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September 2, 2017 | Football, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Quick takeaways from the season opener against Cal.
By Adam Lucas
1. That's a difficult start to what was already expected to be an unpredictable season. Cal is obviously better than they were last year, but that's a game Carolina needed to win against a team that had to cross the country to play the game. Instead, the Bears take a 35-30 win. Carolina has not beaten an FBS team in a season opener since Tulsa in 2000, and haven't beaten a Power Five team in the season opener since 1997.
2. The biggest discussion will be about the quarterback position. Brandon Harris started the game, but Chazz Surratt started the second half and generally looked like the more efficient player. Harris seems to be more of a power runner, while Surratt is a little more shifty. Harris misfired on a couple of what appeared to be easy throws, including a would-be touchdown to Anthony Ratliff-Williams when he was alone in the end zone. Surratt finished 18-for-28 for 161 yards and ran for 66 yards, while Harris was 7-for-16 for 60 yards. "We will go back and look at the film," Larry Fedora told Jones Angell on the Tar Heel Sports Network. "We just didn't get it done as a football team. I don't know that it was the quarterbacks. We have to get better in all areas offensively."
3. The thing to remember with Surratt is he is not a finished product, and he showed some encouraging signs at points during the game. On a third and two in his own territory early in the fourth quarter, he went through his progressions and then pulled it down and ran for the first down. Later in that same drive, he used his legs to escape the Cal rush, then threw a nice ball to Roscoe Johnson to convert a third-and-18.
4. But there are also ways he can still grow—as Lee Pace noted on the Tar Heel Sports Network, tight end Brandon Fritts (possibly Carolina's best offensive weapon) was frustrated for much of the day and appeared to feel Carolina quarterbacks weren't finding him when he was open. That's a familiarity that will hopefully develop with experience.
5. The loss of Jalen Dalton to a targeting penalty put a big hole in Carolina's defensive line depth on a day when the afternoon got increasingly hot. That penalty, which was earned for a helmet to helmet hit, came after the Tar Heels appeared to get off the field on a third down with approximately 90 seconds left in the first half. Instead, the personal foul kept the Bears on the field and allowed them to convert a momentum-turning touchdown pass that brought them within 17-14 at the break. "They were going to punt and they score a touchdown on the next play," Fedora said. "It's a huge play. We have to learn to play smart."
6. In general, the Carolina defense showed some playmaking ability. Andre Smith hauled an interception back 62 yards before running out of gas in the second half, and Donnie Miles and Myles Dorn made quality plays in the secondary.
7. But the defense was not good enough in the fourth quarter, as the Tar Heels gave up a three-point lead after three quarters. On what was essentially the back-breaking drive, the defense allowed Cal to convert a third-and-16 and a third-and-eight, both with under seven minutes to play. It's pretty simple: everyone acknowledges the offense will be a work in progress this year. In a role reversal from past years, the defense has the responsibility for finishing games and putting opponents away, and they weren't able to do that in the opener. Cal amassed 469 yards of total offense. "We needed to make some stops," Fedora said simply.
8. Even when the quarterbacks struggle, the Carolina tempo is an offensive weapon. Cal was not able to keep place with the Tar Heels on UNC's first touchdown drive. The problem, of course, is that even when Carolina turns the tempo all the way up, even when it's successful it gives the other team back the ball very quickly.
9. Obligatory team entrance comment: the addition of lights to the tunnel where the Tar Heels enter the field makes for a very cool visual.
10. There's going to be talk about the attendance, or lack thereof. Fans watching on TV had a view of the much less-populated visiting side. The shady/home side was more full, but neither was packed. Carolina did sell more season tickets this year, so the guess is that this was a combination of a holiday weekend against a fairly unknown opponent that didn't bring many fans. But the loss, of course, won't help any fans who are on the fence about future attendance.Â
11. Michael Carter looks like a quality find at tailback. The freshman had 94 yards rushing on 11 carries and scored a pair of touchdowns. "It was good to see him play the way we thought he could play," Fedora said. "He did some really nice things and he will get better." For reasons that weren't immediately addressed after the game, Carter saw limited second half action.
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1. That's a difficult start to what was already expected to be an unpredictable season. Cal is obviously better than they were last year, but that's a game Carolina needed to win against a team that had to cross the country to play the game. Instead, the Bears take a 35-30 win. Carolina has not beaten an FBS team in a season opener since Tulsa in 2000, and haven't beaten a Power Five team in the season opener since 1997.
2. The biggest discussion will be about the quarterback position. Brandon Harris started the game, but Chazz Surratt started the second half and generally looked like the more efficient player. Harris seems to be more of a power runner, while Surratt is a little more shifty. Harris misfired on a couple of what appeared to be easy throws, including a would-be touchdown to Anthony Ratliff-Williams when he was alone in the end zone. Surratt finished 18-for-28 for 161 yards and ran for 66 yards, while Harris was 7-for-16 for 60 yards. "We will go back and look at the film," Larry Fedora told Jones Angell on the Tar Heel Sports Network. "We just didn't get it done as a football team. I don't know that it was the quarterbacks. We have to get better in all areas offensively."
3. The thing to remember with Surratt is he is not a finished product, and he showed some encouraging signs at points during the game. On a third and two in his own territory early in the fourth quarter, he went through his progressions and then pulled it down and ran for the first down. Later in that same drive, he used his legs to escape the Cal rush, then threw a nice ball to Roscoe Johnson to convert a third-and-18.
4. But there are also ways he can still grow—as Lee Pace noted on the Tar Heel Sports Network, tight end Brandon Fritts (possibly Carolina's best offensive weapon) was frustrated for much of the day and appeared to feel Carolina quarterbacks weren't finding him when he was open. That's a familiarity that will hopefully develop with experience.
5. The loss of Jalen Dalton to a targeting penalty put a big hole in Carolina's defensive line depth on a day when the afternoon got increasingly hot. That penalty, which was earned for a helmet to helmet hit, came after the Tar Heels appeared to get off the field on a third down with approximately 90 seconds left in the first half. Instead, the personal foul kept the Bears on the field and allowed them to convert a momentum-turning touchdown pass that brought them within 17-14 at the break. "They were going to punt and they score a touchdown on the next play," Fedora said. "It's a huge play. We have to learn to play smart."
6. In general, the Carolina defense showed some playmaking ability. Andre Smith hauled an interception back 62 yards before running out of gas in the second half, and Donnie Miles and Myles Dorn made quality plays in the secondary.
7. But the defense was not good enough in the fourth quarter, as the Tar Heels gave up a three-point lead after three quarters. On what was essentially the back-breaking drive, the defense allowed Cal to convert a third-and-16 and a third-and-eight, both with under seven minutes to play. It's pretty simple: everyone acknowledges the offense will be a work in progress this year. In a role reversal from past years, the defense has the responsibility for finishing games and putting opponents away, and they weren't able to do that in the opener. Cal amassed 469 yards of total offense. "We needed to make some stops," Fedora said simply.
8. Even when the quarterbacks struggle, the Carolina tempo is an offensive weapon. Cal was not able to keep place with the Tar Heels on UNC's first touchdown drive. The problem, of course, is that even when Carolina turns the tempo all the way up, even when it's successful it gives the other team back the ball very quickly.
9. Obligatory team entrance comment: the addition of lights to the tunnel where the Tar Heels enter the field makes for a very cool visual.
10. There's going to be talk about the attendance, or lack thereof. Fans watching on TV had a view of the much less-populated visiting side. The shady/home side was more full, but neither was packed. Carolina did sell more season tickets this year, so the guess is that this was a combination of a holiday weekend against a fairly unknown opponent that didn't bring many fans. But the loss, of course, won't help any fans who are on the fence about future attendance.Â
11. Michael Carter looks like a quality find at tailback. The freshman had 94 yards rushing on 11 carries and scored a pair of touchdowns. "It was good to see him play the way we thought he could play," Fedora said. "He did some really nice things and he will get better." For reasons that weren't immediately addressed after the game, Carter saw limited second half action.
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Players Mentioned
Tailback
/ Football
Defensive Tackle
/ Football
Safety
/ Football
Tight End
/ Football
Quarterback
/ Football
Wide Receiver
/ Football
Safety
/ Football
Wide Receiver
/ Football
Linebacker
/ Football
Quarterback
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