Heel Tough Blog: East Tennessee State Recap
The Tar Heels kicked off their 100th season in Kenan Stadium as they welcomed Will Healy and East Tennessee State to Chapel Hill for the first time. After some sluggish moments in the first half, the team did what they had to pull away for a comfortable 35-3 win. Here’s a look at our biggest takeaways from a victory that sent the team to 2-0 heading to Clemson.
Defensive Line Continues to Get After the Quarterback
For a second straight game to start the season, the Tar Heel defensive line was pinning their ears back and getting after the quarterback. With Melkart Abou Jaoude sidelined due to his hand injury, Jaylen Harvey became the edge rusher that everyone was watching and he put on a show in the first half. He finished the day with three total tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and four total quarterback pressures, including the one on the early Greg Smith interception. On the interior, Xavier Lewis had another strong showing rushing the passer as he collected four total tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and four quarterback pressures. As a team, the defense finished the day with 19 total pressures, a very solid number against a team that had a clear focus to get the ball out quickly most of the day with an average depth of target of 3.2 yards.
Running Game Unlocks Itself After Quiet Opener
The Tar Heels just couldn’t really find a rhythm over in Ireland, but they eased any concerns about the running game with what they did on Saturday. Demon June was the headline maker, as he found the end zone three times on the ground, but it was a productive day across the board. Ben Hall only carried the ball four times, but he turned it into 49 yards and a touchdown, an average of 12.3 per carry. As for Jaylen McGill, he put together some nice runs, averaging 8.0 yards per carry on his five rush attempts. Next week will be another test for this group, but it feels like this trio might have a better chance to factor in than we thought after the opener.
Jelani Thurman Shines Again
The Tar Heels have played two games and Thurman has been the best offensive player by far in both of them. Saturday, he led the team in receiving, hauling in all four of his targets for 71 yards and a touchdown, showcasing his ability after the catch and to stretch the field down the seams. In the blocking game, he was absolutely tremendous, grading out with an 83.3 from PFF on the day. According to PFF, he was the best player on the field on Saturday and it’s hard to argue against that.
Offensive Line Builds on Their Performance From the Opener
The biggest surprise in Dublin was the performance of the offensive line and the group built on that with what they did on Saturday. As we talked about above, the running game had a better showing and the offensive line deserves their credit for that. The PFF grades were better across the board in run blocking, headlined by left guard Andrew Threatt (77.6) and starting right guard Aidan Banfield (71.8). The area where they really shined, though, was in pass protection. As a whole, the unit allowed just one sack and two total pressures, giving Billy Edwards Jr. and Miles O’Neill plenty of time to throw. All this success came with the help of true freshman Cristian Alvarez, a low-rated late enrollee who didn’t join the team until the summer. He has clearly made an impression on the staff and with how successful the offense was with him on the field, it easy to see why. Next week will be a test for this group, but it’s hard not to be pleased with what we have seen so far after so much concern in the offseason.
Billy Edwards With Another Solid Game, But Accuracy Still Inconsistent
Edwards showed in Ireland why the staff decided to roll with him and he put together a similar performance on Saturday. Following a rough first drive, he would settle the offense in with him putting the ball exactly where it needed to go for a second straight game. He finished the day 15-20 for 244 yards and posted a 2-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He had a couple of misses that he’ll have to make if the Tar Heels want to win next week, but it’s hard to be critical of a day where Edwards completed 75% of his passes for 16.3 yards per completion.
Run Defense Still Leaving Something to Be Desired
East Tennessee State might have finished the day with just 77 rushing yards, but there were some moments in that first half where the Buccaneers were able to consistently move the ball with their ground game. The good news is, the defensive line started winning more often as the day went along, but the defense as a whole needs to start faster in run defense starting next week when they dip into conference play.
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