GoHeels Exclusive: Opening Scrimmage Notes

By Pat James, GoHeels.com

Eight days after training camp commenced, the North Carolina football team held its first scrimmage of the fall on Saturday at Kenan Stadium.

The scrimmage offered Larry Fedora and his staff their first glimpse into how the players might perform in game situations. After further evaluation, each player will receive more or fewer practice reps in the coming days.

Here are a few notes from the scrimmage:

Play of the day

Despite forcing seven three-and-outs through the first 18 series, the defense failed to produce a turnover by the scrimmage's midway point. And John Papuchis implored the players on his side of the ball to change that.

"No takeaways," he shouted. "I need to hear y'all talking about getting the ball out."

The turnover drought continued for a little longer, and other coaches and players began echoing Papuchis' words. Finally, during the 23rd series, J.K. Britt made the sought-after play.

With the offense facing second-and-11 on its 39-yard line, Britt charged toward the line of scrimmage on a running play and knocked the ball loose. Myles Wolfolk recovered the fumble, and a celebration ensued along the defense's sideline.

Three who stood out

Britt: The forced fumble was far from Britt's only highlight Saturday. The safety made several open-field tackles, and he delivered the biggest hit of the scrimmage when he held Antonio Williams to a 1-yard run on the first play of the 18th series.

Beau Corrales: On the first play of the 29th series, Jace Ruder connected with Corrales for a 55-yard touchdown. Corrales drew the loudest cheers of the day moments later, when he leapt over his defender and made an acrobatic grab through contact. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Corrales looks more like a tight end than a receiver. But he adds a different dimension to the Tar Heels' passing game.

Javonte Williams: After impressing during the spring, Javonte Williams, an early enrollee tailback, continues looking sharp. He scored a 1-yard rushing touchdown, and two of his carries went for 35 and 26 yards. On the former, he shook off multiple would-be tacklers. Javonte Williams also made some contributions in the passing game, with his most notable reception being a 12-yard catch-and-run that set up a field goal attempt during the final two-minute drill.

Other observations

The offense's first touchdown came on the first play of the fifth series, when Nathan Elliott completed a 70-yard pass to Thomas Jackson. The offensive line provided Elliott plenty of time to make the throw. A few series later, on third-and-7 from the offense's 4-yard line, Elliott found Jackson for about 30 yards.
Papuchis and the rest of the defensive coaches challenged their unit to respond after Jackson's 70-yard touchdown. It did, forcing a three-and-out. Tomon Fox set the tone for the series when he stuffed a run at the line of scrimmage on first down.
Before transferring to UNC from Ohio State, Antonio Williams proved he can excel in short-yardage situations. He's flashed that ability so far in camp, and he did so again Saturday, picking up a first down on an early third-and-2. He and Javonte Williams seem to fall forward for extra yards every time they're tackled.
Johnathon Sutton also made an impact in the running game, reeling off gains of 19 and 24 yards. On the latter, he broke a few tackles.
There are few players on Carolina's defense who are more vocal than fifth-year senior Tyler Powell. Throughout the scrimmage, he could be heard instructing his teammates and trying to energize them. On a few occasions, he supplied the energy, making a nice tackle on kickoff coverage and registering a third-down sack.
Jeremiah Clarke, another senior on UNC's defensive line, also tallied a sack. He and Britt later combined for a key tackle during a two-minute drill.
Two plays before that, on fourth-and-3 from the defense's 48-yard line, Anthony Ratliff-Williams made a sensational grab, snatching the ball above the defender's helmet and falling out of bounds for a 21-yard gain.
Chazz Surratt showed nice touch on a few deep balls, none more notable than a 44-yard completion to freshman Dyami Brown. Javonte Williams scored his 1-yard touchdown on the next play.
Freshman Antoine Green also made a big catch when he and Ruder connected for 26 yards. Brown and Green, considered four-star prospects by ESPN.com and 247Sports, each returned a kickoff past midfield, as well.
Austin Chrismon could be another young receiver to watch as the season nears. He's been receiving some reps at slot receiver with the second-team offense, and he finished with at least five catches Saturday.
Freshmen Chris Collins, Trey Morrison and Matthew Flint have received praise from coaches and teammates early in camp, and all three made key plays during the scrimmage. Pressure from Collins forced a third-down incompletion during the 14th series, and he later recorded a sack. On a third-and-3, Morrison made a great open-field tackle to prevent a first down. Flint delivered the second-biggest hit of the day, next to Britt's, when he held Javonte Williams to a 2-yard gain on a second-and-6.
Freeman Jones made a 40-yard field goal during a two-minute drill. It was the only field goal he attempted. He also went 2-for-2 on extra points.

University of North Carolina Athletics

Players Mentioned

J.K. Britt

Austin Chrismon

Jeremiah Clarke

Chris Collins

Beau Corrales

Nathan Elliott

Tomon Fox

Antoine Green

Thomas Jackson

Freeman Jones

Tyler Powell

Anthony Ratliff-Williams

Jace Ruder

Chazz Surratt

Johnathon Sutton

Antonio Williams

Javonte Williams

Myles Wolfolk

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