
Liberty’s offense didn’t have much of a response thereafter, and UNC continued to convert defensive stops into points to pull out a 56-29 victory.
As much as head coach Larry Fedora enjoyed that second half, he repeatedly noted in an ACC teleconference Wednesday that there is a need for improvement from all positions on the field, especially against next week’s hard-hitting threat from the Mountain West, the San Diego State Aztecs.
“We really (have) got to continue to work on our own fundamentals – that’s one thing,” Fedora said of preparing for Saturday’s kickoff. “We’ve got to make sure we tackle well, and we’ve got to make sure we block well and we’ve got to take care of the football offensively and we’ve got to continue to create turnovers on defense.”
As former defensive coordinator for the Aztecs, head coach Rocky Long takes pride in the defensive strength and efficiency of his team – which may prove a challenge for a young and traditionally undersized Carolina offensive line.
“I just want to see us become more consistent up front with the fundamentals and the scheme that we’re running,” Fedora said. “We don’t have to be end of our season at our best right now but we do need to see improvement and the style of defense that San Diego State runs makes it very difficult for a young offensive line.”
Long is entering his fourth year as head coach at SDSU, and is named the all-time winningest football coach in the Mountain West conference.
Fedora also mentioned one of his concerns is the offense under coordinator Bob Toledo, a coach with 39 years of collegiate coaching experience and a new addition to the Mesa.
“Toledo does a great job with the offense, I mean; they are a west coast style of offense,” Fedora said. “They run the ball very well, they’re very physical when they run the ball but then they do a great job with their play-action passes. If you look at them, they returned a punt for a touchdown in the opening game (and) they did some nice things on their special teams so we’ll have to match them up.”
Senior receiver Ezell Ruffin is the Aztecs’ seasoned offensive threat, who was named to last year’s Biletnikoff Award watch list and led the team with 68 catches, 1,136 yards and three receiving touchdowns.
When asked about a defensive response in sophomore cornerbacks Brian Walker and Des Lawrence, who were suspended from the season-opener against Liberty, Fedora said he had confidence coming out of fall camp in their aggressive defense and work on special teams this season.
STORY: UNC Football: Four Suspended Vs Liberty
Saturday makes the second meeting between the two teams, as a peek through history shows a 20-13 win for the Heels in the 1998 Las Vegas Bowl.
Everyone attending the game is encouraged to wear blue or black according to their respective seating sections in the Tar Heels’ first “Stripe Out” game in Kenan Stadium at 8 p.m.
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