Sunday progress report: UNC’s position-by-position grades against Syracuse

It’s starting to become a common theme. North Carolina gets a lead, has a chance to put away the opponent, and doesn’t.

Then the opposing team comes back to win. That happened last week in a 22-19 loss to Virginia Tech, and it happened this week in a 40-37 double overtime loss to Syracuse.

Here are the position-by-position grades for UNC’s performance:

Quarterbacks: B

Junior quarterback Nathan Elliott was UNC’s best player in the first half. He passed well even when the running game was not effective. Elliott converted some huge third downs in the first half and kept the Tar Heels in the game. It was when they started to play conservatively that Elliott struggled. Elliott finished 34-52 for 324 yards and two touchdowns. He had a 129.9 passer rating.

Running backs: B-

UNC’s running game struggled in the first half, averaging less than two yards per carry. But in the second half, junior running back Antonio Williams got going. He finished the game with 116 yards on 15 carries. Sophomore running back Michael Carter had 25 yards on 10 carries, but fumbled in the second half. As a team, UNC rushed for 176 yards.

Offensive line: A-

The offensive line cut down on the bad penalties and gave Elliott enough time to be successful. Elliott was sacked only once against a Syracuse defensive line that is among the best in the country at getting to the quarterback. It struggled opening up running lanes early on, but eventually made adjustments.

Receivers: B-

UNC sophomore wide receiver Dazz Newsome had seven receptions for 90 yards, a touchdown and a punt return touchdown. Junior wide receiver Anthony Ratliff-Williams had nine catches for 79 yards. Where UNC struggled though, was with what they call “50-50” balls. Elliott threw a couple of passes where there was one-on one coverage late in the game, and the Syracuse cornerbacks won the battles.

Defensive line: A

UNC’s defense got constant pressure on Syracuse quarterback Eric Dungey. They also limited his running game. And this was without its best pass rusher, Malik Carney. UNC’s defensive line had four sacks. The defensive line forced Dungey into some errant throws in the second half, which forced Syracuse coach Dino Babers to go with his backup quarterback.

Defensive backs: C+

UNC’s young defensive backs were exposed late in the game by Syracuse backup quarterback Tommy DeVito, who had three touchdowns in the fourth quarter and the two overtime periods. DeVito averaged 16.4 yards per reception. Junior cornerback Patrice Rene did come up with a big interception in the fourth quarter to put the Tar Heels in a position to win it. And senior safety J.K. Britt forced a fumble in the redzone to save a touchdown. Junior safety Myles Dorn had 14 tackles.

Linebackers: B

UNC’s linebackers played well. They kept Dungey in the pocket and did not let him break off many big gains. Dungey had 67 yards and a touchdown, but he averaged 2.8 yards per carry. Senior linebacker Cole Holcomb had nine tackles for the Tar Heels.

Special teams: B

Newsome had a 75-yard punt return for a touchdown in the third quarter that helped UNC tie the game and shift momentum. But senior kicker Freeman Jones missed a 45-yard field goal in the fourth quarter that would have likely sealed the game. Jones was 3-5 on field goal attempts.

Coaching: C+

UNC’s coaching staff had the team prepared for another good opponent and had a chance to win it. The play calling on offense and defense was effective for the most part. But when UNC decided to play conservatively, it struggled. This was the second consecutive game when UNC did not finish off its opponent. UNC coach Larry Fedora took the blame after the game.

This story was originally published October 21, 2018 at 6:33 PM.