Opponent Preview: No. 12 UNC
Andy Backstrom
Staff Writer
North Carolina’s Mack Brown called first-year Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley a “real superstar for the future” after practice on Wednesday, per Tar Heel Illustrated. The day before that, Hafley said that Brown has to be “one of the best college coaches of all-time.” Despite the disparity in age and head coaching experience, there is a mutual respect between the two and their programs, which haven’t met since 2013.
They’ll resume the cross-divisional series on Saturday when No. 12 UNC travels to Chestnut Hill to play its first game in three weeks. It’s the middle of BC’s three-game homestand, and the Eagles’ biggest test of the young season as well as the Hafley era.
When is BC playing?
Saturday, Oct. 3., 3:30 p.m.
Where is BC playing?
Alumni Stadium, Chestnut Hill, Mass.
How to watch?
The game will be broadcast on ABC.
Series History
UNC leads the all-time series, 3-2. The Tar Heels have actually won four straight in this series, with the Eagles’ last win coming all the way back in 2004 when they were still in the Big East. Technically, though, only two of those victories count. UNC vacated its wins from the 2008 and 2009 seasons after an NCAA investigation exposed academic misconduct and student-athletes accepting improper benefits. The last meeting between the programs occurred in 2013. It was the first season of Steve Addazio’s seven-year tenure. Andre Williams rushed for 172 yards, but the rest of the offense combined for 89 yards against a lowly UNC defense. BC went 5-of-16 on 3rd Down and struggled to push the ball past midfield in what ended up as a 34-10 loss.
UNC’s record: 1-0 (1-0 ACC)
Breaking Down the Tar Heels:
Offense: After two seasons of quarterback carousel, the Tar Heels found their signal caller in December 2018 when Sam Howell flipped his commitment from Florida State. Brown played a prominent role in winning over the blue-chipper, and it’s paid dividends for the program. Howell tossed 38 touchdown passes last year, which was not only a school record but also a true freshman FBS record. The 2019 ACC Rookie of the Year was a two-point conversion away from upsetting No. 1 Clemson and, over the course of the final five games of the season, completed 66% of his passes while posting an impressive 16:2 touchdown to interception ratio.
Howell—and really the entire UNC offense—entered 2020 with notable expectations. The sophomore gunslinger is a Heisman candidate, largely because of the pieces around him. Ranking ninth nationally, the Tar Heels returned 87% of their 2019 offensive output. First things first, they brought back two of the best wide receivers in the conference: Dyami Brown and Dazz Newsome, both of whom eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving mark last year.
As good as the Tar Heels are at slinging the rock, they can also grind out yards on the ground. They have two backs who racked up 160+ carries last year. Michael Carter cleared the 1,000-yard mark in 2019, and Javonte Williams finished just shy of the single-season milestone with 933 rushing yards. Both are in the fold this season. In Week 1, Carter had more yards, however, Williams was the one who found the end zone (three times). Four of the Tar Heels’ five starting O-Linemen are 6-foot-4 or taller. Sophomore left guard Joshua Ezeudu, arguably UNC’s best offensive lineman, missed the season opener but will be back for Saturday’s game.
Defense: Even in the post-Mitchell Trubisky years (2017-18), the Tar Heels’ offense, although dysfunctional at times and occasionally absent, was able to put up points in a number of games. UNC’s defense, on the other hand, was in shambles. The Tar Heels allowed more than 31 points and 435 yards per contest in each of those two seasons. When Brown took over for Larry Fedora in 2019, he promoted Tommy Thigpen, a former UNC player of Brown’s, to co-defensive coordinator, in addition to hiring Jay Bateman as the team’s other co-DC. There were immediate results. Last year, the Tar Heels jumped from 95th to 44th in defensive SP+.
Bateman came over from Army after a five-year run as the Black Knights’ defensive coordinator. Interestingly enough, his only head coaching gig was with Siena. His first year on the job was Hafley’s senior season with the Saints. Now at UNC, Bateman has worked with Thigpen to revamp the Tar Heels’ defense. The tandem built on its 2019 campaign with a dominant performance against Syracuse three weeks ago. UNC held the Orange to 202 total yards of offense, including just 68 yards on the ground. Syracuse was a putrid 4-of-19 on 3rd Down.
UNC is more experienced on the D-Line and backend this year. In 2019, a total of eight underclassmen defensive linemen and defensive backs played at least 130 snaps, according to ESPN’s Bill Connelly. Sophomore cornerback Storm Duck and junior safety Trey Morrison are two guys to keep an eye in the Tar Heels’ secondary. Duck, who Bateman believes to be a future NFLer, allowed a 51% completion rate last year. Tomari Fox coming off the edge is a cause for concern for any opponent, and, of course, Chazz Surratt—the runner-up for last year’s ACC Defensive Player of the Year award—is the heartbeat of the UNC defense. Surratt, who made the well-documented switch from QB to linebacker in the spring of 2019, finished last season ranked second in the ACC with 115 total tackles. He also had 15 TFLs and 6.5 sacks.
Special Teams: UNC’s special teams lagged behind its offense and defense in 2019, as far as SP+ is concerned. The Tar Heels were 74th nationally in that category. Noah Ruggles held his own at place kicker. As a sophomore, he converted 19-of-27 field goal attempts, including 16-of-18 inside 40. He was only 3-of-9 beyond that mark, however, and missed all three of his 50+ yard attempts.
UNC brought in graduate transfer Grayson Atkins this offseason. The three-year Furman starter hit 7-of-9 from 40+ last year and, at one point, had a streak of 18 consecutive field goals made, dating back to the 2018 season. He was 1-of-2 in the Tar Heels’ season opener, missing a kick from 50+ but drilling a 31-yard chip shot. Ben Kiernan is once again booting punts for UNC. The Dublin, Ireland native pinned 13 inside the 20-yard line last year.
Three Storylines
How will the Tar Heels look after their three-week hiatus?
UNC is essentially starting the season over again on Saturday. The Tar Heels haven’t played since Sept. 12 when they routed Syracuse, 31-6. COVID-19 complications with University of North Carolina Charlotte threw a wrench in the Tar Heels’ Week 2 matchup, and last week the Tar Heels had a bye as part of the ACC’s 10-plus-one schedule model. The Tar Heels could come out fresh or rusty—it’s anyone’s best guess. Those early-season kinks might be there.
Can BC’s secondary limit Sam Howell and the UNC passing offense?
Hafley was hired to restore the Eagles’ defensive identity. His experience coaching defensive backs at both levels was intriguing. After all, BC was torn apart by the ACC’s best passing offenses last year. So far this season, BC is faring better in coverage. That said, last week, Texas State wide receivers Marcell Barbee and Drue Jackson made a handful of big plays. It’s going to get harder for the Eagles this time around with Brown and Newsome on the outside.
Will BC’s rushing attack finally return to form?
If you heard that BC was averaging 85.5 rushing yards per game through the first two weeks of the season, you’d probably assume the Eagles were off to an ugly 0-2 start. After churning out 254.2 yards per contest on the ground last year, BC is finding other ways to move the ball in 2020. But Frank Cignetti Jr.’s offense, which currently ranks seventh-to-last in the FBS in rushing, will have to improve if BC is to flourish in its play-action based passing attack.
Line: UNC (-14.5)
ESPN FPI: The database gives UNC a 74.3% chance of beating the Eagles.
Outlook: Addazio only beat one AP Top 25 team (USC in 2014) while at BC. And from 2016-19, his teams lost to ranked opponents by an average of 30 points. If Hafley’s Eagles beat the two-touchdown spread on Saturday, some fans will consider that a moral victory. As Hafley mentioned on Tuesday, consistency is key: BC has looked like two different teams in the first and second half of its first two games. With a complete four quarters of high-level execution, BC has a shot, especially if UNC gets off to a slow start. Anything less, though, and the Tar Heels could run away with this one, particularly if Howell has his way with the Eagles’ secondary.
Andy Backstrom
Staff Writer
North Carolina’s Mack Brown called first-year Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley a “real superstar for the future” after practice on Wednesday, per Tar Heel Illustrated. The day before that, Hafley said that Brown has to be “one of the best college coaches of all-time.” Despite the disparity in age and head coaching experience, there is a mutual respect between the two and their programs, which haven’t met since 2013.
They’ll resume the cross-divisional series on Saturday when No. 12 UNC travels to Chestnut Hill to play its first game in three weeks. It’s the middle of BC’s three-game homestand, and the Eagles’ biggest test of the young season as well as the Hafley era.
When is BC playing?
Saturday, Oct. 3., 3:30 p.m.
Where is BC playing?
Alumni Stadium, Chestnut Hill, Mass.
How to watch?
The game will be broadcast on ABC.
Series History
UNC leads the all-time series, 3-2. The Tar Heels have actually won four straight in this series, with the Eagles’ last win coming all the way back in 2004 when they were still in the Big East. Technically, though, only two of those victories count. UNC vacated its wins from the 2008 and 2009 seasons after an NCAA investigation exposed academic misconduct and student-athletes accepting improper benefits. The last meeting between the programs occurred in 2013. It was the first season of Steve Addazio’s seven-year tenure. Andre Williams rushed for 172 yards, but the rest of the offense combined for 89 yards against a lowly UNC defense. BC went 5-of-16 on 3rd Down and struggled to push the ball past midfield in what ended up as a 34-10 loss.
UNC’s record: 1-0 (1-0 ACC)
Breaking Down the Tar Heels:
Offense: After two seasons of quarterback carousel, the Tar Heels found their signal caller in December 2018 when Sam Howell flipped his commitment from Florida State. Brown played a prominent role in winning over the blue-chipper, and it’s paid dividends for the program. Howell tossed 38 touchdown passes last year, which was not only a school record but also a true freshman FBS record. The 2019 ACC Rookie of the Year was a two-point conversion away from upsetting No. 1 Clemson and, over the course of the final five games of the season, completed 66% of his passes while posting an impressive 16:2 touchdown to interception ratio.
Howell—and really the entire UNC offense—entered 2020 with notable expectations. The sophomore gunslinger is a Heisman candidate, largely because of the pieces around him. Ranking ninth nationally, the Tar Heels returned 87% of their 2019 offensive output. First things first, they brought back two of the best wide receivers in the conference: Dyami Brown and Dazz Newsome, both of whom eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving mark last year.
As good as the Tar Heels are at slinging the rock, they can also grind out yards on the ground. They have two backs who racked up 160+ carries last year. Michael Carter cleared the 1,000-yard mark in 2019, and Javonte Williams finished just shy of the single-season milestone with 933 rushing yards. Both are in the fold this season. In Week 1, Carter had more yards, however, Williams was the one who found the end zone (three times). Four of the Tar Heels’ five starting O-Linemen are 6-foot-4 or taller. Sophomore left guard Joshua Ezeudu, arguably UNC’s best offensive lineman, missed the season opener but will be back for Saturday’s game.
Defense: Even in the post-Mitchell Trubisky years (2017-18), the Tar Heels’ offense, although dysfunctional at times and occasionally absent, was able to put up points in a number of games. UNC’s defense, on the other hand, was in shambles. The Tar Heels allowed more than 31 points and 435 yards per contest in each of those two seasons. When Brown took over for Larry Fedora in 2019, he promoted Tommy Thigpen, a former UNC player of Brown’s, to co-defensive coordinator, in addition to hiring Jay Bateman as the team’s other co-DC. There were immediate results. Last year, the Tar Heels jumped from 95th to 44th in defensive SP+.
Bateman came over from Army after a five-year run as the Black Knights’ defensive coordinator. Interestingly enough, his only head coaching gig was with Siena. His first year on the job was Hafley’s senior season with the Saints. Now at UNC, Bateman has worked with Thigpen to revamp the Tar Heels’ defense. The tandem built on its 2019 campaign with a dominant performance against Syracuse three weeks ago. UNC held the Orange to 202 total yards of offense, including just 68 yards on the ground. Syracuse was a putrid 4-of-19 on 3rd Down.
UNC is more experienced on the D-Line and backend this year. In 2019, a total of eight underclassmen defensive linemen and defensive backs played at least 130 snaps, according to ESPN’s Bill Connelly. Sophomore cornerback Storm Duck and junior safety Trey Morrison are two guys to keep an eye in the Tar Heels’ secondary. Duck, who Bateman believes to be a future NFLer, allowed a 51% completion rate last year. Tomari Fox coming off the edge is a cause for concern for any opponent, and, of course, Chazz Surratt—the runner-up for last year’s ACC Defensive Player of the Year award—is the heartbeat of the UNC defense. Surratt, who made the well-documented switch from QB to linebacker in the spring of 2019, finished last season ranked second in the ACC with 115 total tackles. He also had 15 TFLs and 6.5 sacks.
Special Teams: UNC’s special teams lagged behind its offense and defense in 2019, as far as SP+ is concerned. The Tar Heels were 74th nationally in that category. Noah Ruggles held his own at place kicker. As a sophomore, he converted 19-of-27 field goal attempts, including 16-of-18 inside 40. He was only 3-of-9 beyond that mark, however, and missed all three of his 50+ yard attempts.
UNC brought in graduate transfer Grayson Atkins this offseason. The three-year Furman starter hit 7-of-9 from 40+ last year and, at one point, had a streak of 18 consecutive field goals made, dating back to the 2018 season. He was 1-of-2 in the Tar Heels’ season opener, missing a kick from 50+ but drilling a 31-yard chip shot. Ben Kiernan is once again booting punts for UNC. The Dublin, Ireland native pinned 13 inside the 20-yard line last year.
Three Storylines
How will the Tar Heels look after their three-week hiatus?
UNC is essentially starting the season over again on Saturday. The Tar Heels haven’t played since Sept. 12 when they routed Syracuse, 31-6. COVID-19 complications with University of North Carolina Charlotte threw a wrench in the Tar Heels’ Week 2 matchup, and last week the Tar Heels had a bye as part of the ACC’s 10-plus-one schedule model. The Tar Heels could come out fresh or rusty—it’s anyone’s best guess. Those early-season kinks might be there.
Can BC’s secondary limit Sam Howell and the UNC passing offense?
Hafley was hired to restore the Eagles’ defensive identity. His experience coaching defensive backs at both levels was intriguing. After all, BC was torn apart by the ACC’s best passing offenses last year. So far this season, BC is faring better in coverage. That said, last week, Texas State wide receivers Marcell Barbee and Drue Jackson made a handful of big plays. It’s going to get harder for the Eagles this time around with Brown and Newsome on the outside.
Will BC’s rushing attack finally return to form?
If you heard that BC was averaging 85.5 rushing yards per game through the first two weeks of the season, you’d probably assume the Eagles were off to an ugly 0-2 start. After churning out 254.2 yards per contest on the ground last year, BC is finding other ways to move the ball in 2020. But Frank Cignetti Jr.’s offense, which currently ranks seventh-to-last in the FBS in rushing, will have to improve if BC is to flourish in its play-action based passing attack.
Line: UNC (-14.5)
ESPN FPI: The database gives UNC a 74.3% chance of beating the Eagles.
Outlook: Addazio only beat one AP Top 25 team (USC in 2014) while at BC. And from 2016-19, his teams lost to ranked opponents by an average of 30 points. If Hafley’s Eagles beat the two-touchdown spread on Saturday, some fans will consider that a moral victory. As Hafley mentioned on Tuesday, consistency is key: BC has looked like two different teams in the first and second half of its first two games. With a complete four quarters of high-level execution, BC has a shot, especially if UNC gets off to a slow start. Anything less, though, and the Tar Heels could run away with this one, particularly if Howell has his way with the Eagles’ secondary.
