The UNC defense got roughed up pretty badly in Carolina’s narrow 38-35 loss to #1 Miami. The Hurricanes scored on six of their seven offensive possessions (not counting the kneel downs at the end); the Tar Heels only forced one punt the entire game. Some struggles on that side of the ball were to be expected. Miami boasts arguably the best offense in the country and currently has two of the top three betting favorites for the Heisman Trophy on their roster. Still, for a coach like Bill Belichick
who prioritizes defense, this loss has to sting.
The Heels now turn their attention to their next opponent, the Connecticut Huskies. UConn comes into the game with an identical 4-4 record, although UNC’s wins over Duke and Pittsburgh are far better than any victory on the Huskies resume. Connecticut actually mirrors the Heels’ offense in a few ways: both teams’ QBs have thrown for roughly the same number of yards (1,872 for Billy Edwards Jr. vs 1,857 for Huskies QB Kalieb Osborne); both teams operate on a running back by committee approach, with each squad having three backs with at least 44 carries on the season. That being said, UConn’s rushing attack has generally been much more potent; they are among the top 25 teams in the country in rushing yards per attempt.
While UNC has an average rushing defense (allowing 4.2 yards per rushing attempt), they will face a challenge they really haven’t seen defensively this season: a true running quarterback. The closest they’ve come is Clemson’s Tait Reynolds, who was making his first career start against the Heels. Everyone else has been more of a pocket passer with the odd scramble than a QB that has the run game as part of their arsenal.
UConn QB Kalieb Osborne definitely looks to run. He’s actually second on the team in rushing yards; adjusting for sacks and sack yardage, Osborne has rushed 64 times for 460 yards. The Toledo transfer has also scored seven rushing TDs, which is tied for first on the team. Averaging over 7 yards a carry, he’s a danger whenever he breaks out of the pocket. Osborne also has the kind of size (6’4”) where he doesn’t exactly shy away from contact when he’s in the open field. The Heels will need to keep him in the pocket as well as sniff out the designed run plays Connecticut is sure to draw up.
The one caveat to this is the fact that most of his highlights are against non-power 4 conference opponents. UConn has played two power conference teams this season, losing to Syracuse in overtime and getting rolled by a bad Maryland team earlier in the season. In both of those games, Osborne’s rushing prowess was mostly held in check. UNC will need to do the same if they want to get back above .500 against the Huskies.
