More than two weeks removed from its season opening loss, the UNC football team appears to be moving in the right direction. Saturday afternoon at Kenan Stadium, the Tar Heels put together a balanced all-around effort to hand the Illinois Fighting Illini their first loss of the year, dominating them 48-14.
Now sitting at 2-1 in 2015, UNC and head coach Larry Fedora have won two consecutive games in impressive fashion.
Senior quarterback Marquise Williams led the Tar Heel attack against the Illini, going 17-of-24 for 203 yards and three touchdowns, while also running for 105 yards. He got some solid help from sophomore running back Elijah Hood, who posted 129 yards and a score on 16 carries, and the defense–which held its third straight opponent under 20 points.
“I am proud of the fact that we did play a complete game,” Fedora said. “We made game-changing plays on special teams. Offensively we did a nice job–at times. Defensively we stiffened up when we needed to, and created some takeaways. It was a good team effort.”
Illinois had a big day running the ball with senior tail back Josh Ferguson, who rumbled for 133 yards and a touchdown on 22 touches, but quarterback Wes Lunt struggled to find a rhythm all day long against a much-improved Tar Heel secondary.
UNC linebacker Jeff Schoettmer makes the tackle. Photo via Smith Cameron Productions
For the day, Lunt completed 15 of 32 passes for 140 yards and an interception–failing to record a touchdown as the Illini fall to 2-1 on the season under interim head coach Bill Cubit.
“Lunt’s a good quarterback,” Fedora said. “He can spin it. When they spread you out in their ten personnel, he can throw the ball around really well. I thought the [secondary] responded pretty well. We [allowed] a little less than 200 yards passing. You do that, this day in age, you’re doing some good things.”
With his 9-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter, senior Quinshad Davis became the all-time school leader in receiving touchdowns. The score was the 22nd of his career, moving him out of a tie with Hakeem Nicks. Davis caught 5 passes for 56 yards in the game.
Another record, most punt return yards by a Tar Heel in a single game, fell in this one as well. Junior Ryan Switzer picked up 168 yards in this fashion–including an 85-yard touchdown–breaking a record that had stood since 1957.
On the game’s first drive, the Tar Heels appeared to be in trouble–as the Illini marched down the field with ease, all the way to the UNC 2-yard line. Then on 4th-and-1, the defense held strong. Cornerback Brian Walker broke up a pass in the end zone headed for Illinois receiver Geronimo Allison to keep the game scoreless.
Hood then burst through the line for a 39-yard gain on the Tar Heels’ second offensive play of the afternoon. It all went to waste, though, when Williams threw an interception just a few plays later.
Momentum appeared to be with the visiting side at that point in time, but a quick three-and-out by the Illini allowed the Tar Heels to get the ball right back. Six plays and 37 yards later, they went ahead on the scoreboard with a 48-yard field goal by kicker Nick Weiler.
Ryan Switzer after a punt return for a touchdown. Photo via Smith Cameron Photography
From that point on, there was no looking back.
The lead would be stretched to 10 on the next drive after UNC sophomore cornerback MJ Stewart intercepted a pass by Lunt which was headed towards the sideline. The Tar Heels took over at the Illinois 41, and scored just over a minute later after senior tailback Romar Morris ran it in from 7 yards away. It was the first touchdown allowed by Illinois in 2015.
Switzer got the crowd going with an electric 71-yard punt return after Illinois failed to produce in its next opportunity–leading to another field goal by Weiler, this one from 32 yards, giving the home team a 13-0 lead.
But Illinois responded by running the ball right down UNC’s throat.
After breaking loose for a 52-yard run, Ferguson pounded it across the goal line to bring the Illini back within six points. In the first half alone, Ferguson dashed for 106 yards on 14 carries, including the touchdown.
Not wanting to be outdone, Williams broke free on the following drive for a 41-yard scamper–showing fans a glimpse of last year’s Marquise Williams, the one that led the team in rushing.
“We’ve always said he can beat you with his arm or he can beat you with his legs,” Fedora said. “He knows he’s gonna get a few of those opportunities in a game. Before the game I just said ‘Hey, when you do run, run to score. Don’t just run to get a first down, run to score.”
Although he didn’t score on that run, he found Davis in the back of the end zone two plays later for the record-breaking touchdown–a moment that he’d been waiting for all season, saying that the monkey is finally off his back.
Each side then let scoring opportunities slip through their hands early in the third–UNC had a sure touchdown pass slip through Switzer’s hands, and Illinois had a 45-yard field goal bounce off the uprights.
UNC Quarterback Marquise Williams. Photo via Smith Cameron Photography
But Switzer found redemption at the end of the quarter, as Williams found him wide open downfield for a 34-yard score–burying the Illini in a 20-point hole after going into the half ahead 20-7.
He would later score again with seven minutes to play in the fourth on an 85-yard punt return, which was the Tar Heels’ final score of the game. It also gave Switzer that UNC single-game punt return yardage record that had stood for 58 years.
“I could feel it,” Switzer said about his record-breaking day. “Anytime [a punter] doesn’t rugby [kick] the ball or take forever to kick it, you’ve got a chance to return it. It’s in the air and the guys are slow getting down the field.
“That first return [the 71-yarder] I could feel that it was gonna be a big day for us. Then finally, we broke one [for a touchdown].”
Illinois added another score with less than a minute left in the game, but it made no difference, as the Tar Heels wrapped up what was by far, their most impressive performance of the young season.
Up Next:
The Tar Heels stay home yet again, as they conclude a three-game home stand with a game against the Delaware Blue Hens next Saturday at Kenan Stadium.
Game Notes:
- It was the first time two Tar Heels (Williams, Hood) have each rushed for 100 yards since 2010 against East Carolina (Johnny White and Shaun Draughn).
- The last UNC kicker before Nick Weiler to hit a 40-yard field goal in three straight games was Connor Barth in 2007.
- Starting left tackle Bentley Spain missed the game with an injury. He was replaced by John Ferranto.
Comments on Chapelboro are moderated according to our Community Guidelines