UNC survives UConn, 12-10

What an awful game to watch.

My thoughts on the game:

Defensive Player of the Game: Charles Brown. This newcomer was supposed to be one of the few weak links on defense, after he replaced a mediocre Jordan Hemby at corner. But against the Huskies, Charlie was all over the place. Breaking up passes, tackling runners, making an interception, even forcing AND recovering a fumble. I feel great about our secondary with this guy back there.

Offensive Player of the Game: Zack Pianalto. Well, I've got to give it to Pianalto, whose 7 receptions for 87 yards and the Heels only TD saved the day. Unfortunately, the first jump of what would be a joyous celebration turned into a dislocated foot. Poor guy - and one less go-to target for our very weak WR corps.

Things that looked good: Our entire defense was impressive. Notable performances (other than Charlie) were given by Marvin Austin, Quan Sturdivant, Bruce Carter (with the exception of his heinous roughing the kicker gaff), and Kendric Burney (the ball was never really near him, but that's because he was doing so well in coverage.

Things that need work: Our entire offensive was abysmal. I'd say the shakiest part of our game was our offensive line. TJ Yates was constantly harassed (and sacked six times I might add). The line got no push whatsoever until that final relatively impressive 13-play, 76 yard drive in the 4th quarter to tie the game.

On that note, TJ had an awful game as well. The first INT he thew was just a very badly thrown pass. The 2nd one wasn't quite so much his fault. His pocket presence, however, was non-existent. Given, the OL didn't help him, but I swear Charlie Weis could have outrun him. He just looked like he was stuck in molasses. However, we couldn't run the ball, which brings me to my next point...

Shaun Draughn could be a very talented back. He's elusive, he has better than average vision (which is saying something considering his lack of experience on offense), and he doesn't go down easily. But he is going to be frustrating to watch if he doesn't learn to hit his lane hard without hesitation. Too often Draughn is shifting around in the backfield and juking for about 20 minutes until the defense decides it's about time to take him down. WR Greg Little has a propensity to do this too, but it works a little better past the line of scrimmage, when there's fewer defenders around. Being a RB is all about momentum, and Draughn rarely has any built up by the time he hits the line of scrimmage. Maybe he got away with this last year behind a deeper and stronger line, but this year he needs to take what he can get and take a couple of yards instead of going for the home run every play. Thank goodness Ryan Houston got some carries to help us on that final 4th qtr drive.

Also, the Tar Heels are very weak at WR (news flash, right?). I missed the news that the original starter, Dwight Jones, had to get knee surgery will be out for maybe another game or two. No wonder he was a no-show against The Citadel. Josh Adams was nowhere to be found against UConn (though we could blame Yates). And the one guy who looked to be a real threat on WR might have ended his season by jumping around after a TD (for the record, I don't blame him for that injury - he was just excited, and wasn't going nuts - just bad luck). However, I do have to give props to Erik Highsmith, the freshman listed as an athlete on the roster, who finished with 4 catches for 59 yards, including a 21-yard gamesaver when the Heels were facing 3rd and 18 against their own goal (that's the drive that led to the game-tying TD). Also of note, Highsmith is sporting number 88 - Hakeem Nicks left some big shoes (or should I say big gloves - literally) to fill with that jersey, so here's hoping he lives up to 10% of that talent.

So, in conclusion, our defense looked very good. But if we keep playing offense like we did on Saturday, we might get shut out several times this year, especially when we play the likes of Virginia Tech and FSU. Those defenses will eat us up (though FSU had trouble with Jacksonville State on Saturday, so I could be mistaken on that one).

There were so bright spots (i.e. Erik Highsmith) on offense, and the good news is that OLs tend to get better (barring injury) as seasons progress, and Yates and our very young WR corps should get a better repoire built as the season moves on too. The return of Dwight Jones should be helpful as well.

So here's hoping Pianalto is okay. I was a few inches from him on the sideline when he got injured during his last TD last year against Georgia Tech last year - he's a talented receiving TE, and both he and the Tar Heels deserve his speedy recovery.

That's all for now. ECU next week should be a tough test. Hey - at least we're undefeated, right?