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Carolina
vs. Maryland prediction
Raleigh__ Man, oh man. It's getting harder to get a feel for this team. But I'm not the only one. Last week after the game, John Bunting answered a question saying, "I don't know where this team goes from here. I think our team isn't playing very well, and I'm surprised that they're not playing well." And in almost the same breath, Bunting said, "The only thing on my mind right now is getting ready to battle next week." It's mind vs. heart. As it gets closer to game day, the juices start flowing again. Last week I thought I nailed a few key things that needed to happen for us to beat Wake Forest. First, win the battle of the clock by establishing our own running game and using short passes for time consuming drives. Keep their offense off the field. Our only drive over ~4 minutes was the first - 13 plays for 65 yards (5:38) and a missed field goal. Then we had fumble, punt, punt, and interception. Second, good special teams play to keep them backed up looking at a long field all day. On 3 of their 5 scoring drives, they did have to go 80 yards. Our defense couldn't hold them from scoring nor force an advantage with turnovers to get the ball back. The end results: rushing yards - Deacs 267, Heels 130, and time of possession - Deacs 33:35, Heels 26:25. The epitome of what they do best against what we do worst was demonstrated in the 4th quarter when Wake Forest had 12 straight running plays taking 8:48 off the clock. I still feel this kind of strategy would help the Heels for the remaining games this season. And I have a hunch that we'll start seeing points on the board. We have to remember that we have new starters and other players moving to the other side of the ball. Now, they have a game behind them and another week of practice. For a team to be successful they have to play well together. C.J. Stephens had a good game last week and shows promise. Kyle Ralph was also thrust into the starting lineup and played very well. But the team was enough out of sync as a group that we had no points. This will not happen two weeks in a row. On defense, moving Madison Hedgecock from fullback to defensive end may prove to be a good thing. With only a few days of practice, he was flying to the ball last week. His play could provide a spark for the others on defense. And I think Doug Justice continues to improve and is slowly emerging as a leader. Maryland has two runners averaging 6 yards a carry. But they don't rely solely on the running game. Their stats for the season shows a balanced attack - 170 rushing and 199 passing. They are losing the battle for the clock averaging 27:23 per game. So far, they are getting most of their points in the first half. The Heels need to display some grit on both sides of the ball and start the game with a bang. We need to have a game like the first halves with NC State and Virginia. If Stephens can get the offense rolling and put points on the board early, we should be able to hang tough with the Terps in the first half. That would start the momentum and some much needed confidence necessary for the second 30 minutes. At 8 games into the season, our defense won't be stronger or faster. But they now have gained the experience that was lacking in late August. And I expect to see them play smarter and better as a team. They have been working hard and believe in themselves. The fighting Tar Heels will surprise the Turtles. It's time to say good-bye to the untimely penalties and mental mistakes. At this point the Heels have little more to lose. They should be able to relax a bit more and just play their game. It's time to focus and execute for 60 minutes... and get a win at home... Carolina 24 - Maryland 21. Go Heels!
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