CHARLOTTE – In a sea of garnet and black at Bank of America Stadium, the University of North Carolina Tar Heels silenced the South Carolina Gamecocks with a 31-17 victory on Saturday night.
Silenced is right: USC scored just once, a field goal, over its final eight possessions of the game amidst a sea of sacks and tackle for loss.
While the offense had its moments, it was the Tar Heels' defense that emerged as the star of the show, refusing to waver even when the chips were down.
Last season, the Tar Heels' defense was often the subject of criticism, overshadowed by the team's offensive prowess. Though, perhaps some of what was on display in Charlotte started showing itself last fall.
"We came through in some moments last year; we (weren’t) be the best defense, but we made some plays to finish games as a defense last year," said senior captain and linebacker Cedric Gray.
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But if Saturday’s performance is any indication, this has started changing an ugly narrative that ignored what Gray said had taken place. From 40 points and 300 yards in the fourth quarter exactly 365 days earlier at Appalachian State, to shutting down an SEC team projected to challenge for nine or ten wins.
A big step forward, but there’s more to come, Gray said.
"We got to go back, watch the film, and improve on the mistakes we did make," Gray said, acknowledging that while the defense had a strong showing, there's always room for improvement. That humility and focus on growth could be the key to their success this season.
In a span of seven drives in the second half, UNC's defense gave up only three points while South Carolina had the ball for a total time of possession of 16:53 seconds. The Tar Heels' defense was particularly impressive in a stretch during the second half that saw them stifle the Gamecocks' attempts to swing momentum back in their favor.
After South Carolina executed a surprise onside kick following halftime, UNC's defense didn't flinch. It gave up just six yards in four plays, forcing a turnover on downs.
"I try not to complain in those types of moments because it's not going to help anything," Gray said. "So, in those moments, I just gather the defense up and say, 'Hey, this is what we asked for; we gotta stand up, and we got to cover their back.' And I think that's what we did on the onside kick, the red zone defense, and all of that."
UNC Head Coach Mack Brown praised the defense's resilience, particularly in high-pressure situations that inclued allowing only three total points after South Carolina's two forced turnovers and recovered onside kick.
"They are playing with a lot more consistency and a lot more confidence," Brown said. "They didn't get their heads down; they didn't play with the 'poor me' attitude like they did last year in the fourth quarter against App State."
The statistics speak volumes. South Carolina struggled on converting on critical moments and it wasn’t self inflicting wounds, UNC defense dominated the trenches all game. The Gamecocks were 4-for-14 on third down and 0-for-4 on fourth down, with the latter four all coming in the second half.
In fact, UNC stopped USC on downs on the Gamecocks’ final three possessions, each of which included at least one Tar Heels sack.
"Congratulations to our defense. South Carolina ran for 11 yards... they were 4-13 on third downs, 0-4 on fourth downs, which kept them from getting back into the ball game," Brown added in his post-game presser.
Gray, who even had one of UNC's nine sacks (and 16 TFLs), wasn't surprised by the defense's dominance in the trenches.
"I'm not surprised, to be honest with you. We got some pass rushers—Kamron Rucker, Amani Gaynor, Desmond Evans—and I could go down the list. This offseason, we really tuned in to what we need to do to get better as a defense," he said.
With it being an eye-opening win over a solid SEC program, UNC’s defense appears ready to keep building off this performance.
"It's just one game; it's only the start, but I definitely think we sent a message tonight," Gray concluded. "We just got to build off of it and continue it throughout the season."
As the Tar Heels look ahead, the defense has set a strong base for 2023. With a renewed sense of confidence and a chip on their shoulder, this unit is poised to prove that they're not just along for the ride— they are here to set the tone.
