It may be a little too early to wave the white flag on this year’s UNC football team, as the Tar Heels put together a solid all-around performance in their home opener Saturday afternoon—earning them a 38-35 victory over the visiting Pittsburgh Panthers.
Through the first two weeks of the 2018 campaign, UNC had done little to instill confidence in its fanbase. Large swaths of empty seats at Kenan Stadium on Saturday for the team’s first home game of the year reflected that fact.
Following an unexpected week off due to Hurricane Florence, however, the Tar Heels responded in a big way.
Anthony Ratliff-Williams (17) caught four passes for 84 yards in UNC’s 38-35 win over Pittsburgh on Saturday. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
Junior quarterback Nathan Elliott looked as sharp as he ever has since taking the job, while the defense looked dominant in the second half—holding Pitt to just 105 yards after halftime. Elliott completed 22 of his 31 passes for a career-high 313 yards and two touchdowns, without turning the ball over once.
It was just his second career victory against an ACC opponent, with the other coming against Pitt last year.
He also received plenty of help from the Tar Heel rushing attack, led by 114 yards and two scores from Ohio State transfer Antonio Williams.
UNC’s offense finished the day with 486 total yards and looked like a group entirely different than the one that showed up during the first two weeks.
For embattled head coach Larry Fedora—who has built his career around guiding high-octane offenses—Saturday could end up as a major turning point moving forward.
“The offensive staff put together a great gameplan throughout the game,” Fedora told reporters afterwards. “We were able to run the ball and throw the ball. Both, when we needed to.
“Defensively, we made some really nice adjustments at halftime,” the coach added. “And I thought our kids just kept battling.”
Although both teams traded touchdowns for the majority of the first half, it was Pittsburgh that held a 28-21 lead heading into the locker rooms.
From there, UNC buckled down and put together an impressive second half to take the victory.
It didn’t necessarily come easy, as the Tar Heels were forced to hold off a late rally when the Panthers pulled within three after a 16-yard touchdown pass with just over three minutes remaining.
The defense ultimately didn’t need to do anything else, though, with the offense rising to the occasion yet again.
The Tar Heel defense held Pitt to just 105 total yards in the second half. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
Big runs from Williams and receiver Anthony Ratliff-Williams gave UNC two critical first downs over the final two minutes—allowing the team to run out the rest of the clock and put away the win.
“The kids handled the adjustments, and they came out and played hard all the way to the end,” Fedora said. “They just made a decision that they were going to finish this game.”
The win puts the Tar Heels at 1-0 this year against conference opponents, meaning technically they still have a chance to win the ACC.
While that expectation is a wild one to say the least, Fedora and his team appear to have made significant progress over the last couple weeks.
“We did something that we had never done before,” Fedora said. “To have four or five days off like that in the middle of a season. That’s not something the guys are used to.
“But, we constantly talked about how we were gonna turn that into a positive,” he added. “And our guys did that today. They really did. And again, I’m really proud of them.”
Up Next:
A prime-time Thursday night showdown on the road against the Miami Hurricanes awaits the Tar Heels, who will have a short week to prepare. Kickoff for that game is set for 8 p.m.
Game Notes:
- In the last 15 games the Tar Heels have played against opponents from the Power Five conferences, they are now 2-13–with both victories coming against Pitt.
- It was the first time in Elliott’s college career that he threw for over 300 yards.
- UNC sophomore tailback Michael Carter received his first snaps of the season after returning from an injury that kept him out of the Tar Heels’ first two games. He ended the day with 30 yards on six carries, while also hauling in four catches for 36 yards and a 31-yard touchdown grab in the second quarter.
Cover photo via Gerry Broome (Associated Press)
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