The No. 21 Tar Heels will attempt to improve to 2-0 under head coach Larry Fedora for the first time when they welcome the streaking San Diego State Aztecs to Chapel Hill for a Saturday night showdown that will mark the second ever game between the two schools on the gridiron.

UNC claimed the only previous meeting between the two schools, a 20-13 win to capture the 1998 Las Vegas Bowl.

This 2014 encounter promises to be competitive, as both teams are on hot streaks, with the Tar Heels having emerged victorious in seven of their last eight and the Aztecs coming out winners in nine out of their last eleven outings.

 

OFFENSE

UNC has picked its starting quarterback in junior Marquise Williams. Williams’ performance in week one was a mixed bag. Williams tossed in a pair of interceptions to go with his two touchdowns and 169 yards passing. Williams, though, was splitting the reps with redshirt freshman Mitch Trubisky. According to Coach Fedora, however, WIlliams will get the majority of snaps moving forward. This may bode well for Williams improving his consistency against a tricky Aztec defense. The good news for the Tar Heels is the bevy of offensive weaponry at their disposal. Against Liberty, ten different players caught passes, with sophomore Ryan Switzer leading the way with a career-high eight. When you couple the vast array of talent flying around the football field with the fact that the typically warp-speed Tar Heels ran a whopping 93 plays in the opening game, UNC figures to present all sorts of assignment problems to opposing defenses, and that includes the Aztecs. The Tar Heels can score in bunches, and in a hurry, as proven by their 28 unanswered third-quarter points in less than four minutes last week. The only reservation on this side of the ball lies up front. With two offensive linemen making their first career starts just last week, how will they protect Williams and company when the talent quotient increases in week two?

As for SDSU, the veteran offensive guru Bob Toledo, with 39 years of coaching experience, enters his second season at the controls of the Aztec attack. SDSU can move the ball quickly down the field thanks to the return of reliable senior quarterback Quinn Kaehler, who has recorded 13 consecutive 200-yard passing games. One of his most dangerous weapons is receiver Ezell Ruffin. Ruffin broke out for 1,136 yards receiving last season, the most by an Aztec non-senior in the 15-year history of the Mountain West. The Kaehler-Ruffin duo figures to provide a severe test for the Carolina secondary Saturday night. In the backfield, a name to keep an eye on is Donnel Pumphrey. He was one of two freshmen in the country last year to post three consecutive 100-yard rushing games. Pumphrey provides enough of a running threat for the Aztecs to keep the UNC defense guessing. What’s more, the Aztecs are armed with upperclassmen on the offensive line.

EDGE: UNC

 

DEFENSE

Carolina’s defense is viewed as the weakest link of the Tar Heel team, but the players are hungry to prove otherwise in 2014. Week one against Liberty provided a few bright spots, especially in the turnover department. The Tar Heels generated four fumbles and recovered all of them. In addition, junior linebacker Jeff Schoettmer snagged his first career interception and returned it for a touchdown. With starting cornerbacks Brian Walker and Des Lawrence returning to the lineup following their one-game suspensions for an off-the-field incident, the secondary should receive a much-needed boost this weekend. But with plenty of holes to fill and inexperience dotting the field, the jury is still out on defensive coordinator Vic Koenning’s boys.

The Aztecs feature one of the more unique approaches to defense in the nation. Head coach Rocky Long is known for his unorthodox philosophy with wacky formation shifts and hyper-active movement. Coach Fedora even says he’ll expect some plays where not a single Aztec player touches a hand to the grass. Allowing just seven points in their opener and having not given up more than 401 yards in total offense in seven consecutive games, the Aztec defense is improving. But the youth is an issue here. SDSU returns only four starters from last season. But even with eight first-time starters, the highest total for either side of the ball by any team in the nation, SDSU’s style of play could frustrate and confuse the flow of the Carolina offense.

EDGE: PUSH

 

Special Teams/Intangibles

Both UNC and SDSU are special teams superstars! The two schools are two of just four in the country with at least three kick returns for a touchdown and three punt returns for a touchdown since 2011. It will be an unfamiliar position for the two squads Saturday night, as both the Tar Heels and Aztecs are used to having a decided advantage in the special teams department. UNC return specialist Switzer, who established an ACC record with five punt return touchdowns as a true freshman in 2013, will no doubt be fired up to prove his Tar Heels still have the upper hand. As far as home field advantage, although Chapel Hill doesn’t always provide a raucous atmosphere or intimidating scene for opponents, it’s likely it will this week. The game has been billed as the “Kenan Stadium Tar Pit Stripe Out” and may be a sell-out come kickoff. On national television and with a revived football fan base, it could be a fantastic scene in Kenan Stadium.

EDGE: UNC

 

PREDICTION:

This contest could be an absolute thriller for the fans. Fireworks could light up the night sky! San Diego State is a perennial winner with a strong football tradition. Although the Aztecs will start the game as underdogs, don’t put it past them to get off to an explosive start on offense and silence the packed house in Kenan Stadium. But let’s face it, the Aztecs don’t come East very often for a reason. It’s tough to go on the road, travel that far to the other side of the continent and summon the energy for four quarters to fend off a talented team and a ravenous crowd. I think the Tar Heels will play a better first half in week two and control the game with a strong offense and an opportunistic defense.

UNC 45, SDSU 24

 

You can follow Matt on Twitter @moakes3

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