Bill Belichick had a poor start to his tenure at UNC last year, with the main issues being on the offensive side of the ball. He remedied that issue this year by going out and hiring none other than Bobby Petrino to be his offensive coordinator. Petrino had been bouncing around at a few spots since being fired by Louisville, but his offensive acumen is still coveted. The Tar Heels have improved on offense, though they still rank toward the bottom of the rankings in some key offensive metrics.
As always,
an offense is only as good as its quarterback, and the Tar Heels are average with Billy Edwards under center. The veteran transfer quarterback has played about as well as most expected him to this season. His inconsistent play has been an issue for this offense, and it has contributed to a couple of the losses this year.
As the season has gone on, he has played better, with his last two games being his best. He torched Miami’s defense for four touchdowns while completing 82% of his passes. He came back the following weekend to complete 76% of his passes against a solid UConn team. Edwards isn’t one of the top quarterbacks Louisville has seen this season, but he has played like one recently.
UNC has three running backs that they can rely on, and they play all three of them. Demon June leads the group in touchdowns with 8 on the season. Benjamin Hall leads the group in yards and yards per carry. Jaylin Mcgill leads the group in yards per play as he is a factor as a receiver out of the backfield. They are all over 220 pounds, and Petrino has done a good job of utilizing them this season. The staff likes to ride the hot hand with this group, so we will have to wait to see which player gets the most touches.
Louisville will face another opponent that has a single key player at the wide receiver position this weekend. Jordan Shipp is one of the more talented players the Cards will face this year, and they will need to have a plan. Shipp has good size at 6-2/200, and he can really move. He is a fluid athlete with good body control which he uses to make contested catches and catches in tight spots. He is not a burner in the open field, but he has plenty of speed to score on a long play if he gets open.
The biggest threat on this offense is at tight end in Jelani Thurman. Lincoln Keinholz’ former teammate at Ohio State has had a similar situation as he did not make much of an impact for the Buckeyes, but he has emerged as one of the best tight ends in the country for UNC. He has already set the school record for touchdowns by a tight end with 8, which is the most in the country among tight ends. He also ranks in the top five in just about every receiving category when it comes to tight ends.
This team doesn’t create a lot of big passing plays, but when they do it is down the middle of the field to Thurman, or because he pulls defenders with him. Petrino is known for working deep over routes throughout his career, but this team has killed teams down the seams. Louisville’s defense has been victimized many times on seam routes this year, so they will need to adjust their plan from their normal reliance on Cover 3.
The UNC offensive line has been pretty average this year, especially from a run blocking standpoint. They don’t allow a lot of penetration, but they haven’t been opening massive holes for the running backs, either. Where they have struggled is being consistent in pass protection. Billy Edwards is just a big better than being a statue in the pocket, so he is not one to avoid the rush if it gets to him. It has not helped that his line has struggled with speed rushers this year. The Cards should have an opportunity to get pressure this weekend.
