Extra Points: Ground Zero

November 10, 2017 | Football, Featured Writers, Lee Pace

By: Lee Pace

By Lee Pace

If you enter a mile-long foot race but have to actually travel 1.25 miles versus the competition ... If your goal on the basketball court stands 13 feet high versus the competition shooting to a regulation 10-foot goal ... If you're playing golf with hickory shafts and your opponent has titanium ... And if you forgo roughly one-third of your opportunities to score in football by handing the ball to your opponent via fumble or pass interception ...

That in a nutshell is the kind of handicap Carolina's football team has been playing with throughout the 2017 season. Four turnovers against Miami—loss. Three vs. Virginia Tech—awful loss. Three vs. Virginia—loss. Three vs. Notre Dame—loss. You get the picture. Fourteen of the Tar Heels' 20 turnovers through nine games were interceptions, ranking them 121st of 126 teams ranked in that category in college football's FBS.

Even when the Tar Heels were loaded offensively as they were in 2016, the job description for QB Mitch Trubisky was two-fold: One, get the ball into the hands of the playmakers; and two, protect the ball. That hasn't changed one whit and in fact is even more important in 2017 when graduation losses, NFL defections and pandemic injuries have left the Tar Heels wielding a water pistol against the onslaught of the competition's bow-and-arrow.

"It was a big emphasis all week—ball security," QB Nathan Elliott said in the aftermath of Carolina's 34-31 over the University of Pittsburgh. "The main thing was, I was not going to turn the ball over. I'll throw it away. If we have to punt, okay. But I wasn't going to turn the ball over."

There was but one turnover in this Thursday night, made-for-ESPN game played in windy Heinz Field on the banks of the Ohio River—that a strip at the one yard-line by Tar Heel safety J.K. Britt and a scoop by linebacker Cayson Collins and a 66-yard run to the other end of the field. It wiped off what looked to be a sure touchdown for the Panthers; and it gave the Tar Heels the opportunity for a 51-yard field goal by Freeman Jones to take a 24-17 lead into halftime.

For the Tar Heels, zero turnovers.

"That play was huge," Tar Heel Coach Larry Fedora said. "That's a 10-point swing."

Imagine 10-point swings against California in the season-opener and later against Duke, Virginia and Miami, each those losses by 10 points or less augmented by poorly aimed throws by Tar Heel quarterbacks or sloppy ball-carrying by the running backs.

"We said if it was 10:30 at night and we hadn't turned the ball over, that we'd be happy," Fedora said, "and that's what Nate did. He took care of the football. He did an unbelievable job leading the football team."

It was the first start for the redshirt sophomore from Celina, Texas, after replacing the injured Chazz Surratt and Brandon Harris in the previous game against Miami. Elliott beat out Caleb Henderson for the backup role to Trubisky in August 2016, prompting Henderson's transfer to Maryland. When the Tar Heel staff first opted in September for the experience and arm strength of Harris and then the speed and nimble running ability of Surratt, Elliott kept his focus—first guy to the QB meeting room every day, one of the guys ready to run that extra sprint or press that extra rep in the weight room.

"This team really, really respects Nate, they rally around him," offensive coordinator Chris Kapilovic said last week. "There's something about him the kids really respect. He's been the guy who's worked the hardest, he's tried to be a great leader."

Elliott got the start at Pitt and made the best of it, completing 20 of 31 throws for 235 yards and two touchdowns. And not one interception, this coming 12 days after serving up three picks to Miami.

"I'm really proud of him because that guy has been such a great teammate, biding his time and working his butt off and waiting for his opportunity," Fedora said. "When his opportunity comes up, he's making something out of it."

"I was a little more prepared, I had more reps throughout the week," Elliott said. "I had a good feel for the game plan. And I kept my eyes up. Some times in the Miami game, I dropped my eyes. That's just experience. I focused on that this week, and it really helped a lot."

Of course, Elliott had plenty of help. Sophomore receiver Anthony Ratliff-Williams continued to show his playmaking ability by returning a kickoff for a touchdown, snaring a pass for one and throwing another to Josh Cabrera for a score on a gadget play. Freeman Jones nailed field goals of 51 and 48 yards and was lauded by Fedora for pounding six of seven kickoffs into the end zone and denying Pitt's dangerous return specialist, Quadree Henderson, the opportunity to touch the ball.

And the Carolina defense, despite being gashed by Panther tailback Darrin Hall for 121 yards on the ground and four touchdowns, stiffened on two fourth-quarter Pitt offensive possessions by limiting the Panthers to 14 yards on 10 snaps. There were sacks by Jalen Dalton and Malik Carney, two stops by Jeremiah Clarke and an excellent pass breakup by M.J. Stewart. Carolina played those two series basically in a "Bear" front that featured a tackle head-up on the center and the other linemen with adjusted gap-control responsibilities, the tweak coming from coordinator John Papuchis in an attempt to slow the Pitt rushing attack built around motions and jet sweeps.

"Those two series are emblematic of what this team is all about," Papuchis said. "We didn't play up to our expectations for a lot of the game, but our guys keep fighting. The two stops at the end of the game were awesome. That shows the resilience and fight they have. We had some issues in the run game and had to take that away. We made a couple of adjustments, and the kids did a great job executing and making them on the fly."

The victory lengthened Carolina's dominance over Pitt since the Panthers entered the ACC Coastal Division in 2013 to five wins running. And the Tar Heels' first ACC victory prevented them from being the first Carolina team since 1989 to go winless in the league. In the locker room afterward, Fedora told his players he knew it could be a special night when he saw their energy, focus and precision during a two-hour practice last Sunday after returning from a bye weekend off.

"You guys have so much grit and it's all because you bring your attitude to practice, you bring your energy to practice," he said. "That Sunday practice after an open week, that's the best I've ever been around in thirty-some years coaching. That was unbelievable. I was amazed."

Fedora left them with one more thought: "We said that people will remember what you do in November. Well, we started November the right way. We have two more opportunities with this group of guys. You haven't quit fighting yet."

Indeed, and that good fight is made all the easier when every offensive possession ends with points or a punt—and nothing in between.

Lee Pace is in his 28th year covering Tar Heel football through "Extra Points" and 14th as the sideline reporter for the Tar Heel Sports Network. His book, "Football in a Forest," is available in bookstores across North Carolina and online at www.johnnytshirt.com. Email him at leepace7@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @LeePaceTweet.