Down to just four games left in what has been a season to forget for the UNC football team, head coach Larry Fedora simply wants to make sure his Tar Heels don’t go down without a fight—both this week against No. 8 Miami and beyond.

Moral victories aren’t too many people’s idea of a good time, but that’s where things have come to for this group of Tar Heels.

Five straight losses have dropped the team to a 1-7 record, while the offense continues to set new lows for the Fedora era. Last week’s 52-point loss at Virginia Tech was the worst UNC had suffered since 2005.

The reward is another game this week against an undefeated team with eyes on the league title.

Enough has been written about the Tar Heels’ injury woes and inexperience already, but it’s unmistakable the effect those issues have had on them.

Fedora enters every year by setting his team’s sights on winning the ACC Coastal Division championship–and a bowl game–but he’s been forced to change the normal goals given that UNC is 0-5 against conference opponents and has been eliminated from postseason contention.

Missed tackles and poor execution on offense have been constant themes for UNC this season. (AP Photo/ Don Petersen)

The challenge now, is for the coach to keep his players motivated through the rest of the season–even as the adversity continues to pile up.

“What kind of legacy do they want to leave?” Fedora asked reporters at his weekly press conference, referring to his players. “And how are they gonna respond to what’s going on with our program right now?

“That’s what they’re going to be remembered as,” the coach added. “It won’t be so much the wins and losses but how they reacted in times of adversity and how they led this football team. And are they going to continue to keep this group together like they’ve done such a good job of doing. That’s where we’re at right now.”

In order to maintain a positive mentality, the Tar Heels have leaned on vocal leaders such as senior cornerback MJ Stewart and tight end Brandon Fritts.

Players have yet to show signs of turning on each other, despite the obvious on-field performance difference between the offense and the defense.

The injury situation has also allowed young players—such as freshman receiver Dazz Newsome—to get some critical reps in for their development.

It’s those types of things that Fedora is looking for right now, rather than expecting to win games against a schedule which has been brutally tough to this point.

“You’ve got to look for the little things, the small silver linings in the details,” Fedora said. “We’ve just got to keep improving and paying attention to detail.”

Another familiar refrain from Fedora amidst all this turmoil has been that he and the staff aren’t making any drastic changes to their routines.

While this season has been underwhelming to say the least, it’s easy to forget the Tar Heels are coming off two of their most successful seasons in a long time—earning their first berth in the ACC Championship Game and sending a large crop of players to the NFL.

It’s also only the first time in 10 seasons as a head coach that Fedora will post a losing record.

No matter how this year ends up finishing out, don’t expect the panic button to sound in Chapel Hill just yet.

“Because of the success in the past,” Fedora said, “I’m not shaky about my philosophy, I’m not questioning whether I can coach, I’m not questioning whether our coaches can coach, I’m not questioning those kinds of things. I know what we’re doing and the way we’re doing things, it’s proven.

“You’ve got to put your nose down, your head down, and you keep grinding and you keep doing it and you keep doing it,” he continued. “And eventually good things are going to happen.”

 

 

Cover Photo via Don Petersen (Associated Press)