If football games were only three quarters long, this year’s UNC team would be undefeated through four games.

This is reality, however, and everyone knows that’s not exactly how things work. The Tar Heels are actually 1-3 following Saturday’s loss to Duke, and are starting to show signs of frustration early in the season.

Senior cornerback MJ Stewart–a key leader on a defense which has allowed three come-from-behind fourth quarter wins–struggled to find a deeper explanation for the Tar Heels’ failures late in games.

“Coach Fedora mentioned it in the locker room,” a somber Stewart told reporters after Saturday’s loss. “We know we’re always up in the fourth quarter.

“Every football game comes down to who makes the most plays,” he added. “They made more plays than us.”

In the first week of the season, UNC took a three-point lead into the final quarter against California–but then allowed the Golden Bears to run off back-to-back touchdowns, before finally scoring again in garbage time with the game out of reach.

The Tar Heels then appeared like they could steal an upset against then No. 17 Louisville the very next week, when a touchdown pass late in the third quarter from Brandon Harris to Thomas Jackson gave them a one-point cushion entering the final period.

The Tar Heels are still trying to put together four complete quarters against a quality opponent in 2017. (AP Photo/ Gerry Broome)

Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson responded by taking the game back into his own hands, accounting for three scores in a row during the fourth quarter.

Once again, UNC was forced to wait until garbage time to add any more points–all while its opponent started making touchdowns look easy.

Saturday against Duke was just the latest example of the Tar Heels’ finishing woes.

Up 17-13 early in the fourth quarter, a tired UNC defense allowed the Blue Devils to go on a death march of sorts. Duke traveled 74 yards in just eight plays and three minutes–capping the drive with a one-yard touchdown run from tailback Shaun Wilson.

Blessed with a chance to take the lead back in the most crucial moments, the Tar Heels faltered again when quarterback Chazz Surratt threw an interception to Duke defensive back Bryon Fields Jr.

Fields ran the ball 61 yards back to the endzone, essentially putting the final nail in UNC’s coffin for the afternoon.

“I don’t know what to tell you yet,” Fedora said, when asked about his team’s problems late in games. “I’m going to have to look at the film. We talked hard about finishing. We worked this week knowing we’ve been ahead in all these games. We’ve talked about it.”

UNC has shown flashes of potential so far, it just has yet to put everything together for a full 60 minutes against a quality opponent.

With the middle of the ACC schedule–and a game against Notre Dame–still awaiting, there’s not much time to get everything figured out.

In order to salvage anything respectable out of this season, every player in the locker room knows what must be fixed–and that it has to be fixed soon.

“Once we get that job done, we know the sky is the limit for us,” wide receiver Anthony Ratliff-Williams said. “But it’s just that little hump we have to get over.”

Related Stories
‹
UNC Football Refusing to Overlook Duke Despite Blue Devils' Early Struggles
Less than a month removed from being ranked among the top five college football teams in America, the Tar Heels now find themselves unranked and looking for redemption. Standing in their way this weekend in Durham is a Duke team looking for revenge of its own after the Tar Heels won last year’s game on […]
UNC Looks to Put Virginia Tech Loss in the Past With Rivalry Battle Against Duke Looming
As the UNC football team tries to recover from its most painful loss of the season, it also must prepare for a visit from a hated rival–with Duke coming to Chapel Hill having won five of the last seven meetings between the two teams. Close games have become the norm for this year’s Tar Heels, […]
Game Time Set for UNC Football Game vs. Duke on Oct. 26
A game time was officially set on Monday for the rivalry showdown at Kenan Stadium between UNC and Duke on Saturday, Oct. 26, as the Tar Heels and Blue Devils will kick off at 4 p.m. that day. UNC will be looking to end a three-game losing streak against the Blue Devils in the Battle […]
UNC Football Falls Apart During Second Half of Loss to Duke, Drops Third Consecutive Game in Rivalry
For one half of football on Saturday afternoon at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, Tar Heel fans were able to relive the glory days under head coach Larry Fedora—watching the scoreboard light up drive after drive. Then, it all fell apart as Duke shut UNC down in the second half on the way to a […]
UNC Football Heading Into Rivalry Showdown at Duke Desperately Trying to Prove Itself Before Season's End
Just three chances remain for the UNC football team to improve upon the dismal 1-7 record it’s put together so far, with this week’s road showdown against Duke adding a bit of extra motivation that head coach Larry Fedora and the Tar Heels could use to get over the hump. The last few weeks have […]
Late Interception Seals UNC's Fate in Victory Bell Loss to Duke
For a brief moment on Saturday it looked as if UNC freshman quarterback Chazz Surratt was in the midst of his first career game-winning drive. Just seconds later, however, Surratt threw a backbreaking pick-six which helped the Duke Blue Devils close out a 27-17 victory over the Tar Heels at Kenan Stadium. With its offense […]
Lamar Jackson's Superhuman Performance Carries No. 17 Louisville Past UNC
Lamar Jackson lived up to the hype and then some on Saturday afternoon at Kenan Stadium, as the reigning Heisman Trophy winner torched UNC for 525 total yards and six touchdowns in No. 17 Louisville’s 47-35 victory over the Tar Heels. Jackson’s performance was statistically the best ever by a UNC opponent. No player had […]
Tar Heels Preparing For Unique Test Against Louisville QB Lamar Jackson
Never before has a reigning Heisman Trophy winner played a game inside Kenan Stadium. That will change this Saturday, however, when the Tar Heels host quarterback Lamar Jackson and the No. 17 Louisville Cardinals in Chapel Hill. Heading into last week’s season-opening loss against Cal, the main narrative surrounding the Tar Heels was that the […]
Despite Loss to Cal, UNC Finds Bright Spot With Freshman RB Michael Carter
Following UNC’s 35-30 loss to California in its 2017 season opener, it’s safe to say the Tar Heel offense is a work in progress. Head coach Larry Fedora still won’t commit to just one quarterback, and the team struggled to find anything close to the downfield passing attack it’s been able to deploy over the […]
UNC Football Falls Flat Against Cal in Season Opener
After weeks of speculation about what the UNC football team would look like with so many new faces this year, Saturday’s season opener at Kenan Stadium proved there’s still a lot of cleaning up to do—as the Tar Heels fell by a score of 35-30 to the California Golden Bears. Making his first career start […]
›