The North Carolina Tar Heels return home to take on the Richmond Spiders on Saturday. Carolina earned the win last week, but it is clear the Heels must continue to improve in each phase of the game.
With their inconsistency against Charlotte, UNC cannot look past Richmond. The hope, from the coaching staff and fans alike, is that Saturday is an opportunity to focus on fundamentals and executing the game plan on both sides of the ball at a high level.
Here are three keys to watch when the Spiders come
to Chapel Hill.
Containing Dual-Threat Quarterback Kyle Wickersham
Despite some of the struggles during the game, including the Charlotte drive that concluded with a doink off the upright, the Tar Heels’ defense has been a bright spot. The three points allowed were the fewest against an FBS opponent since 2001.
The defense will have a great challenge this Saturday.
Richmond’s senior quarterback, Kyle Wickersham, is a true dual-threat. And at 6-foot-4, 260 pounds, he is a big fella.
Wickersham leads the Spiders in rushing, and last week, scored the game-winning touchdown versus Wofford on the ground.
He is two seasons removed from when he led the entire FCS in completion percentage, showcasing his efficiency and accuracy. In 2023, Wickersham threw for 1,400 yards and 10 touchdowns, while gaining 401 yards and scoring four touchdowns on the ground.
In 2024, a season-ending injury occurred after three games, cutting his chance short to build on a productive sophomore season.
Last season, the Carolina defense struggled with dual-threat quarterbacks. In the games against James Madison, Georgia Tech, and Boston College, the opposing quarterback had at least 175 yards through the air and 50 on the ground.
In the previous four seasons, that happened a total of four times.
UNC will need to be disciplined in their pass rush and maintain containment to prevent Wickersham from extending plays with his legs.
Finding Consistency on Offense
The first drive of the game has been special for Carolina. In both games this season, the Tar Heels have started the game on time, scoring a touchdown in each.
After that, the offense has struggled to find consistency.
The coaching staff stuck with Gio Lopez last week. He was better, especially in his ability as a dual-threat. However, he is still struggling with reads in the passing game.
The running back committee is still in session. Last week, Demon June earned his first nine carries of the season, vaulting him to the top of the team rushing list with 52 yards. Three other running backs have at least 25 yards on the ground.
Saturday should be a great day to continue with the committee, but when will offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens shorten his running back bench? Is this having any impact on the offense?
More broadly, there have been rotations throughout the lineup, with the team using more than 50 players in each of the first two games.
The development of a consistent and efficient offense will be critical for UNC’s success, especially with UCF and the ACC slate coming up soon. This means getting Lopez comfortable with his receivers and reads, and finding the right running back pieces that can make plays with an offensive line that needs to improve.
Avoid the Trap
Carolina should have performed better in a 20-3 victory over Charlotte. The talent margin was there, but it did not show up consistently throughout the game. A 17-point victory over a program like that is simply not the standard expected for UNC.
This Saturday, the Tar Heels must focus on a disciplined game that is foundational for the rest of the season.
But the Spiders will be no slouch.
Richmond is a consistently strong FCS program, winning the national championship in 2008 and making the FCS playoffs in three straight seasons. The Spiders have won three straight against Duke (2006, 2009, 2011) and beat Virginia in 2016.
The doom-and-gloom is still lingering over Tar Heel fans after that opening week loss. There should not be a reason to panic, but you just never know.
The good news is Richmond is such an underdog that the major sportsbooks are not listing the game. The books do not put a lot of FBS vs. FCS games on the board, but not being listed is certainly a good sign for Carolina fans.
