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Despite errors, Heels win with talent

Posted on September 15, 2011September 15, 2011 by Staff


By Eddy Landreth
Staff Writer

If Carolina defeats Virginia on Saturday, the mistake-riddled 24-22 victory against Rutgers will serve more as a testament to the Tar Heels’ depth of talent than to the preponderance of errors in a the game.

The Tar Heels (2-0) completed a difficult task by winning a game in which they committed five turnovers while failing to force a single one. Carolina also led in a flag-happy penalty parade, reversing ground for 94 yards on nine penalties.

“This can help us a whole lot,” said defensive end Kareem Martin, who was named the defensive player of the game by the Carolina coaching staff.
“It shows how good of a team we really are,” Martin said. “We had five turnovers and a lot of penalties, which shows we can still come out on top. When we play penalty-free and turnover-free, we can win by three or four touchdowns.”

This Saturday’s game, which will kick off at 3:30 p.m. at Kenan Stadium, is the conference opener for both teams.

The Tar Heels will try to eliminate the errors while continuing such positive trends as quarterback Bryn Renner completing 43 of 51 (84.3 percent) passes in his first two games as a starter, and running back Giovani Bernard rushing for 81 yards and two touchdowns against Rutgers, including a TD run of 60 yards.

The problem is that as well as Carolina has played in some areas, the odds are heavily against continued success if the Tar Heels continue to give away their possessions.

“I think the percentage is below 10 percent to win a game in which you turn the ball over five times,” interim head coach Everett Withers said. “If you win those kinds of games, you take a positive approach about it. That’s what we did.”

Withers’ statistical analysis may not be perfectly accurate or scientifically gathered, but it is likely close to the truth. Carolina has not won a game in which it committed at least five turnovers since defeating Louisville 17-10 in a Thursday-night game in 1995.

In addition to the individual accomplishments, there were plenty of promising performances as a team against Rutgers.

UNC’s defense held Rutgers to 1 rushing yard. After two games, Carolina leads the ACC in rushing defense and is third in the country, allowing just 30 yards rushing per game.

The Tar Heels sacked Rutgers quarterback Chas Dodd four times, and otherwise delivered a consistent and brutal beating, even on the plays when Carolina failed to get there in time to keep Dodd from releasing the ball.

This beating is the reason Withers said he is not really concerned about the personal fouls when they involve pounding the QB like a tough piece of meat.

“We talk about hits on the quarterback and how it affects him at the end of the day,” Withers said. “I think it showed the effects on [Dodd].

“Some of the personal foul penalties, roughing the passer, those are emotional things. Guys are working their butt off to get to the quarterback. I have a hard time getting real angry at our guys for sacking the quarterback. Those are some things that just happen in a ball game.”

UNC’s challenge this week is to stop the ACC’s fourth-leading rushing offense so the Tar Heels can once again dictate when the opponent throws, and be able to rush the quarterback without hesitation.

The Cavaliers have averaged 201 yards rushing in their first two games. Virginia is fourth in the league in rushing defense, allowing an average of 98 yards to its first two opponents.

“[Virginia coach Mike London] is building a team that wants to run the ball well and play good, solid defense,” Withers said. “They are a little bit like us: They want to be good running the ball and stopping the run. He’s a defensive-minded coach, and you can see it in their approach and their philosophy.”

As far as the Tar Heels’ mistakes in Week 2, Withers said he has every confidence the team will make the necessary corrections before Saturday’s kickoff.

“[Turnovers] are more of a mindset than a fundamental or technique issue,” Withers said. “When I watched the tape with the staff that is what we thought. We just have to emphasize it more. We’ll continue to do that throughout the week.

“It’s not something I think will linger. When it’s a mindset, it’s more of a focus and concentration on it.”

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