Ask JMA: If Ruder can’t go, then what? Will UNC speed things up vs. Clemson? And more...
It has been and will continue to be a busy week for UNC sports.
UNC basketball will host its annual Late Night with Roy event to kick off the 2019-20 basketball season at the Dean Smith Center on Friday. And UNC football (2-2, 1-0 ACC) will host No. 1 Clemson (4-0, 1-0 ACC) at Kenan Stadium on Saturday.
It will be the Tar Heels’ toughest game of the season, one their players and coaches are looking forward to.
So you have questions, and I’m here to answer them. On to your questions:
@chriscartner asks: With 3 really good running backs, why aren’t they getting the ball as much as possible? They’re running for a combined 5.3 yards per carry. Is it the o-line injuries, opposing defenses, or something else? Thanks #JMA
JMA says: The reasons have varied from game to game.
For instance, against South Carolina, UNC ran the ball 49 times for 246 yards. Running the ball was the primary focus heading into the season-opener. The coaching staff hoped it would make things easier for UNC true freshman quarterback Sam Howell, who was making his first career start. It worked.
But against Miami, the running game struggled. The Hurricanes’ front seven is stout. So the Tar Heels needed to beat them in the air, which Howell did.
Against Wake Forest, the Tar Heels’ rushing attack struggled on early downs and they fell behind 21-3 through three quarters. So they had to pass in order to make a comeback.
The Appalachian State game was similar in that UNC was down early and was forced to pass to come back. The cause of that slow start was turnovers.
But you’re right, UNC’s running game is its best unit.
Look for UNC to try and run the ball a lot more against Clemson. The better they are at gaining yards on early downs, and the closer the game, the more they’ll run it. But the offensive line also has to open up holes for those running backs.
@leeps4 asks Is Ruder practicing this week? The thought of facing Clemson with 1 QB is frightening after we couldn’t slow down ASU’s pass rush.
JMA says: This is a good question.
I asked a UNC spokesperson this question on Tuesday and he declined to comment. We won’t know until Saturday prior to the game whether Ruder will be available. But he was re-evaluated on Monday by doctors for a lower body injury.
The Tar Heels, though, seem to be preparing as if he will not play. If he cannot go, freshman walk-on Vincent Amendola will serve as the backup. UNC linebacker Chazz Surratt was seen after practice taking some extra snaps with center Brian Anderson.
When asked if Surratt might play if the Tar Heels were thin at quarterback, UNC coach Mack Brown said, “We just have him around for short yardage in the goal line.
“Because he’s big and he’s strong and he can do those things,” he added. “So if our guys get banged up, then he can step in and do that.”
Surratt, a 6-3, 230-pound redshirt junior, came to UNC as a quarterback and started seven games before converting to linebacker this spring. His strength was his athleticism.
@TwoPintsJP asks Are Carolina slow starts coincidence, or is the offensive staff intentionally trying to work their way into the game?
JMA says It’s not intentional. UNC offensive coordinator Phil Longo said Monday that the Tar Heels don’t want to have to be the “cardiac kids” and have to come back every game.
“It’s a good trait to have when we’re in that situation,” he said. “You’d just like to be in that situation a little bit less.”
The Tar Heels have had some good first quarters. But they’ve struggled in nearly every second quarter this season. Their opponents have outscored them 41-13 in the second quarter through four games.
UNC’s players and coaches have had trouble diagnosing why their second quarters have been dismal (that might be putting it mildly).
“Forty-something years and this is the first second quarter issue I’ve had,” Brown told reporters on Wednesday. “I told them I checked the video to see if they left the field for a while and came back, and they didn’t think that was funny. So maybe that will help.”
It seems that the Tar Heels have taken their foot off the gas in second quarters. The key here will be keeping their energy up and treating the second quarter the same way they treat the fourth quarter. UNC has outscored its opponents 45-9 in the fourth quarter.
@jimlaise asks: You figure the offense tries to speed things up or slow things down ... to start, anyway?
JMA says: Because UNC wants to establish the running game against Clemson, I can see the Tar Heels try to use a lot of clock and keep Clemson’s offense off the field as much as possible. The Tigers rank 14th in the country in total offense (524.8 yards per game), and 19th in scoring offense (42.3 points per game).
That’ll keep UNC’s defense rested. So in that sense, it’ll be slow.
But they will, however, want to strike first and get points on the board as early as possible. Again, the Tar Heels want to be better in the second quarter, which means they’ll need to score points and keep Clemson off the board. One thing UNC doesn’t want to do is fall behind because the Tigers will make them pay.
@xaviersnake asks: Who do you project Coach (Roy) Williams to start for the season opener? What do you envision Leaky Black’s role to be this season?
JMA says: If all remain healthy, freshman Armando Bacot at the five, junior Garrison Brooks at the four, senior Brandon Robinson at the three, senior Christian Keeling at the two, and freshman Cole Anthony at the one.
Bacot, who is 6-10, 230 pounds, and Brooks, who is 6-9, 230, give Williams the opportunity to use two bigs, which is how he has traditionally run his offenses. Brooks was UNC’s defensive player of the year last season and has the most experience, so it’s almost certain he will start.
Robinson, who is 6-5, 172 pounds, has been in Williams’ system the longest. He will likely be one of the team leaders.
Keeling is known for his scoring and UNC needs multiple scorers in this offense. He averaged 17.9 points per game in three seasons at Charleston Southern. And Anthony was the No. 3 ranked recruit in the country coming out of high school, and the top point guard.
As for Black, he’ll likely be UNC’s sixth man and utility player. Williams likes his versatility. Last season, he called him the most versatile player he’s ever coached. At 6-7, 185 pounds, and the ballhandling of a point guard, Black showed he could play point guard and both wing spots.
He can also guard each of those positions. He’s a mismatch for nearly everyone. He’ll likely play significant minutes this season.
How to be part of the #AskJMA mailbag
About once a month, I’ll answer readers’ questions as part of a Tar Heel mailbag.
If you have a question about UNC football, basketball or baseball, tweet me @jonmalexander with the hashtag #AskJMA, or email me at jalexander@newsobserver.com. A select few will be answered in the mailbag.
This story was originally published September 25, 2019 at 3:47 PM.
