Heel Tough Blog: PFF Report - Week 5 (Notre Dame)
It wasn’t the result that the Tar Heels were hoping for on Saturday, falling to Notre Dame 37-26 in Chapel Hill, in a game that Carolina led 7-0 in the first half, and only trailed 21-20 in the second, before the Fighting Irish pulled away. It was a game that featured the competitive spirit you want to see from your team, but the areas the program still needs to grow and develop were highlighted in a major way. As we do every week, let’s see how the Tar Heels graded out according to Pro Football Focus after a second straight loss.
Offense:
Jordan Shipp - 80.2
Shipp enjoyed his best game as a Tar Heel, bringing in 7 catches for a career-high 109 yards in the defeat. Shipp has emerged as Billy Edwards’ favorite target, alongside Jelani Thurman, and his consistent production is a compliment to the player he’s become, despite drawing the toughest corner assignment of any Tar Heel pass catcher. His performance earned him an 80.2 grade overall, with a 79.2 grade on passing downs and a 61.2 as a run blocker.
Billy Edwards Jr. - 76.5
Despite his two interceptions, including a costly pick-6, Edwards was the second-highest-graded offensive player for Carolina, as he went 17-for-28 for 208 yards and three touchdowns. According to PFF, they gave Edwards a grade of 76.5 overall, with a 72.2 grade as a passer, a 70.6 grade on rushing downs, and a 60.0 as a run blocker.
Jelani Thurman - 71.0
Thurman continued his impressive season with 5 catches for 50 yards and two touchdowns, as he’s been the most productive transfer by far this season. That production earned Thurman a grade of 71.0 overall, with a 76.8 on passing plays, but just a 46.8 grade as a run blocker.
Shamar Easter - 63.8
Easter saw an increased role on Saturday, and rewarded Bobby Petrino for that trust, catching 3 passes for 24 yards across his 4 targets. In his 19 snaps, Easter received a 63.8 grade overall, with a 64.6 grade as a pass catcher, and a 57.6 grade as a run blocker.
Jaylen McGill - 61.1
McGill was Carolina’s most productive runner in terms of yards per attempt, averaging 3.8 yards across his 4 carries, even though Benjamin Hall led UNC with 36 yards, on 10 carries. McGill played 16 snaps in the loss, receiving a 61.1 grade overall, a 55.6 grade on passing downs, a 76.1 as a pass blocker, and a 61.3 on rushing downs.
Defense:
Derek McDonald - 77.3
McDonald had his best game as a Tar Heel, registering 12 total tackles, including 5 solo stops. McDonald struggled in coverage, allowing 4 passes to be completed on him for 31 yards. Despite that, his 77.3 grade was the highest of any Tar Heel defender, but he struggled in the run game, with a 63.8, an 85.0 tackling grade, a 57.4 as a pass rusher, and a 86.4 in coverage.
Peyton Seelman - 73.6
McDonald’s linebacker counterpart, Peyton Seelman, continues to make the adjustment to the power conference level, as he was second on the team in tackled with 9 total tackles, along with a pass defended. All that led to him earning a 73.6 grade overall, with a 59.0 grade in run defense, an 82.3 tackling grade, a 57.8 as a pass rusher, with a 81.2 grade in pass coverage.
Javion Butts - 71.4
Butts saw limited snaps in the loss on Saturday, but made the most out of them in terms of PFF. In his 8 snaps. Butts registered two tackles, and that translated into a 71.4 grade overall, and a 70.9 grade in run defense, a 78.9 grade as a tackler, with a 61.1 in coverage.
Leroy Jackson - 70.5
In terms of PFF, Leroy Jackson was the most productive member of the UNC defensive line, and that tracks considering he totaled 8 tackles, including 6 of them solo, in addition to a pass defended. That led to Jackson earning a 70.5 grade overall, a 72.1 grade as a run defender, a 78.4 tackling grade, a 59.0 grade as a pass rusher, and a 61.2 grade in coverage.
Timir Hickman-Collins - 68.3
Like Butts, Hickman-Collins saw limited snaps on Saturday, making one tackle in his 10 snaps played. Despite the limited time on the field, PFF awarded him a 68.3 grade overall, a 54.3 grade as a run defender, a 74.3 grade as a tackler, with a 60.0 grade in pass rushing situations, and a 72.7 grade when dropped back into coverage.
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