Look, I’m not going to try and pull a Mike Lombardi here on you and try to convince you that this win on Friday night was a game-changing, earth-shattering event that proves the current regime knows what they are doing. There was plenty on display Friday to show the opposite of that and if you’re skeptical about the current direction of UNC, you likely didn’t have your mind changed.
That said, you’d be a fool not to at least find some good things in the win against the Orange. First and foremost is
that for a team that supposedly was in distress and was giving every sign of giving up on the season. Instead, it’s pretty clear they are continuing to fight. It should at least give some hope going into the last four games of the season that they may be able to pick up some momentum and surprise someone along the way.
Again, let’s not get too crazy. Why don’t we go ahead into our weekly list of winners, losers, and honorable mentions
Winners
Demon June: The Jacksonville freshman had an amazing night that will probably see him get some sort of weekly recognition from the ACC. He racked up 191 all-purpose yards with 101 on the ground plus 81 from the air, had two touchdowns total, and stepped up when it was clear that Syracuse just couldn’t contain him. He’s a legitimate weapon that other teams now will have to scheme around when he’s in the game, and he’s just going to get better if he can get more reps and work on his pass protection so that he can be an effective decoy. If there is one thing you should be happy about this season, it’s that a homegrown North Carolina talent is thriving in Chapel Hill. Here’s hoping they keep him this offseason.
Gio Lopez: This is putting the bar so low to the ground that a one year old could hop over it, but you have to acknowledge that the kid had a mistake-free night. He had a very efficient 15-19 game for 216 yards and two passing scores, converted on a touchdown, and was part of the reason why the Tar Heels were able to run away with the game after a horrid first half. He wasn’t picked off once, and even added 33 yards on the ground. As he heads into an extra day off and a home date against Stanford next week, he has a chance to get some real momentum.
Steve Belichick: It’s time to acknowledge that yes, the Syracuse offense was horrid on Friday but part of the reason for how horrid they were was the UNC defense that did not give up a single touchdown. How many times in history of UNC football have we seen a situation where a school brings in a backup quarterback and that quarterback runs roughshod over the defense? This is also the same school that let Jame Madison hang 70 on them last season, and lost multiple games because they couldn’t stop a sneeze. Syracuse had a total of four completions all night, rushed for only 108, and fumbled the ball twice, losing it once that was converted by the Tar Heels. The offense may be a mess but the defense has continued to show improvement, and there’s every reason to believe it’ll continue next weekend.
Losers
First Half: Remember the fact that Carolina only let Syracuse complete four passes total? Somehow at the end of the first half Carolina was still losing 10-6. Against most other teams Carolina would have had every reason to expect to be down more, and while Carolina eventually overwhelmed the outmatched Orange, it really shouldn’t have taken that long. It had that “on no not again” feeling when Syracuse picked up the UNC fumble and easily ran it back for a touchdown. That Carolina needed a full half to find its rhythm against one of the worst teams in the ACC doesn’t really inspire a lot of confidence.
Shamar Easter: Speaking of that fumble, ball security clearly is something that this team can’t quick fathom as once again a careless fumble could have sucked away any chance the team had to win. Considering that Syracuse actually held the lead until June’s second half heroics it sure looked as if for the third week in a row a fumble was going to be the difference in the game. It was Easter’s only catch of the night and in general, this team needs to stop just trying to do too much. It’s a sign of bad offense when playmakers are just emphasizing doing to much instead of the basics of ball security.
Bill Belichick: Carolina loses that game without June’s heroics, and it’s clear at this point that teams have zero respect for the offense that Carolina is rolling out on the field. Once again it shows how the “greatest coach ever” just doesn’t really care about offense. He’d gotten so used to a skilled quarterback doing what he needs them to do that he’s fooled himself into thinking anyone can be an offensive coordinator, and that they don’t need college experience. The hiring of his son Steve has shown to be defensible in that he spent a year making Washington decent, and that side of the ball has clearly improved. That he didn’t try harder to give the offense more tools to succeed speaks to how little he cares about offense which, you know, is kind of important.
Honorable Mentions
Melkart Abou Jaoude followed up his great game last week with another two sack performance plus a forced fumble. He’s quickly becoming a standout on this defense and a problem that other teams are going to have to account for…Tyler Thompson also added a sack to the tally board…Carolina rushed for a total of 209 yards on Friday, showing a deep bench of running backs that helps keep June fresh…Jordan Shipp continues to be the best receiver on the team, and it’s a shame he doesn’t have a better quarterback throwing to him. He made some great catches, reeled in a touchdown, and gain 64 yards on the night.
It’s Homecoming in Chapel Hill this week as the team gets an extra day to prepare for Stanford at a much more fan-friendly time of 4:30. The game will end under the lights, and hopefully some fireworks as the Tar Heels get a step closer to .500.
