Heel Tough Blog: UCF Recap

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For the second time in the last month, the Tar Heels have been embarrassed by a Big 12 team. In a game that felt even less competitive than the opener, the Tar Heels fell to the UCF Knights 34-9 on Saturday afternoon on the road in Orlando. Here’s a look at our takeaways from another rough loss for the Tar Heels.

This Offense Continues to Sputter

The Tar Heels entered Saturday with one of the worst offenses in the entire country and it lived up to that billing again. The team finished with 217 yards of total offense on 58 plays and found the endzone just once all afternoon. The team was at least able to move the ball once Max Johnson entered the game, but this offense as a whole has a lot to figure out before they face Clemson in a couple of weeks. A lot of that falls on play caller Freddie Kitchens, who will hopefully be able to open up his playbook more with Johnson under center because he fits the system a little better. Using more pace might be something to consider as well, especially if you are going to be playing from behind like the Tar Heels have been in their first two games against Power 4 competition.

Max Johnson Needs to Be This Team’s Quarterback

With what looks like a severe injury to Gio Lopez, this is going to happen but it was what was needed even before the injury. Johnson entered the game in the middle of the third quarter and immediately led the Tar Heels down the field for their lone touchdown of the game. While the other drives didn’t result in scores, it was clear that Johnson was more comfortable with what was being asked of him and he was getting the ball out on time and throwing it accurately, two things that Lopez simply could not do. The hope is that with a week off, Johnson will be able to settle into the offense fully and be able to provide this offense with better quarterback play than the team has had through the first four games of the season.

Offensive Line Simply Has to Be Better

The unit received some reinforcement with the return of Austin Blaske to the starting lineup on Saturday, but the unit struggled in this game similar to the way that they did in the opener. The unit once again had a hard time opening up consistent holes in the run game as the Tar Heels ran for just 63 yards on 25 carries, averaging out to 2.5 yards per carry. The unit also had trouble in pass protection throughout the day, directly leading to one interception and stalling the last couple of drives with Johnson in the game. This unit has to find their best five over the bye week and come out better on the other side if this offense wants to have a chance to compete in conference play.

Defense Has a Long Way To Go

This defense showed so much promise in the past two weeks, but as the unit showed on Saturday, it was more about how bad the offenses were that they played in those two games than how good this defense actually is. The same issues that cost them the opener presented themselves again on Saturday as they allowed 366 yards of total offense, including 143 rushing yards, to go along with the 34 points that the Knights scored. Tackling was a major issue once again and seems like it will be an issue for this team against Power 4 opponents this season. Unless this unit steps up and learns how to tackle better and stop the run, it’s going to be hard to see them taking the step that we thought they could this season under the Belichicks.

Pass Defense Picked Apart Again

Another area where this defense struggled on Saturday was in pass defense where they allowed 223 yards on 25 of 32 passing from Tayven Jackson. Much like the opener, the team was picked apart in the intermediate and short passing games and the issues with tackling allowed for a decent amount of yards after the catch from the Knights. It is on this staff to figure out ways to avoid getting carved up the way that they have in their two games against Power 4 opponents which might be as simple as playing more press man coverage because of the lack of pass rush that the team continues to struggle with.

This Could Be a Long Season

Losing the way that they did on Saturday to UCF is a pretty damning statement for the rest of the year. The Knights were a popular pick to finish in the basement of the Big 12 this preseason and for good reason, meaning this was one of the most winnable games remaining on the schedule for the Tar Heels entering the day. Unless there is drastic improvement throughout the season, the team may have a legitimate chance to win one or two more games. Prepare accordingly, folks.