North Carolina Tar Heels Keep Pace in ACC Coastal
The Fox Sports crew made a mistake in the North Carolina Tar Heels call. The Heels had just wrapped up their sixth win and the tv crew assumed that they had clinched bowl eligibility. They had not.
Though they had successfully held off Virginia 26-13, the Tar Heels are still a game shy of their magic bowl number. This is because the Heels have played two FCS opponents this season and can only claim one of those victories for bowl eligibility. Like the LSU-McNeese State game, it’s as if it never happened.
Of course that is not the story behind the latest Tar Heel victory in the winning streak. That story is the story of a team that adapts and wins in different ways when it has to.
Coming into the game, the Tar Heels were a team that notoriously started slow, Despite early turnovers, the Heels left no hole that had to filled against the Cavaliers except for 3-0.
Looking at Elijah Hood’s stat line, it could be argued that the Tar Heels won this game with the run. Hood carried twenty-one times for 101 yards and two scores. T.J. Logan had twenty-six yards and another score. Marquise Williams had seventy-one more from the quarterback spot.
With five takeaways, it would also be fair to say that the defense won this game. That is a big statement for a crew that was highly criticized last year as they gave up yard after yard. In the Virginia they were not perfect either, running back Taquan Mizzell had a career day. However he was it. Outside of his production, the Cavs did not show too much.
The result was a career night for Malik Simmons. The senior defensive back had two picks and two defensive pass interference calls. Virginia quarterback Mark Johns was clearly testing him.
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The Tar Heels also experimented at linebacker. They started freshman Andre Smith and moved Jeff Shoettmer to the outside. Shakeel Rashad continued solid play from the outside.
Finally the Heels were subjected to another round of strange officiating. One of those Simmons calls might count, but it was the Mack Hollins offensive pass interference penalty that prevented a late first half score and looked odd. Another call was the targeting call against Virginia that was waved off.
All told, it means that the Tar Heels got another win and have a lot to play for against the Pitt Panthers on Thursday. They remained undefeated in conference play, a first since the Chris Keldorf team of 1997.