We'll start with something I never expected to say this season. Let's hear it for the special teams play. I'm not sure howuch of it was Clson timidness, but the special teams, after weeks of struggling, constantly stuck the Tigers with lousy starting position. Only once did the Heels allow a 20+ yard return, and that resulted in a quick touchdown from UNC's 21. Every other drive started in Clemson territory; given the room to work with the defense performed admirably, holding the Togers to 301 total yards.
As for the Carolina offense, given the opportunity by the rest of the team, they performed just well enough to get the win. They did so mainly on the back of Johnny White, who has bounced back from a poor opening game to become a powerful offensive weapon. He racked up 179 total yards, almost exactly split between the ground and the air, and two of UNC's touchdowns. The rest of the offense sacrificed performance for safe, low-impact plays, and went the full 40 minutes without a turnover.
This was a must-win for both teams, and UNC walked away with it, keeping them in the Coastal Division race. Next up is the should-be but never-is easy Virginia in Charlottesville, after which they get Miami, currently struggling against FSU, in a game that will surely knock the loser out of contention. The NCAA investigations are still a massive distraction, but the team is performing well over the past month.Head into the 1-AA game on a four-game winning streak, and the Heels may just pull this off yet.