CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina has a scoring problem, and it doesn’t require a master’s in Footballology to understand what is ailing the Tar Heels.
UNC can move the ball. It’s proven that all season, and that it’s No. 33 in the nation in total offense averaging 447 yards per contest backs up that assertion.
But the elephant in the room is Carolina’s scoring ranking. The Heels come in at No. 74 in the nation averaging 27.8 points per game. That’s No. 33 in moving the ball but only No. 74 in getting something out of all that movement.
Hence, the Heels are 4-6 with two games remaining, both of which they must win to qualify for a bowl game. And the biggest issue in turning chunks of yardage into point is?
“We’ve played good defenses, but we also still have to score in the red zone,” Carolina Coach Mack Brown said during his weekly press conference Monday. “That’s keeping us from winning.”
On the surface, it’s hard to fathom how a team with a quarterback ranked among the nation’s best in most categories is having a hard time scoring enough points to win games. UNC has lost its six game by a total of 26 points, and Brown says the issue has been magnified in the red zone and it’s up to the coaches to get it straightened out.
But that may be easier said than done.
UNC has two scholarship quarterbacks on the roster, one of whom is Howell. The other is Jace Ruder, who has been out for two months and may not return this season. Offensive coordinator Phil Longo’s air raid offense works best with designed quarterback runs, but with the backup options either true freshman walk-on Vincent Amendola or linebacker Chazz Surratt, the staff has been hamstrung when it gets closer to the goal line.
Quick strikes in smaller areas are more possible when a defense isn’t sure which way it will be pulled. Having a quarterback who can run will keep defenders, especially linebackers, on their heels, and that benefits the offense, naturally.
“I think Sam or any quarterback that has the ability to run, if you watch football Saturday, it is an integral part of the red zone,” Longo said, before noting his previous two coaching stops. “Back at Sam Houston (State) and even at Ole Miss, we utilized the quarterback and when we had success in the red zone that was a part of it.
"The fact that we aren’t doing that right now because of the depth at that position, it’s an obstacle we have to overcome, but it’s not an excuse.”
More numbers:
*UNC is No. 62 overall nationally scoring in the red zone, having done so 33 of 39 times, however the devil in the details indicates Carolina has just 19 touchdowns in those opportunities, and only four are rushing scores. Four. Michael Carter, who entered the season as an All-ACC candidate, doesn’t have a single rushing touchdown.
*Only Akron has fewer rushing touchdowns in the red zone (two) and the Zips are winless at 0-10, ranked No. 129 in total offense and recently went four games without scoring a touchdown at all.
*The two ACC teams closest to UNC in red zone rankings are Virginia at No. 51 (21-for-51 with 20 rushing TDs) and N.C. State at No. 59 (20-for-40 with 10 rushing scores).
*The Heels are No. 96 in the nation with those 19 TDs in the red zone, with seven teams right behind at 18 scores.
The Tar Heels hope to chart a new course versus Mercer this Saturday. The Bears are FCS members, own just a 4-7 record and are ranked No. 90 at the FCS level in red zone defense. This is clearly an opportunity that could play into UNC’s favor given its recent struggles.
“Execution down there, maybe some game planning, is something that we’re going to emphasize this week,” Longo said. “It has to get better. That’s probably the area offensively right now that’s the greatest concern.”
The win/loss record and statistics bear that out.
