UNC head football coach Larry Fedora is known for his offensive prowess, but the Carolina skipper hasn’t been satisfied with the Tar Heel attack so far in 2014.

***Listen to the story***

Despite averaging over 400 yards per game and placing among the top 20 in the nation in points scored, Coach Fedora says his offense has a long way to go to meet his lofty expectations.

“We’ve got a long way to go to get to be a really good offense. That’s what our goals are. We expect to be that way. We aren’t even close to the expectation level at this point offensively,” Coach Fedora says.

TJ Thorpe on the receiving end of a Quinshad Davis WR pass. (Elliott Rubin)

TJ Thorpe on the receiving end of a Quinshad Davis WR pass. (Elliott Rubin)

One of the issues with the offensive production likely comes from the inexperience on the line. Coach Fedora puts it bluntly when asked to rate the play of the linemen, but he says they’ll get better with each game.

“Very average – I don’t know how to say it any nicer than that. I think they understand that. We aren’t where we want to be. We knew it was going to be a work in progress. Every rep that they get is a good experience for them,” Coach Fedora says.

A positive development for the Tar Heels is the return of talented wide receiver T.J. Thorpe. Thorpe was sidelined with an ankle injury the first two games of 2014, but expects to be back running routes for UNC this Saturday.

Coach Fedora says having Thorpe back in the lineup will give the offense a lift.

“Coming out of spring ball, he was probably the most productive and exciting receiver we had. It’s going to be nice to have that boost back when he gets back out there,” Coach Fedora says.

But off the field, Coach Fedora keeps an eye on the T.V. for inspiration. He says he’s not above copying what works for other teams if he thinks it will aid his football team.

“I really can’t remember the last time I watched a game as a fan. If you see something that you like or don’t like, I will steal it in a heartbeat if it’s something that we like and something that will be good for us,” Coach Fedora says.

So what’s the key to UNC becoming more consistent on offense? Coach Fedora says the Tar Heels have to establish a more explosive ground game.

“I still think we have to come together as an offensive line. That is to be expected at this point in the season with the guys that we have. I would say overall, we have to be more consistent running the football. For us to be good the rest of the way, we have to be efficient running the football,” Coach Fedora says.

In order to open up those running lanes, though, the Carolina offensive linemen are going to have to clear them first. That means those young Tar Heels will need to grow up quickly if Coach Fedora’s offense is to transition from a streaky threat to a more reliable, consistent machine.