When: Saturday, September 19th, Noon
Where: Kenan Stadium, Chapel Hill, NC
TV: ESPN2
Records: UNC 2-0, ECU 1-1
Little brother just came into the room.
In what could very help be a repeat of last week versus UConn, the Heels brings their highly touted defense to bear against an ECU team that harbors similar shortcomings when driving the football. The bottom line? Get ready for another defensive battle. The prowess of UNC’s defense is well chronicled. The win over UConn is owed almost entirely to the play of the defense keeping the Huskies in check until the offense found a way to put enough points on the board. ECU boasts a solid defensive front that will test the Heels’ running game.
For UNC, the focus will be on a depleted offensive line and a pair of lineman starting for only the 2nd time in their career. Cam Holland will fill in at center and Greg Elleby will split time at guard with Week 1 starter Jonathan Cooper. With C Lowell Dyer out along with TE Zack Pianalto, the Heels will be digging deep not only for the offensive line but to locate some semblance of ball movement. Against The Citadel, UNC opted to run the ball first. Given the inconsistency in the receiving corps versus the experience in the backfield, the running game should be the strength. The offensive line issues plus the absence of FB Bobby Rome limited the effectiveness of the ground game against UConn. Rome will be back this week and while Pianalto will be missed for his receiving talents, Ed Barham may be more effective as a blocking TE. With Holland and Elleby acclimated to their positions and Cooper being available, the Heels should be able to open up something in the way of a running attack. A strong defense and ball control on offense certainly is the best way to wear down the Pirate defense and keep ECU’s offense off the field. Two years ago, ECU QB Patrick Pinkney lit UNC up for 406 yards passing on the way to a 34-31 win in Greenville. Pinkney faces a more mature secondary and greater pressure from the front seven. Still, the best case scenario for UNC is keeping Pinkney off the field as much as possible.
One front that has not grabbed much attention is the turnover margin. UNC has broken even in two games which is fairly amazing since they have forced six in two games. The Heels do a great job forcing turnovers but in both games gave as many back by way of four INTs and two muffed punt returns. The respective defenses will likely control this game making turnovers golden opportunities for a short field and a quick offensive strike similar to what UConn got on the 2nd T.J. Yates INT. Whoever wins the turnover margin could very well win this game assuming the defenses match up evenly.
In the end I like the UNC defense to exert just enough control with the Tar Heel offense actually surprising some with a few sustained drives for points. Yates and the offense showed a lot of poise and patience against UConn waiting out the Husky defense until opportunities to move the football presented themselves. Look for a similar unfolding of this game and with the home crowd behind the Heels it should be enough to send little brother home with his hat pulled down on his face.
UNC 17 ECU 7
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i think WV showed that ECU can be driven on, scored on. we’ll see if UNC learned anything from the film.
all things being equal, Heels should win, but things are rarely equal. watch out for untimely turnovers!
We should act like any self-respecting big brother: You love your little brother to death, would get plenty bloody protecting him from bullies, show him all kinds of neat stuff including your collection of Playboys (you can tell how old I am), and generally take great pride in him.
However, the exigencies of the moment being what they are, it’s time to beat the crap out of him.
I feel cheated…my older brothers only showed me SI swimsuit issues. even so..Christie Brinkley issues were awesome though
On behalf of other younger/est brothers…enough of the sibling beat-down analogy. I just hope ECU takes their beating like they should.
TxTarheel — Anyone who feels “cheated” by looking at Christie Brinkley in those skimpy bikinis that show up in SI has had a life that I could only hope for.
It’s the 3rd quarter and Charles Brown just came up big again on defense!
I’ll be playing some of the blues master Charles Brown in his honor tomorrow in the noon hour on WNCW. The Tar Heel Charles Brown is looking as smooth as the late blues man’s piano playing sounds.
Go Tar Heels!!
I guess the game was closer than it seemed. If felt like we just had them outmanned. In the end, we did.
All in all, very encouraging. Kudos to:
1. The coaches. Excellent play calling on both offense and defense.
2. Yates. Maybe he’s played better, but if so I can’t remember it. He was poised, in control, and accurate.
3. Droughn. He couldn’t do beans last week, but he was a load today. I love how he spins and keeps his feet moving.
4. Houston. This guy is really solid. I would not be surprised to see him in the NFL.
5. Highsmith. Hakeem Nicks, call your office. A worthy successor has arrived. And he’s just a true freshman!
6. The defense. ECU is not a high-powered offensive team, but time and again our defense just overwhelmed them. A superb team effort.
This game sets the table for a winning season, and perhaps an excellent season.
WOOO!
(I was mildly nervous about this game.)
i would agree about the play calling, with the exception of the first two series. run, run, pass. (way to get the crowd involved in a big home game), and then the very-much-not-working Wildcat move in the 2nd series.
17 pts, but 7 off a 33 yd short field. the D was really good again. and maybe the receivers are coming of age. just don’t be afraid to throw the opposing D off balance by not being predictable, butch.
Ron Cherry? worst ever. period.
I don’t know if complete equivalency is there, but Cherry must rank second to Karl Hess when it comes to just plain bad calls.
Downside…FG attempts outside of 35 yards are low, low percentage thus far.
Man, VT totally pulled one out of their backside today. Outside of their freshman RB, their offense was the most pathetic thing ever for 58 minutes, and then they somehow dropped in an 80-yard bomb out of nowhere (I have no clue what the free safety was doing…) to set them up for the win over Nebraska.
Also, Virginia choked big-time in giving away a 17-point lead (twice!) at Southern Miss, and Middle Tennessee State beat Maryland for the second straight year (most people saw that one coming though, as MTSU beat MD last year and returned more starters than MD did).
Oh, and good win for the Heels.