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CHAPEL HILL — As the Tar Heels prepare to host the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Kenan Stadium this Saturday, the spotlight is on North Carolina’s defense.
The unit has shown significant improvement this season but faces a new set of challenges as teams adjust to their schemes.
UNC's defense started the season with a bang, recording nine sacks against South Carolina. However, the pass rush was noticeably absent in the second game against Appalachian State, where they failed to record a single sack. Defensive coordinator Gene Chizik offered some insight into the discrepancy.
"I don’t think it was a step back, it was a teaching moment," Chizik said. "If you go back and look at how quickly they got the ball out, when the ball is out in under two seconds, you're not going to have those opportunities. We definitely need to tighten some coverage elements."
While the sack numbers may have dipped, UNC's secondary showed improvement in pass breakups, recording six against Appalachian State compared to just one in the South Carolina game. The Tar Heels also notched their first interception of the season against the Mountaineers.
Cornerback Marcus Allen, who had a spectacular performance in the South Carolina game with 56 coverage snaps allowing zero catches, emphasized the need for improvement.
"We got to play the ball in the air better. When it’s time to make a play, we just gotta make a play," Allen said.
Tayon Holloway, who started his first game against South Carolina, had a challenging outing. He was targeted multiple times, giving up big plays. Holloway took over the starting role after Allijah Huzzie was moved to the star position due to DeAndre Boykins' season-ending knee injury.
"Me and him talked during the week about him being able to shake off a few things that were a mistake or challenge him mentally,” Chizik said. “I was very proud of the way he responded. I felt like he gained confidence because he played better.”
As UNC prepares for Minnesota, the adjustments are being made to improve the defense's performance in this upcoming week's game.
"Our plan this week is to play a lot of press, tighten the windows so he can’t get hot," Allen said. He also noted that the defensive line and secondary need to work in tandem. "As a DB, we love when a D-lineman rushes the passer; it makes our jobs easier.”
Chizik echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that everything must work together for the defense to be effective.
"The pass rush and the DB work together,” he said. “By tightening down on the coverage, it gives D-linemen more time to get to the quarterback, more time to get pressure on him.
“The secondary and linebackers have to give opportunities for sacks to happen because of the coverage, as to make them hold the ball for a second longer, and the defensive lineman has to do the job of rushing the quarterback, making them hurry and make errant throws because of the pressure. So it all works together."
With Kamion Rucker leading the nation in QB pressures after two games, and Allen's coverage skills, UNC's defense has the tools to succeed. But as Chizik pointed out, "Tighter coverages, disguise things a little more, and then some things we can clean up on the rushers themselves to get some more sacks."
As UNC heads into week three, the defense knows that adjustments are key to their continued success. And as they face a 2-0 Minnesota team, tightening up their pass defense will be crucial.
