The No. 22 UNC football team saw its composure fall by the wayside late Saturday night, as it allowed No. 18 Georgia to rally from 10 points down in the second half to win the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta 33-24.

Old issues–like penalties and poor run defense–flared up at the worst possible time for the Tar Heels–who were hoping to make a loud statement about the state of their program against a traditional SEC powerhouse.

Following a stagnant first half that saw the high-flying UNC offense struggle to create any rhythm, UNC senior tailback TJ Logan single-handedly injected life into his team–which begins its season 0-1 for the second straight year.

The speedster from Greensboro put the Tar Heels ahead 17-14 with a 95-yard kickoff return to start the second half.

On the team’s next drive, Logan unleashed a 21-yard touchdown run that put the Bulldogs into the double-digit hole. The crowd in the Georgia Dome—which was mostly wearing red—even began “ACC” chants.

TJ Logan was electric all night long for the Tar Heels when his number was called. He scored a pair of second-half touchdowns that put Georgia behind by 10 points. (Jeffrey A. Camarati/ UNC Athletics)

TJ Logan was electric all night long for the Tar Heels when his number was called. He scored a pair of second-half touchdowns that put Georgia behind by 10 points. (Jeffrey A. Camarati/ UNC Athletics)

Then it all fell apart.

Shortly after Georgia cut the lead to 24-21, a flag was called on UNC for having an ineligible receiver downfield on what appeared to be a second down completion.

Head coach Larry Fedora, steaming with anger, protested with referees, earning himself a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.

That led to the Tar Heels being pinned inside their own five-yard-line, ultimately resulting in a back-breaking safety that completely shifted all momentum to their opponents.

“I was questioning the call and the guy didn’t like what I said, so he threw a flag on me,” Fedora said. “That’s nobody’s fault but mine. It’s my fault. That’s the first time that’s ever happened in my life.”

By the time the game was over, UNC had amassed 13 penalties, giving up a staggering 101 yards in the process.

Truth be told, though, Georgia had the clear talent advantage in many areas.

Tailback Nick Chubb showed no rust in his return from a serious knee injury as he carved out 222 yards on 32 carries. The defense also used its speed to force UNC into many uncomfortable second-and-long situations.

Mitch Trubisky never looked comfortable during his first start, as the Georgia defense continually got pressure in the backfield. (Jeffrey A. Camarati/ UNC Athletics)

Mitch Trubisky never looked comfortable during his first start, as the Georgia defense continually got pressure in the backfield. (Jeffrey A. Camarati/ UNC Athletics)

The result was 40 pass plays for the Tar Heels compared to just 19 running plays, despite the success they found on the ground. Quarterback Mitch Trubisky struggled to complete anything downfield, however, and finished with just 156 passing yards in his first career start.

“From what I could tell, he took care of the football,” Fedora said of Trubisky. “That was the number one thing going into this game.

“I don’t know that we made any plays, or created any plays,” he added. “And that was unfortunate. We threw the ball too many times. Probably should have ran it more.”

Georgia, on the other hand, ran the ball 52 times for 289 yards while allowing its two quarterbacks—Greyson Lambert and Jacob Eason—to combine for just 185 yards on 20 throws.

It was the run defense that plagued the Tar Heels during their two losses to close out 2015—which isn’t exactly a great sign this early into 2016. To make things worse, it was a 55-yard touchdown by Chubb that put the game out of reach with just under four minutes to play.

As you might imagine, Fedora was less than pleased with his team’s effort in that department.

“It wasn’t good enough,” Fedora stated matter-of-factly about his team’s run-stopping presence. “It’s gonna be a tough road to hoe if we do that the entire season. We’re gonna have to do much better against the run.”

It was a night that brought Tar Heel fans’ worst fears to the forefront.

The talents of the running backs were put on the backburner while the inexperienced linebackers failed to stop Nick Chubb. Trubisky looked every bit like the first-time starter that he was, while mental mistakes erased potential game-changing plays.

A controversial unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on head coach Larry Fedora ultimately played a large role in the outcome of the game. (Jeffrey A. Camarati/ UNC Athletics)

A controversial unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on head coach Larry Fedora ultimately played a large role in the outcome of the game. (Jeffrey A. Camarati/ UNC Athletics)

You can be forgiven if you feel a sense of déjà vu after this one—with Georgia’s 19-0 second-half run taking the place of South Carolina’s game-sealing interception in the endzone.

Just don’t expect the Tar Heels to feel sorry for themselves. There’s still a long road ahead.

“I don’t know how it’ll compare to last season,” Fedora said after the game. “I’m really more concerned with what we do with this team.

“It’s gonna be interesting with our leaders—how they handle this,” he continued. “I think I know. They’ll come back out to work on Sunday and they’re gonna get ready to go for the next game.”

Up Next:

The Tar Heels will travel to Champaign, Illinois next week for a road game at Illinois (7:30 p.m). It will be the second leg of a home-and-home series that began in 2015 with a 48-14 win by UNC at Kenan Stadium.

Game Notes:

  • UNC has now lost nine straight season openers to opponents from Power 5 conferences, dating back to 1997.
  • TJ Logan’s kick return touchdown was the Tar Heels 13th score off a return since Fedora took over in 2012–tied with Duke for the most in the FBS.
  • Elijah Hood carried the ball 10 times for UNC, tallying 72 yards. Logan picked up 80 yards on his six touches.
  • Georgia had possession for 38:07 compared to just 21:53 for the Tar Heels.
  • Mack Hollins caught just one pass from Trubisky for six yards in the second half following his first-half suspension.

 

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