University of North Carolina Athletics
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Lucas: Rapid Reactions
November 9, 2017 | Football
Quick takeaways from the visit to Pitt.
By Adam Lucas
1. What a credit to the players and coaches. While some have given up on the 2017 edition of Carolina football, the Tar Heels went on the road and beat a Pitt team that had won two games in a row and appeared to be figuring it out. The 34-31 victory was a testament to the coaching staff keeping the team together during the bye week and figuring out a way to put together a winning game plan. It would have been so, so easy to just go through the motions for the balance of the season. The Tar Heels weren't willing to do that.
"Sunday's practice was unbelievable," Larry Fedora told Jones Angell on the Tar Heel Sports Network. "Coming off the bye week, that typically doesn't happen. There's something special about this group. Most groups would have turned it in by now, but these guys have kept scratching and clawing."
2. These two Coastal Division foes continue to play very competitive games. The last seven meetings have now been decided by ten points or fewer, a stretch that goes all the way back to 2000. The best news, of course, is that Carolina has now won five in a row in the series.
3. It's perhaps indicative of how weird this season has been that the most settled the UNC quarterback position has looked all season is when the coaching staff inserted Nathan Elliott as the starter at that position. Elliott finished a solid 20-of-31 for 235 yards and threw what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown pass. Most importantly, he did not turn the ball over. "I can't ask for more than that," Fedora said. "He did an unbelievable job."
4. The game turned late in the first half when Pitt drove most of the way down the field, only to watch Quadree Henderson fumble at the goal line. Cayson Collins scooped it up and rumbled 66 yards with just a minute left in the second quarter. At that juncture, simply keeping the Panthers off the scoreboard would've been a victory. Collins' return enabled the Tar Heels to not just hold defensively, but also notch a field goal just before half--in effect, a 10-point swing in what turned out to be a three-point game.
5. Don't let hitting the upright midway through the fourth quarter on a 43-yard attempt distract from the fact that Freeman Jones had perhaps the best game of his Tar Heel career. Jones nailed a 51-yarder and a 48-yard field goal to keep Carolina close.
6. Speaking of big nights, how about Anthony Ratliff-Williams? Carolina's best big play producer turned in a handful of them again, including the game's opening kickoff, when he won this fan a car:
7. There were multiple opportunities for Carolina to give up in this game. The most pivotal one came early in the fourth quarter, when the Tar Heels--holding a lead entering the fourth yet again but still sporting that ugly -44 scoring margin in the final period--saw Pitt score to take a 31-27 lead. On the ensuing drive, Jones banged it off the upright. But the defense kept getting stops, and Elliott engineered an eight-play, 58-yard scoring drive for the clinching score.
8. The Tar Heels didn't run the ball very effectively for most of the game, but they were able to melt the clock on the final drive thanks to a great screen pass play call on the first play of the final drive, then following that screen by letting Jordon Brown bulldoze the Pitt defense. "We felt like we needed two first downs to win the game," Fedora said. "We threw a screen on the first play and got a big first down. Then we handed the ball to Jordon and the guys up front did the job and he did the rest."
1. What a credit to the players and coaches. While some have given up on the 2017 edition of Carolina football, the Tar Heels went on the road and beat a Pitt team that had won two games in a row and appeared to be figuring it out. The 34-31 victory was a testament to the coaching staff keeping the team together during the bye week and figuring out a way to put together a winning game plan. It would have been so, so easy to just go through the motions for the balance of the season. The Tar Heels weren't willing to do that.
"Sunday's practice was unbelievable," Larry Fedora told Jones Angell on the Tar Heel Sports Network. "Coming off the bye week, that typically doesn't happen. There's something special about this group. Most groups would have turned it in by now, but these guys have kept scratching and clawing."
Can't stop. Won't quit. #BeatPitt pic.twitter.com/jTUj1TcW4D
— Carolina Football (@TarHeelFootball) November 10, 2017
2. These two Coastal Division foes continue to play very competitive games. The last seven meetings have now been decided by ten points or fewer, a stretch that goes all the way back to 2000. The best news, of course, is that Carolina has now won five in a row in the series.
3. It's perhaps indicative of how weird this season has been that the most settled the UNC quarterback position has looked all season is when the coaching staff inserted Nathan Elliott as the starter at that position. Elliott finished a solid 20-of-31 for 235 yards and threw what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown pass. Most importantly, he did not turn the ball over. "I can't ask for more than that," Fedora said. "He did an unbelievable job."
4. The game turned late in the first half when Pitt drove most of the way down the field, only to watch Quadree Henderson fumble at the goal line. Cayson Collins scooped it up and rumbled 66 yards with just a minute left in the second quarter. At that juncture, simply keeping the Panthers off the scoreboard would've been a victory. Collins' return enabled the Tar Heels to not just hold defensively, but also notch a field goal just before half--in effect, a 10-point swing in what turned out to be a three-point game.
5. Don't let hitting the upright midway through the fourth quarter on a 43-yard attempt distract from the fact that Freeman Jones had perhaps the best game of his Tar Heel career. Jones nailed a 51-yarder and a 48-yard field goal to keep Carolina close.
6. Speaking of big nights, how about Anthony Ratliff-Williams? Carolina's best big play producer turned in a handful of them again, including the game's opening kickoff, when he won this fan a car:
Ratliff-Williams is the third FBS player in the last ten years to return a kick for a touchdown, catch a touchdown pass, and throw a touchdown pass in the same game. He also joins the heralded Saquon Barkley of Penn State as the only players this season with a passing TD and a kickoff return TD in the same game. "He has a lot of talent," Fedora said. "We have to continue to find ways to get the ball in his hands and he will make something happen. We move him all over the field and we do a lot of things with him and he has really matured as a receiver."Wow!! Finally something positive from a 1-8 season! I am floored with jubilation! Thanks for making my night! @JonesAngell #crownhonda #dashforacar #goheels pic.twitter.com/ZTM3CaCYob
— Jason Stafford (@jbs12975) November 10, 2017
7. There were multiple opportunities for Carolina to give up in this game. The most pivotal one came early in the fourth quarter, when the Tar Heels--holding a lead entering the fourth yet again but still sporting that ugly -44 scoring margin in the final period--saw Pitt score to take a 31-27 lead. On the ensuing drive, Jones banged it off the upright. But the defense kept getting stops, and Elliott engineered an eight-play, 58-yard scoring drive for the clinching score.
8. The Tar Heels didn't run the ball very effectively for most of the game, but they were able to melt the clock on the final drive thanks to a great screen pass play call on the first play of the final drive, then following that screen by letting Jordon Brown bulldoze the Pitt defense. "We felt like we needed two first downs to win the game," Fedora said. "We threw a screen on the first play and got a big first down. Then we handed the ball to Jordon and the guys up front did the job and he did the rest."
Players Mentioned
Tailback
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Linebacker
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Quarterback
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Place-Kicker
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Wide Receiver
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