Further Reaction to UNC-UVA

So last week's game against UVA has come and gone, and 16-3 in favor of Virginia still looks like an anomaly. I mean, here is a team that hadn't won a game, had lost to three non-BCS opponents (albeit a good team in TCU) including one FCS school, but they still are able to come into Chapel Hill and beat Carolina for the 7th time out of 8?

Here's a startling statistic for all you Carolina fans: Butch Davis is 2-6 against major UNC rivals. He was absolutely crushed by Wake Forest in 2007 and by NC State last season, and lost by 13 points to a UVA team that hadn't won a game all season before they came to Chapel Hill. Getting good recruits is nice, but what good is it if you can't win on the field?

I think it's apparent that a change needs to be made. I'm sticking with Davis because of his track record in improving the quality of talent on the roster, which is something that Carolina desperately needs and has since Carl Torbush became the coach in 1998. But there is simply no reason for offensive coordinator John Shoop to remain in Chapel Hill past this season; he was unsuccessful with the Bears and Raiders in the NFL, and he has been an uncreative flop since his arrival at UNC. If Davis and Carolina continue to be committed to the pro-style offense (which I think is the right call), then they should look at coordinators who have success with those schemes when looking for their next OC, because I can assure you that Shoop's days are numbered in Chapel Hill.

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.

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.