Has the UNC offense’s focus on big plays been a problem? Mack Brown says it has.
The big plays are still happening, just not to the extent that North Carolina’s football team would like to see them. UNC coach Mack Brown believes it’s even made them a bit antsy on offense, waiting for the next big play to happen.
As the No. 8 Tar Heels prepare to face No. 18 Virginia Tech on Saturday in Kenan Stadium, Brown is preaching patience.
“We’ll go 50 yards real fast and then mess something up because we’re trying to hold the ball and wait for the deep winner,” Brown told reporters on a video call. “We have got to go back and understand the four-yard play is a good play. And understand that we’re not going to be able to score as easily as we did last year.”
Two games into the season, Carolina actually has the same combined amount of long plays, including passes of more than 15 yards and runs of more than 12. The total is 23, which breaks down into 10 long runs and 13 long passes this season. Those numbers just feel different, especially because the opposing defenses have made it a point to take away the Heels’ deep threat passing.
One name notably missing from the list of long plays is senior Dazz Newsome. He led the Heels with 72 receptions last season and 84.8 receiving yards per game. He also led the nation’s slot receivers last year with 13 catches of 20 yards or more according to Pro Football Focus. But through the first two games he’s only caught three passes. And against Boston College his lone 6-yard reception didn’t come until midway through the fourth quarter.
Newsome was only targeted twice against the Eagles, although Brown pointed out that his position was targeted more it just so happened Newsome had subbed out for Rontavius Groves or Josh Downs. Brown said Newsome “doesn’t have to catch 10 balls for us to win,” but the Heels would clearly like to have him more involved.
“It does concern me when we go two games and we have a talent like Newsome and he’s touched it three times,” UNC offensive coordinator Phil Longo told reporters on a video call. “So I think when the distribution isn’t flowing the way you want to, you pay a little bit more attention to it and you game plan and scheme to you know, to get them to become a bigger part of the game plan and we will certainly do that with with some of the receivers.”
Longo said the Heels have used their running backs more in the passing game this season. That 41-yard touchdown pass to Javonte Williams against Boston College last week wasn’t supposed to happen. Williams said his job was to stay in pass protection and block, but when the play broke down and quarterback Sam Howell was scrambling, he took an opening to release and catch the ball. Williams’ score is the longest pass play this season and Howell believes it’s exactly what it may take to open things back up for the deep passes.
“We’ve had so much success throwing the ball down the field and that’s something that teams have really tried to take away from us this year,” Howell told reporters on Tuesday’s video call. “So there’s a time for it. But just it hasn’t been as open as it was last year. So we’ve got to take what they give us and just be more patient and that starts with me.”
Signs of Carolina becoming more patient could be as simple as Howell not holding the ball too long in the pocket and either tucking the ball and running or looking to dump the ball off to a running back. He tried to keep all those options in mind during the Boston College win.
Virginia Tech’s defense has 13 sacks in two games so Howell is expecting to feel the pressure often. Brown said defenses are trying to make UNC “earn it” by forcing long drives.
“People have great respect for Sam now, people have seen us for a year,” Brown said. “They understand that they’re going to back off because we’ve got really good speed. So it’s different. And what we’ve got to do is adjust.”