Carolina cannot get off to a bad start tonight and hope to win.
The long off-season is over and the Tar Heels aren’t exactly easing into the 2021 schedule. For the first time in Mack Brown’s second tour as Carolina’s football coach, his team opens with a true road game at Virginia Tech this evening at 6 p.m. on ESPN.
In fact, the last time UNC began the season with a win on enemy turf was in 1993, when Brown’s Tar Heels surprised USC at the LA Coliseum. Since then, John Bunting lost his first game at Oklahoma in 2001 and at Georgia Tech in 2005; Larry Fedora lost the 2013 opener at South Carolina and his last team started with a loss at Cal in 2018. For many reasons, this may be the most highly anticipated road opener since Dick Crum’s 1982 fifth-ranked team lost by a point at No. 1 Pitt, reigning Sugar Bowl champs led by All-American Dan Marino.
The current Tar Heels are ranked No. 9, and while Virginia Tech opens unranked the atmosphere at Lane Stadium will make it seem like the Hokies are defending more than their home field. That is why Carolina must withstand what will surely be an opening surge.
The Heels need only remember their visits to FSU and Virginia last season, night games that got away from them early. With all the hype surrounding Brown’s program, it is safe to say Virginia Tech will be a relatively unknown opponent with certainly the potential to win.
Carolina’s question marks surround young wide receivers and younger running backs with the exception of grad transfer Ty Chandler, who nevertheless is playing his first game at UNC under pressure to partially replace Michael Carter and Javonte Williams.
The onus will be on preseason All-American Sam Howell to keep his team cool and guide superior talent to eventually control the game. The Carolina defense, eighth last year in the ACC, must show improvement in stopping the run and forcing turnovers.
The Hokies lost Khalil Herbert, who was second in the ACC in rushing between Carter and Williams, and their option quarterback Braxton Burmeister was a part-time starter who is nowhere near Howell’s level.
If the Heels get off to a good start, they should win and cover the 5 1/2-point spread. If not, it will be a dogfight into the night.
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