Clemson 52 UNC 7.
I really am speechless. Not that I expected to win but I expected UNC to go out and be somewhat comptetive. It was a humiliation. Clemson was stopped exactly three times on offense. Once by an interception, once by the end of the half, and a turnover on downs in the fourth quarter. The Clemson offensive line manhandled UNC. The Clemson running backs ran untouched through the defensive line and then broke multiple tackles to rack up big yards. Clemson had a 300 yards of rushing and seven touchdowns on the ground making the Rutgers game look like a great defensive effort. Clemson could have easily gone for 60 or 70 points but Tommy Bowden had enough class to call off the dogs. It was an utter shambles from beginning to end.
So at this point I challenge someone, anyone, to prove to me that UNC football is better off now than it was the last season under Carl Torbush. I mean wasn't that the bill of goods we were sold when they dismissed Torbush and hired John Bunting? Yes, 1999 was bad with a 28-3 loss to Furman and a 45-7 loss to Maryland on the way to a 3-8 mark. However, in 2000 UNC went 6-5 and even though they lost to FSU 63-14 when FSU was the power of the league they at least appeared to show up in the other games. It also should be noted that 2001 season of 7-5 under Bunting was accomplished with Torbush's players. This is another example of how bad it is in Chapel Hill and I would argue right here that barely beating Furman 45-42 and giving up 521 yards of total offense followed by a 52-7 drubbing at Clemson where you were completely unable to stop the Tigers on offense constitutes the same set of circumstances as we saw in 1999 and is worse in my mind than the 2000 season. Six years of Bunting and we are still getting crushed by upper tier ACC schools and barely showing up to play against the lighter teams on the schedule. And not that I am advocating a return to Carl Torbush but given the current state of things the present coach does not seem to be the answer either. Then again the following headline on Tar Heel Blue tells me there is nothing but denial and apathy in Chapel Hill:
TAR HEELS DROP ACC OPENER AT NO. 19 TIGERS, 52-7
Dropped? How about dropped kicked. Next week is a bye. UNC is 1-3 and the only thing a good Tar Heel fan can do now is patiently wait for basketball season to begin.