CHAPEL HILL – The ninth practice of fall camp for North Carolina included the team’s first scrimmage.

On a rain-soaked, fog-filled Thursday night at Kenan Stadium, the Tar Heels held their first scrimmage. It was their fourth day in full pads, and much was learned.

Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Chip Lindsey spoke with a few members of the media following practice Saturday and was asked multiple questions about the scrimmage. Likes, dislikes, and takeaways.

As for the inclement weather, it was actually useful, given there will be games this season in which the Tar Heels will play with a wet ball.

“I think some good and some bad,” Lindsey said about the scrimmage from an offensive perspective. “We had too many pre-snap penalties here and there with communication. The o-line gets blamed every time they jump offside, sometimes it’s not all their fault… Just too many self-inflicted wounds. We’re really trying to focus on running the football.

“A lot of times you go into a scrimmage and say, hey, we’re gonna really try to be established (in) this run or that run or whatever. That was a good night to do it, it was raining. But that didn’t affect us at all.”

With UNC’s opener 19 days from Saturday, and exactly three weeks from the scrimmage, it’s likely the Tar Heels will only have one more full scrimmage. They could also add a situational scrimmage at some point as well.

That gave greater importance to the other night. It was as much game-like as they could simulate.

“It’s nothing scripted, so therefore it’s just like a game,” Lindsey said. “Our players hear the substitution and have to be on the field at certain times for certain substitution groups. It gives me a chance to go up top and call it from there. All good stuff.”

Scrimmages allow coaches to have many questions answered, especially with respect to personnel; who can handle it and who can’t just yet.

With a need to get an inexperienced offensive line with desired depth ready, that was one of the focus points in retrospect. A quarterback battle is going on, as well, in addition to jockeying behind All-America running back Omarion Hampton.

The QB battle was addressed in-depth by Lindsey, which THI reported on here.

The o-line was also an important topic Saturday.

“We talked about o-line depth, and (o-line coach) Randy (Clements) mixed in a couple of guys with the first group,” Lindsey said. “And it’s like, okay, can this guy be our guy at X position, or whatever it is? And then some things you say, ‘yep, I think you can,’ and there might have been a couple, ‘no, I don’t think you’re ready enough.’

“And when you’re mixing in young players, I think that’s what you get. Sometimes you’ve got a young player that looks great against the second group, (then) you get him in there with the first group and maybe not so much.”

The offense overall, and how much of it this group can run not quite midway through August was also what stood out. It was gauged closely.

“I think there were some good things we got out of that,” Lindsey said. “Moved the ball around, gave us a lot of different areas on the field to work which is always good.”