If the Tar Heels win the first half, they will win the game.
The pattern is pretty clear for the seven ACC games Carolina has played so far this season. Second quarter has been the Achilles Heel for the team, even in two games they won.
Overall, the Heels have been outscored 97-53 in the second quarter of ACC games, 7-0 by Virginia Tech and 13-0 by Georgia Tech in losses; 21-3 by Virginia and 21-10 by Wake Forest in games they eventually won.
In two of the defeats, UNC won the first quarter – 7-0 against Georgia Tech and 10-0 against Florida State – and lost the rest of the game. So just getting off to a fast start against NC State Friday night isn’t enough, that lead must be added to by halftime.
The Wolfpack has been a good second-half team for most of its 8-3 record to date, and playing at home will give the Pack an even bigger advantage with a lead after halftime. So Phil Longo and Jay Bateman need good schemes and the players must execute them.
State has been more vulnerable against the pass than the run, giving up 18 touchdowns through the air. Whether Sam Howell goes right to work will depend on the Wolfpack’s interior line; if it is stacked to stop the run, Howell will start throwing right away to loosen up that box and allow Ty Chandler and Howell, himself, to gain some yards on the ground.
Offensively, State is in the second half of the ACC in total yards and is next-to-last in rushing the football. So getting the lead is essential for Carolina to make the Wolfpack more predictable and one dimensional. You don’t want to be playing from behind against them and their capacity crowd because their defensive efficiency is the best in the ACC with 14 interceptions, three more than any other team.
And, of course, after the Tar Heels score, Jonathan Kim has to kick it through the end zone or hit a sky kick that will not let State’s Zonovan Knight run his third kickoff back for a touchdown.
Mack Brown has been searching for the complete game, both halves and on both sides of the ball and cleaner of penalties than the Tar Heels have been. To beat State for a third straight time, they have to deliver in the eighth ACC game like they haven’t in the first seven.
Photo via AP Photo/Gerry Broome
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