During UNC’s heartbreaking 17-13 loss to South Carolina last Thursday there was one player notably missing from the Tar Heels’ final seven offensive plays—sophomore running back Elijah Hood.
Head Coach Larry Fedora gambled unsuccessfully late in the game, sacrificing Hood’s power running to try and keep the Gamecock defense off balance with his fast paced no-huddle attack.
On a night where he burst for a career-high 138 yards on the ground, Hood proved to the South Carolina defense that he had no issues running through any of them. He was making it look like child’s play.
For that reason, Tar Heel fans have questioned Fedora’s decision to keep Hood on the sideline as quarterback Marquise Williams threw an interception that ended up sealing UNC’s fate.
“The plays that were called were called because that’s what we prepared [for] in that situation, and we felt like they would be successful,” Fedora said at Monday’s weekly press conference. “We didn’t execute the play that was called.”
“If I knew right now that those plays would not have been successful I would not have run them,” he added. “I promise you.”
Hood provided the lone bright spot for UNC’s offense on Thursday, putting up 138 yards on 12 carries. (UNC Athletics)
At the start of the Tar Heels’ last drive Hood was the tailback on the field. With the team facing 3rd-and-1 from its own 48 yard line, he exploded for a crucial 29-yard gain.
He would not play again the rest of the night–although it appeared at one point the coaches had to keep him from putting himself back out there.
“I had thought I’d been called in, but I guess I just misheard that,” Hood said. “I think it was just the tempo we were running. And there was a certain play called in. So they were just gonna run with what they had–and that was gonna be it.”
Fedora said that the team shifted into its hurry-up offense, which requires the team to quickly get to the ball and start the next play. Using this strategy means that the team can’t substitute without allowing the defense to also do so. The goal was to simply tire the Gamecocks out, while hoping Williams could get into a rhythm throwing the ball.
“If I could do it over, I’d do a lot of things differently,” Fedora said. “But I don’t get the option to do that. That’s the great things that you guys get to do that we don’t. Sure, you could say we had 60-something plays, we could have handed it to Elijah 60-something plays.”
That may be true, but for the last seven plays of this game Hood could only watch as his team failed to come up clutch. He remained on the sidelines despite being the Tar Heels’ only real offensive threat the entire second half—putting up all but 20 of his 138 yards in the final two quarters, including three runs of over 20 yards.
“I just felt a sense of urgency on every play,” Hood said about his second half performance. “It felt like I needed to score every play. So, I don’t know. I just wanted it badly, every play. That’s the way I run.”
Plenty of focus will surround Hood the rest of the season. (UNC Athletics)
As he tries to put this tough loss behind him and turn his attention toward the rest of the season, Fedora is now keenly aware of just how dangerous Hood can be.
“You look at how productive he was in the game, you say ‘We wanna make sure we get the ball in his hands so many times a game,’” Fedora said. “If he’s healthy, and running well and productive, then we need to get the ball to him more. There’s no doubt.”
And should this late game scenario present itself again, Hood is ready to hear his name called–if that’s what the coaches decide is best for their team.
“There’s nothing like punching it in on a defense to take the air out of their lungs, for sure,” Hood said. “It’s something I’ve always done.
“Whenever it’s on the goal line, I’ve been the guy to get it in. No matter what.”
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