University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Lucas: Rapid Reactions
September 28, 2019 | Football, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Quick takeaways from Carolina hosting Clemson.
By Adam Lucas
1. What an amazing afternoon in Kenan Stadium. Given virtually no shot by almost everyone, Carolina was once again in the game until the final plays, falling 21-20 in a wild fourth quarter to the nation's top-ranked team.
2. Jay Bateman's reputation as a defensive coordinator was strengthened last season when his Army team took Oklahoma to overtime. It's only going to be enhanced by Saturday's result. Bateman called a sensational game and brought pressure from everywhere to confuse a powerful Clemson offense. And for the first time this year, Tar Heel defenders largely converted almost all the opportunities they had for tackles for loss or minimal gains--an area where they had whiffed on multiple occasions in the first four games. Coming into the game, Clemson had been shut out in just two of the 16 quarters it had played this season. Bateman's defense posted a shutout in the first and third quarters. "Our defense played lights out," Mack Brown told Jones Angell on the Tar Heel Sports Network after the game. "Even with three freshmen out there, Jay Bateman and the defensive staff were really aggressive. They were moving people around and bringing free safety blitzes. We said what the heck, let's go be us." Clemson averaged 525 yards per game and 42 points per game, and finished with 331 yards and 21 points.
3. It's hard to imagine finding fault with Mack Brown's decision to go for it on fourth and one with 13 minutes left in the game. Sure, the failure to make one yard handed Clemson great field position near midfield, and the Tigers eventually took the lead. But you're an unranked team in a tie game with the top-ranked squad in the country, and you've got a bruising tailback in Javonte Williams who very rarely goes backward. At that point, you're one big play away from a monumental victory. It was a chance worth taking.
4. The Chazz Surratt quarterback-to-linebacker conversion is one of the best stories of the year for Carolina football. Surratt has been terrific at linebacker and had some highlight reel plays on Saturday against one of the best offenses in the country. Surratt's early pass breakup helped set the tone for the 14-14 first half, he had a pair of tackles for loss, and his pressure on Trevor Lawrence helped the Carolina defense get off the field on third down midway through the third quarter. Surratt, who finished with seven tackles, had some impressive thoughts on why he made the transition on a previous episode of the Carolina Insider podcast.
5. The sellout Kenan Stadium crowd made a difference. The Clemson offensive line was flagged for five false start penalties, at least two of which helped stall a Tiger offensive drive. The Tar Heels won't be back in Kenan Stadium for nearly a month, when they return home to face Duke on Oct. 26. The crowds the first three home games of the season have been some of the best in Chapel Hill in the last decade. "We've had three unbelievable atmospheres in Kenan Stadium," Brown said.
6. It's remarkable how similar that game was to a tie against the eventual national champion, Georgia Tech, in 1990. That game marked the turning point of Mack Brown 1.0, as key goal line defense helped the Tar Heels earn the tie. If the rules were the same in 2019 as they were in 1990, it's entirely possible Saturday's game might have also ended in a tie.
7. Instead, of course, Brown made the choice to go for a two-point conversion with a little over a minute remaining. It's a decision sure to be discussed in the coming days, but it feels like the right one, despite the lack of a successful outcome. Conventional wisdom says to play for the tie at home and the win on the road, but with Carolina a sizable underdog, one play with a chance to take the lead felt like a greater chance of success than swapping drives in overtime. "In the first game, we made critical plays to win," Brown said. "In the second game, we made critical plays to win. In the third game we didn't make critical plays on either side of the ball, and same thing last week. Tonight we were making those plays, and that's why I decided to go for it."
8. Gutsy drive by Sam Howell and the offense after Clemson had taken the lead at 21-14 in the fourth quarter. Instead of rolling over, the Tar Heels put together a lengthy, 16-play drive that nearly chewed up the remainder of the game. Michael Carter, who finished with 99 yards for the game, had some big runs on the drive. Howell, who managed the game very well, was steady. Given the opposition and the situation, Howell's fifth game directing the Tar Heels might have been his best, even though his numbers (15-for-27 for 144 yards) weren't gaudy. Howell did not throw an interception and engineered an offense that did not turn the ball over.
9. It's hard to describe if you're not on campus regularly, but there's no question Mack Brown's team has captured the attention of campus in a way that simply hasn't happened in recent years. One tangible sign of the way Carolina football has become "cool" again: that was standout Tar Heel basketball point guard Cole Anthony doing the pushups in front of the student section after Carolina took an early 7-0 lead.
10. The biggest game of the season now becomes next week's visit to Georgia Tech. A Coastal Division road win would keep Carolina in contention in the conference and would even the record at 3-3 going into the bye week. The Tar Heels lost some momentum from the 2-0 start after losses to Wake Forest and Appalachian State. They can build on Saturday's result with a win in Atlanta.
11. Mack Brown yet again said the exact right thing at the exact right time. In the immediate aftermath of a heartbreaking loss, he knew the perfect sentiment. "We told the recruits who are here tonight that Clemson is the best team in the country," he said. "We told them we're going to be Clemson in two more years when you guys come." That's a powerful message to deliver when you just came one point from one of the biggest wins in program history.
1. What an amazing afternoon in Kenan Stadium. Given virtually no shot by almost everyone, Carolina was once again in the game until the final plays, falling 21-20 in a wild fourth quarter to the nation's top-ranked team.
2. Jay Bateman's reputation as a defensive coordinator was strengthened last season when his Army team took Oklahoma to overtime. It's only going to be enhanced by Saturday's result. Bateman called a sensational game and brought pressure from everywhere to confuse a powerful Clemson offense. And for the first time this year, Tar Heel defenders largely converted almost all the opportunities they had for tackles for loss or minimal gains--an area where they had whiffed on multiple occasions in the first four games. Coming into the game, Clemson had been shut out in just two of the 16 quarters it had played this season. Bateman's defense posted a shutout in the first and third quarters. "Our defense played lights out," Mack Brown told Jones Angell on the Tar Heel Sports Network after the game. "Even with three freshmen out there, Jay Bateman and the defensive staff were really aggressive. They were moving people around and bringing free safety blitzes. We said what the heck, let's go be us." Clemson averaged 525 yards per game and 42 points per game, and finished with 331 yards and 21 points.
3. It's hard to imagine finding fault with Mack Brown's decision to go for it on fourth and one with 13 minutes left in the game. Sure, the failure to make one yard handed Clemson great field position near midfield, and the Tigers eventually took the lead. But you're an unranked team in a tie game with the top-ranked squad in the country, and you've got a bruising tailback in Javonte Williams who very rarely goes backward. At that point, you're one big play away from a monumental victory. It was a chance worth taking.
4. The Chazz Surratt quarterback-to-linebacker conversion is one of the best stories of the year for Carolina football. Surratt has been terrific at linebacker and had some highlight reel plays on Saturday against one of the best offenses in the country. Surratt's early pass breakup helped set the tone for the 14-14 first half, he had a pair of tackles for loss, and his pressure on Trevor Lawrence helped the Carolina defense get off the field on third down midway through the third quarter. Surratt, who finished with seven tackles, had some impressive thoughts on why he made the transition on a previous episode of the Carolina Insider podcast.
5. The sellout Kenan Stadium crowd made a difference. The Clemson offensive line was flagged for five false start penalties, at least two of which helped stall a Tiger offensive drive. The Tar Heels won't be back in Kenan Stadium for nearly a month, when they return home to face Duke on Oct. 26. The crowds the first three home games of the season have been some of the best in Chapel Hill in the last decade. "We've had three unbelievable atmospheres in Kenan Stadium," Brown said.
6. It's remarkable how similar that game was to a tie against the eventual national champion, Georgia Tech, in 1990. That game marked the turning point of Mack Brown 1.0, as key goal line defense helped the Tar Heels earn the tie. If the rules were the same in 2019 as they were in 1990, it's entirely possible Saturday's game might have also ended in a tie.
7. Instead, of course, Brown made the choice to go for a two-point conversion with a little over a minute remaining. It's a decision sure to be discussed in the coming days, but it feels like the right one, despite the lack of a successful outcome. Conventional wisdom says to play for the tie at home and the win on the road, but with Carolina a sizable underdog, one play with a chance to take the lead felt like a greater chance of success than swapping drives in overtime. "In the first game, we made critical plays to win," Brown said. "In the second game, we made critical plays to win. In the third game we didn't make critical plays on either side of the ball, and same thing last week. Tonight we were making those plays, and that's why I decided to go for it."
8. Gutsy drive by Sam Howell and the offense after Clemson had taken the lead at 21-14 in the fourth quarter. Instead of rolling over, the Tar Heels put together a lengthy, 16-play drive that nearly chewed up the remainder of the game. Michael Carter, who finished with 99 yards for the game, had some big runs on the drive. Howell, who managed the game very well, was steady. Given the opposition and the situation, Howell's fifth game directing the Tar Heels might have been his best, even though his numbers (15-for-27 for 144 yards) weren't gaudy. Howell did not throw an interception and engineered an offense that did not turn the ball over.
9. It's hard to describe if you're not on campus regularly, but there's no question Mack Brown's team has captured the attention of campus in a way that simply hasn't happened in recent years. One tangible sign of the way Carolina football has become "cool" again: that was standout Tar Heel basketball point guard Cole Anthony doing the pushups in front of the student section after Carolina took an early 7-0 lead.
10. The biggest game of the season now becomes next week's visit to Georgia Tech. A Coastal Division road win would keep Carolina in contention in the conference and would even the record at 3-3 going into the bye week. The Tar Heels lost some momentum from the 2-0 start after losses to Wake Forest and Appalachian State. They can build on Saturday's result with a win in Atlanta.
11. Mack Brown yet again said the exact right thing at the exact right time. In the immediate aftermath of a heartbreaking loss, he knew the perfect sentiment. "We told the recruits who are here tonight that Clemson is the best team in the country," he said. "We told them we're going to be Clemson in two more years when you guys come." That's a powerful message to deliver when you just came one point from one of the biggest wins in program history.
Players Mentioned
Running Back
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Running Back
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