University of North Carolina Athletics
Walston: Reality Bites
November 13, 2010 | Football
Nov. 13, 2010
Some observations about Saturday night's loss to Virginia Tech:
It's hard to compete for a division championship. When the Atlantic Coast Conference went to divisional play in football in 2005, Carolina was assigned the Coastal Division, along with Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Miami, Virginia and Duke. So to get out of the division and into the ACC Championship game, Carolina would have to finish the regular season with a better conference record than each of those five teams. In the five championship games that have been played to date, either Georgia Tech or Virginia Tech has represented the Coastal Division, and it's looking very likely that the Hokies will clinch the divisional title for the fourth time in six years.
It's hard to beat Virginia Tech. The Hokies under Frank Beamer have been a model of precise execution, and their passing offense under the direction of quarterback Tyrod Taylor has been one of the most efficient in the country. On the ground, the Hokies boast the MVP of the 2008 Orange Bowl and a 2009 third-team All-America, and those are two different players (Darren Evans and Ryan Williams). With Taylor dropping back, defenses have a choice: to blitz or not to blitz. Send the blitz, and Taylor is flushed out, more dangerous with his feet than his arm. Lay back, and Taylor has all the time in the world to find talented receivers. Twice Saturday he hooked up with Marcus Davis for touchdowns, just over the top of the Tar Heel secondary.
It's hard to win football games with a roster depleted by investigation. The Tar Heels have seen 13 players miss time due to the NCAA and UNC investigation. Seven have not played at all this season; three of those are no longer part of the program. More than half of the Tar Heel defense projected to start the season missed at least three games.
If you're playing with a roster depleted by investigation, it's hard to win football games if injuries further impact the depth chart. Tailback Giovani Bernard, who was expected to contribute as a freshman, tore his ACL three days into fall camp. Defensive tackle Greg Elleby suffered the same injury in the final moments of the win over East Carolina. At Virginia, Zack Pianalto, Carolina's all-time leader for receptions by a tight end, suffered a season-ending leg injury for the third time in his four seasons. And at Florida State last week, leading rusher Johnny White broke his clavicle, ending his Tar Heel career. When White and defensive end Tim Jackson (who suffered a high ankle sprain at Florida State) didn't play Saturday, they became the 31st and 32d scholarship players to miss a game this season, either due to injury or investigation.
If you're playing with a roster depleted by investigation and injury, it's hard to win games when you make mental mistakes. The attrition along the depth chart has forced some inexperienced players into unfamiliar situations, and some unfortunate things happen. Sometimes, players just get beaten when opponents make plays (see Tre Boston at Miami). But sometimes, experienced players make mental errors. Midway through the third quarter with the Tar Heels trailing by nine, Bruce Carter and Donte Paige-Moss were able to get to Tyrod Taylor in the backfield, eventually bringing up a 4th and 19. Tar Heel returner Da'Norris Searcy said he didn't touch the ball after slipping on the Kenan Stadium grass, but it was close enough to fool the officials, even after review. Virginia Tech needed just five plays from the Tar Heel 29 to put the margin at 16.
On defense, confusion in the secondary led to more room for Hokie wide receivers, and with Taylor buying time with his feet, the quarterback made the Tar Heels play.
It's hard to to beat the #16 team in the country when your passing game is off the mark. Anthony Elzy performed admirably at tailback, rushing for 82 yards and a touchdown and catching seven passes for 102 yards. But T.J. Yates followed up the best performance of his career with an off night. Yates' deep throws were a bit too long for Dwight Jones and Curtis Byrd, and the Tar Heels' best pass plays came on check-down routes to tailbacks. As the game went on and the offense had to take chances, Virginia Tech's secondary was prepared to pounce, gathering in four interceptions on the night.
It's hard to win if you don't take advantage of opportunities. Leading 10-6 early in the second quarter, Yates threw a 50/50 ball to Erik Highsmith in the end zone. Highsmith lost the battle for the ball with Eddie Whitley, short-circuiting a promising drive.
Prior to that, Carolina had three chances to punch the ball in from the three-yard line to push the lead to 14-6. Instead, they settled for a field goal. It was the final Carolina score of the game.
Trailing by 16 in the fourth quarter, the Tar Heels were within striking distance when Elzy dove from the two-yard line toward the end zone. The ball popped out and bounced out of the end zone for a Virginia Tech touchback.
It's hard.
The circumstances surrounding this season have been unprecedented at Carolina, and the football players have performed admirably in the face of such adversity. Since the eve of the season, the eligible players have taken the cards they've been dealt and won some improbable games. Saturday night, the decked appeared to have been stacked, and the Tar Heels had a bad handd. But, the team is bowl-eligible and has two more regular season games to wind up on a winning note. As fans, we ought to appreciate the effort that the team has shown and not play the `What if?' game. We ought to do that. But, well, it's hard.
Turner Walston is the managing editor of Tar Heel Monthly. Turner's weekly Tar Heel football podcast, The Walkthrough, is available on iTunes.
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