University of North Carolina Athletics
Turner's Take: Stepping Stone
September 13, 2015 | Football, Featured Writers, Turner Walston
By Turner Walston
North Carolina defeated North Carolina A&T 53-14 Saturday night in Kenan Stadium. It's tempting to look at those two teams, look at the box score and think that that should have been the result, that certainly the Tar Heels should have triumphed by multiple touchdowns. Yet, nine days after the loss to South Carolina, when Carolina let a game slip away that they felt they should have won, it was important to get back to business. As much as the Tar Heels would have liked an instant rematch with the Gamecocks, it was the Aggies they had to take care of on Saturday. Larry Fedora often stresses that the next game on the schedule, whomever the opponent, is the most important, and on Saturday his team played like it.
Carolina scored touchdowns on their first three possessions, on five of the first six and six of their first eight. Nine days after scoring a single touchdown in 60 minutes, they scored seven in fewer than 40. Meanwhile, the defense caused three turnovers that led to 14 points. When all was said and done, the Tar Heels had even their record and exorcized some demons.
“It was good to get a win,” Fedora said. “It's obviously good to come into our stadium, in the Tar Pit, and play well in front of our crowd and set the tone for the way we want to play here throughout the season.”
Quarterback Marquise Williams threw three costly interceptions last week, but he bounced back with cool efficiency, going 15-20 for 211 yards and two scores in limited action. He executed a brilliant play fake and hit Kendrick Singleton on the sideline for one touchdown, then tossed a high ball to tight end Brandon Fritts for another in the red zone, a play he failed to make last week.
“What happened last week comes with the job,” Singleton said of his quarterback. “He's a really mentally tough guy. He's been in the fire, thrown in the fire, seen a lot of things. He's been here a long time, [but] he did need tonight.”
All the Tar Heels did. Fans, too. Coming so close to victory and falling short has often been the modus operandi of Carolina football for the last 18 years. And so after another weekend of 'Here we go again,' it was important to come out and make a statement.
“You try to turn the page and learn what you can from [a loss], but it's kind of there in the back of your mind,” said linebacker Shakeel Rashad. “There are still things you did wrong in a win. obviously. You're still going to learn from things, but winning is what's important. When you win, it's a little bit easier to watch the film.”
Saturday, the Tar Heels played like they respected their opponents. They stuck to their game plan and had success. So in the film sessions on Sunday, they'll see their schemes, their plays, and how they can work. “We're using the same general ideas against other people (later in the season),” Rashad said. “You have to learn those concepts, and if you did it wrong this game, you have to learn from it and fix it for the next game.”
The next game is Saturday at noon when Big Ten opponent Illinois visits Chapel Hill. The Illini are off to a 2-0 start, having outscored opponents 96-3 under interim head coach Bill Cubit, and eager to prove something after preseason turmoil in Champaign.
But that's college football. A win is a win, and then it's done. Saturday night in Kenan Stadium was a step forward for a program gasping for validation.
“I think this is a stepping stone for us,” Singleton said. “We had a great week of preparation. Our coaches had a great game plan and we got it done tonight. I think this win definitely got the bad taste out of our mouths from last week. We definitely needed it and all of the guys are determined for what's next. I think this can be the start of something new.”
Players Mentioned
