Note: Comprehensive goial line defensive numbers comparing 2023 to this season posted below.

CHAPEL HILL – Football teams can only do so much to simulate what it’s actually like in real games.

Some aspects are more challenging than others, notably goal line defense. Coaching staffs must heavily weigh the risk-reward of having their biggest bodies going at it over and over in fall camp to prepare for live scenarios. So, most don’t do it that often, which makes North Carolina’s success defending its end zone so impressive.

UNC Defensive Coordinator Geoff Collins said his unit had three goal line sessions in fall camp, four reps each time. So, the Tar Heels defended 12 goal line plays before heading to Minnesota to kick off the season.

Yet, the Heels have been backed up to their own goal line in each contest, and have fared quite well.

“Goal line defense is hard to practice because it’s just a lot of bodies that are going full speed, and when you can get that much work in a game,” UNC Coach Mack Brown said earlier this week. “And be successful with it; because our defensive line is really knocking the offensive back on the goal line, and it’s just tremendous.”

The Tar Heels have faced nine first downs by opponents from the 10-yard-line and in. Four have started inside the 3-yard-line. Yet, UNC has allowed only four touchdowns in those scenarios to go with four field goals and a missed field goal.

In last week’s 45-10 win over NC Central, UNC seemingly got a stop at the 3-yard-line only for a penalty to keep the Eagles in possession of the ball with a fresh set of downs right near the end zone. Carolina still kept them from touching the end zone.

“Another great job in goal line stand,” Brown said. “They started at the 1-yard-line, ran six plays and had to kick a field goal. That’s two weeks in a row now that we’ve played great goal line defense.”

Allowing four touchdowns in nine trips when first downs occur inside the 10 is awfully impressive, especially when compared to UNC’s less-than-stellar efficiency rate in those situations a year ago.

When opponents weren’t scoring on explosive plays, they had 25 first downs from the 10-yard-line to the 1 and crossed the goal line 18 times. They made five field goals, a turnover, and failure.

The Heels kept foes from touchdowns on just seven of 25 times with fresh downs inside the 10 a year ago but have already done it four times in nine occasions through three games.

Collins says it’s execution and an instilled mentality.

“We have a put-the-ball-down mentality; it doesn’t matter where the ball is placed, we have to get a stop,” he said. “Six straight plays from the 2-yard-line, it doesn’t matter, that where we are (so) we’ve got to make the play. And I’m very proud of the guys that they have risen to those occasions.”

It’s in part why the Tar Heels are 3-0 with 2-0 James Madison visiting Kenan Stadium for a noon kickoff (ACC Network) Saturday. Tougher opponents wait, but at least when the Heels face them, they will not only have quality experience in goal line situations, but success to fuel their confidence, too.

Note: Below is a full breakdown of UNC’s goal line defense last season versus the first three games this season:

*Opponents had first-and-goal 25 times eventually scoring 18 touchdowns with five field goals and one turnover.

*Interestingly, the last four times opponents had first-and-goal, they ended up kicking field goals. So, 18 of the first 21 times ended up with touchdowns.

*Opponents ran 68 plays at or inside UNC’s 10-yard-line last season that didn’t include penalties. Here is the breakdown:

---22 touchdowns

---6 times led to field goals

---2 first downs

---46 positive gains (1 or more yards)

---1 forced fumble & recovery

---1 interception

----12 snaps with 0 or fewer yards

*In literal goal line situations:

---@ the 1-yard-line: 10 snaps; 7 TDs; 0 yards twice; -1 yard once

---@ the 2-yard-line: 4 snaps; 1 TD; 1 first down; 1 yard once; -1 yard once

---@ the 3-yard-line: 6 snaps; 3 TDs; 2 yards once; incomplete pass once; -2 yards once

*Opponents have had first down at the 10-yard-line or inside, and have 4 TDs, 4 field goals, and one missed field goal.

*So, in 25 possessions with first downs at the 10 or closer to the goal line a year ago, only seven times opponents failed to score a TD. In nine such trips this season, the Heels have kept opponents from the end zone five times.

*In literal goal line situations:

---@ the 1-yard-line: 1 TD; 0 yards once; -1 yard once; 1 offensive penalty

---@ the 2-yard-line: -1 run once; -3 run (sack) once

---@ the 3-yard-line: 2-yard run twice; 0 gain once; 1 incomplete pass; -1 run once; 1 offensive penalty