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North Carolina Tar Heels: Getting Better against the Illini

By John Woodcock

Sep 10, 2016; Champaign, IL, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Mitch Trubisky (10) throws a pass against the Illinois Fighting Illini during the 4th quarter at Memorial Stadium. North Carolina beat Illinois 48 to 23. Mandatory Credit: Mike Granse-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 10, 2016; Champaign, IL, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Mitch Trubisky (10) throws a pass against the Illinois Fighting Illini during the 4th quarter at Memorial Stadium. North Carolina beat Illinois 48 to 23. Mandatory Credit: Mike Granse-USA TODAY Sports /
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The North Carolina Tar Heels struck the right balance against the Fighting Illini.

The North Carolina Tar Heels left Georgia a week ago under a cloud. Their game against the Bulldogs revealed certain problems. Number 1 was too many penalties. Two was a defense that is still a little away from facing a primetime offense. Number 3 was indecisive and bizarre playcalling. All of that and they still were in the game until a big Nick Chubb run late.

This weekend Georgia barely survived a run in with FCS Nicholls State. Things were not looking so good for the Heels heading into Champaign, Illinois.

Then the ship seemed to right itself. The Tar Heels had beaten Illinois 48-14 last year in Chapel Hill. The Illini had another new coach this year and more transition. The Heels had former Illini coach Tim Beckman on staff briefly before the season started. There was no opponent that the Tar Heels could be better prepared for.

Then came the game, and it looked for a little while like the Tar Heels were back where they started. Ke’Shawn Vaughn did his best Chubb impression by taking a ball sixty yards for a touchdown in the beginning of the game. Alarms should have gone off. Georgia ran a bloc heavy power run scheme, and Illini coach Lovie Smith comes from the NFL where he would like to do the same thing.

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The Tar Heels responded with a good drive where quarterback Mitch Trubisky showed a little bit of two way flair. He scored the touchdown from one yard out to tie the score.

A Ryan Switzer fumble allowed Illinois to go back down the field and find Kendrick Foster in the end zone and grab a 14-7 lead, but the pace of the game was starting to favor the Tar Heels. North Carolina is used to playing quick strike games as opposed to the dragged slugfest against Georgia the week before. A Nick Weiler field goal was followed by another Trubisky rushing touchdown. A busy first quarter ended 17-14 Heels.

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    • The second quarter was less exciting as the Tar Heel defense improved its play and it was Illinois committing the penalties. T.J. Logan had a big kick return and caught a touchdown pass to make it a 24-14 game in the third. Then Elijah Hood was caught for his second safety of the season to make it a one score game at 24-16. Hood remained quiet until the fourth quarter.

    The Tar Heels unfurled the deep ball to Mack Hollins in the third quarter for a twenty yard score. Trubisky was efficient on the day, going 19/24 for two hundred sixty-five yards. Notably four of those passes went to Bug Howard, who had been less targeted in the Georgia game.

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    Luck was still with Trubisky in the fourth when he threw a ball off the back of an Illinois defender and into the hands of tight end Jake Bargas to keep a drive going. Hood converted a seven yard run and on the next possession broke out for his own sixty-two yard touchdown run. That gave the Tar Heels a 45-23 lead and a late Weiler field goal made it 48-23.

    That looked a lot like the Illinois score from last year. The final stats did too. Vaughn had 116 yards rushing for Illinois, but only 50 after his first score. The Tar Heel defense showed up and the offense scored enough to take the issue out of play.

    Next week the Tar Heels get James Madison at home and can try and build some much needed momentum. While the Georgia game may have limited their playoff chances, the Tar Heels can still make some noise in the ACC this year.

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