A double-digit lead at halftime on Saturday gave UNC football fans something they rarely experience: hope. North Carolina had Clemson on the ropes, in position for its first victory at Memorial Stadium since 2001.
The Tar Heels stopped playing offense, while the Tigers woke up, regardless of the weather delay. UNC watched a once-14-point lead turn into an 8-point defeat, with a 28-20 loss the final result on Saturday
in Clemson (2-1, 2-0 ACC).During his postgame press conference, North Carolina (2-1, 0-1 ACC) head coach Bill Belichick highlighted the late-game, complete 180 between both ACC rivals.
“In the end, they just made a few more plays than we did in the last eight minutes of the game,” Belichick said via Tar Heel Tribune's R.L. Bynum.
“We missed a couple of opportunities on offense and missed some tackles on defense. We had a couple long runs that hurt us. “It’s disappointing, so we just got to keep working and keep getting better, which we are. Give Clemson credit; they made the plays at the end of the game. They needed to make them to win. “Those plays make a big difference in the game and the field position of the game. We’ve got to be working on them and hit them. That’s all I’m going to say.”
The Tar Heels' rushing attack generated over 200 yards, but on a fourth-and-one during a potential game-ending drive, decided to launch a pass deep downfield. The Tigers scored on their next two drives, with running backs Gideon Davidson (105 yards) and Tyler Brown (one carry, 34 yards) wearing down UNC's suspect run defense.
Offensive units go through cold spells during games. It's a natural part of football. North Carolina let its foot off the gas and strayed from what built a sizable first-half advantage, while Clemson charged on ahead to a much-needed victory.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: Bill Belichick highlights UNC's lack of big plays late in Clemson loss
