Heel Tough Blog: California Recap

Anthony Pagnotta
Sep 2, 2018 · 3 min read
Ezra Shaw- Getty Images

Saturday’s was the kickoff to the 2018 Tar Heel football season, as the team traveled to Berkeley, CA. Despite the hungry mindset, another bad break late in the game prevented the Heels from having a chance to complete a fourth quarter comeback. Let’s take at what we learned today.

Defense Took a Real Step Forward Tonight

For the first time in what feels like years, the Tar Heel defense carried this team for an entire game. The Tar Heel defense allowed just 17 points and just 279 yards of total offense despite four turnovers. The team sacked the Bears’ quarterbacks four times and held them to just 160 yards rushing (not flawless, but an improvement). For the first time in a long time, there is some optimism on the defensive side of the football in Chapel Hill.

The Quarterback Battle Is Not Over Just Yet

The first half was one of the worst quarterback performances in the history of the sports, as at one point, Nathan Elliott’s passer rating got as low as -33.3. Although Elliott settled down a bit in the second half, he still finished just 15 of 35 for 137 yards with a touchdown and four interceptions. Now don’t get me wrong, Elliott can recover and lock up the position if his next three weeks provide performances that help the offense score points. As of right now, though, the week leading into the Miami game could be an interesting one.

The Offensive Line Is A Work In Progress

This line is definitely a talented group with a lot of upside, but this group is a work in progress for sure. Both William Sweet and Charlie Heck were solid, but the interior lineman really struggled. The between-the-tackles running was nearly non-existent the entire game and the pass protection, especially in the first half, was questionable. The second half was definitely an improvement, but this unit still has a lot of work to do.

The Play-Calling Is Still Head Scratching

The first half was filled will questionable decisions, especially in the first quarter. It started with a 3rd &5 on the opening drive. The team decided to throw a deep pass lob ball with a quarterback that is known to struggle with deep passes. The next drive, Antonio Williams ripped off an eight yard carry to make it 3rd &3. The Heels proceeded to throw a screen play to Williams who they lined up as an outside receiver and saw the play dropped for a loss. The offense in the first half contained too many screen patterns and not enough read options to allow Elliott to run the football. Elliott seems to thrive when he is able to run the football and bring that dual threat that he brought late last season. Instead, every run play seemed to be a designed handoff to the running back that was in the game. The second half was a better game plan, but this offense still needs to open up the play book a bit more.

This Team Continues To Show Fight

Down 17–0, the team simply could have given, especially considering the offense had a total of one first down entering the second half. Instead, the fought back and nearly had a chance to tie the game with a late onside kick recovery (read more below). This team continues to show the ability to fight hard, but they need to fight hard out of the gate instead of having to repeatedly fight from behind.

Bad Luck In Openers Is Getting Old

The Heels suffered yet another setback in a season opener on Saturday. The last time the Heels beat an FBS team in an opener since 2000’s opener over Tulsa and hasn’t beat a Power 5 team in an opener since 1997. It didn’t help that the Heels were on the end of an extremely questionable call on an onside kick recovery that resulted in an eventual Cal recovery. The bad luck is unfathomable.

Heel Tough Blog

A blog covering everything North Carolina Tar Heels football

Anthony Pagnotta

Written by

Bleed Tar Heel Blue. Writer and Owner of Heel Tough Blog. Writer for the Enquirer Journal NYG.NYM. NYR. NYK. NY✈️NC

Heel Tough Blog

A blog covering everything North Carolina Tar Heels football

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