Lucas: Rapid Reactions

By Adam Lucas

If you'd been told at halftime that Carolina would have the ball with a minute left and a slim chance to win, you probably would have taken that, right?
Of course, the entire situation was created by the fact that the Tar Heels simply didn't show up for the first half. Trailing 21-0 at halftime and with just two first downs, the first 30 minutes were frustrating. A Javonte Williams fumble led to a quick seven Wake Forest points and felt like the backbreaking part of the first half. Carolina was outgained 138-21 in the first quarter and trailed 304-71 in total yardage at the break. "Defensively, we didn't stop the run well enough early," Mack Brown told Jones Angell on the Tar Heel Sports Network. "We didn't hold the edge and their zone play was bouncing outside."
Keep in mind the Tar Heels were also playing shorthanded, with absences of Antoine Green and Carl Tucker limiting the offense, and Patrice Rene's season-long absence compounded by the fact that Jason Strowbridge missed the entire game. Carolina's defensive line wasn't able to create much pressure with Strowbridge out.
And a subtly key absence on the offense was center Nick Polino. With him out, shotgun snaps were consistently low, which seemed to impact Sam Howell's timing on a few early plays. Polino's absence could be lengthy, so there's a need for a little better chemistry on the offensive line.
The difference in Howell in the first half and Howell in the latter part of the second half was remarkable. Early on, the freshman looked a little tentative, and wasn't helped by receivers who weren't creating much separation. But the Howell who performed under pressure was outstanding, making several pro-type throws, with the highlight probably the 55-yard dart to Dyami Brown. He's still a freshman who has played three college games. His big improvements are going to come in those first three quarters as he adjusts to the speed of the game and learns when he can and can't hold on to the ball. Those are all skills he can learn. His coolness in the fourth quarter can't be taught.
That lack of pressure applied to the Wake Forest backfield was key on a late second-and-16 with about five minutes left. The Deacs converted that play, which dug them out of what looked to be a hole that might have given Carolina a couple more minutes to operate on the final drive.
Trey Morrison had a rough first half, but give him credit for solid coverage on go-to receiver Sage Surratt on a big third down with eight minutes left.
Mack Brown will be able to teach from this defeat. It's great that Carolina has been so good in the fourth quarter in the first three games of the season. But what he'll emphasize this week is that the same energy is essential in the first and second quarter. "I told them I can't coach a team that quits," Brown said. "I can't coach a team that lays down or has bad body language or gives in."
It was frustrating that the officials chose to sprint off the field rather than at least take a look and see if Michael Carter might have stepped out of bounds with a second remaining. But you also have to give credit to Wake for their clock management throughout the second half and especially late in the quarter, when they continually bled every possible second—which ended up mattering. The Deacs were somewhat conservative in the second half…but they were effectively conservative (a luxury afforded them by the 21-0 lead at halftime).
The margin of error for this year's team was always going to be very, very thin. The Tar Heels came out on the right side of two close games early, and lost this one. That won't be the last nail-biting fourth quarter you have to watch this season. With Howell at the controls, there's reason to be optimistic about those situations.
Don't forget in all the commotion at the end that Noah Ruggles knocked in a 49-yard field goal. That position was questionable coming into the year; Ruggles has looked good on a couple of long kicks the last two weeks and gives Carolina a viable option in the kicking game.
Terrific turnout by the Carolina fans who made the trip to Winston-Salem. It felt like an old-school Carolina visit to Wake Forest, with the Tar Heels dominating at least half the crowd.

Players Mentioned

Dyami Brown

Michael Carter

Antoine Green

Trey Morrison

Nick Polino

Patrice Rene

Noah Ruggles

Jason Strowbridge

Carl Tucker

Javonte Williams

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