How well did the blind side protect UNC’s Sam Howell? You didn’t notice, did you?

UNC’s Sam Howell had a new blind side protector last Saturday — and outside of one play late in the third quarter, you may not have noticed. That’s exactly how Asim Richards wanted it.

Starting at left tackle for the first time, the true sophomore allowed two quarterback pressures and one sack but also finished as North Carolina’s top-graded offensive lineman — 75.0 out of 100, as calculated by Pro Football Focus — in a 31-6 win over Syracuse.

Richards’ debut headlined an overall performance Phil Longo was “really happy with,” the offensive coordinator said Monday. After allowing a sack on the UNC’s second play from scrimmage, the offensive line allowed just one more all game and “really answered” the call in an improved second half, he said.

And on the left side, that started with Richards.

The three-star recruit from Pennsylvania appeared in nine games last fall as a true freshman, but he never started or played major snaps. That was logical, given that senior Charlie Heck was firmly entrenched at left tackle for the Tar Heels in 2019.

But with Heck’s departure — a second-team All-ACC selection and fourth-round NFL Draft pick, he now plays for the NFL’s Houston Texans — Richards became the heir apparent at one of football’s most important positions. And the only new starter on UNC’s offensive line.

“I had all the emotions,” Richards said Tuesday of his first start.

This summer, Richards said, was huge for him. Quite aware he’d have the chance to play a lot in 2020, he found it easy to dedicate himself in workouts, even if they were conducted over Zoom. He also stayed in Chapel Hill rather than returning home to Philadelphia, which helped him zero in further.

The 6-foot-4 Richards (first name pronounced AH-sum) moonlit at tight end and defensive lineman while playing basketball in high school — and at 305 pounds, he’s one of the team’s lightest offensive linemen.

“Asim is somebody we really have to depend on,” Longo said. “He’s very, very athletic. He’s the kind of tackle you want to recruit and have in the program. You wish they all looked like he did.”

Outside of Richards, the Tar Heels returned Joshua Ezeudu at left guard, Brian Anderson at center, Marcus McKethan at right guard and Jordan Tucker at right tackle. That group was crucial to UNC’s high-scoring and balanced offense in 2019 — and, for the most part, picked up where it left off Saturday.

Against the Orange, head coach Mack Brown said the line did “a tremendous job protecting” against Syracuse’s motion- and stunt-heavy 3-3-5 defense, a look the Tar Heels hadn’t seen much of before.

The line was down a starter — Ed Montilus replaced Ezeudu, who missed the game with a lower body injury and could return against Charlotte this Saturday — and, like everyone else on the field, debuting after a wacky offseason.

Brown said he also appreciated how the offensive linemen stayed the course after a first half where he admitted players were at times “frustrated,” throwing up their hands after missed assignments.

That included Richards, who had his one major slip-up late in the third quarter. On a third and 6, Syracuse’s Kingsley Jonathan beat him off the edge for an easy sack of Howell and a loss of five yards.

UNC, leading 7-6, had to settle for a short Grayson Atkins field goal. After re-watching the game, Richards said the allowed sack came down to not staying square and turning his hips too early.

“I was really excited to see myself on film,” he said. “After the game, I had a lot of stuff to work on, but I also did a lot of stuff well. So it was bittersweet — but mainly sweet.”

In the fourth quarter, though, North Carolina outscored Syracuse 21-0 to run away with the game, and the offensive line cleared the way for three short Javonte Williams touchdowns.

That final push, Longo said, exemplified how much individual training UNC players —the offensive line and team in general — had been doing over the spring and summer when they weren’t with coaches.

“We didn’t deal with fatigue issues,” Longo said. “We didn’t have a lot of cramping. We didn’t have all the things that you’d fear would come with not being in shape or physically being ready for the game.”

Brown and Longo both expressed some concerns with offensive line depth ahead of the opener, so the starters’ durability was a welcome addition. Tucker, McKethan and Anderson all played at least 65 of 70 offensive snaps, while Montilus (47) rotated with guard Quiron Johnson (27).

And Richards, the new left tackle, ended up playing 69 of 70 snaps, all but doubling his 35 reps at the position last year. He was nervous at first but needed just a few minutes to settle into his ultimately successful debut as one of North Carolina’s five up front.

“After the first snap, you’re just in it,” Richards said. “Our first drive was 10 plays. After that, I was like, ‘Yeah, we’re out here now.’”