Two football teams, sporting different shades of blue, went into last weekend having won their first three non-conference games and needing one more win to enter their ACC opener against each other unbeaten.
One handled its business on the road; the other gave up 70 points at home.
North Carolina is a team in turmoil after a dismantling at the hands of James Madison. Things became worse in the aftermath when it needed to be clarified that coach Mack Brown had not resigned in the locker room after the game.
To get the gist of what’s going on with this UNC team, we’ve enlisted the help of Andrew Jones, publisher of Tar Heel Illustrated on the Rivals network.
Here is our five-part Q&A:
1. I like to start these with a simple vibe check. We don’t need to beat around the bush of the few days for UNC’s program, so what’s the feeling like for this team that had 70 points hung on it and has had to stamp out some extra-curricular media attention in Saturday’s aftermath?
Answer: To your point, they didn’t let any players speak to us after the game on Saturday or this Tuesday, which is our players’ day each week. Mack Brown’s program has always been generous giving access, but this insulation move speaks to the seriousness of the fork in the road the program has reached.
The 70-50 game and aftermath have changed things at UNC, and while in one breath I can say they need the Duke game to get here quickly, at the same time I can say there’s no way this team moves away from the cloud hovering above right now. The last several days have been by far the worst of Mack part two.
2. Obviously Max Johnson going down in the season opener was a tough blow. But the surprise is now Jacolby Criswell taking over and seemingly playing well, albeit with a few costly turnovers. How did UNC land on the QB who wasn’t in its fall camp competition?
Answer: Someone has to take the snaps, and they are very fortunate Tad Hudson hit the portal last spring and Criswell was available. He didn’t arrive to UNC until early July, was more than 20 pounds overweight, and was told he wouldn’t get on the field.
But Conner Harrell struggled mightily, opening the door for Criswell, who has already exceeded expectations. He was a 4-star kid in high school, was once considered a future starter, and he has arm strength. He will also take all of the snaps unless he gets hurt.
3. Is there a blueprint to stop Omarion Hampton? Or do opposing defenses simply have to settle with him piling up yardage and focus on limiting other playmakers like the tight ends (Bryson Nesbit and John Copenhaver) and receivers (J.J. Jones and Kobe Paysour)?
Answer: If there is one, JMU may have offered a glimpse at what that is. Hampton ran for 139 yards and three TDs against the Dukes, but he was regularly hit at or behind the line of scrimmage. He got his yards because he’s a beast and as good a running back as I’ve seen at UNC.
Teams can beat UNC with Hampton racking up numbers without the passing game doing much. I’d say limiting the tight ends is the key. Both have been safety valves and taking that away will force Criswell to beat you throwing downfield more. And while he has the arm to do it, he is also incredibly inexperienced and his young offensive line may not be able to protect him for too long against Duke’s pass rush.
4. Seventy points against JMU — more aberration or exposure for a defense that had only given up 47 in the first three weeks?
Answer: The defense was pretty good in the first three games, though it gave up eight explosive plays to Charlotte. But the jury is really out on your question. I don’t think we know, and I don’t think the UNC staff knows.
There is talent and experience on that side of the ball, and some of those guys will be in the NFL. But UNC has produced NFL defenders who played on wretched Tar Heel defenses, so this is an open-ended question right now.
5. Trying to differentiate this question from the one we started with: Where does this season go for UNC? What I mean is, it’s still a 3-1 team with some players who’d start for every team in the ACC. But it also seems like last week was such a blow that it almost feels like UNC’s ACC opener is a crossroad of its season.
Answer: I hate to use trite phrases, but this might be a fork-in-the-road for the Tar Heels. Or maybe that was during the JMU game when the Heels showed zero leadership or ability to adjust as a G5 steamrolled them on their own field. Then add what happened afterward with Mack, and it feels like there is a leak in the damn now, and it will only get bigger before anyone can plug it.
That was a big blow. Game four, year six, and what happened after. My sense is the team is talented enough to beat Duke, but that would also require Mack Brown to have one of his best weeks ever as a head coach and motivator.
