Lucas: Rapid Reactions

By Adam Lucas

1. You could kind of feel that one coming. After a very difficult seven days injury-wise, Carolina went into Georgia Tech and absorbed a decisive 33-7 loss. It's just the second time since 2007 that the Tar Heels have been 0-3 in the league. The game was just the fourth time in his 123 games as a head coach that a Larry Fedora-coached team was held to single digits.

2. Larry Fedora summed it up aptly in the postgame interview with Jones Angell in the Tar Heel Sports Network. "We didn't execute anywhere on offense," he said. "There wasn't anything that went right offensively." Carolina was 2-for-12 on third down.

3. Fedora isn't going to say it, but part of the offensive struggles are due to crippling injuries. Still, the players on the field still have to execute, and that didn't happen against the Jackets. Chazz Surratt was 18-for-30 but amassed just 141 yards. When the offense clearly stagnated late in the third quarter, Fedora tried handing the QB duties to Brandon Harris...who promptly threw an interception on his first pass attempt of the game. It was just that kind of day.

4. The day was best summed up in a three-play sequence midway through the third quarter. Cole Holcomb recovered a Tech fumble near midfield, snuffing out what looked to be another possible long, grinding Jacket drive. But on the next play, Surratt threw an interception. And on the next play, the Jackets went 63 yards for a backbreaking touchdown that made it 17-0 with 8:45 left in the third.

5. The challenge now is to make sure Surratt is learning something from some of these rough outings. For example, he ran the two-minute offense late in the first half, trailing just 10-0 and with a chance to move his team into scoring position while still due to receive the ball to start the second half. In that situation, you absolutely can't take a sack, as the Tar Heels did in a drive that eventually ended with a missed field goal. Surratt has the physical tools. Now he has to start learning some of the intangibles--using the clock, going through his progressions, not locking on to receivers--that will make him a successful ACC quarterback. Remember, he's only played in five college games.

6. Tech did score 33 points, but it didn't feel like the defense played horribly. The Jackets rushed a mind-numbing 66 times for 403 yards and had a pair of 100-yard rushers. "We gave up too many third and longs and didn't get off the field," Fedora said. It's hard to find too much fault with a defense that was on the field for approximately two-thirds of the game. Four of Georgia Tech's eight third-down conversions came on third-and-long.

7. Anthony Ratliff-Williams was held to just one catch for nine yards. On an offense that is thirsty for playmakers and leadership, Carolina needs to find a way to get the ball to him in more than just kick return situations. Fourteen of Surratt's 18 completions came to running backs or tight ends.

8. Fedora frequently praised the upperclass leadership over the last couple of years. So far, through five games, it looks like that has not developed on the 2017 club. Part of that reason is that some of the likely 2017 leaders departed for the pros or are injured. But (in most cases), they're not coming back this year. It's going to be tough not to enter October demoralized. It's up to Fedora to rally his group for what will likely be a good atmosphere against Notre Dame in a 3:30 start, and then for a few members of the roster to assume both some tangible and intangible roles they might not have expected to play in 2017.

Players Mentioned

Brandon Harris

Cole Holcomb

Anthony Ratliff-Williams

Chazz Surratt

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