"A Step in the Right Direction"

Bob’s Blog “One Step in the Right Direction”

For the first time since Darian Durant was a sophomore, North Carolina has won a game played in another state. The Tar Heels didn’t just carve a crease in the glass ceiling. They shattered it.

I can only be critical of one thing. Lose the dark blue pants! Not only are they the wrong shade of blue, the top teams in the country do not wear dark pants (see Southern Cal, Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas).

OK, now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, North Carolina played pretty well against Rutgers. Above all the Tar Heels did what Fresno, a ranked team, did not do-make some big plays in the passing game. The Fresno State Bulldogs bludgeoned their way, on Labor Day, to a 24-7 win over the Scarlet Knights. Ten days later, Carolina rolled over RU in New Jersey 44-12.

Brandon Tate, the hero of the Heels’ narrow escape against 1AA McNeese State, again played a major role in his team’s ability to score. Tate juked a defender on a deep route to give Carolina a 17-6 lead. He later scored on a reverse. I would argue that perhaps his most impressive contribution came on the second drive, when his team was trailing 3-0, and about to punt for the second time. Though tightly covered on third and long, Tate made a diving catch inches from the sideline to help keep a Tar Heel drive alive.

T. J. Yates passed efficiently. 14 completions generated more than 200 yards and three touchdowns. More importantly, Yates did not throw an interception, was rarely sacked, and twice lowered his helmet to run for first downs.

The running game was solid. Carolina did damage through the air, in part because Rutgers had to respect the run.

If you are a Carolina fan, the biggest pieces of news center around defense and special teams. The Tar Heels did not let Rutgers’ big, experienced, offensive line dominate the game. Instead they repeatedly forced Mike Teel into long yardage situations where the Heels’ pass defense forced interceptions and made attention -getting hits on receivers. And UNC’s special teams played a near perfect game-repeatedly pinning the Scarlet Knights deep in their own territory, avoiding turnovers on two dicey kicks by Rutgers, and providing protection for two Jay Wooten field goals. Butch Davis’ charges were not able to spring Tate on any long returns this night, but we all know they can.

Carolina’s Thursday night win should help recruiting in North Carolina and New Jersey. It should energize the fan base for next Saturday’s huge home game with perennial Coastal Division champ Virginia Tech. It might even get the Tar Heels ranked, although I think they are a win or two away from the Top 25.

There are key questions going forward. Can the Heels’ ground game prove formidable enough to keep defenses from thinking pass? Can Carolina continue to generate enough pressure with its front four to allow defensive coordinator Everett Withers to drop seven and even eight players back into coverage, as he did so effectively Thursday night? Can young Jay Wooten continue to make field goals?