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September 12, 2020 | Football, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Quick takeaways from the Tar Heel football opener against Syracuse.
By Adam Lucas
1. It was a win, and that's all that matters. As we've seen already on Saturday, there are two key factors in 2020 college football: play the game, and get the win. The Tar Heels achieved both those goals in the season opening 31-6 win over Syracuse. And remember, season opening wins aren't a gimme. Carolina has now won back to back season openers for the first time since 2011 and 2012, and it's the program's first back to back season opening wins against FBS competition since 1996 and 1997--not coincidentally, the final two years of Mack Brown's first stint in Chapel Hill. Also not coincidentally, the six points allowed were the fewest the Tat Heels have allowed to an FBS season opening opponent since Indiana also scored six in 1997.
2. A big part of every success story is figuring out how to handle it when things go poorly. Sam Howell, whose poise is one of his most frequently mentioned attributes, got a healthy reminder of that truism on Saturday, throwing multiple interceptions for just the third time in his college career (the others were the win over Duke and the loss to App) while never looking fully comfortable in a sometimes crowded pocket. But Howell never looked rattled, and finished a very solid 25-for-34 for 295 yards. Most quarterbacks in the country would like to have that "off" day. "The first half was sloppy on offense and special teams," Mack Brown told Jones Angell on the Tar Heel Sports Network after the game. We probably should have predicted that, without spring practice and the roller coaster we've been on this summer and fall. Normally first games are crazy anyway. This one checked all the boxes."
3. With all the summer chatter about the Carolina offense, it was actually the defense that made the winning plays on Saturday. Specifically, the defense responded extremely well to adversity, forcing a rare Syracuse missed field goal before halftime and limiting the Orange to just a field goal in the red zone after Howell's second interception. As expected, Chazz Surratt was the defensive leader with nine tackles, but Carolina also got good pressure from the interior of the defensive line, with Ray Vohasek notching one sack and Tomari Fox collecting a pair of sacks.Â
4. In total, Carolina amassed seven sacks against a suspect Syracuse offensive line. That's by far the most in the second Mack Brown era, as the 2019 Tar Heels had a season high of five against Duke. The seven sacks were also as many as Carolina accumulated in the final four games of 2019. Again, the Orange offensive line isn't a strength, but it's a very positive sign to watch a variety of defenders get pressure on the quarterback in the absence of Aaron Crawford and Jason Strowbridge. Surratt got his pair of sacks, as did Tomari Fox. Jeremiah Gemmel also got one, as did Tomon Fox and Vohasek. The only complaint you might have had about the defense was they didn't force a turnover...and then Giovanni Biggers took care of that by picking off the final Syracuse pass of the game with three minutes left. "The biggest difference is we have a lot more depth and can keep fresh people on the field," Brown said of a defense that limited Syracuse to 4-of-19 on third down conversions. "That was a huge part of us playing so much better."
5. That first Carolina touchdown drive of the game was a great illustration of what opponents will have to deal with this season in a best case scenario. Even with the Tar Heels committing a key holding penalty that wiped out a big Michael Carter run, Phil Longo still showed off a wealth of offensive weapons. It's very difficult to defend the complete UNC offensive package, including four different receivers catching a pass on that drive, the ground game using the flash of Carter and the muscle of Javonte Williams, and a quarterback in Sam Howell who can make throws from the near hash mark all the way to the other sideline and then show patience on the touchdown pass to let Garrett Walston come free all the way across the middle.Â
6. When you have that arsenal, it's relatively easy to make the decision to go for it on fourth and seven from the opponent's 40 yard line, as Mack Brown did on that drive. Brown was aggressive on fourth down last year, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him be even more so this season.
7. It's going to be interesting to watch how Carolina deploys its tailbacks this season. Michael Carter received the bulk of the early work, but then Javonte Williams carried the load through the remainder of the first quarter and the first half of the second quarter. Williams gave way to Carter for a run-heavy drive late in the second quarter that saw an apparently fresh Carter rip off some big runs, including a 20-yard gain. The Tar Heels also showed a couple of looks with both backs in the game at the same time, which was a unique wrinkle. If you were playing fantasy football with Carolina, Carter had a terrific day, posting seven carries for 78 yards and catching six passes for 60 yards. Williams piled up three touchdowns and 57 yards on the ground.
8. So, what was it like? How was it to watch a college football game with cardboard cutouts the only inhabitants of the usually rowdy student sections in 111 and 110 on the lower level of Kenan Stadium, no band to salute every big play, and no tailgating on Stadium Drive? It was...different. Once the game started, it was easy to get lost in the big plays. But in and around Kenan before kickoff, it was eerie. There was no traffic on Highway 54 and no stream of fans wearing Carolina blue walking around the pines outside the stadium. In game, the most unusual factor was the ability to hear players and coaches on both sidelines throughout the afternoon. As permitted by the ACC, the Tar Heels did use fake crowd noise to provide some kind of atmosphere.
9. Mack Brown said this week his team needed to be better on special teams. The Tar Heels didn't distinguish themselves in that category on Saturday. The Orange had an 83-yard punt return for a touchdown wiped out by a needless blindside block (Carolina missed three tackles on the play), Carolina committed a holding penalty on a Cuse punt that cost them good field position, Grayson Atkins hit the goalpost on an admittedly long 50 yard field goal, Dazz Newsome muffed a punt that gifted Syracuse great field position and eventually a field goal, and the Tar Heels blocked in the back on the ensuing kickoff return. All of those miscues happened in the first 20 minutes of game action. Late in the first half, the Tar Heels committed a roughing the punter penalty that gave Syracuse a chance to add a field goal with seconds remaining in the half. To lead 7-3 at the break after the special teams struggles felt like a gift. Unfortunately, there was another gaffe in the second half, as a block in the back negated a Dazz Newsome punt return for a touchdown.
10. It's worth noting that two of the key special teams penalties were whistled on freshmen, which is going to happen. The hope is they grow out of it as the game slows down for them.Â
11. The Syracuse scouting report evidently said to keep testing Storm Duck, and the Tar Heel cornerback kept responding. Duck, who had an impressive training camp, broke up passes both long and short. He might be the latest Dre' Bly protege to work his way into being a very impressive cover corner.
12. It was misguided to not allow parents of the players into Kenan Stadium on Saturday. Looking at a completely empty stadium, it was easy to understand how a group that small could have been effectively spaced out inside the 51,000 seats. Imagine you're a parent of a Tar Heel freshman who has dreamed of playing college football his entire life. You just missed that first opportunity to watch him run out of the tunnel wearing Carolina blue. Imagine you're a parent of a Tar Heel senior who is doing this for the last time and may never play football again after this fall. You just missed one of a very few opportunities to watch him have an experience he'll remember for the rest of his life. Inside Kenan, there are plenty of reminders to socially distance and stickers on the ground to suggest the proper traffic flow in and out of section portals. The venue is ready to host fans. Hopefully, perhaps as soon as next Saturday with a 3:30 kickoff against Charlotte, at least the parents of the players involved can attend.
13. It was fun to watch the players go through the usual pre-fourth quarter hype routine with what would have been the student section, as a couple Tar Heels mimed slapping five with imaginary students and even hopped up on the wall in the end zone. As much as you look forward to them being able to do that with real students, that was immediately followed by the thought that we don't even know if the players will be allowed to do that if and when fans return to Kenan. Just give us a few of the little things, 2020.
14. And, as usual, that fourth quarter energy translated to big production. Carolina was third in the country in fourth quarter scoring margin in 2020, at +69 trailing only Ohio State and Florida, and the Tar Heels were +21 against the Orange on Saturday.
15. Interesting moment after the game, as after the alma mater and fight song, the Tar Heels went back onto the Kenan Stadium turf--newly christened Chris Smith Field--for a moment of reflection as the stadium speakers went silent for the first time all day. Then the Tar Heel players boisterously sang the fight song, and Brown addressed the team on the field (you could periodically hear him when he raised his voice and when the team laughed and/or cheered his comments) between the goal line and 15-yard line rather than going into the tight quarters of the locker room. It was one last reminder that things aren't quite normal in 2020, but it's still fun to watch winning football.
16. That's how it looked from Kenan, but I'd be interested to see how it looked from where you are. Send pictures of your game-watching party to us at carolinainsiderpod@gmail.com and we'll use the best/most unique/funniest ones in Thursday's live video podcast.
1. It was a win, and that's all that matters. As we've seen already on Saturday, there are two key factors in 2020 college football: play the game, and get the win. The Tar Heels achieved both those goals in the season opening 31-6 win over Syracuse. And remember, season opening wins aren't a gimme. Carolina has now won back to back season openers for the first time since 2011 and 2012, and it's the program's first back to back season opening wins against FBS competition since 1996 and 1997--not coincidentally, the final two years of Mack Brown's first stint in Chapel Hill. Also not coincidentally, the six points allowed were the fewest the Tat Heels have allowed to an FBS season opening opponent since Indiana also scored six in 1997.
2. A big part of every success story is figuring out how to handle it when things go poorly. Sam Howell, whose poise is one of his most frequently mentioned attributes, got a healthy reminder of that truism on Saturday, throwing multiple interceptions for just the third time in his college career (the others were the win over Duke and the loss to App) while never looking fully comfortable in a sometimes crowded pocket. But Howell never looked rattled, and finished a very solid 25-for-34 for 295 yards. Most quarterbacks in the country would like to have that "off" day. "The first half was sloppy on offense and special teams," Mack Brown told Jones Angell on the Tar Heel Sports Network after the game. We probably should have predicted that, without spring practice and the roller coaster we've been on this summer and fall. Normally first games are crazy anyway. This one checked all the boxes."
3. With all the summer chatter about the Carolina offense, it was actually the defense that made the winning plays on Saturday. Specifically, the defense responded extremely well to adversity, forcing a rare Syracuse missed field goal before halftime and limiting the Orange to just a field goal in the red zone after Howell's second interception. As expected, Chazz Surratt was the defensive leader with nine tackles, but Carolina also got good pressure from the interior of the defensive line, with Ray Vohasek notching one sack and Tomari Fox collecting a pair of sacks.Â
4. In total, Carolina amassed seven sacks against a suspect Syracuse offensive line. That's by far the most in the second Mack Brown era, as the 2019 Tar Heels had a season high of five against Duke. The seven sacks were also as many as Carolina accumulated in the final four games of 2019. Again, the Orange offensive line isn't a strength, but it's a very positive sign to watch a variety of defenders get pressure on the quarterback in the absence of Aaron Crawford and Jason Strowbridge. Surratt got his pair of sacks, as did Tomari Fox. Jeremiah Gemmel also got one, as did Tomon Fox and Vohasek. The only complaint you might have had about the defense was they didn't force a turnover...and then Giovanni Biggers took care of that by picking off the final Syracuse pass of the game with three minutes left. "The biggest difference is we have a lot more depth and can keep fresh people on the field," Brown said of a defense that limited Syracuse to 4-of-19 on third down conversions. "That was a huge part of us playing so much better."
5. That first Carolina touchdown drive of the game was a great illustration of what opponents will have to deal with this season in a best case scenario. Even with the Tar Heels committing a key holding penalty that wiped out a big Michael Carter run, Phil Longo still showed off a wealth of offensive weapons. It's very difficult to defend the complete UNC offensive package, including four different receivers catching a pass on that drive, the ground game using the flash of Carter and the muscle of Javonte Williams, and a quarterback in Sam Howell who can make throws from the near hash mark all the way to the other sideline and then show patience on the touchdown pass to let Garrett Walston come free all the way across the middle.Â
6. When you have that arsenal, it's relatively easy to make the decision to go for it on fourth and seven from the opponent's 40 yard line, as Mack Brown did on that drive. Brown was aggressive on fourth down last year, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him be even more so this season.
7. It's going to be interesting to watch how Carolina deploys its tailbacks this season. Michael Carter received the bulk of the early work, but then Javonte Williams carried the load through the remainder of the first quarter and the first half of the second quarter. Williams gave way to Carter for a run-heavy drive late in the second quarter that saw an apparently fresh Carter rip off some big runs, including a 20-yard gain. The Tar Heels also showed a couple of looks with both backs in the game at the same time, which was a unique wrinkle. If you were playing fantasy football with Carolina, Carter had a terrific day, posting seven carries for 78 yards and catching six passes for 60 yards. Williams piled up three touchdowns and 57 yards on the ground.
8. So, what was it like? How was it to watch a college football game with cardboard cutouts the only inhabitants of the usually rowdy student sections in 111 and 110 on the lower level of Kenan Stadium, no band to salute every big play, and no tailgating on Stadium Drive? It was...different. Once the game started, it was easy to get lost in the big plays. But in and around Kenan before kickoff, it was eerie. There was no traffic on Highway 54 and no stream of fans wearing Carolina blue walking around the pines outside the stadium. In game, the most unusual factor was the ability to hear players and coaches on both sidelines throughout the afternoon. As permitted by the ACC, the Tar Heels did use fake crowd noise to provide some kind of atmosphere.
9. Mack Brown said this week his team needed to be better on special teams. The Tar Heels didn't distinguish themselves in that category on Saturday. The Orange had an 83-yard punt return for a touchdown wiped out by a needless blindside block (Carolina missed three tackles on the play), Carolina committed a holding penalty on a Cuse punt that cost them good field position, Grayson Atkins hit the goalpost on an admittedly long 50 yard field goal, Dazz Newsome muffed a punt that gifted Syracuse great field position and eventually a field goal, and the Tar Heels blocked in the back on the ensuing kickoff return. All of those miscues happened in the first 20 minutes of game action. Late in the first half, the Tar Heels committed a roughing the punter penalty that gave Syracuse a chance to add a field goal with seconds remaining in the half. To lead 7-3 at the break after the special teams struggles felt like a gift. Unfortunately, there was another gaffe in the second half, as a block in the back negated a Dazz Newsome punt return for a touchdown.
10. It's worth noting that two of the key special teams penalties were whistled on freshmen, which is going to happen. The hope is they grow out of it as the game slows down for them.Â
11. The Syracuse scouting report evidently said to keep testing Storm Duck, and the Tar Heel cornerback kept responding. Duck, who had an impressive training camp, broke up passes both long and short. He might be the latest Dre' Bly protege to work his way into being a very impressive cover corner.
12. It was misguided to not allow parents of the players into Kenan Stadium on Saturday. Looking at a completely empty stadium, it was easy to understand how a group that small could have been effectively spaced out inside the 51,000 seats. Imagine you're a parent of a Tar Heel freshman who has dreamed of playing college football his entire life. You just missed that first opportunity to watch him run out of the tunnel wearing Carolina blue. Imagine you're a parent of a Tar Heel senior who is doing this for the last time and may never play football again after this fall. You just missed one of a very few opportunities to watch him have an experience he'll remember for the rest of his life. Inside Kenan, there are plenty of reminders to socially distance and stickers on the ground to suggest the proper traffic flow in and out of section portals. The venue is ready to host fans. Hopefully, perhaps as soon as next Saturday with a 3:30 kickoff against Charlotte, at least the parents of the players involved can attend.
13. It was fun to watch the players go through the usual pre-fourth quarter hype routine with what would have been the student section, as a couple Tar Heels mimed slapping five with imaginary students and even hopped up on the wall in the end zone. As much as you look forward to them being able to do that with real students, that was immediately followed by the thought that we don't even know if the players will be allowed to do that if and when fans return to Kenan. Just give us a few of the little things, 2020.
14. And, as usual, that fourth quarter energy translated to big production. Carolina was third in the country in fourth quarter scoring margin in 2020, at +69 trailing only Ohio State and Florida, and the Tar Heels were +21 against the Orange on Saturday.
15. Interesting moment after the game, as after the alma mater and fight song, the Tar Heels went back onto the Kenan Stadium turf--newly christened Chris Smith Field--for a moment of reflection as the stadium speakers went silent for the first time all day. Then the Tar Heel players boisterously sang the fight song, and Brown addressed the team on the field (you could periodically hear him when he raised his voice and when the team laughed and/or cheered his comments) between the goal line and 15-yard line rather than going into the tight quarters of the locker room. It was one last reminder that things aren't quite normal in 2020, but it's still fun to watch winning football.
16. That's how it looked from Kenan, but I'd be interested to see how it looked from where you are. Send pictures of your game-watching party to us at carolinainsiderpod@gmail.com and we'll use the best/most unique/funniest ones in Thursday's live video podcast.
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