Recap: UNC 20, VT 17

What a great win for the Tar Heel program. The team showed a lot of courage and heart, bounced back from a little adversity in a way that I haven't seen in this program since the early part of this decade, and went into one of the toughest environments in college football in front of a national audience and defeated a Virginia Tech team who Carolina had never beaten before since the Hokies' inception into the ACC.

However, there are a few things I picked up on that I am hopeful that the team will get fixed in time for their Homecoming contest against arch-rival Dook. First and foremost, last night proved to me once again that T.J. Yates is simply not the kind of quarterback who can win you the game. He's a nice player who can come up with some good throws, but overall he is too inconsistent to be considered an above-average quarterback at the collegiate level. Secondly, the defense - despite playing very well all game - gave up too many yards through the air. I understand that was the gameplan (load the box and force VT QB Tyrod Taylor to beat you with his arm) but the soft zone that had become defensive coordinator Everett Withers' calling card during his first year in Chapel Hill made a reappearance last night, and proved to be just as soft and lax as ever. Against a good QB like Dook's Thad Lewis, this team simply cannot allow that to happen.

Overall however this team was exceptional last night. I would count this among the programs five biggest wins this decade without question, and proved to me that this team is ready to be among the ACC's better teams. Though they are fighting for bowl eligibility (the Heels need to win 2 of their next 4 games to become eligible for postseason play), UNC showed that they can win the big game, despite a little adversity, and that they are ready to take the next step as a football program.

Instant Recap: UNC 27, FSU 30

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What can you say? UNC had the game won; 24-6 in the 3rd quarter, only to let the Seminoles go on a 24-3 run to close the game. FSU QB Christian Ponder channeled his inner Johnny Unitas, going 33-40 for a career-high 395 yards and 3 TDs, and the lauded UNC defense could not stop FSU from scoring again...and again...and again.

As much as I hate knee-jerk analyses (it usually ends up in hasty remarks that you would later come to regret), I'm going to go against my better judgment and make a bold prediction here: the season is over for Carolina football.

Yes, I said it. You can all start looking forward to basketball season.

Though there are some positives to take away from this game - UNC RB Shaun Draughn had 120 yards on the ground, and the Heels had over 300 yards of total offense - there is simply no way this team can come back from an effort like this. To lose on the first-ever Thursday night game in Chapel Hill by squandering an 18-point 3rd-quarter lead accompanied by the amount of injuries on this football team is simply a killer; UNC will struggle to finish at .500 this season, and I highly doubt that this team will return to any form of postseason play this year.

Looking ahead it doesn't look any better. Virginia Tech will crush this team. Dook has a legitimate chance to beat Carolina for the second time this decade. Miami should win handily against UNC. Boston College is a better team than Carolina is at this point in time. NC State will look to continue their recent streak of dominance against the Heels, and they'll have momentum on their side playing at home. Frankly, it wouldn't be completely out of the question for UNC to go 0-5 to close out the season. Granted, I don't think it will happen, but the fact that it's not outside the realm of possibility is enough for me to declare this season a wash.

Move on, UNC football fans; it's time to look to next year for this program to once again try to live up to their "potential" or any expectations placed on them prior to the season.

And I'll leave with a thought that hadn't crossed my mind until tonight: what if what happened against FSU is as good as it ever gets in Chapel Hill?

The State of UNC Basketball

Coming off their second national championship in five years, the Tar Heels are clearly the cream of the crop in college basketball. With Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams at the helm and a storied history including the likes of Phil Ford, James Worthy, Michael Jordan, and now Tyler Hansbrough, it doesn't look like Carolina is slowing down anytime soon.

However, doubts remain about the current incarnation of the boys in Carolina blue. Gone are Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, Danny Green, Bobby Frasor, and Mike Copeland. Of those six, four of them have NBA futures. So how does UNC recover?

It all starts with the two seniors this year: Deon Thompson and Marcus Ginyard. For Thompson's entire career he has played in the shadow of the greatest collegiate player of the last 10 years; this year, he needs to capitalize on being the main option offensively in the post. Ginyard is coming back from a debilitating injury last season that forced him to miss all but a handful of games, but his noteworthy leadership and stellar perimeter defense will need to be complimented by some offensive output as well if this team wants to return to the Final Four.

Two other key contributors on this team are going to be Ed Davis and Larry Drew II. Davis could have gone pro after last season, but chose to stay in Chapel Hill another year to work on his offensive production. He will need to be a force in the paint opposite Thompson to be effective, and he proved that he's more than capable last season. Drew II will probably be the most scrutinized player on the floor this year; he replaces a player in Lawson who had an assist-to-turnover ration of just north of 4:1, and has little to no experience as the starter at Carolina. His development is key to this team's chances at success.

Keep an eye on the freshmen this year. The last time a class was slated to have this big of an impact was in 2006, with Hansbrough/Green/Frasor/Ginyard coming to Chapel Hill. John Henson was a consensus top-10 recruit, and his 6'10 length will be tested on the perimeter to start the season. Dexter Strickland will see key minutes at both guard positions. Leslie McDonald has a chance to be the Heels' most complete player as a freshman, and the Wear twins David and Travis will both earn playing time along the frontcourt.

The Heels also keep on reloading as well. Recruiting is the lifeblood of any program, and Williams is one of the best in locating elite talent and selling the strong points of UNC. Guards Kendall Marshall and Reggie Bullock are set to join the team after this season (both are consensus top-50 players), and UNC remains in the hunt to add the services of Harrison Barnes, the #1 player in the 2010 class. The 2011 group looks strong as well with the Heels already holding commitments from in-state superstar P.J. Hairston and top-5 talent James McAdoo.

So where is the UNC basketball program headed? Well, it's hard to say, really; after winning a national championship critics think that there isn't anywhere to go but down, however the Heels seem to have great teams lined up for the foreseeable future. The answer might not be either up or down, but rather where will this program end up in terms of all-time runs? Will it rival what UCLA accomplished under John Wooden? Will it surpass Indiana and Kentucky in terms of national titles and all-time wins?

There are still a lot of variables out there that dictate how this year's team does; a perceived lack of outside shooting, proven point guard play, and potential lapses in overall offensive production could severely retard this team's goals. However, when you're playing for national championships every year, it's easy to expect excellence. This year and beyond, the Tar Heel basketball program looks to be the best in the country, and it's not hard to think that this could be the beginning of the next great college basketball dynasty.

Tar Heel Football: What's To Come

Getting an early morning to talk about what is yet to come for the gridiron Tar Heels this year, and give a sneak peak of what's yet to come.

I'm going to be honest (perhaps brutally so) with you guys: this season has essentially 3 must-win games left: FSU tomorrow night, Dook at home for Homecoming, and at NC State to finish out the season. If Carolina wins those games, they will go to a bowl game. The only other game that might be considered "winnable" for the Heels on the remaining schedule is at BC, but in Boston in late November it is going to be tough to win a football game against the home team. I think 7-5 is a good estimate of where this team will finish this season given certain injuries and possible returns (most notably TE Zach Pianalto and possibly C Lowell Dyer), and Carolina becomes bowl-eligible for back-to-back seasons for the first time since Mack Brown was the head coach.

Past this season, I think Tar Heel fans still have a lot to look forward to. I know a lot of people were expecting big things from this team THIS year, but (in continuing with the honesty theme) when injuries decimate a team like they have Carolina this season, it is so hard to come back from something like that. Critics will view this as an excuse, but to be honest there is no way this team could have been as competitive as they wanted to be without a healthy offense; even if the offense was healthy enough to be in the top 50 nationally this team might still be undefeated with the defense that has been assembled on the opposite side.

Next year (and no, it's not too early to start talking next year with this team) looks very bright. UNC recently picked up their 5th offensive line commitment for this class (obviously a huge need given the attrition over the last 3 months at that position), and are in the hunt nationally for some other big-name recruits, most notably South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore and Pennsylvania defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd. If either of those players commit to the Tar Heels, this recruiting class will be considered a sure-fire success. Add that to the majority of players returning healthy next season with added experience from this year, and I'm not sure that the Tar Heels don't have a legitimate shot to make some real noise in the ACC next year...and possibly win the league.

Final note about this season and next season: if the offense can find any way to consistently produce, I fully believe that team will be successful given what is on the other side of the ball. That is truly the bottom line for this UNC program; if Carolina can run the ball consistently and complete good passes down the field, even if they are 4- and 5-yard completions, I don't see any reason why this team cannot be an elite ACC football team.

Bye Week For The Heels

Thank God for bye weeks.

This could not have come at a better time for Carolina. Between the onslaught of injuries from the start of training camp, to the offense simply not being able to execute, this team needed a break to recooperate, and understand what is yet to come this year.

The coaching staff will be using this break as a final opportunity to take a deep breath before the last half of the season, and with a daunting schedule this Carolina team will absolutely need it. Florida State comes to Chapel Hill next Thursday in the first-ever weekday game in Chapel Hill, then the Heels travel to Blacksburg to play Virginia Tech a week later. Home contests against Dook and Miami follow on back-to-back weeks, and UNC closes out the season traveling to both Boston College and NC State.

There's little doubt this season has not gone as planned for the Tar Heels. Before the injuries and bad execution, there were high hopes of 10 wins (still a possibility, albeit highly unlikely), an ACC title, and possibly taking the next step under coach Butch Davis towards becoming a perennial ACC power in football. With most of those dreams dashed by the wayside and/or put on hold until next year, it's time for the coaching staff and the players to show what they are really made of. Will this team quit and finish the season in the same anemic fashion that they did last year, or will they finally show their fans that they have learned to finish not only games but seasons?

We will all find out next Thursday night in Chapel Hill against the Seminoles.

Recap: UNC 42, GSU 12

Nice comeback win for the Heels as they throttle an over-matched Georgia Southern team in a game that was never really in doubt after Carolina went up 21-7 in the second quarter. LBs Quan Sturdivant and Bruce Carter both had defensive touchdowns while CB Kendric Burney and LB Zach Brown tallied INTs for the Tar Heel defense, who looked incredibly motivated and hungry from the outset.

The offense also played well, and the key to that was OG Jonathon Cooper's return to the lineup. Cooper solidified what has been an injury decimated offensive line and helped the Heels rack up four rushing touchdowns on the day. Though there were some other injuries in this game for the offense (RBs A.J. Blue and Jamal Womble, as well as replacement OC Cam Holland), they executed better than in previous weeks and started to get a good rhythm.

The starters should definitely feel good about where they are headed into the bye week; a lot of those guys are replacement starters who have gained valuable experience throughout this injury-plagued season, and to be sitting at 4-2 isn't the end of the world for this team. Granted, there are some very tough tests ahead (including at Virginia Tech, which looks to be the toughest remaining game left on UNC's schedule), but if Carolina has a good bye week, gets healthy, and comes out strong against Florida State, they could be right back in the thick of things with the majority of their ACC schedule left on the table.

Recap: UNC 3, UVA 16

Break out the black, Carolina fans. The hope for UNC to reach the ACC Championship Game this season is officially dead.

The Tar Heels were simply terrible against a hungry Virginia team looking for its first win, and the Cavaliers found it against an opponent who they have now defeated 7 out of the last 8 meetings. This is a cause for concern for Carolina fans, and the first real reason to criticize head coach Butch Davis since his arrival in Chapel Hill; as Carolina's head coach, Davis is a paltry 2-6 against UNC's major rivals (Virginia, Dook, NC State, and Wake Forest).

Major concerns once again lie on the offensive side of the ball. The offensive line injuries continue to impact TJ Yates (who played admirably well despite throwing two INTs) and disrupt any attempts at offensive rhythm. Those injuries were compounded even further at the end of the fourth quarter with starting left tackle Kyle Jolly going down with what appeared to be (at best) a hyper-extended right knee. Defensively, it was the same story against Georgia Tech and Connecticut this year; the defense was on the field for the majority of the afternoon, and eventually just broke under the punishing ground attack for UVA.

Unless this UNC team gets healthy in a hurry, it doesn't look good for any chances at the postseason this year. UNC plays FCS opponent Georgia Southern next week, a very talented and disciplined team who will be looking to come away from Kenan Stadium with a monstrous upset. After that comes a mercifully placed bye week, followed by a brutal back stretch of Florida State, Virginia Tech, Dook, Miami, Boston College, and NC State. If UNC goes into the bye week 4-2, gets healthy in the next two weeks, and solves some of the arrhythmia on offense, then maybe a bowl game is still within reach. If Carolina can't get healthy fast enough, this team could be in real danger of going 4-8 or 5-7 this season. With this loss, Carolina simply has no more room for error this year if they expect to go to a bowl game in December.

Week 4 ACC Rankings

1. Virginia Tech (3-1, 1-0). Massive win against Miami, and Tech has rocketed back up into the top 10 in both polls. There is little doubt that they are still the class of the conference.

2. Georgia Tech (3-1, 2-1). Got past a ranked UNC team with ease, and proved that they can bounce back from a crushing loss. This team is for real, despite the injuries.

3. Miami (2-1, 2-1). Back to reality for the Canes, but this team still has a very bright future. If they can beat a weakened Oklahoma this week, Miami could be back - for good.

4. North Carolina State (3-1, 0-0). Battling back from a deficit is never easy, but NC State showed they were up to the challenge against Pitt. They have looked very good since their slop-fest against South Carolina.

5. Clemson (2-2, 1-1). TCU is a tough team, but Clemson looked ready for the challenge and played well enough to win. With Florida State reeling, it looks like the Atlantic Division is Clemson's to lose right now.

6. North Carolina (3-1, 0-1). Bitter pill to swallow last week after getting rocked by an angry Georgia Tech team. The Heels have the benefit of going up against UVA and FCS Georgia Southern back-to-back to get back on track.

7. Boston College (3-1, 1-1). Every time I want to count this team out, they prove me wrong. The Eagles introduced a little Wildcat formation last week, and pulled out a huge OT win against Wake Forest.

8. Florida State (2-2, 0-1). The Seminoles are really struggling this year, and it's surprising given the expectations preseason. Their next game against BC could be a season-defining moment for both teams.

9. Wake Forest (2-2, 0-1). No one expected the Deacs to compete this season, but they had a chance to prove the doubters wrong against BC and failed to capitalize. It could be a long year in Winston-Salem.

10. Dook (2-2, 0-0). The Blue Devils finished their out-of-conference schedule at .500, which isn't terrible. What is terrible is the fact that one of those losses came to FCS Richmond, and it won't get easier with the ACC schedule approaching.

11. Maryland (1-3, 0-0). The Terps lost again, this time to a mediocre Rutgers team that has looked at times completely lost on the football field. This could be the end of the Friedgen era in College Park.

12. Virginia (0-3, 0-0). Good news: the Cavs didn't lose last week. Bad news: Virginia had a bye week. If the 'Hoos can somehow find a way to beat UNC this week, then all hope may not be lost for the season. But I wouldn't hold my breath.

Recap: UNC 7, GT 24

Ouch.

This was bound to happen at some point this year given the injuries and everything that has been surrounding this team from the beginning of training camp, but it still stings nonetheless. UNC was out-classed by Georgia Tech in every facet of the game. Offensively, the Heels couldn't move the ball even if they wanted to, didn't score a TD until 12:30 left in the 4th quarter, and finished with less than 20 rushing yards as a team. Defensively, Carolina simply did not tackle well, allowed GT to convert 10 of 19 third downs (coming in they were only allowing opponents 22% on third down), and the Yellow Jackets rushed for over 300 yards in a game that wasn't ever in doubt for Tech.

This is not a "back-to-the-drawing-board" moment, but it's as close as Carolina will get all season. This team is young and inexperienced along the offensive line and it showed in a tough environment in Atlanta. Offensive line coach Sam Pittman is going to have to do the best coaching job of his career if this offense is going to get back on track. Though the defense gave up a ton of points and yards yesterday I thought they played pretty well. They kept Carolina in the game, and it was only 10-0 heading into the start of the 4th quarter. If the defense improves their tackling technique and the offense can find ANY WAY to move the ball on the ground, they should bounce back nicely against Virginia, who hasn't won a game yet this season.

Bottom line here: Carolina was definitely overmatched against GT, but they simply cannot let that stop them from destroying UVA. The UNC-UVA rivalry may not get as much publicity as UNC-Dook or UNC-NC State, but you can be sure that both teams really want to win this one for reasons outside the current state of the season. For UNC, it's a chance to get back on track and have a chance to go 5-1 to start the season if they can beat the Cavs and FCS opponent Georgia Southern. For UVA, it's a chance to save Al Groh's job and to finally break into the win column this season. Carolina will almost certainly be favored in this game, and they need to play like they are the superior team and go into this game expecting to win. If they can do that, along with better execution in all facets of the game, then I think the Heels will come out on top.

Less Than 1 Week

So I'm sitting at home watching high school football on ESPN, and I realize that the college football season isn't that far away. In fact, it's only 5 days until NC State opens the college football season against South Carolina. As a football fan, there is nothing better than having meaningful football on television again; sure, the NFL preseason is nice and high school football brings back memories of underage consumption in a gravel parking lot, but for the most part there is nothing like seeing two teams lay it all on the line on Saturdays and Sundays and try to get the win.

But leads me to an interesting question - which is better: college football or pro football? I think I'll make an argument for each in my next two entries, and then readdress it before Thursday's game. Until then, feel free to answer the question for yourself - college football or the NFL?