University of North Carolina Athletics
Running Game Key Against Devils
November 19, 2014 | Football
By Adam Lucas
When Carolina and Duke played a memorable 41-40 game at Wallace Wade Stadium in 1994, the offenses primarily kept the game close through the air. Twenty years later, the teams again look headed for a close battle—the two teams are third and fourth in the Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring offense—but this time the winning team is likely to be the one that runs the ball more successfully.
The Tar Heel run defense continues to be the worst in the ACC, allowing a robust 228.2 yards per game on the ground. But the Blue Devils are next-to-last in that category, giving up 197.6 rushing yards per game.
Larry Fedora's offense often gets pigeonholed as pass-happy because that's generally the association with an uptempo offense. But his teams have been at their best when they've run the ball effectively.
This year, that's most often happened when Marquise Williams carries most of the rushing load. The quarterback leads the team in total rushing yards (628, well ahead of T.J. Logan's 344), yards per rush (4.5), and rushing touchdowns (10).
At this point, Williams' production—his 628 rushing yards are a UNC record for a quarterback—has ceased to be surprising. He's the most important weapon in the Carolina offense, both through the air and on the ground. He's too good carrying the football for the Tar Heels to suddenly stop letting him run it.
But to succeed against the Blue Devils, Carolina needs to get some running production from someone other than Williams. That's why Logan's performance against Pitt on Saturday is so encouraging. The tailback piled up 92 yards on 18 carries, giving the Tar Heels a legitimate alternative to Williams on the ground. Logan showed good patience, allowing holes to open before darting through them, and is a key to watch in Thursday's nationally televised game.
If Carolina can move the ball effectively and stay out of third-and-long by getting good run production on first and second down, they stand a much better chance of controlling play at Wallace Wade.
