Lucas: Rapid Reactions
September 16, 2017 | Football, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Quick takeaways from the win at Old Dominion.
By Adam Lucas
1. Carolina mostly got exactly what it needed from the trip to Old Dominion. Most important, a win, with the 53-23Â victory. But also an apparent clear answer to the quarterback question (Chazz Surratt, for now), a reenergized ground game on offense, and a mostly encouraging performance from the much maligned defense.Â
2. The Carolina running game looked terrific against an Old Dominion defensive line that was supposed to be a team strength. Jordon Brown rushed for an impressive 125 yards on just 17 carries, and Michael Carter added 67 yards on 13 carries. Carter's two best runs counted for a total of one official yard; he had a gorgeous rumbling, stumbling dash that showed terrific power and balance called back by a penalty, and he bulled through most of the Monarch defense for a one-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter. "Anytime we're rushing for over 200 yards, we're pleased with it," Larry Fedora told Jones Angell on the Tar Heel Sports Network after the game. "We need to be able to run the football to keep the pressure off the quarterback."
3. The ground game was enough to supplement some occasionally dazzling play from quarterback Chazz Surratt. Taking every snap during the undecided portion of the game for the first time this year, Surratt was 16-for-24 through the air for 257 yards and a touchdown. But his most impressive single play might have been on the ground, when he ran in a ten-yard touchdown on a third down play in the first half, cutting through the ODU defense for a beautiful score. Brandon Harris did not enter the game until just 10:16 remained and Carolina held a 29-point lead.Â
"Chazz did a nice job with his decision-making, and he took care of the ball," Fedora said.
4. On a day when the defense mostly played better, the most concerning play came midway through the third quarter, when the secondary once again miscommunicated and allowed a wide open 71-yard Monarch touchdown pass. That's been a semi-regular problem during the first three games, and one that better teams will exploit as the schedule gets less forgiving in the upcoming weeks. The deep pass is going to continue to be an area opponents try to exploit until the Tar Heels prove they can defend it without giving up a big play or committing a penalty.
Fedora was optimistic about the defensive performance. "We still made mistakes, but we overcame them and guys kept playing," he said. "They'll be able to get a lot of corrections off this and we'll get better."
5. The other possible carryover from the day will be on the injury report. A handful of Tar Heels needed medical attention during the game, some at positions with very little depth. Names to watch for this week include William Sweet, Dazz Newsome and Thomas Jackson. Linebacker Andre Smith did not make the trip to Norfolk. The offensive line is seemingly absorbing a new injury every week, and eventually that will start to show. On Saturday, though, even those hard-running tailbacks gave credit to their teammates up front. "The line did a great job opening up holes," Jordan Brown said on the THSN.
6. The ODU offense was admittedly limited by injury, with a key wide receiver and tailback out for the game. But after two rough outings in 2017, the Carolina defense can't afford to be choosy about when they get good performances. The Monarchs recorded fewer than two yards per carry, and other than the one big bust, the pass defense was solid.Â
7. Nice to see Tyler Powell get his first action of the year, and he immediately made a difference, blocking a field goal with 10:03 left in the second quarter. Carolina is quietly building some credible depth on the defensive line.
8. There will likely be some grumbling about Carolina's second half performance, or lack thereof. After building a 39-7 lead at halftime, the Tar Heels were outscored 16-14 in the final 30 minutes. The key part of that phrase is "after building a 39-7 lead at halftime." The main goal after that happened was to make it to Duke week with a mostly healthy roster--a goal that was only partially accomplished.
9. A quietly good game from tight end Carl Tucker. The big man made a couple very good catches early in the game, including one in heavy traffic. He finished with three catches for 79 yards. Another player who is slowly working his way into regular and reliable contributor status: Anthony Ratliff-Williams, who had another big special teams play when he raced the length of the field to pounce on a muffed punt deep in Old Dominion territory. Remember, Ratliff-Williams came to UNC as a quarterback, and is in the process of making himself into a consistent playmaker.Â
10. The win sets up what should be a fun one next Saturday at Kenan Stadium at 3:30. Undefeated Duke has the Victory Bell, but a Carolina win would get the Tar Heels back to 2-2 and create a little intrigue in the Coastal Division.
1. Carolina mostly got exactly what it needed from the trip to Old Dominion. Most important, a win, with the 53-23Â victory. But also an apparent clear answer to the quarterback question (Chazz Surratt, for now), a reenergized ground game on offense, and a mostly encouraging performance from the much maligned defense.Â
2. The Carolina running game looked terrific against an Old Dominion defensive line that was supposed to be a team strength. Jordon Brown rushed for an impressive 125 yards on just 17 carries, and Michael Carter added 67 yards on 13 carries. Carter's two best runs counted for a total of one official yard; he had a gorgeous rumbling, stumbling dash that showed terrific power and balance called back by a penalty, and he bulled through most of the Monarch defense for a one-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter. "Anytime we're rushing for over 200 yards, we're pleased with it," Larry Fedora told Jones Angell on the Tar Heel Sports Network after the game. "We need to be able to run the football to keep the pressure off the quarterback."
3. The ground game was enough to supplement some occasionally dazzling play from quarterback Chazz Surratt. Taking every snap during the undecided portion of the game for the first time this year, Surratt was 16-for-24 through the air for 257 yards and a touchdown. But his most impressive single play might have been on the ground, when he ran in a ten-yard touchdown on a third down play in the first half, cutting through the ODU defense for a beautiful score. Brandon Harris did not enter the game until just 10:16 remained and Carolina held a 29-point lead.Â
"Chazz did a nice job with his decision-making, and he took care of the ball," Fedora said.
4. On a day when the defense mostly played better, the most concerning play came midway through the third quarter, when the secondary once again miscommunicated and allowed a wide open 71-yard Monarch touchdown pass. That's been a semi-regular problem during the first three games, and one that better teams will exploit as the schedule gets less forgiving in the upcoming weeks. The deep pass is going to continue to be an area opponents try to exploit until the Tar Heels prove they can defend it without giving up a big play or committing a penalty.
Fedora was optimistic about the defensive performance. "We still made mistakes, but we overcame them and guys kept playing," he said. "They'll be able to get a lot of corrections off this and we'll get better."
5. The other possible carryover from the day will be on the injury report. A handful of Tar Heels needed medical attention during the game, some at positions with very little depth. Names to watch for this week include William Sweet, Dazz Newsome and Thomas Jackson. Linebacker Andre Smith did not make the trip to Norfolk. The offensive line is seemingly absorbing a new injury every week, and eventually that will start to show. On Saturday, though, even those hard-running tailbacks gave credit to their teammates up front. "The line did a great job opening up holes," Jordan Brown said on the THSN.
6. The ODU offense was admittedly limited by injury, with a key wide receiver and tailback out for the game. But after two rough outings in 2017, the Carolina defense can't afford to be choosy about when they get good performances. The Monarchs recorded fewer than two yards per carry, and other than the one big bust, the pass defense was solid.Â
7. Nice to see Tyler Powell get his first action of the year, and he immediately made a difference, blocking a field goal with 10:03 left in the second quarter. Carolina is quietly building some credible depth on the defensive line.
8. There will likely be some grumbling about Carolina's second half performance, or lack thereof. After building a 39-7 lead at halftime, the Tar Heels were outscored 16-14 in the final 30 minutes. The key part of that phrase is "after building a 39-7 lead at halftime." The main goal after that happened was to make it to Duke week with a mostly healthy roster--a goal that was only partially accomplished.
9. A quietly good game from tight end Carl Tucker. The big man made a couple very good catches early in the game, including one in heavy traffic. He finished with three catches for 79 yards. Another player who is slowly working his way into regular and reliable contributor status: Anthony Ratliff-Williams, who had another big special teams play when he raced the length of the field to pounce on a muffed punt deep in Old Dominion territory. Remember, Ratliff-Williams came to UNC as a quarterback, and is in the process of making himself into a consistent playmaker.Â
10. The win sets up what should be a fun one next Saturday at Kenan Stadium at 3:30. Undefeated Duke has the Victory Bell, but a Carolina win would get the Tar Heels back to 2-2 and create a little intrigue in the Coastal Division.
Players Mentioned
Tailback
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Tailback
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Quarterback
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Wide Receiver
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Wide Receiver
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Defensive Line
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Wide Receiver
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Linebacker
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Quarterback
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Offensive Tackle
/ Football
Tight End
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