A win - or even a tight game - against Clemson could be a program changer for UNC
Earlier this month, after North Carolina’s 28-25 upset victory over Miami, joyous Tar Heel fans leaving Kenan Stadium began to chant, “We want Clemson!”
On Saturday, those fans will get their wish. But the Tar Heels, after opening the season 2-0, are on a downward skid. The No. 1 Tigers, who won the national title in January, are not.
UNC (2-2, 1-0 ACC) will host Clemson (4-0, 1-0) in a sold-out game where the Tar Heels are 26.5-point underdogs.
“I think they’re real good,” UNC coach Mack Brown said of Clemson at a press conference Monday, when asked what he thought of the number. “I don’t ever remember being that big of an underdog, but it is what it is.”
Saturday’s game will be the Tar Heels’ toughest of the season. The Tigers haven’t lost since Jan 1, 2018, and they hold the nation’s longest winning streak at 19 games.
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The Tigers have won the last four ACC titles, and two of the last four national titles. Through four games this season, the Tigers have defeated their opponents by an average of 32.3 points.
Trevor Lawrence
A win for the Tar Heels, or even a tight game, against Dabo Swinney and the tough Tigers could be a program changer for UNC, a team that suffered through back-to-back dismal seasons in 2017 and 2018.
“They have the best program in the country,” Brown said. “They have the best head coach and coaches in the country, they have the most depth in the country.
“I started looking at our scouting report yesterday and all the people who break them down, ‘First-round draft choice. This one, first-round draft choice. This one, first-round draft choice.’ So, they’re for real.”
Brown and UNC defensive coordinator Jay Bateman said Clemson’s dominance starts with coaching, but after that it comes from the quarterback. Bateman said Trevor Lawrence, Clemson’s 6-6, 220-pound sophomore quarterback, is the best he’s seen on film.
The preseason ACC Player of the Year selection has thrown for 925 yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions this season. He is also completing 77.8 percent of his passes. As a true freshman, he helped lead the Tigers to a national championship.
“I don’t want to speak for NFL guys, but I think there are a lot of NFL franchises that would trade for him right now,” Bateman said of Lawrence on Monday. “I think he’s pretty good.”
Fixing their own mistakes
On defense, Clemson is stout. The Tigers allow only 246.5 yards per game, which is seventh-best in the country. They also allow only 10 points per game, which is tied for fourth-best.
“We identify three guys every week just schematically or personnel wise that we want to attack,” UNC offensive coordinator Phil Longo said on Monday. “There aren’t three guys this week. I mean, they’re solid.”
The coaching staff said the message to the players this week won’t be to focus on how talented Clemson is. Instead, they want the team to focus on how it can fix its own mistakes.
The Tar Heels have struggled early in games this season, particularly in the second quarter when opponents have outscored them 41-13. They’ve trailed in the fourth quarter in all four of their games this season, and all of their games have been decided by six points or less, a first in program history.
UNC has rallied in the fourth quarter in three games this season, but that’s won’t work against Clemson.
“We want to take care of business in the first half and put ourselves in a position where maybe we can dictate for four quarters,” Longo said, “or at least be in control of our own destiny for four quarters and not have to be the cardiac kids in the fourth quarter every single week.”
Injury news
▪ UNC senior left tackle Charlie Heck, who missed the App State game with an upper body injury, was expected to be re-evaluated by doctors on Monday. His status for Saturday’s game against Clemson is uncertain.
▪ UNC junior safety Myles Wolfolk, who left Saturday’s game with a lower body injury, is in a similar situation. Wolfolk, who is 5-11, 205 pounds, leads the ACC with three interceptions this season. He had one interception against App State. Wolfolk will also be evaluated by team doctors, and his status is also uncertain.
“I love Wolf,” Bateman said. “My son is going to be 8. If you told me my son would be Myles Wolfolk when he was 21, I’d sign off on it right now. So I’m hopeful that we’ll have him soon.”
▪ UNC redshirt freshman quarterback Jace Ruder suffered a lower body injury in the first half of the App State game. If he cannot go on Saturday, UNC freshman walk-on Vincent Amendola will serve as second-string quarterback.
Clemson at UNC
When: 3:30 p.m., Saturday
Where: Kenan Stadium, Chapel Hill
Watch: ABC
Listen: WTKK-106.1 Raleigh; WCHL-97.9, WCHL-1360 Chapel Hill; WBT-99.3, WBT-1110 Charlotte
This story was originally published September 24, 2019 at 5:00 AM.
