GoHeels Exclusive: UNC Defense Shows Signs Of Encouragement

by Pat James, GoHeels.com

NORFOLK, Va. – The North Carolina football team arrived at Old Dominion's Foreman Field on Saturday looking for not only its first win of the season, but also some semblance of an answer to its early defensive woes.

Considered the team's strength before the season, UNC's defense allowed 1,174 yards and 7.53 yards per play in losses against California and Louisville. And in the wake of the latter, the unit hoped for a confidence boost against the Monarchs.

That's what the Tar Heels found, for the most part, in a 53-23 victory, one in which they blitzed early and often to overpower an ODU offense that ranked 108th nationally in total offense entering Saturday.

"That's the defense we know we are," said M.J. Stewart after UNC surrendered 316 yards to the Monarchs. "We didn't show up for the first two weeks, but that's the defense we know we are."

Louisville's 705 yards last week were the most gained by any opponent ever at Kenan Stadium. "We were embarrassed defensively," said Stewart about the loss. And in the first half Saturday, the Tar Heels released some pent-up frustration against ODU.

UNC held the Monarchs to just 11 yards on nine plays in the first quarter. Overall, five of ODU's eight first-half drives ended after three plays – four concluding with punts and one with an interception by Myles Wolfolk. At one point, the Monarchs had played more quarterbacks (three) than they had registered first downs (two). The Tar Heels' defensive front harassed each one with heavy pressure.

"We decided we needed to pick it up a notch …" said Tyler Powell, who blocked a field goal in his first game of the season. "We just came out with a mindset that we wanted to dominate up front."

UNC entered halftime leading 39-7, with ODU's lone touchdown coming on a 100-yard kickoff return. The Monarchs' offense tallied just 120 total yards in the first half, and its best drive concluded when Myles Dorn forced a fumble just before the goal line.

But after asserting their dominance early on, the Tar Heels surrendered a 71-yard touchdown pass midway through the third quarter – marking the third straight game the defense allowed a play of at least 65 yards.

Still, Larry Fedora said that single play didn't detract from the defense's overall performance, one in which he said players effectively communicated after not doing so against Louisville.

"I don't like it to happen," said Fedora of the 71-yard touchdown, "but I was very pleased with the way those guys approached the game and the way they played throughout the game."

Now UNC will look to see how its defensive showing against ODU, a team participating in just its fourth season at the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level, translates going forward.

Over the next two weeks, the Tar Heels play divisional Atlantic Coast Conference games against Duke, at home, and at Georgia Tech – a stretch that could determine the season's long-term outlook.

"I think time will tell," said Fedora of how he could evaluate Saturday's defensive effort. "I think we improved. Have we arrived? I'm not going to say that. But I think we improved. Any time you have success like that, guys gain confidence and they play better."

"We know we have higher standards for ourselves," Stewart said. "And today was just the first step in showing ourselves, first, that we are a better defense, and then show the world."

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University of North Carolina Athletics

Players Mentioned

Myles Dorn

Tyler Powell

M.J. Stewart

Myles Wolfolk

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